By John Bedard
If you have read my reviews in the past you know that I’m a total sucker for good power metal. It is a genre that can both be super serious while also being fun and cheesy all at the same time. Inherent to the style are huge tones and powerful vocals that can totally wrap you up in the experience. This is when it is done well; when done poorly, I feel like it falls harder than other genres due to how high the expectations are. So, the question is does ‘Equilibria’ fall flat or live up to my expectations? I will spare you the suspense: ‘Equilibria’ soars above my expectations… It’s up there with the best in the genre.
I will say the whole tone of the album feels a bit more serious than other examples in the genre. This is especially true with the vocal style. It is a little more down-to-earth than the screaming other bands have made famous in the genre but I really enjoyed that. It feels just familiar enough to be a clear member of the genre but also just different enough in tone to not feel derivative. There was never a point where I got bored or felt things were getting repetitive. I also love when artists use both male and female vocals in their tracks and while there is not a ton of it here it is nice to hear and adds a nice variety to the experience.
Musically, my comments are pretty similar. The whole tone is a bit more somber feeling than I’m used to but in a good way. There is good variety in the musical instruments used that add an enjoyable variety to the experience. There are the expected instruments like electric guitars, bass guitar, and drums but then there are other instruments mixed in like an acoustic guitar and other instruments I cannot immediately identify but would absolutely miss if they were absent. There is also a piano which will always score points with me. All this gives a great evolution to the tracks which makes for a wonderful experience.
This is a must-have album. It made my week for sure. You can hear the band’s passion for their music in every note and the whole album feels like a carefully crafted experience that is hard not to get wrapped up in. Even if you are not a fan of power metal you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot. Any music collection is incomplete without it. Don’t miss out.
- ‘Equilibria’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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