EQUILIBRIO

Bombastic symphonic sounds that engulf the room, lined with angelic vocals of Simone Simons (Epica) and dark male vocals of George Oosthoek (ex-Orphanage) and Xystus frontman Bas Dolmans, is what Xystus's Equilibrio is in a nutshell. Equilibrio was initiated by Ivo van Dijk of Xystus and Michael Neuburger, at that time head of the board of the Dutch symphonic orchestra USConcert. Celebrating their 185 years in existence, the orchestra wanted to put on a spectacular event and thus the project was created, recorded, and then released in the U.S. by Sensory Records. It's all been done before by bands recreating their music with a full orchestra (i.e. Within Temptation), so how is this needle in the haystack supposed to stand out?

Divided up in acts like a Shakespeare play, Equilibrio tells the story of a tortured kingdom where good and evil struggle each other to gain power. Listening to this album is like listening to a musical soundtrack, laced with progressive elements. The best part of this album is the vocals. With so many trained vocalists on this album, you can't help but notice the enunciation, the strong fluidity of the voices, and absolutely no moments when you feel anyone is out of tune or flat, which can happen when strong vocals are expected. The vocal lines go very well with the rest of the instruments, complimenting them very nicely. With over 130 people involved in the creation of this masterpiece, then it is no doubt that this album would be fairly well- produced and well-performed. What is in store next for Equilibrio? They are taking it on the road, according to Xystus' website.

If you enjoy musicals, with some occasional growl vocals, heavy guitar parts, some double bass drumming, sparkling gems of orchestration, and very emotional vocals, then this is the album for you.