I remember the first time I heard 2008 release Sagas by Germany’s Equilibrium, their second release (and first on Nuclear Blast). I was blown away by the melding of traditional folk melodies and instruments with the fury of black and death metal, infused with memorable melodies, atmospheric synths, and fun song structure. The band would then take their own interesting journey, enduring myriad membership changes and even completely changing genres, moving away from their extreme folk metal roots to more of a synthy industrial tinged metalcore/melodeath feel with 2019’s “Renegades.” Founder & guitarist René Berthiaume is the lone remaining original member, though drummer Hati Refaeli has been along for the journey since 2010. Equilibrium released their latest album, “Equinox,” at the end of November, and it recalls their roots while still pushing ahead with a modern sound, effortlessly blending a variety of elemental folk influences with melodeath, industrial, and black metal. New vocalist Fabian is amazing, bringing serious energy and emotion to his aggressive and punchy approach. Vocally he definitely utilizes more of a metalcore-like fry scream, but it fits the feel of the songs well. He is also a beast live…I was blown away when I saw him in Berlin in October. The guitars, synths, and drums are all so powerful and emotive. The industrial elements from their more recent material are still present, but there is a much heavier folk feel akin to their earlier material, with fabulous melodies, brilliant atmosphere, and plenty of death and black metal aggression. Equilibrium has always stood apart as a different band, and they have done the same here, but what they have crafted is fabulous and hopefully a good omen for what their future holds.

“Earth Tongue” kicks things off in a very name-appropriate earthy sense, with tribal beats and a raw feel. This song reminds me of what I might imagine Skáld could sound like at times if they utilized distortion. The song occasionally mixes in atmosphere that brings in both previous eras of the band, but this intro showcases that the folk influence will be crucial to this album.

“Awakening” has a cinematic opening that makes the entire song sound grand, with a heavy folksy synth approach over crushing guitars and thunderous drums. The brief middle section hearkens to a feudal Japanese vibe, but there are myriad folk influences throughout that add so much texture to the modern metal feel. Fabian’s vocals are aggressive and drive a sense of urgency, almost feeling like a re-“awakening” for the band.

“Legends” driving synth flourishes remind me of the “Renegades” era a bit, but with more atmosphere and a bombastic anthemic feel. The chorus is fronted by a fry scream and backed by a choral feel, with an earworm quality. This song flirts with pop sensibility amidst its myriad melodies, but it doesn’t let you forget it is metal with its blastbeats and crushing guitars. It will have you bopping your head and melting into its melodies while being assaulted by its mid-paced fury. This song is one of my favorites on the album.

“Archivist” pulls things back and returns to folksy roots, with a dulcimer-sounding melody underneath native chants and massive percussive beats, enveloped by a synthy atmosphere. This song was used as their opening for their live show in October, and it really set the mood early. “Gnosis” continues this driving percussive underbelly and folksy atmosphere with an aggressive vocal attack and a melodic chorus. A little over halfway there is a cool variation on a breakdown that feels very genre-bending, leading into a tremolo-picking crescendo that yields briefly to a percussion / dulcimer transition before finishing out strong.

“Bloodwood” is my favorite on the album, as it feels to me like it is the biggest homage to the early era of the band. I personally freaked out when the band performed “Blut im Auge” live in October, and this song definitely brings many of those elements to the forefront. It is the fastest song on the album, effortlessly blending blazing drums with a synth storm and hefty guitars. When it slows down, it crushes you even more with its riffs and thunderous drums, and the chorus also carries an anthemic feel with a killer melody. A little over two thirds through, you are transported to “Sagas” with its epic folksy black metal feel, blazing ahead and keeping the speed up while really delivering the anthemic chorus in an incredible finish.

“I’ll Be Thunder” also does a good job bridging the 2 eras, mixing a fast death metal pace with a synth-forward industrial vibe that is in your face while being melodic. There are lots of layers in this song, and it takes you on a chaotic journey that explores many folk melodies. Apparently this song was written in just one week and was intended to feel impulsive, and I believe the band captured this perfectly! “Anderswelt” returns back to more of a modern driving feel while maintaining a strong folk influence. The ending violin is unexpected and yet works quite well. “One Hundred Hands” has an industrial metalcore vibe and at times reminds me of some moments of Born of Osiris. The chorus melody is infectious, and the entire song is driving and big.

“Borrowed Waters” is the most unique song on the album, almost a folk ballad featuring guest vocals from ethereal EDM vocalist Roniit. This description describes her perfectly in this song, silky atmosphere that weaves an ethereal ambiance atop a driving guitar riff and keyboard swells.

“Borrowed Waters” is a nice transition for the ending salvo of the album that begins with “Rituals of Sun and Moon” and what sounds like a jaw harp over an atmospheric swell and percussive chanting, seguing seamlessly into last full track “Nexus.” The verses are haunting, while the chorus is big and anthemic. “Rituals…” is reprised in the middle with a cinematic backdrop, and the synth melodies throughout provide a nice canvas for the driving guitar riffs and drums. There is great use of dynamics (which in general is true in so many Equilibrium songs), and there is even a late key change! The outro flows right into closing instrumental “Tides of Time,” an atmospheric peaceful piece that ends a terrific album perfectly.

Equilibrium has crafted something different with “Equinox,” and I cannot get enough of it. My hope is that they continue to capture the magic of folk, extreme, and modern metal while maintaining the momentum this album has created. If you want something a bit unique while still heavy and melodic, you need to check this album out!

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