Equilibrium Reviews

Equilibrium - by OverThrow

Equilibrium is a stunning debut album of orchestral neo-classical beauty. This album should appeal to just darksiders, but anyone who can appreciate good classical arrangements. Equilibrium presents delicate waves of piano and bold stringed arrangements accompanied by the angelic song bird Mirellie. Her voice will capture your attention and the vocal chorus melodies will tug at your heart. The albums symphonic structure plays out as if telling a story with each passing moment, some triumphant with rolling and thunderous timpany drums and swelling strings, some moments somber and bleak with marching drums and tolling bells, all of it striking. And to add a more sinister dimension to this beautiful masterpiece we hear the whisper-like growls from the composer himself Eric Labrie, however Track 5 reveals Labrie’s vocals away from the whispers and you find that he has a beautiful vocal range. Eric and Mirelle make a very complimentary duo and Eric has proved himself with this debut album to be an aspiring composer in this genre of a digital sea. It is a true piece of art, I give much respect to this band.

Source: www.myspace.com/overthrow_music

Equilibrium - by VINILIAN PRESS

The first impression one is greeted with is a very theatrical and beautiful introduction song, which welcomes the listener into a haunting new world filled with mystery, darkness and beauty. The title cut, “Equilibrium” is a chilling piece with lucid female vocals to match, and sounds as if it were Satan’s ascension out of hell and towards the milky skies of heaven. Each song is a fantastic breed of its own which might make the listener indecisive about their favorite track.

“Shadows of Memories” is a ghostly melody and reminds me of Sopor Aeternus at times, very chime-filled and ethereal at times, but all in all the theatrics of this song are more than impressive and gothic. I must also mention that Eric Labrie is an absolute stunning pianist and his genius is very hypnotic to the point that one is completely spellbound by his playing and deeply wishes that it might never end. Labrie’s hand at piano really comes to life on the track entitled “Les Idees Noires.” Nevertheless, “For Funerals to Come” is my utter favorite track on this album, due to numerous reasons. “For Funerals to Come” is a song which builds and thrives off dark male vocals – vocals that seem to be possessed at times causing goose bumps to swarm all over one’s flesh! As the beginning of this album was very beautiful, thus the ending selections sound like misery reincarnated and tend to provoke the utmost imaginative and radiant of thoughts! I recommend this album for anyone who lives by the darkness…and then some!

Source: VINILIAN PRESS

Equilibrium - by Reflections of darkness

Written by Sebastian Huhn

The whole story started in the winter of 2002, when Eric Labrie started experimenting with dark ambient, Dark Wave, and down tempo music under the alias WINTER OF FANTASY, which produced three demos but never had any official release. During his musical experiments the style shifts into a more symphonic, classically oriented direction, eventually leading to the addition of mezzo-soprano singer Mirelle Tessier to the line-up. In October 2007, they entered the studio to produce ‘Equilibrium’, the first part of a trilogy.

With ‘Introitus’, we’re entering the neo-classical universe of ‘Equilibrium’, firstly dominated by disquieting organ play, later to be replaced with contemporary classic elements like strings; synthesized ones for that matter. Founding on minor piano and equalling strings, the next track ‘Equilibrium’ radiates a kind of depressing melancholy that’s hardly to be clothed in words. But where the introduction relied on emotion breeding instrumentation alone, the bland voice of classical singer Mirelle manifests on this one, bringing a striking beauty into the aural portrait of a barren landscape in grey tints! ‘October Reveries’ is being gently pushed forward by cold winds of sorrow, the autumn brought along. Nothing but sad thoughts can come to the minds of those, listening to these notes.

The next one’s offering no cheery, brighter tones either. One gets invited to a funeral mass. Heavy knells sound and the church gates slowly open to let the cortège pass. It’s not the bright voice of Mirelle we get to hear this time, but the grief-stricken, distorted screams of second member Eric Labrie, filling our souls with anxiety, while the song’s utilizing all possible kinds of classical components like the mighty
church organ, clarinet or the already familiar strings to craft an atmosphere of grief, the omnipresent theme of this record.

‘Commiseration’ is nearly 3 minutes of vocals without any additional instrumentation. That only turns out good if you’re having a real good
singer by your side like Mirelle and the beautiful sound of her voice really dispenses with the need of every other instrument.

‘Equilibrium’ definitely is no easy listening music or something you could listen to while being overly happy. It’s a perfect soundtrack for the dark and melancholic hours in life, for cold and lonely autumn or winter nights brought to life with the means of classic and electronic music.
Convince yourself if it’s magic aura.

Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7.5 / 10

Source: http://www.reflectionsofdarkness.com/