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Equilibrium - Rekreatur review



Reviewer:
8.0

404 users:
8.11
Band: Equilibrium
Album: Rekreatur
Release date: June 2010


Disc I
01. In Heiligen Hallen
02. Der Ewige Sieg
03. Verbrannte Erde
04. Die Affeninsel
05. Der Wassermann
06. Aus Ferner Zeit
07. Fahrtwind
08. Wenn Erdreich Bricht
09. Kurzes Epos

Disc II [limited edition]
01. Der Ewige Sieg [acoustic version]
02. Nach Dem Winter [acoustic version]
03. Blut Im Auge [acoustic version]
04. Die Prophezeiung [acoustic version]
05. Heimwärts [acoustic version]

With two years and two band mates gone Equilibrium manage to release their new opus, ReKreatur. When I first heard that Equilbrium and vocalist Helge Stang had parted ways, I slowly balled my hands into fists and shouted, "Noooo!" I have liked this band since the beginning and I really enjoyed the chemistry that flowed with each release. Now I had to deal with some new blood and when it comes down to vocalist changes in a band it can go one of two ways. They can change the chemistry enough to where I am bored to death with each new release, or the new vocalist will add some new element that propels any new material into a positive light for the band. Luckily the latter prevailed and they released ReKreatur with a new vocalist and drummer intact and in full force. Robert "Robse" Dahn has slid into the lead vocalist role with ease.

ReKreatur starts where Sagas left off with nine melodic Viking Folk songs that are each different in their entirety and each full of heavy synths mixed in perfectly with the rest of band. This is one thing I really like about this album and I always find this is hard to pull off and where other bands seem to fail. After listening to this album over the past several months, I have found that I like Dahn more than Stang and that I believe Dahn's voice fills in better with the synths and the death screams you hear in almost every song. To date Equilibrium has always put out quality albums, but I still see a rinse and repeat recipe going on. Now do not get me wrong I think they are one of the bright spots in a genre that has been all but sucked dry by hordes of below average bands. While it works amazingly now it might get tiresome after a few more albums and maybe it's time to experiment a little bit. The Viking folk genre has become played out and it is time for the best bands to step up and show us something new. Rekreatur is definitely not that, but with the vocalist change we can hope it might be a start.

ReKreatur is a great follow-up to Sagas, which is one of the best albums of all-time and hard to top, but they gave it a top notch effort. They still manage to layer everything together and perhaps have even become masters at it. Songs like, In Heiligen Hallen (In Hallowed Halls), and Wenn Erdreich Bricht (If the Soil breaks) are perfect examples of this and help remind us why Equilibrium are a quality band. These are just two of the songs where Dahn really uses his voice and what really made the album shine.

Fans of their previous work will also like this album and I think Dahn will make it easy to get into. I have never found their music hard to get into and each album has been a breath of fresh Bavarian air and this one is no different.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 9

Written by fade | 30.09.2010



Guest review by
IanYeara
Rating:
9.6
I really am not a fan of death metal, or black metal or really any of the extreme genres though I do like a few artists here and there from each one. Despite that I absolutely love folk metal, harsh vocals or not, this is some of the best folk metal I have ever heard with a combination of death grunts and black metal rasps that make for some interesting vocals.

Read more ››
published 14.09.2013 | Comments (0)


Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 332 users
30.09.2010 - 05:48
Rating: 8
MétalNoir
Fils du Lys
I'm relieved to read a honest review like this one, cause I feared this album would have been either thrashed or overly acclaimed. 8 is a good rating. The unoriginal spots and the "rinse and repeat recipe" had to be mentioned, but you also reminded how good this band can be AND how Robse brings a breath of fresh air to Equilibrium even though most fans (me included) were on the verge of suicide when they learned Stang's departure. Very good and accurate review.
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Notre destinée n'est pas encore tracée....
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30.09.2010 - 11:16
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Some songs are superb, but overall the album is not that impressive as previous two

but Robse isnt the matter at all - he is great and even better live (just if they were able to mix sound properly and not to drown his voice in music :)
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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30.09.2010 - 11:42
Rating: 7
CyberSymphony
Ollie
This is a great album, though I loved Sagas more, theres still some awesome epic moments with great metal.
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30.09.2010 - 18:53
Rating: 9
Windrider
Raureif
Good review, but I'd translate Wenn Erdreich Bricht rather to When The Soil Cracks/Breaks, 'cause following the lyrics it is known that the soil will break.
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30.09.2010 - 23:39
Rating: 9
Sentenced Odiin
gothic.moorion@gmail.com
Nice review, but i would give for the songwriting a 10 and for originality a 9
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Life has given me much, maybe taken more...
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01.10.2010 - 16:06
Jon

Why is Stang considered such a great vocalist, I'd like to know? I don't mind him, and he's better than the new chap, but there's really never been anything remarkable about Equilibrium vocally.
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A mythology is a religion different enough from your own for it's absurdity to be obvious.
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01.10.2010 - 16:06
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Ehm...and where is the originality?
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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03.10.2010 - 14:29
Lovecraft
Account deleted
Pretty good. Nothing special though. Sagas was better.
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05.10.2010 - 17:16
MeTalRea|istiK

Written by Guest on 03.10.2010 at 14:29

Pretty good. Nothing special though. Sagas was better.

i second that!!
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27.10.2010 - 06:41
Timmeh
Dudeman
Written by MeTalRea|istiK on 05.10.2010 at 17:16

Written by Guest on 03.10.2010 at 14:29

Pretty good. Nothing special though. Sagas was better.

i second that!!

i third that!!
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18.06.2012 - 04:39
basquetal

The acoustic versions are awesome! just listen, realy enjoyable.
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