Decibel Magazine illuminates upcoming releases by premiering new music pretty much every day. But our mission also includes honoring extreme metal’s past. Today we dive into the moon anthems of Floridian death metal dusk-dwellers Equinox. Formed by Pete Slate (ex-Acheron), Equinox released two LPs that survived obscurity with dedicated underground support. Now Gurgling Gore do their part to rescue these exceptional albums from the cruel forces of eternity. You can now celebrate these classic albums on cassette for the first time, and own a piece of American death metal history.
Formed in 1992, the band bashed out a demo boasting inspiration from Celtic Frost and Necrovore. But as the band continued writing they found their voice amongst the first wave of Floridian acts that stormed the Morrisound studios. Return to Mystery (1996) revealed a band as pummeling as they were possessed with mysticism and ancient lore. They welcomed synths at a time when symphonic components were shunned in death metal, creating uniquely eerie atmospheres without sacrificing brutality and groove. After joining Greek label Unisound Records, Equinox hoped their music would reach the ears of many new ears in Europe. Unfortunately the collaboration seemed doomed from the start, despite being an exceptional debut.
Seven years after Mystery, Equinox released one more full-length Morrisound-recorded album. Entitled Journey into Oblivion, the band sharpened their sound even further with the ferocious release. Sadly, it would be the last LP written by the group. In 2009 they disbanded and soon after formed the formidable death/doom coven Druid Lord. While Equinox never enjoyed the attention of other notable Florida death metal staples, they represent the strength of the Sunshine State’s golden era. As part of the scene that inspired a million clones worldwide, Equinox can finally reach the number of fans these albums deserved when first released.
On May 12th, Gurgling Gore will reissue both full-length albums for the first time on cassette tape, my personal favorite format. In addition to the stand-alone albums, there will be a diehard collector’s box set including the band’s first forgotten demos and a bunch of other gruesome goodies. The box sets are limited to only 100 copies, and feature all the personal touches you could hope for.
“[These reissues are] an opportunity for young fans to be introduced to an obscure act from death metal’s heyday – one that they may have missed out on in their quest to discover the forgotten death metal legends of yesteryear,” shares Gurgling Gore. “And for those rabid fans that were there from the beginning, it is a chance to own a piece of death metal history on a format (cassette tape) that evokes a nostalgic yearning to return to the glory days!”
Equinox pre-orders start Friday (May 12th) at 3:00 PM Eastern HERE
Watch the teaser from Gurgling Gore below: