Forest of Equilibrium
1991 studio album by Cathedral
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Forest of Equilibrium is the debut studio album by British doom metal band Cathedral, released on 21 October 1991 through Earache Records.[12] It is considered a classic of its genre, doom metal.[7][13][14] Forest of Equilibrium was notably inducted into Decibel magazine's Hall of Fame in February 2006 being the 12th inductee for the Decibel Hall of Fame.[15]
11 February 1992 (US)
| Forest of Equilibrium | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 21 October 1991 (UK)[1] 11 February 1992 (US) | |||
| Recorded | July–August 1991 | |||
| Studio | Workshop Studios, Redditch, England | |||
| Genre | Doom metal | |||
| Length | 54:09 | |||
| Label | Earache, Relativity | |||
| Producer |
| |||
| Cathedral chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 6/10[4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
| Kerrang! | (1991)[6] (2011)[7] |
| Metal.de | 9/10[8] |
| Metal Forces | 95/100[9] |
| Ox-Fanzine | [10] |
| Rock Hard | 9/10[11] |
In 2009, Earache Records reissued the album along with four "bonus" songs that comprise the long-out-of-print 1992 Soul Sacrifice EP. This deluxe digipak reissue also includes a poster of Dave Patchett's cover art and a new 40-minute documentary entitled "Return to the Forest" on DVD.[16]
Music
Chris Chantler of Metal Hammer said the album was "the result of their mutual doom obsession, twisted by their own forward-thinking extreme impulses."[17]
Legacy
Chris Chantler of Metal Hammer said in 2020 that the album "remains truly a unique, pivotal recording."[17]
Track listing
All lyrics by Lee Dorrian unless noted; all music by Garry Jennings unless noted
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Picture of Beauty & Innocence (Intro)/Commiserating the Celebration" | 11:16 | ||
| 2. | "Ebony Tears" | 7:46 | ||
| 3. | "Serpent Eve" | Mark Griffiths | Jennings, Adam Lehan | 7:40 |
| 4. | "Soul Sacrifice" | Griffiths | 2:54 | |
| 5. | "A Funeral Request (Ethereal Architect)" | Griffiths, David Park Barnitz | Lehan | 9:17 |
| 6. | "Equilibrium" | 6:08 | ||
| 7. | "Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain" | 9:08 |
Personnel
Personnel per liner notes.[18]
Cathedral
- Lee Dorrian – vocals, production assistant
- Garry Jennings – guitar, production assistant
- Adam Lehan – guitar, acoustic guitar
- Mark Griffiths – bass guitar
- Mike Smail – drums
Additional personnel
- Reverend Wolski – keyboard
- Helen Acreman – flute
Production
- Steve Gurney – production (credited as PBL)[2]
- Mark Tempest – engineering
- Dave Patchett – sleeve artwork
- Jason Tilley – photos
- J. Barry – layout