Biography
From their widely praised 2016 EP Birthing Homunculi, recorded when Equipoise still operated as a five-piece, to the 2019 full-length Demiurgus that arrived after the Pittsburgh unit had expanded to seven members, the group has developed into one of North America’s most intricate and distinctive technical death metal acts. Their approach fuses intricate melodic lines carried by rapid-fire guitar riffs and leads, keyboards steeped in classical influence, and breakneck, off-kilter drumming and bass work beneath Stevie Boiser’s guttural vocal delivery. Across these elements the band interweaves and transforms influences ranging from flamenco, progressive music, fusion jazz, power metal, and neo-classical styles into a framework of melodic technical death metal, all captured by a production style engineered for maximum impact.
Guitarist Zach Hohn and Nick Padovani, who handled drum programming at the outset, initiated the project in August 2015 by writing riffs with the explicit goal of forming a band. Padovani entered those ideas into Guitar Pro, layering additional instrumentation until complete compositions emerged; within months he had assembled enough material for an entire album. He shared the results with vocalist and lyricist Stevie Boiser of Inferi and bassist Hugo Doyon-Karout of Beyond Creation, at which point the group coalesced. In June 2016 keyboardist Jimmy Pitts, known for his work with Eternity’s End, came aboard and introduced his technically advanced, classically informed playing, further defining the ensemble’s identity. The band secured a contract with the Artisan Era in late July and released Birthing Homunculi before the year ended, earning widespread praise from critics and fans alike. Hohn departed soon afterward. During the next two years Equipoise concentrated on locating a permanent drummer; before that search concluded they brought in guitarists Phil Tougas of Chthe’ilist and Sanjay Kumar of Wormhole. They ultimately welcomed former Hate Eternal drummer Chason Westmoreland.
The resulting seven-piece lineup devoted more than a year to composing and tracking their first album, revisiting and enlarging several pieces originally heard on Birthing Homunculi. Padovani typically generated core melodies and riffs for guitars, bass, and keyboards, after which the designated soloists refined their own parts within the finished arrangements; Boiser supplied lyrics drawn exclusively from his favorite anime, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Demiurgus contains thirteen tracks, three of them instrumentals, and features eleven guest soloists, among them Hohn, who contributes a solo to “Ouroboros.” Issued in March 2019, the album rose swiftly on digital streaming rankings worldwide.
Guitarist Zach Hohn and Nick Padovani, who handled drum programming at the outset, initiated the project in August 2015 by writing riffs with the explicit goal of forming a band. Padovani entered those ideas into Guitar Pro, layering additional instrumentation until complete compositions emerged; within months he had assembled enough material for an entire album. He shared the results with vocalist and lyricist Stevie Boiser of Inferi and bassist Hugo Doyon-Karout of Beyond Creation, at which point the group coalesced. In June 2016 keyboardist Jimmy Pitts, known for his work with Eternity’s End, came aboard and introduced his technically advanced, classically informed playing, further defining the ensemble’s identity. The band secured a contract with the Artisan Era in late July and released Birthing Homunculi before the year ended, earning widespread praise from critics and fans alike. Hohn departed soon afterward. During the next two years Equipoise concentrated on locating a permanent drummer; before that search concluded they brought in guitarists Phil Tougas of Chthe’ilist and Sanjay Kumar of Wormhole. They ultimately welcomed former Hate Eternal drummer Chason Westmoreland.
The resulting seven-piece lineup devoted more than a year to composing and tracking their first album, revisiting and enlarging several pieces originally heard on Birthing Homunculi. Padovani typically generated core melodies and riffs for guitars, bass, and keyboards, after which the designated soloists refined their own parts within the finished arrangements; Boiser supplied lyrics drawn exclusively from his favorite anime, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Demiurgus contains thirteen tracks, three of them instrumentals, and features eleven guest soloists, among them Hohn, who contributes a solo to “Ouroboros.” Issued in March 2019, the album rose swiftly on digital streaming rankings worldwide.
Albums
Singles
