Equilibrium

Equilibrium emerged from Germany in 2001 when its members assembled for what they expected would be a solitary performance, only to reverse course and commit to ongoing activity. Alongside contemporaneous acts such as Windir, Turisas, Negura Bunget and Eluveitie, the group began crafting material rooted in the customs, myths and oral histories of its native region. For Equilibrium that region is Bavaria, whose Black Forest, Brothers Grimm tales and Oktoberfest celebrations supplied abundant thematic resources for the band’s symphonic pagan-folk-black metal approach. Work on original songs commenced in earnest with a demo tape recorded in 2003; subsequent appearances at clubs and festivals built momentum that led to the 2005 debut album Turis Fratyr. The record featured vocalist Helge Stang, guitarists René Berthiaume and Andreas Völkl, bassist Sandra Völkl, drummer Julius Koblitzek and guest keyboard player Armin Dörfler. Three years later the band issued its second album, Sagas, which marked the start of a partnership with Nuclear Blast Records and the arrival of drummer Manuel DiCamillo while continuing to weave traditional Bavarian motifs into extreme metal.