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The world is spinning faster these days. Chaos, division and destruction hang heavy in the air. But music has long been humanity’s most vital defence against the turbulent tides of time. A band whose very name is a plea for balance and unity, Equilibrium have been making life-affirming music for nearly 25 years, and as they return after a lengthy hiatus, the German legends are more committed than ever to spreading some positivity and hope to the masses.

As they prepare to release their seventh and greatest album to date, the mighty “Equinox”, creative mainstays René Berthiaume and Jessica Rösch stand proudly at the forefront of modern metal, ushering in an inspirational new era. With a brand new singer, Fabian Getto, leading the charge, “Equinox” is this band’s most distinctive and powerful statement to date.

“When Fabian joined the band, we started to get together to try and experiment a little bit, to see what would work,” says René. “What we were really searching for was someone who just fits with us as people. It was more about the vibe. With Fabian, he’s more interested in all kinds of tones, the deeper ones, the higher ones, the more modern style, and also clean singing! Lots of people applied for the job, but then we got a message from Fabian, and this guy had something! We met him and it worked, on a creative level and on a personal level.”

Equilibrium’s story so far is a tale of constant evolution. Emerging from their Bavarian homeland back in the early days of the 21st century, they began life as ferocious folk metal firebrands, propagating tales from the mythology of northern Europe and bringing fresh momentum to the metal scene. As time has passed, they have been meticulous in continually upgrading and enhancing their trademark sound, and by the time albums like “Armageddon” and “Renegades” were released, Equilibrium had mutated into a much more diverse and intriguing proposition. With a sound that combines the best of the old with the thrill of the new, René Berthiaume’s crew have updated their music to include the best of both worlds. On “Equinox”, that evolution reaches a new peak of creativity and verve.

“I would say it was like a whole new process, writing this music, and thinking how we could involve Fabian with his voice,” he says. “We did our last album, ‘Renegades’, which was a very straight step in a modern direction, and it was great to have those modern elements, but we still wanted the folk stuff, the organic instruments, the essence that was always part of us, so we needed to find a way to combine it all. We didn’t want to rush too much, so we could dive a little deeper into the process. When I wrote the first new songs, there were a lot of puzzle pieces that didn’t fit together. Now it all makes more sense. It was interesting!”

Six years is a long time in metal, but Equilibrium have not wasted a single minute. “Equinox” showcases a band in full control of their sonic and spiritual world, with songs that bring their cherished trademarks and authentic instrumentation together with new technology, electronic elements and giant, stirring melodies that rip from the speakers like proclamations from ancient gods. From the joyous rush of recent singles “Gnosis” and the melo-death inspired “Bloodwood”, to the effortless, cross-pollinated mastery of “Earth Tongue”, “Legends” and the show-stopping “Nexus”, Equilibrium have never sounded more potent or passionate.

“Sometimes we struggle, when people ask us what style of music we play,” René admits. “If you just say it’s folk metal, it doesn’t really make sense. There was some pressure on the band after all this time, so this record had better not suck! [Laughs] We had an initial plan to release an EP last year, but it didn’t feel right. After all these years we need to come with an album to maximise the impact. This album really helped us to find our voice as a band. I think we can really build from this for the future.”

Alongside some very noticeable and positive musical changes, Equilibrium have also continued to nurture a new and more timely lyrical stance. The storytelling and atmospheric flair of earlier albums is still in evidence on “Equinox”, but the band’s real world concerns have become increasingly important. As Jessica Rösch explains, the new album strives to resonate with listeners on a more relatable, emotional level.

“For me there’s no other way,” she says. “As artists we get so shaped by everything that’s happening around us, so it’s almost our duty to deal with it all through the lyrics. With Equilibrium there’s still the storytelling part, the fantasy part, but with this album we managed to incorporate both sides.”

“Our first album (“Turis Fratyr”, released in 2005) was totally about the stories, the northern mythology,” adds René. “With ‘Armageddon’, there was a lot of anger at all the stuff that was happening in the world. This time we’ve taken the subjects that are in our heads, and we’ve combined them with the storytelling. There’s always this discussion in the metal scene about whether bands should be political, but it’s part of the art and you can’t avoid it. Those things will always leave a footprint. Sometimes it’s more obvious, sometimes it’s less obvious, but it will find its way into the music.”

“Equinox” was recorded and produced by Equilibrium themselves, with some significant help from an assortment of guest musicians – including ex-Eluveitie violinist Shir-Ran Yinon and members of Dutch Viking metal band Heidevolk - and particularly from studio guru and multi-instrumentalist Danny McCook, who oversaw the album’s mixing process.

“We recorded and we produced, but we had external help for mixing from Danny. He’s also an artist and makes his own music, as Saint Mesa,” René states. “I’m always sensible when it comes to choosing someone. Beside the technical side of things, there’s always the creative part as well. He also does a lot of cinematic music, so we gave him a shot. He managed to keep the organic touch that we had in mind and then to combine it with the cinematic elements. It was a really good collaboration.”

Inspired by their experiences with other creatives, Equilibrium have also made the decision to embrace authenticity in every aspect of their art. “Equinox” is adorned with artwork created by Jessica Rösch, with her own hands and without any input from A.I. or any other technology. The end result is stunning and speaks volumes about this band’s desire to keep things real.

“I started painting the artwork and I wanted to paint three covers,” Jessica recalls. “I had the title, but other than that it was about just trying new things. It was a really interesting and natural process. I just sat there and painted and let everything flow through me. The artwork suddenly appeared, so we had three covers, and then we could choose.”

“We’re using the other paintings for the singles,” adds René. “You see so much AI-generated stuff these days, and we really wanted to do the opposite. We’ve done covers with Photoshop and digital painting, but this time we wanted to go with real brushes and paint. It looks very cool.”

In turbulent times, real art keeps us all grounded in the things that really matter. “Equinox” is a statement of intent from a band reborn. Equilibrium have made great music in the past, but never with this much fire and focus. Brimming with smart ideas, anthemic melodies and crushing, state-of-the-art modern metal with an organic, folk-fuelled twist, it kicks open this new chapter in the band’s story with an exhilarating, heartfelt flourish.

“We’re talking about potential tours for next year, but there’s nothing concrete yet,” says René. “We have a session guitarist for the tour we’re doing now. We didn’t want to be under too much pressure to get a full, new member! But if we do get a new, permanent member then it should be someone like Fabian, someone who fits with us. We’ve been going for nearly 25 years now, so we’ve learned to take our time. We’re playing some new stuff on our latest tour, but next year, we want to bring more of the new songs to play. We’re in a good mood! We’re really happy and we can’t wait to get started.”