Armageddon (Equilibrium album)

Armageddon is the fifth studio album by German folk metal band Equilibrium. Guitarist, producer and songwriter René Berthiaume considers Armageddon a heavier effort with darker lyrics than previous Equilibrium albums.[1] It also features a higher usage of lyrics in English. Berthiaume said the band concluded some songs would work better sung in English.[2]

Armageddon
Studio album by
Equilibrium
Released12 August 2016 (2016-08-12)
GenreFolk metal, symphonic metal
Length50:11
LabelNuclear Blast Records
ProducerRené Berthiaume
Equilibrium chronology
Erdentempel
(2014)		 Armageddon
(2016)		 Renegades
(2019)

Song information

The opening track "Sehnsucht" contains a quote from Albert Einstein about war and human warrior instinct. "Katharsis" contains lyrics which Berthiaume considers "quite socio-critical" and marks the band's first usage of a dobro. "Heimat" talks about how one may feel at home not only where he was born and raised, but simply everywhere. Berthiaume was initially unsure about working on "Born to Be Epic", but his girlfriend convinced him to do so and it ended up being a band favorite.[1]

Berthiaume regards "Zum Horizont" as a fast and heavy song influenced by Balkan music. "Rise Again" is a song originally written just after the release of Sagas, but which was left out of subsequent albums for being "too contemporary". It features 2009 recordings of some of the instruments, including some flutes performed by an Ecuadorian street musician the band had met in Munich. "Helden" makes references to classic video games, some band members being gamers themselves.[2]

"Koyaaniskatsi" was almost left out of the album due to the band being unsure about which vocals should be used in it. However, when Berthiaume listened to Wenn der Wald Spricht (lit. "When the Forest Speaks"), an audiobook by a friend of his, he found some audio recordings that could suit the track. It is intended to raise awareness about the usage of animals in the manufacturing of products. According to Berthiaume, "we don't want to act a straightedge band. It wouldn't be possible because we have members who like drinking and eating meat. But the most important thing is that people wake up and think about this topic". "Eternal Destination" reflects on how mankind has ruined Earth, the environment, the animals and itself in the past decades, but the track also shows a glimmer of hope. It also marks vocalist Robert Dahn's daughter Charly second vocal performance in an Equilibrium album.[2]

Track listing

All tracks are written by René Berthiaume.

No.TitleTranslation (from German, except for "Koyaaniskatsi", which is a Hopi language word)Length
1."Sehnsucht"Desire2:58
2."Erwachen"Awakening4:33
3."Katharsis"Catharsis5:11
4."Heimat"Homeland4:23
5."Born to Be Epic" 4:04
6."Zum Horizont"To the Horizon4:12
7."Rise Again" 3:51
8."Prey" 4:53
9."Helden"Heroes4:35
10."Koyaaniskatsi"Life Out of Balance4:10
11."Eternal Destination" 7:21

Personnel
Equilibrium
  • Robert "Robse" Dahn – vocals
  • René Berthiaume – guitar, keyboard, production
  • Tuval "Hati" Refaeli – drums
  • Dom R. Crey – guitar, vocals
  • Makki Solvalt – bass

Charts
Chart (2016) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[3] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[4] 125
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[5] 77
French Albums (SNEP)[6] 191
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7] 5
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] 11
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References
  1. "EQUILIBRIUM - 'Armageddon' (OFFICIAL TRACK BY TRACK #1)". Nuclear Blast Records official channel (in German and English). YouTube. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  2. "EQUILIBRIUM - 'Armageddon' (OFFICIAL TRACK BY TRACK #2)". Nuclear Blast Records official channel (in German and English). YouTube. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  3. "Austriancharts.at – Equilibrium – Armageddon" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  4. "Ultratop.be – Equilibrium – Armageddon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. "Ultratop.be – Equilibrium – Armageddon" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  6. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes - SNEP (Week 33, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Equilibrium – Armageddon" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  8. "Swisscharts.com – Equilibrium – Armageddon". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
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