EQUILIBRIUM (Eng.)
– Hi Sandra, thanks for your time. What are EQUILIBRIUM currently up to?
Hi Sergio, you are welcome! At the moment we are very busy with writing new material, working on the album artwork and things like that. We have three shows left to play for this year. And when we have played those until September, we will fully concentrate on the new album.
– EQUILIBRIUM has different elements in their sound. How could you describe your music for all those who haven’t heard you yet? And what are the band’s main musical influences?
With Equilibrium we get our inspiration from many different music genres from all over the world. We never wanted to let ourselves be contained to just one genre, we rather keep on looking for new inspiration that makes our music to what it is. Equilibrium stands for balance, balance between metal and folk music, between nature, the animal world and mankind.
The music of Equilibrium is bombastic and epic but also melancholic and serious. But in spite of this seriousness we try not to take ourselves to seriously and sometimes through in a party song that invites all to sing and drink along. So, more specific, our inspiration comes from nature but also from computer games, which for many years now take us along into other worlds full of fantasy and adventure.
In the beginning we got the label ‘Viking metal’ but we ourselves see our music and concept as much more than that. Sure we got lyrics which are based on medieval history but we also sing about personal experiences and even about stories we made up ourselves.
– Your latest effort so far is «Rekreatur»; how has been its feedback both from the fans and press?
We are very satisfied with the response we got. The album reached place 20 in the German charts and similar in other countries, which was a more than pleasant surprise for us. Because from this album on we had two new band members, so we were very happy to see that despite of this change in line-up and our musical development our fans stood by us at all times.
– What are the main lyrical subjects in this new «Rekreatur»‘
Well, actually we didn’t have a concept for the lyrics on Rekreatur. Andreas wrote about a lot of different topics. On Rekreatur we have some stories about German mythology with Germanic and personal influences. And besides that we also have some songs about our personal development and the point that our band has reached so far. The music of Equilibrium alone already speaks for itself, so Andreas tried to make the lyrics do this as well. It is always about having a good balance between music and lyrical contend. When both compliment echother and are as one, we can take our fans on a musical journey in to new untouched worlds
– Your compositions are as dynamic as always; how was the songwriting process like for this new piece?
All the songs are written by our guitarist René Berthiaume. For the Rekreatur album he was under an immense time pressure and also the change in line-up didn’t make it any easier. We had to wait with recording the vocal-parts until we found our new singer, and when Robse than joined us we had to hurry to make the final deadlines. But we all got it!
– You shooted a video for «Der Ewige Sieg!»; how was this experience like?
Just wonderful! With the great team we had, lead by Florian Puchert, we first drove into the Bavarian-/ Autrian mountains. Early in the morning we climbed up a mountain and shot our video in icy colds and freezing winds. But still we had a great time and it felt more like a day of vacation than a video-shoot. The shots made in the hall were made in an old paper factory, there we found the perfect conditions for the scenes we needed.
– You have recently had two important changes in your line-up: vocalist and drummers; why did they left the band and what have the new members brought to EQUILIBRIUM?
Equilibrium was founded in 2001. That’s now 10 years ago! When we started I was only 15 years old. Through the years we developed ourselves and of course changed as persons. Sadly after some years we got frictions in our band, mainly with our leadsinger. When we decided to proceed without the leadsinger our drummer of that time decided to leave the band as well because without the singer he couldn’t believe in our music any more.
The decision to take Robse as our new leadsinger was not only an easy one but also a really fast one. We knew him for many years already and have always been convinced of him being a good vocalist and front-man. When René called upon him to join our band he was there in no-time, fully motivated and up for the task.
Our drummer Hati we knew via a common friend. Joining the band asked a bit more of him than just attending at the rehearsals. He moved from his home country of Israel to Germany to do all the rehearsals, gigs and tours with us. With his precise- and dynamic sound Hati quickly convinced he was the right man for the job. With our new line-up we feel more powerful and energetic than ever before and the last last year we had a great and successful time!
– You have now released two albums with Nuclear Blast so, after having some experience with them, how do you balance this cooperation? NB is one of the biggest labels in Metal, can they provide you a better promotion?
The cooperation with Nuclear blast goes very well, we are very satisfied with them. We are more than happy with the support and the musical freedom we are getting, which we need as an artist to write the CD’s we ourselves can also be 100% satisfied with
– Your lyrics have always been in German; have you ever considered singing in English?
The fact that we have always song in German doesn’t mean we will never write a song with English lyrics.
At the moment no such lyrics are planned but also not ruled out!
– You are, next to René and Andreas, the only original members remaining. Did you expect when you started you will ever get the success you’re having today?
No, I didn’t expect that at all! When we founded the band we were all just kids and at first we thought we would just play one show together. Which was in a small church in a little village near Munich. Although the people of the church were not so much amused that our, for what they thought, rock sound turned out to have a much darker metal sound. But there for the audience was having a great time and we got such good reactions that we quickly decided to do more gigs after that. We quickly got more show-opportunities and so we went on the path that lead us up to here. After nine years we came to a point that we started to think about taking things professionally, as in working for the band. At that point we were all just finished with our studies or hanging on to dead-end jobs, so the decision wasn’t very hard. Life as a professional musician can be hard and most of the time we are not that rich as many people would expect people in the rock business to be. But still, filled with pride we look back on all the years of hard work, success and we are happy we made it as far as we did today.
– As I said before, your music seems to draw inspiration from different musical styles; from Black to Death, some details from more melodic Metal and even some Folk elements… If you had to pick just one musical genre, which one would be?
Now that is a real hard question, but if I had to chose it would probably be an orchestral version of melodic metal.
– What has been the best and worst moments so far in your musical career? And what are both the best and worst side of playing in a band?
There were many great moments. Our first gig on Summerbreeze open air was one and of course also our gig on Wacken open air. First time sleeping in a hotel that you didn’t have to pay yourself, first time taking an air plane to the concert, going on tour with one of your favourite bands, etc. etc. I kinda see it like in a computergame, you go from level to level, get as many points as you can get and move to the next level, and then after some time you made it;
you can finally play in the evening time on a big festival and not during the day in the burning sun. Sadly the music business is very hierarchically. That means as a small beginning band you have to carry all your stuff yourselves, and have to change clothes outside in the rain were the headlining band is sitting warm and comfortably inside getting hand fed grapes. You get as good as no money paid and you have to take you mom’s beat-up car to the gig because renting a van is unaffordable. But as soon as your band gets bigger and more successful everything changes….and suddenly you get to sit on leather couches in the the biggest backstage rooms, packed with more alcohol than one hundred thirsty Vikings can drink, during which you can watch others carry you stuff on stage.
All the positive reactions you get live or on the internet caresses the soul and are for us the reason we stand on stage and why we chose this life.
When in the beginning you have no one who can help you find your way around the music business and there is one who honestly wants the best for you, you get ripped off without any mercy!
That is, without any doubt, one of the more shittier sides of the life as a musician. For those bands who have members who are more of a businessman than a musician have definitely got the better hand. For all the other bands I can only advice to get a good and trust-worthy manager who can do all those negotiations for you!
– You’re a really young band; how do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
I see us still standing on the stage, but also in far away countries, on tour, with bands that fit to us. We will find our way and slowly evolve.
– If you had to choose one band to tour with whom you haven’t played yet; which one and why would you choose?
Probably Within Temptation, I love the power in their music and I can very well see us touring with them!
– Finally, what are the band’s near-future plans? Will you tour to support «Rekreatur» live beside playing some festivals?
At the moment we are busy composing and after that we have our hands full with the recordings. Sadly there were many shows we couldn’t confirm because of the time which we need to write our new material.
Non the less, this summer you can see us at M’era Luna festival, Wofszeit festival and Rock for roots.
– That’s all, thanks once more for your time. If you want to add any final words; is your time.
Thank you very much for the interview! For my last word I would like to say that I hope to meet you all at our live concerts! And you can already start looking forward to a great new Equilibrium album which will be released in 2012. More info can of course always be found on our homepage:www. Equilibrium-metal.net. Thank you!
All the best! Sandra
