70000tons of Metal 2024 Artist Spotlight: Equilibrium

Countdown to 2025: 34 Days

SOOOOOOON, the famous word for 70000tons of Metal cruisers know to love and hate. And one thing you learn is announcements are always unpredictable. After experiencing the 2024 edition to its fullest capability, we captured all sixty-two bands, bringing back our Artist Spotlight, our countdown to the 2025 voyage, leaving on January 30 in Miami, setting sail to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and returning on February 3, 2025. Round 12, the 2024 experience, took place from January 29 – February 2, sailing from Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on the Freedom of the Seas.

70000tons 2024 Round 12: ARTIST 21 of 62 Equilibrium

Rewind to 2017: It marked my first time attending 70000tons of Metal, and what ultimately convinced me to go was Equilibrium, added to the lineup. At the time, 2016’s Armageddon was relatively new, featuring vocalist Robse. While he wasn’t the original singer, Helge Stang, Robse delivered strong performances, doing justice to the band’s entire catalog. I vividly recall discussing the album with the group during the event, while covering for MyGlobalMind. Their performance that year quickly became a personal favorite.

Fast-forward to 2024 and Equilibrium’s third appearance on the boat, following their first in 2015. On Day 1, January 29, 2024, at 6:00 PM in the Royal Theater, I found myself waiting in anticipation for them to take the stage. Knowing about the lineup changes and their shift in musical direction, I was both curious and hopeful. Unfortunately, their first set was canceled due to their luggage arriving late. This left them with just one shot to make an impression: their second set on Day 3, January 31, 2024, at 2:15 AM on the Pool Deck.

Camera in hand, I was eager to capture the moment, spotting familiar faces mixed with new ones, ready to hear a redefined sound. The set began with an epic folk vibe, drums pounding, setting an atmosphere of anticipation. Then, Fabi, their newest vocalist, burst onto the stage with unrelenting energy, jumping, running, and commanding the performance. What unfolded next was completely unexpected. The music I heard wasn’t the Equilibrium I had seen seven years ago. Gone were the epic folk metal melodies; instead, this felt like Bring Me the Horizon meets Atreyu, Wage War, and Bullet for My Valentine, with electronic elements and only a microscopic trace of their folk roots.

This dramatic shift in style made for one of the most shocking performances of 70000tons of Metal 2024. The Equilibrium that had initially drawn me onto the cruise and has kept me coming back is no longer. Attendees had mixed reactions to the set, ranging from one of their favorites to deeply disappointing. It seems Equilibrium has fully shed their folk metal identity, retaining their moniker while veering into a more metalcore direction.

Unlike other bands that evolve their sound within closely related subgenres (e.g., black metal, progressive, or death metal), transitioning from folk metal to metalcore feels like an entirely different universe. This isn’t just a stylistic shift; it’s a total reinvention. While some fans embraced this bold new direction, others mourned the loss of the unique, epic folk metal identity that once defined them.

In the end, Equilibrium 3.0 is here: epic-folk-metalcore? It’s up to each listener to decide if this change works.

What’s next for Equilibrium?

Equilibrium has had an impressive year, marked by festival appearances, including their performance at Metal Hammer Paradise in Germany last month. However, their new single, “Gnosis.” The track suggests the band continues refining their sound with vocalist Fabi, leaning more into epic folk metal than the metalcore direction they’ve recently explored. Perhaps revisiting 2019’s Renegades with a new vocalist contributed to that metalcore vibe, as reflected in their 70000tons set, including classic tracks. With “Gnosis,” there’s hope the band may return to their folk metal roots. If this single is any indication, 2025 could bring exciting surprises. For now, “Gnosis” is a fantastic track and a promising step forward.

What is the Artist Spotlight?

Well, it’s more than a review of their performance; as 70000tons goes, each band is a headliner, and we treat each one as such, giving them their own spread, discussing who they are and what they’ve been up to since the cruise. Each spotlight coincides with any updates from 70000tons organizers (if any), leading to days before setting sail. An extensive coverage like no other.

What does 70000tons 2025 look like?

There’s a reason why we want to keep going until we can’t. With at least 120 promised shows, bands performing twice within four days, including an All-Star Jam, Belly Flop Contest, Shore Excursions, meet and greets, clinics, workshops, pool girls and boys, hot tub mosh pits, cosplay madness, and much more. 2025, round 13 of 70000tons of Metal will bring cruisers back on the Independence of the Seas, setting sail on January 30 from Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and returning to Miami on February 3, 2025. Tickets are available here. Also, check out the essential packing guide here.

70000tons 2025 Lineup [34 out of 60]:

Arcturus
Benighted
Beyond Creation
Candlemass
Crownshift
Decapitated
Delain
Emperor
Ex Deo
Finntroll
Flotsam & Jetsam
Hammerfall
Ihsahn
In Extremo
Kalmah
Krisiun
Majestica
Mork
Onslaught
Samael
Septicflesh
Sepultura
Sonata Arctica
Stratovarius
Subway to Sally
Swallow The Sun
Symphony X
Tankard
The Kovenant
The Zenith Passage
Trollfest
Trouble
Twilight Force
Unleash the Archers