Equinox
Context and Equilibrium’s Return
When I sat down to listen to the new Equilibrium album, I felt as if I were opening an ancient volume of Nordic sagas but with its pages rewritten under the pulse of a modern era. Before diving into the songs, it’s worth remembering who they are: this German band marked the folk/viking metal scene with albums like Sagas and Rekreatur, mixing flutes, keyboards, grand choirs, and an epic aura that transported you to medieval ages.
After a turbulent period, with experiments that took their sound to, let’s say… less pagan paths (the 2019 album sparked divided reactions), now with Equinox the band tries to rediscover its voice, although in a new shape. This is the first time with vocalist Fabian Getto at the front, and the result is a more modern record, blending melodic death metal, electronic touches, and subtle echoes of their folk-infused past.
It’s as if Equilibrium were standing at a crossroads: they chose not to return fully to the old style, but still aimed to reclaim the ambition to sound grand, breathing strength, melody, and urgency.
Listening to Equinox: Light and Shadow
Right from the opening with 'Earth Tongue', the atmosphere is set: there is aggression, there is dense melody, there is expectation. The introduction draws a modern path, and in the minutes that follow, the band shows they didn’t come to play around.
When things work, and they work impressively , the album delivers. In tracks like 'Awakening', 'Legends', 'Gnosis', and 'Bloodwood', Equilibrium reaches moments of absolute brilliance. The melodies float, the riffs add weight, the choirs carry that grand feeling of ancestral strength and even with electronic or melodic death elements, these songs have soul. 'Legends', especially, sounds like a modern anthem, blending melancholy and vigor.
There are also contrasting moments: 'Borrowed Waters' brings a more contemplative, almost introspective, atmosphere, a pause amid the storm, with clean vocals that recall the more ethereal side of the band, evoking images of silent forests and cold breezes brushing ancient ruins.
Limitations and Too Much Familiarity
But not everything is a trophy in this journey. Despite its successes, the album falters in its irregularity. Some songs feel as if they are still trying to find their rhythm, atmospheric intros, interludes, and transitions that seem more like distractions than conclusions. At times, what should sound grand ends up lost in repetition and structures that flirt with the generic.
Moreover, for those who expected a strong return to the band's classic style, that mix of folk/black/symphonic weight that once set them apart, disappointment may arise. Because although there are echoes of their past, the essence is filtered through modern layers: metalcore, melodeath, electronics and not always with the intensity or originality expected from a band that once carved its own glory.
Conclusion: A Cautious Rebirth, with Flashes of Glory
If I had to summarize my impressions of Equinox, I’d say it is an album of middle ground and, at the same time, one full of sincere surprises. It is not a masterpiece, nor a complete disappointment. It is a reflection of where Equilibrium stands now: attempting to balance past and present, tradition and modernity, memory and reinvention.
For those open to seeing the band from a new perspective, the album offers rewards: powerful melodies, moments of genuine beauty, riffs that push the skull and even instants of contemplative melancholy. But for the nostalgic fans of their earlier folk/black metal, there may be a sense of incomplete longing as if the old spell hasn’t fully resurfaced.
In essence, Equinox feels like a portal: it doesn’t take us back to the band’s glorious past… but perhaps it leads us forward, into a new chapter yet to be defined. I’m curious to see how far this new path will go, as long as they keep the fire burning and don’t forget what made them great.
