Equilibrium - Renegades (2019)

German Melodic Metal outfit Equilibrium is poised to take fans by surprise with their latest release “Renegades”. Featuring a very lively and catchy sound, this album delivers over 40 minutes of highly melodic music that is very far from their Epic Folk Metal days, but still commands attention and glory. With more electronic and even Industrial elements thrown into the mix, this album is superb on its own, but it might turn off the band’s earlier fans.

Opening with “Renegades - A Lost Generation”, we get a Wintersun-esque oriental-influenced opening that transforms into a full on headbanging jam. The band’s style is as catchy as always, but quite different. The dramatic keyboards and catchy riffs are quite engaging and powerful. Mixing in some clean vocals and epic chorus sections, “Tornado” continues with a high-octane vibe and very polished melodic arrangements. With “Himmel Und Feuer” the band keeps up the lively atmosphere with yet another hyper catchy tune that will be stuck in your head for days to come. Just think of a mixture of Laibach, Wintersun and hints of VNV Nation mixed together.

The futuristic edge of songs like “Kawaakari - The Periphery of the Mind” is perfectly delivered with the band’s usual epic attitude while adding some more alternative/nu-metal-ish clean vocal passages. For those looking for the heavier stuff, “Final Tear” has the band delivering intense drumming, hellish growls alongside dramatic atmospheric elements and intricate tempo changes. Reminding us of bands like Deadlock, “Hype Train” is another brilliant track filled with powerful riffs and the band’s typical catchiness.

Overall, “Renegades” is bit itself a superb record delivering nine killer songs. While the band’s style has certainly evolved over the years, Equilibrium still manages to deliver memorable and epic music that will have people headbanging like crazy. We particularly enjoy the mixture of dramatic atmospheric elements, multiple vocal styles, and energetic pace presented in this release. If you are looking for something intense and engaging, similar to bands like Amaranthe and Follow the Cipher, be sure to check this album out.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: August 16th, 2019

Genre: Melodic Metal

Country: German