The brand of ‘happy’ folk metal seems to be one of those like it or loathe it genres. Many embrace it for its light hearted spirit, whilst others dismiss it as being too cheerful or lacking seriousness. Of course, there are folk metal bands that don’t take this particular route, instead crafting something more pensive or epic. Throughout their career, Equilibrium have shown their ability to strike a delicate balance between these approaches, shifting between the two worlds on the same album (and sometimes the same song). Armageddon, the follow up to 2014’s rather spectacular Erdentempel, sees the band continue this trend on their merry way to another inspired folk metal marvel.
The aforementioned Erdentempel saw Equilibrium push the more accessible, light hearted moments to the forefront; the bright, catchy melodies being the focal point of many of the songs. It feels like the band have scaled this back slightly on Armageddon, the folk elements now providing added detail to the musical tapestry rather than being the point of focus. Although they’ve never been a riff based band, the guitars have been beefed up, the more muscular tone giving them more prominence in the mix than the meek sound on Erdentempel. In this regard, the music feels closer to an album such as Rekreatur or Sagas than it does its immediate predecessor. There also seems to be more attention paid to crafting a symphonic atmosphere, particularly in the closing tracks, with a lot of the music having a cinematic feel. Single “Prey” is a prime example, with its mid paced stomp allowing plenty of space for the orchestral arrangements to bloom. Penultimate track “Koyaaniskati” is well conceived, with a slow, delicate build up reaching a glorious crescendo, buoyant strings dancing over a simple drum beat and hanging guitar chords. The shifting, heavy rhythms of “Eternal Destination” work well as a closer, simultaneously drawing feelings of despair and triumph over the course of seven fantastic minutes.
Of course, Equilbrium haven’t dispensed of their core sound, as there is still an abundance of folky passages and motifs. “Heimat” fully embraces the cheerful, carefree aspects of the genre with an infectious beat and a hook that is guaranteed to make you smile from ear to ear. Elsewhere, speedy number “Zum Horizont” launches out of the traps with some powerful blastbeats, but opts to take numerous breathers for a folky jaunt before its time is through. “Rise Again” features a smouldering, bouncy fretboard workout with wonderful folk excursions woven in, whilst “Katharsis” and “Erwachen” toe the aforementioned line between the serious and the sprightly. This has always been a great strength of Equilibrium that is once again evident on this album. They are able to convey a range of emotions and musical ideas in their songs without ever coming across as contrived or cheesy.
There’s very little to pick at with Armageddon. Perhaps the only criticism is that it does little to cover new ground, but when the music is this good you can sort of give it a pass. It doesn’t quite match Erdentempel for quality, but it is a worthy addition to the Equilibrium catalogue. Fans of the band best set some time aside, as from August 12th you’ll be sinking a lot of hours into this stellar record.
Rating: 4/5 – A merry metal marvel as Equilibrium produce another strong album.
Highlights: “Heimat”, “Koyaaniskati”, “Eternal Destination”
Band links: Facebook, Official Website
