Equilibrium – Sagas
Nuclear Blast Records

(4/5)

The mythological side of Metal is striking Rock In Review once again with Equilibrium’s Nuclear Blast Records debut album entitled Sagas. Equilibrium could be put into a few different categories because of the different influences they put into their music, but I think Viking metal or Symphonic Black metal suits them best. However, Folk metal and Pagan metal are not too far off because of their use of flutes, strings, and riffs that reflect traditional Germanic melodies. Either way, this band is awesome! Just like Eluveitie, Equilibrium is on the heavier side of the more Folk style of Metal using lots of electric guitar parts, double bass, and the screaming style of vocals. As far as the tracks on the album goes, I would suggest listening to “Snüffel” (Track 6), “Die Weide und der Fluß” (Track 9), and “Mana” (Track 13). These three tracks are good examples of how Equilibrium sounds. Out of the the three, “Mana” is probably my favorite because it’s just over 16 minutes long and it really shows the band’s musical talents since it’s completely instrumental. Overall, Sagas is a great album for fans of Viking metal, Pagan metal, Symphonic Black metal, and the heavier end of Folk metal.

HammerFall – Masterpieces
Nuclear Blast Records

(4.5/5)

HammerFall has done it again! Technically, this is the first time they’ve put together an album constructed of all their covers (including a few that were previously unreleased), but Masterpieces should not be looked at as any less of an album than any of HammerFall’s other great albums. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve reviewed or even heard an album that was all covers, but you can’t go wrong with HammerFall. Masterpieces is made up of an all-star track list that has songs by bands including Judas Priest, KISS, Skid Row, Twisted Sister, Rainbow, Helloween, and many more! The overall final product of this album is excellent, but there are a few songs in particular I really like. Most of these songs are on the list because I’ve heard their original recordings and I like the way the cover came out. The songs are “Breaking the Law” (Track 10), “Detroit Rock City” (Track 13), “Youth Gone Wild” (Track 17), and “Child of the Damned” (Track 1). “Child of the Damned is the one on the list that I’ve never heard the original recording (originally recorded by Warlord), but I really like the way it sounds. If I had no idea that this was a cover, I would swear that this was written by HammerFall in the first place. “Breaking the Law” (originally recorded by Judas Priest) is on the list because of the great way it turned out and the fact that the band members switched instruments to give the recording a special feel. This cover in particular was hard for the band since everyone knows the original sound, but I think it sounds great either way. Once again, the overall final product of Masterpieces is awesome and I definitely recommend it to any HammerFall fans like myself!