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Meanwhile I was listening to Sagas, I had the feeling from the first time there was in front of me a great, a huge album. After listening several times, my feeling got just higher, until the point that I think here we have the album of the year, and going further, maybe one of the best epic viking metal albums of all times.
Risky to tell that when the year ain't over, and with really good releases like the ones of Opeth, Machinae Supremacy, Forefather, Dalriada, Obtest, Kalmah and so on (well, you can see at the right of the page my own tastes :) ) but when I listen to Sagas, I just can think "yeeeeh!!!" XD
From "Prolog auf Erden" to "Mana" we have 80 minutes of epic, folk, viking, heathen metal,... as you want to define it. Equilibrium made an album wich combines with those names but it goes further, to the point that we can say they made an awesome album of MUSIC. No matter styles, if rock or metal or whatever. It's just great music.
I have to say that when I saw 80 min. I was a bit afraid, few bands can make a bearable long album like that. But Sagas is much more than bearable, is enjoyable, with no letdowns, no negative points. And the matter that makes me to think that this is an amazing release is linked with these last words: it's 80 minutes completely enjoyable that even after listening many many times you are still going on moving the head and the leg with the epic and catchy melodies :) and also enjoying the careful and well done changes of rhythm and the perfect labour of the musicians.
The german band included in this cd lots of different influences out from the strict cannons of the Viking Metal we are used to: really melodic but strong and fast at the same time (Verrat can be the fastest and strongest song of the history of the band); calm flute and atmospheric passages and epic bombastic battle chorus; even the folk you can listen here has different influences, using different ways of playing it, so sometimes we can find from typical catchy north folk melodies to south american folk ambient surrounding some parts, thanks to the use of their traditional instruments -panpipes, tribal and ambient nature sounds,... - (like in Unbesiegt, one of the catchiest songs of Sagas for me, or Mana).
Finally the big ending is coming with Mana, instrumental song of 16 min. that I don't have even words to explain the magnificence of it. Epic, monumental, huge, enjoyable, inspired, varied, catchy,... I could go on following, but this is one of the songs you MUST LISTEN. Awesome.
So, enough said. One of the best Viking Metal albums ever, maybe the best in general of this year, and one of the most outstandings in the last years.
When you are listening 80 min. of music and you say "already over? let's play it again!" means that it's just great.
The album features a guest appearance by Ulrich Herkenhoff, who is said to be
"one of the most famous panpipe players and can be heard on the soundtrack of
'The Lord of the Rings - Return of the King'."
Sagas also features a violin solo by Agnes Malich, deputy concertmaster of the
Augsburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
Here you have the rapidshare links of the album, but buy it if you liked it!! That's the best thanks for the band! Hope they are going on releasing so good stuff as this one in the next years.
Hail Equilibrium!
Equilibrium Sagas I
Equilibrium Sagas II
password: www.mediaportal.ru
