Rapidly becoming THE band of the melodic hard rock scene, Eclipse’s decision to ramp up touring and recording dates back to the 2012 release Bleed & Scream, when the band tweaked their sound and found their true heavier groove.
The last record Armageddonize was a home run – a perfect mix of power, melody, energy and ear candy songs that just stuck in your heads for literally days at a time.
So how do you follow that up? By doing it all again. Eclipse make it look easy by delivering another 11 cracking songs wrapped in a massive wall of sound that these guys are now recognized by.
Momumentum is the perfect title for this record. If anything, it takes off exactly where Armageddonize left off, which in turn took up where Bleed & Scream left off. So the momentum continues and I have no hesitation whatsoever to claim this album is every bit as good as the last classic.
Erik Martensson continues to grow as a frontman, writer and a vocalist, not to mention his role as a producer. And he needs extra credit here for the mix, for this album is sonic perfection to my ears. Each listen reveals new parts to the puzzle and the sound is so crystal clear, it’s impossible to play this album too loud.
The rhythm section of Magnus Ulfstedt and new drummer Philip Crusner combine to make this album the most bombastic yet. Crusner’s drumming is quite a revelation.
And last but never least, Magnus Henriksson’s guitar riffs and solo shredding is easily his best to date.
There’s no question over the quality of the songs. I’m just not sure how the guys manage to come up with so many that deliver the Eclipse sound with such immense power and intensity, yet remain memorable in their own right.
And just like the last album, these new songs are continually stuck in my head. The CD hasn’t left my car in 3 months and I’m literally singing along to whatever song was playing at the time I reach my destination.
As per is the Eclipse tradition, the opening trio of perfect anthemic hard rock songs just kick my ass and then kick it again; Downfall Of Eden has that epic feel similar to The Storm; Hurt is a wonderful power ballad that enhances its power by not kicking in quite when expected. For Better Or Worse and No Way Back are classic Eclipse melodic rockers while Black Rain is perhaps the band’s heaviest song to date – even with its mid-tempo beat.
Absolute melodic hard rock perfection – second time around and the band’s fourth great record in succession. There’s only further to go for these guys as they continue to take on the world one hard rock fan at a time.
Immense production, intensity matched by very few and glorious anthemic songs from start to finish. I knew the guys would have to dig deep to come close to Armageddonize, but they did it.
Nothing more to say. Brilliant... Again.
