Forest of Equilibrium

Forest of Equilibrium
Forest of Equilibrium
	;
Studio album by Cathedral
Released	December 6 1991
Recorded	July – August 1991 at Workshop Studios in Redditch, England
Genre	Doom Metal
Length	54:09
Label	Earache
Producer	PBL, Lee Dorrian, Gary Jennings
Cathedral chronology

Forest of Equilibrium is the debut album of the British doom metal band Cathedral, released circa December 1991 on Earache Records. A follow-up to the doom metal sound established on the band's debut EP In Memorium, Forest of Equilibrium is considered a classic of the doom metal genre.^[1] Among ranking highly in several lists of top doom metal albums^[2] such as #3 on Decibel Magazine's Top 100 Doom Metal albums of All Time,^[3] Forest of Equilibrium would also be inducted into Decibel Magazine's Hall of Fame in February 2006, the 12th inducted album overall.^[4] Notably it would be the only studio album to feature Mark Griffiths and Mike Smail.

The album would feature artwork by Dave Patchett, beginning a relationship with the band that would span through their entire career. Patchett was asked to commission the design when Dorrian saw Patchett's artwork in a shop and was curious about it. According to Patchett, the artwork, when seen in full, has a "dark" and a "light" side, with an asexual "hero character" appearing at ease in both. Frontman Lee Dorrian's interpretation of it is of a life without religion, where you have to take both the good and bad and make the choices for yourself.

A music video for "Ebony Tears" was produced, which only cost roughly 1000 British pounds to make as compared to the higher budgets of later videos.

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 DVD containing a forty minute documentary entitled Return to the Forest.^[5] The re-issue has since led to several reviewers and publications revisiting the album with near-universal praise.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Cathedral would perform the entire album live for their twentieth anniversary concert at the 02 Academy, London, on 3 December 2010. Notably Smail, Lehan and Griffiths would return to the band specifically for this performance of the album, along with this being the only instance of Cathedral performing one of their studio albums in it's entirety.

Tracklist[]

Credits sorted by lyrics and music.

1. Picture of Beauty & Innocence / Commiserating The Celebration (11:16) (Lee Dorrian; Garry Jennings)
2. Ebony Tears (7:46) (Dorrian; Jennings)
3. Serpent Eve (7:40) (Mark Griffiths; Jennings, Adam Lehan)
4. Soul Sacrifice (2:54) (Griffiths; Jennings)
5. A Funeral Request (Ethereal Architect) (9:17) (Griffith, David Park Barnitz; Lehan)
6. Equilibrium (6:08) (Dorrian; Jennings)
7. Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain (9:08) (Dorrian; Jennings)

Personnel[]

Cathedral[]

Lee Dorrian - Vocals, Production Assistant
Gaz Jennings - Guitar, Production Assistant
Adam Lehan - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
Mark Griffiths - Bass
Mike Smail - Drums

Additional Musicians[]

Reverend Wolski - Keyboard
Helen Acreman - Flute

Technical Personnel[]

PBL - Producer
Mark Tempest - Engineer
Dave Patchett - Artwork
Jason Tilley - Photography
J. Barry - Layout

External Links[]

References[]

V·T·E Cathedral
Final Lineup	Lee Dorrian • Gaz Jennings • Brian Dixon • Scott Carlson
Selected Past Members	Mark Griffiths • Adam Lehan • Mike Smail • Mark Ramsey Wharton • Leo Smee • Victor Griffin • Joe Hasselvander • Barry Stern
Studio Albums	Forest of Equilibrium • The Ethereal Mirror • The Carnival Bizarre • Supernatural Birth Machine • Caravan Beyond Redemption • Endtyme • The VIIth Coming • The Garden of Unearthly Delights • The Guessing Game • The Last Spire
Extended Plays	In Memoriam • Soul Sacrifice • Twylight Songs • Statik Majik • Hopkins (The Witchfinder General) • Gargoylian • A New Ice Age
Other Releases	Our God Has Landed • The Serpent's Gold • Anniversary • Happy Fucking Birthday
Selected Associated Bands, Etc.	Rise Above Records • Dave Patchett • Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine • Firebird • Penance • Death Penalty • The Skull • Workshed • With The Dead • Septic Tank • Lucifer • Napalm Death • Repulsion • Acid Reign • Chrome Hoof

[1] ["The Depths Of Doom," 2006, p. 52.]

[2] Metal Storm

[3] Doom Metal Reddit

[4] Decibel Magazine

[5] Blabbermouth

[6] The Obelisk

[7] Antichrist Magazine

[8] Death Metal Underground

[9] The Metal Crypt

[10] Metal Reviews

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