Equinox: The Ep

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a huge fan of metal but I have a certain respect for the bands that can pull it off, it would be fair to say over the year so far a lot of new local bands that have been up on the map have centred around the genre. But a few bands that are cropping up now are trying something different, Without Consent, Graveline and Equinox being three of them and this review being on the demo of the latter. This four piece have decided to inject a bit of pop-rock into the scene and if Waterside was anything to go by, they’re being received well.

Everyone I’ve talked to about the band have thrown in a few choice names when it comes to their sound, namely heavy influences of Muse, The Killers, Radiohead, Coldplay, you get the picture. The band are the first to admit it though and the sounds are carried out into the demo itself, it’s a pop-rock recording without a doubt but that might be what made them go down so well at Waterside. Without sounding too preachy, it’s almost rather shameless, the songs on the Ep aren’t made for moshing but rather simply to be enjoyed by a wide variety of people.

The tracks themselves are pretty well structured with the guys playing their instruments well, there’s a few moments of letting off a loose solo like in “I’m Not Listening” or a pretty funky bassline that appears in “Changes” but like the keys and the drums it’s all kept just about in check with everything fitting together pretty well to create some structured, hooky melodies. And said hooks aren’t too samey either, the tracks remain pretty individual from the softer tones of “Seasons” to the more gritty tracks like a rather gothic “Fire” and “Destroy Yourself” (that some Muse fans might find quite suspect…).

There’s still a few bits that don’t sit too well though, every first demo has them and Equinox aren’t any exception. First off (though it may just be that I picked up a dodgy copy) there’s a bit of a nasty cut-off during “Seasons” when the song picks up during the middle-eighth, the second fault is the inclusion of the live track at the end. It’s a nice touch, even in a demo, but the quality doesn’t really match the rest of the recordings. Other than that it’s just a case of tightening up the vocals, every early band is the same at these early stages when there’s a few instances of flat vocals. That aside, Equinox have the makings to have quite an impact once they gather a bit of momentum behind them.

Craig m/

Equinox on Myspace