Equipoise, a technical death metal supergroup consisting of (ex-)members from First Fragment, Chthe’ilist, Zealotry, Serocs, Inferi, Tethys, Ashen Horde, Vale of Pnath, Beyond Creation, Brought by Pain, Burning the Masses, and more, announced their debut record Demiurgus. It will be released through The Artisan Era on March 8, following in the wake of their 2016 EP Birthing Homunculi. This release will feature orchestral elements, as well as flamenco guitar, to which bandleader Nick Padovani says:
‘Playing a melodic brand of technical/progressive death metal, we like to make frequent use of orchestral elements and flamenco guitar, as we feel good music shouldn’t be pigeonholed by any one sound.‘
Just like Birthing Homunculi, this album takes inspiration from the anime series Full Metal Alchemist, exploring themes of said world over the course of 14 different tracks. Fretless bass, orchestral parts, and flamenco guitars are just some of the things people can expect from the band, whose impressive line-up includes the following musicians:
Stevie Boiser (Inferi, Tethys, Ashen Horde, ex-Vale of Pnath) – vocals/lyrics
Phil Tougas (First Fragment, Chthe’ilist, Zealotry, Serocs) – guitar, nylon guitar
Nick Padovani – guitar, nylon guitar
Sanjay Kumar (Wormhole, Perihelion) – guitar
Hugo Doyon-Karout (Beyond Creation, Brought by Pain) – fretless bass
Jimmy Pitts (Eternity’s End, NYN, The Fractured Dimension) – piano
Chason Westmoreland (Burning the Masses, ex-The Faceless, ex-Hate Eternal) – drums
Anyone who listens to “Waking Divinity” off of their upcoming album will immediately notice just how layered and complex their sound really is. The fretless bass sits relatively high in the mix, adding an almost brass section-esque sound to their music. As much as I like a bass that sits well in the mix, I have to give the guitars a shout-out, too. Their stark melodicism and interweaving melody/counter-melody relationship makes them sound very pleasant to the ear, without losing any of the punch or brutality we are used to hearing from a technical death metal outfit. Small instrumental interludes catapult the listener into space with thick atmospheres, giving them some time to breathe, while simultaneously pulling them all the deeper into the track.
What do you think of the track? Are you excited for Demiurgus? Tell us in the comments! You can follow Equipoise on Facebook, as well as on Bandcamp.
