Equilibrium - Renegades (2019)
EAC | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Nuclear Blast, 27361 45300 | ~ 351 or 110 Mb | Artwork(jpg) -> 118 Mb
Viking Metal, Folk Metal, Epic Metal
EAC | Flac(Image) + Cue + Log & MP3 CBR 320Kbps
Nuclear Blast, 27361 45300 | ~ 351 or 110 Mb | Artwork(jpg) -> 118 Mb
Viking Metal, Folk Metal, Epic Metal
quilibrium is a band that epitomizes the term ‘hard-working’. While folk metal has been burgeoning for the past decade with many bands seeing great success, Equilibrium has diligently labored hard in the background, slowly plying their trade in their native region, but never really sharing in the monumental international success that some of the genre forebears have experienced. The band’s latest album Renegades looks to rectify this as they aim to stamp a lasting mark on the genre by bringing their music to new audiences globally.
As an overall package, Renegades is a marked step-up for Equilibrium. The overall musical direction and song structure certainly reflect the more personal nature of this record, with underlying themes such as fear, progress, and triumph being at the forefront of the band’s writing. Each song carries with it an authentic familiarity that is reflective of personal experiences and easily builds a connection with the listener.
It is important to point out that the band has taken a bolder path with this album having it largely sung in English, a stark difference to their previous releases. This definitely allows those unable to speak German the ability to appreciate the lyrics, and is a bold endeavor to reach a wider audience. While this has been a transition Equilibrium has slowly been making over the last few albums, it was quite surprising to see almost the entire album presented in English this time around.
Musically speaking, Renegades feels much more complete than any of the band’s previous offerings. While initial listens might seem like the album is different from their past offerings, the nuanced guitar work, and rhythmic drum and bass patterns mirror and expand upon the band’s ever-evolving style. Dual guitar combination of Dom R. Crey and René ‘Berthammer’ Berthiaume have definitely furthered their already well-established blend of fast, catchy and melodic guitars, cultivating a sound that is familiar yet advanced than that on previous albums. The inclusion of new keyboardist Skadi Rosehurst is also well felt across the album. Tracks like ‘Tornado’ and ‘Himmel Und Feur’ thrive off their key sections, while others such as ‘Path of Destiny’ are given an almost ethereal feeling through their keys. Additionally, certain songs like ‘Kawaakari – The Periphery of Mind‘ have that electronic-infused dubstep sound that the band has previously experimented on in the past, and this wouldn’t be pulled off nearly as well live without the inclusion of a live keyboardist.
Composition-wise everything that Equilibrium has done previously has been elevated to a higher level on Renegades. While opting less for the faster-paced songs and focusing more on the grandiose folk tracks the album gives the album a very epic feel to it. Already released single ‘Renegades – a lost Generation‘ smacks of the heightened fist-pumping energy that the band has previously offered, but is one of only a handful on the album, with tracks like ‘Rise of the Phoenix’ which embrace the softer more melodic and grandiose side being more common.
Vocally is where this album feels most divergent from its predecessors. While Robert ‘Robse’ Dahn continues to shine with his harsh scowls providing the strong and powerful delivery that he is well known for, the inclusion of new bassist Martin ‘Skar’ Berger who provides clean vocals in most choruses definitely shakes up Equilibrium’s sound. The band has made comprehensive use of Skar’s vocals on most tracks and this may be something that will catch long-time listeners off guard. It certainly works, and is very thematic with the direction being taken on this album, but is definitely an interesting gamble from the band who have seemingly gone ‘all-in’ on these clean style choruses without having tested the waters first. Whether the fans embrace this method of vocal delivery could be the biggest determining factor around whether or not this album will be successful, and this will only become apparent in time on a per-listener basis.
The album does feel short. That could be due to their only being nine songs running at 42 minutes duration, and just when it feels like it is hitting its stride it ends up finishing. While this is completely understandable side-effect in keeping the album nice and compact, it does leave the listener feeling moreish and craving additional tracks at its conclusion.
Embodying everything that Equilibrium has worked for over the past two decades, Renegades is an album that is destined to bring them greater exposure. Staying true to their roots, but changing the formula just enough to keep their music feeling fresh and innovative will definitely work in the band’s favor and should bring new fans along for the ride. With a renewed focus on their overall sound and armed with tracks that are sure to generate greater interest outside their native lands, Equilibrium certainly looks poised to elevate to new heights with this record.~ metalwani.com
Equilibrium - Renegades (2019):
Tracklist:
01. Renegades - A Lost Generation
02. Tornado
03. Himmel und Feuer
04. Path of Destiny (feat. The Butcher Sisters)
05. Moonlight
06. Kawaakari - The Periphery Of The Mind
07. Johnny B. (The Hooters cover)
08. Final Tear
09. Hype Train (feat. Julie Elven)
10. Rise Of The Phoenix
Exact Audio Copy V1.3 from 2. September 2016
EAC extraction logfile from 6. September 2019, 16:20
Equilibrium / Renegades
Used drive : ASUS DRW-24B3ST Adapter: 2 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Installed external ASPI interface
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 1024 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\FLAC\FLAC.EXE
Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" -T"COMMENT=CDRip for me-4u.com (Not for Stupid Pig, Mercantile Bastard And Sales Bitch Swint68)" -8 -V %source%
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 4:32.52 | 0 | 20451
2 | 4:32.52 | 4:28.54 | 20452 | 40605
3 | 9:01.31 | 4:19.25 | 40606 | 60055
4 | 13:20.56 | 3:39.50 | 60056 | 76530
5 | 17:00.31 | 4:53.40 | 76531 | 98545
6 | 21:53.71 | 4:46.35 | 98546 | 120030
7 | 26:40.31 | 4:04.00 | 120031 | 138330
8 | 30:44.31 | 4:27.00 | 138331 | 158355
9 | 35:11.31 | 4:18.00 | 158356 | 177705
10 | 39:29.31 | 7:06.61 | 177706 | 209716
Range status and errors
Selected range
Filename C:\Equilibrium - Renegades.wav
Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 3.2 X
Range quality 100.0 %
Test CRC C86BDAD4
Copy CRC C86BDAD4
Copy OK
No errors occurred
AccurateRip summary
Track 1 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [D3981AE1], AccurateRip returned [EBBF6FF7] (AR v2)
Track 2 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [527B7E97], AccurateRip returned [4D66492C] (AR v2)
Track 3 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [141C2591], AccurateRip returned [6D856C35] (AR v2)
Track 4 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [C21B1275], AccurateRip returned [97251D31] (AR v2)
Track 5 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [19D9495B], AccurateRip returned [0DE8828A] (AR v2)
Track 6 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [0A3791F5], AccurateRip returned [7FD4B7EC] (AR v2)
Track 7 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [B55D25E7], AccurateRip returned [71F8D167] (AR v2)
Track 8 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [9470460E], AccurateRip returned [38C6EF13] (AR v2)
Track 9 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [D34D9D3B], AccurateRip returned [D7E3485E] (AR v2)
Track 10 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [86ADCD31], AccurateRip returned [5D6A9394] (AR v2)
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
End of status report
–– CUETools DB Plugin V2.1.6
[CTDB TOCID: cP5SNiK_OL8ab6PKgDs4ET1iZFs-] found
Submit result: cP5SNiK_OL8ab6PKgDs4ET1iZFs- has been confirmed
Track | CTDB Status
1 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
2 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
3 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
4 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
5 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
6 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
7 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
8 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
9 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
10 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
==== Log checksum E12C6E6E997EA70A742A4D2F726340BA0D360D4E8E5913DB89C684C59CBD21B6 ====
EAC extraction logfile from 6. September 2019, 16:20
Equilibrium / Renegades
Used drive : ASUS DRW-24B3ST Adapter: 2 ID: 0
Read mode : Secure
Utilize accurate stream : Yes
Defeat audio cache : Yes
Make use of C2 pointers : No
Read offset correction : 6
Overread into Lead-In and Lead-Out : No
Fill up missing offset samples with silence : Yes
Delete leading and trailing silent blocks : No
Null samples used in CRC calculations : Yes
Used interface : Installed external ASPI interface
Used output format : User Defined Encoder
Selected bitrate : 1024 kBit/s
Quality : High
Add ID3 tag : No
Command line compressor : C:\Program Files (x86)\Exact Audio Copy\FLAC\FLAC.EXE
Additional command line options : -V -8 -T "Date=%year%" -T "Genre=%genre%" -T"COMMENT=CDRip for me-4u.com (Not for Stupid Pig, Mercantile Bastard And Sales Bitch Swint68)" -8 -V %source%
TOC of the extracted CD
Track | Start | Length | Start sector | End sector
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-
1 | 0:00.00 | 4:32.52 | 0 | 20451
2 | 4:32.52 | 4:28.54 | 20452 | 40605
3 | 9:01.31 | 4:19.25 | 40606 | 60055
4 | 13:20.56 | 3:39.50 | 60056 | 76530
5 | 17:00.31 | 4:53.40 | 76531 | 98545
6 | 21:53.71 | 4:46.35 | 98546 | 120030
7 | 26:40.31 | 4:04.00 | 120031 | 138330
8 | 30:44.31 | 4:27.00 | 138331 | 158355
9 | 35:11.31 | 4:18.00 | 158356 | 177705
10 | 39:29.31 | 7:06.61 | 177706 | 209716
Range status and errors
Selected range
Filename C:\Equilibrium - Renegades.wav
Peak level 100.0 %
Extraction speed 3.2 X
Range quality 100.0 %
Test CRC C86BDAD4
Copy CRC C86BDAD4
Copy OK
No errors occurred
AccurateRip summary
Track 1 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [D3981AE1], AccurateRip returned [EBBF6FF7] (AR v2)
Track 2 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [527B7E97], AccurateRip returned [4D66492C] (AR v2)
Track 3 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [141C2591], AccurateRip returned [6D856C35] (AR v2)
Track 4 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [C21B1275], AccurateRip returned [97251D31] (AR v2)
Track 5 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [19D9495B], AccurateRip returned [0DE8828A] (AR v2)
Track 6 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [0A3791F5], AccurateRip returned [7FD4B7EC] (AR v2)
Track 7 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [B55D25E7], AccurateRip returned [71F8D167] (AR v2)
Track 8 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [9470460E], AccurateRip returned [38C6EF13] (AR v2)
Track 9 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [D34D9D3B], AccurateRip returned [D7E3485E] (AR v2)
Track 10 cannot be verified as accurate (confidence 2) [86ADCD31], AccurateRip returned [5D6A9394] (AR v2)
No tracks could be verified as accurate
You may have a different pressing from the one(s) in the database
End of status report
–– CUETools DB Plugin V2.1.6
[CTDB TOCID: cP5SNiK_OL8ab6PKgDs4ET1iZFs-] found
Submit result: cP5SNiK_OL8ab6PKgDs4ET1iZFs- has been confirmed
Track | CTDB Status
1 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
2 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
3 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
4 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
5 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
6 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
7 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
8 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
9 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
10 | (28/28) Accurately ripped
==== Log checksum E12C6E6E997EA70A742A4D2F726340BA0D360D4E8E5913DB89C684C59CBD21B6 ====
[CUETools log; Date: 08.09.2019 2:11:42; Version: 2.1.4]
[AccurateRip ID: 0010ca2c-0086c77e-640aec0a] found.
Track [ CRC | V2 ] Status
01 [0a23850c|d3981ae1] (0+0/2) No match
02 [bcbd0435|527b7e97] (0+0/2) No match
03 [23706591|141c2591] (0+0/2) No match
04 [89edff7c|c21b1275] (0+0/2) No match
05 [a882f8fb|19d9495b] (0+0/2) No match
06 [2d2787f2|0a3791f5] (0+0/2) No match
07 [9860e802|b55d25e7] (0+0/2) No match
08 [fa959a8d|9470460e] (0+0/2) No match
09 [4fc4a9d8|d34d9d3b] (0+0/2) No match
10 [4b0d3a7f|86adcd31] (0+0/2) No match
Offsetted by 6:
01 [22ff4f45] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
02 [b85afcae] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
03 [7d85b8be] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
04 [5f8a0dac] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
05 [9d556946] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
06 [a381a767] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
07 [559fcd2c] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
08 [a0520d3f] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
09 [566208a1] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
10 [25235ea3] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL] [ LOG ]
– 100,0 [C86BDAD4] [8F70BE6A] CRC32
01 100,0 [CDC6E7A9] [AE129809]
02 100,0 [835CFDF2] [2E2B44BC]
03 100,0 [5C6113D7] [C793406E]
04 100,0 [9A6624FC] [C65B5B39]
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08 100,0 [9E7826BE] [E94EE2EC]
09 100,0 [FDE37217] [5CC93015]
10 100,0 [D5A1004A] [5413070A]
[AccurateRip ID: 0010ca2c-0086c77e-640aec0a] found.
Track [ CRC | V2 ] Status
01 [0a23850c|d3981ae1] (0+0/2) No match
02 [bcbd0435|527b7e97] (0+0/2) No match
03 [23706591|141c2591] (0+0/2) No match
04 [89edff7c|c21b1275] (0+0/2) No match
05 [a882f8fb|19d9495b] (0+0/2) No match
06 [2d2787f2|0a3791f5] (0+0/2) No match
07 [9860e802|b55d25e7] (0+0/2) No match
08 [fa959a8d|9470460e] (0+0/2) No match
09 [4fc4a9d8|d34d9d3b] (0+0/2) No match
10 [4b0d3a7f|86adcd31] (0+0/2) No match
Offsetted by 6:
01 [22ff4f45] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
02 [b85afcae] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
03 [7d85b8be] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
04 [5f8a0dac] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
05 [9d556946] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
06 [a381a767] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
07 [559fcd2c] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
08 [a0520d3f] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
09 [566208a1] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
10 [25235ea3] (0/2) No match (V2 was not tested)
Track Peak [ CRC32 ] [W/O NULL] [ LOG ]
– 100,0 [C86BDAD4] [8F70BE6A] CRC32
01 100,0 [CDC6E7A9] [AE129809]
02 100,0 [835CFDF2] [2E2B44BC]
03 100,0 [5C6113D7] [C793406E]
04 100,0 [9A6624FC] [C65B5B39]
05 100,0 [D8F451D7] [B837D33A]
06 100,0 [CE49E15E] [F4697678]
07 100,0 [0D3D0CF6] [A20EA1AA]
08 100,0 [9E7826BE] [E94EE2EC]
09 100,0 [FDE37217] [5CC93015]
10 100,0 [D5A1004A] [5413070A]
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