Year: 2019
Total Time: 45:39
Label: Nuclear Blast
EQUILIBRIUM… a band that will always hold a special place in the heart of the Folk metallers. Or rather a band that once held a special place in the heart of the Folk metallers? EQUILIBRIUM have completely changed their musical direction and from a Folk Metal band, they are now an electronic, mainstream band with no musical identity at all.
We will not go into deep hate, because of the EQUILIBRIUM’s musical U-turn during this review. If EQUILIBRIUM’s music has something to say even in this new style, we will gladly bring it up and congratulate them. And that would be the case, if that was true. I know some will say in the end that we focused on changing the style, but this isn’t really the case.
Many will wonder what their new style seems like. It is a musical style that contains some heavy riffs here and there, but mainly contains a lot of synth and electronic parts, and a lot of easy-to-hear beautiful melodies, either vocal or instrumental ones. Here one cannot find almost no Folk at all, unless you follow them faithfully you go looking deep into this release. Within the album, the melodies one can hear are usually happy and uplifting, but sometimes a little bit darker. The vocals, both pure and brutal.
So what’s good about this record? «Renegades – A Lost Generation». Amazing track that brings (from the few times this is true for this album) the Folk idiom to the mind (for a few seconds, don’t imagine anything crazy), with that characteristic Folk melody inside it. Of course the track also points to Equilibrium’s new era In general, if we had a few more similar songs on the album, the score would have been much higher. “Tornado” – a good riff and an amazing, uplifting chorus, with lots of electronic nonsense in it otherwise.
At this point, we have to say that unfortunately EQUILIBRIUM don’t have much to say with this new style of music. At this point, too, one can really feel the sadness of the band’s followers when they heard their single a few weeks before the final release and they were thrilled with the launch track. Their grief continues as they hear the next tracks, from “Himmel und Feuer” up to the end of the album … An endless mediocrity with some beautiful and catchy choruses here and there. We also hear a Rap part during the super Mainstream I-am-no-Metal “Path of Destiny”, which again is unacceptable. The amazing thing here is that the rap quote is not as bad as the rest of the track. “Kawaakari”: Even fifteen years ago, no emo would cut their veins with this unacceptable nu metal, fake-Newgoth piece. I think you get the point, for all the other tracks…
When EQUILIBRIUM decided to change their musical direction and move away from folk metal, they took some souvenirs with them, which they kept. But if someone wants to still be able to listen to those moments, this album will make him sad. They say that there is just good and bad music, not bad and good kinds of music (in our case, let’s say metal branches). This record, unfortunately, is a proof that there is also bad music. Some will wonder if this is the band that made “Turis Fratyr” or “Sagas”. We will just say that regardless of the style change, EQUILIBRIUM’s latest record is filled with uninspiring tracks. Don’t rush listening to this album, beyond the single track. Sadness …
Rating: 4/10
George Kourouleas
Related Link: EQUILIBRIUM – Facebook Page
