Band:	Equilibrium
Album:	Rekreatur
Style:	Viking folk metal
Release date:	June 18, 2010
A review by:	fade

Disc I
01. In Heiligen Hallen
02. Der Ewige Sieg
03. Verbrannte Erde
04. Die Affeninsel
05. Der Wassermann
06. Aus Ferner Zeit
07. Fahrtwind
08. Wenn Erdreich Bricht
09. Kurzes Epos

Disc II [limited edition]
01. Der Ewige Sieg [acoustic version]
02. Nach Dem Winter [acoustic version]
03. Blut Im Auge [acoustic version]
04. Die Prophezeiung [acoustic version]
05. Heimwärts [acoustic version]

With two years and two band mates gone Equilibrium manage to release their new opus, ReKreatur. When I first heard that Equilbrium and vocalist Helge Stang had parted ways, I slowly balled my hands into fists and shouted, "Noooo!" I have liked this band since the beginning and I really enjoyed the chemistry that flowed with each release. Now I had to deal with some new blood and when it comes down to vocalist changes in a band it can go one of two ways. They can change the chemistry enough to where I am bored to death with each new release, or the new vocalist will add some new element that propels any new material into a positive light for the band. Luckily the latter prevailed and they released ReKreatur with a new vocalist and drummer intact and in full force. Robert "Robse" Dahn has slid into the lead vocalist role with ease.

ReKreatur starts where Sagas left off with nine melodic Viking Folk songs that are each different in their entirety and each full of heavy synths mixed in perfectly with the rest of band. This is one thing I really like about this album and I always find this is hard to pull off and where other bands seem to fail. After listening to this album over the past several months, I have found that I like Dahn more than Stang and that I believe Dahn's voice fills in better with the synths and the death screams you hear in almost every song. To date Equilibrium has always put out quality albums, but I still see a rinse and repeat recipe going on. Now do not get me wrong I think they are one of the bright spots in a genre that has been all but sucked dry by hordes of below average bands. While it works amazingly now it might get tiresome after a few more albums and maybe it's time to experiment a little bit. The Viking folk genre has become played out and it is time for the best bands to step up and show us something new. Rekreatur is definitely not that, but with the vocalist change we can hope it might be a start.

ReKreatur is a great follow-up to Sagas, which is one of the best albums of all-time and hard to top, but they gave it a top notch effort. They still manage to layer everything together and perhaps have even become masters at it. Songs like, In Heiligen Hallen (In Hallowed Halls), and Wenn Erdreich Bricht (If the Soil breaks) are perfect examples of this and help remind us why Equilibrium are a quality band. These are just two of the songs where Dahn really uses his voice and what really made the album shine.

Fans of their previous work will also like this album and I think Dahn will make it easy to get into. I have never found their music hard to get into and each album has been a breath of fresh Bavarian air and this one is no different.