The warm and sunny day continued on at Metaldays, and we were ready to make up for lost time (due to illness, we hadn’t seen anything the previous day). Our next encounter, was a band that was still quite new to us, but one we’ve had positive experiences with in the past. I’m talking about the German folkishly inspired melodic death metal band Equilibrium.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are Equilibrium from Germany! Are you ready for partying?!”
- Robert ‘Robse’ Dahn (vocals)

It was clear from the beginning, that things have changed for the band since our last encounter. For one thing, the show had become far more visual - there were withered, or possibly burnt, trees decorating the stage, and Robse had donned parts of a leather armour over his shoulders.
The line-up had also changed, as bassist Sandra van Eldik (née Völkl) has been replaced by Marcus ‘Makki’ Riewaldt (ex-Suidakra), and almost at the same time, her brother Andreas Völkl had passed on guitar duties to Dom R. Crey (Nothgard). Both of the new musicians (well, new and new, that may be stretching it) seemed well integrated and ready to deliver, and I couldn’t notice anything but as big of a commitment from them as that of the older members.

“I can smell you, but I can’t hear you!”
- Robse (vocals)

Not all had changed though. The music was still fully recognisable, and the band was still all about getting a lively show on the road, and getting the crowd involved in the festivities. I can’t count the number of times Robse called out for a party, and the Metaldays crowd delivered!
The audience was large and fairly packed, and sported a wild and large moshpit in the middle - if the sweat was coming down the musicians like a waterfall, I dare not even think about how hot this must have been! Some decided to cool off with a quick crowdsurf turn, quite a lot actually, whereas others felt it enough to raise their arms into the not much cooler air.
Equilibrium also managed to invoke the festival’s first wall of death, the first one I saw at least, and it was a big one! This was done to the sound of the popular Blut Im Auge. Equilibrium got another wall of death going later on, but this one missed it’s musical mark a bit, giving Robse a chance at coming with a snide remark; “Ha ha, too late! Epic fail!”
This was, of course, not as harsh as it looks, and was said with a loving smile on the lips.
For the last song, both band and entire crowd was jumping, and those who weren’t jumping were crowdsurfing instead - everything became more! More was indeed more.

“Friends, it’s been good! See you soon, in 20 years!”
- Robse (vocals)

Talk about making a powerful comeback at the festival, both for the band and for us. Equilibrium delivered what may just have been the wildest party show I’ve been to this year, and they were perfect for having play at this time and position of the festival.

Setlist (incomplete):

Blut Im Auge
Born To Be Epic
Helden
Der Sturm
Eternal Destination