Eclipse
Monumentum

Eclipse is a band that likes stapling chlichés on one another, and manages to get away with it because they do it in a fantastic way. Since I last heard them they have released the album Armageddonize in 2015 and appeared in Melodifestivalen, the Swedish qualification for the Eurovision Song Contest. And I missed both those things (or so I thought until I noticed that I reviewed and liked Armageddonize, something I apparently forgot), then again it feels like it does not really matter as their stuff sound much alike and have you heard one you have heard them all. There is not much difference between this album and Bleed & Scream, they both have eleven really strong songs and perhaps the eleven on this one is slightly better than the ones released in 2012.

Musically I can copy-paste what was written about them in 2012 when I am describing this album and what it is about. It brings out catchy hard rocking music that grabs you from the first note to the last with excellent production and energy. And it is simple and straight to the point, no complexities and no surprises. I think it is more or less what I expected when I pressed the button to download this album some weeks ago, and fans of Eclipse will find this a very enjoyable album as it is what they have come to expect in regard to what they have done before.

In a way it is a little sad that five years have passed and nothing has really changed since I heard them last, I really liked Bleed and Scream when I heard it in 2012 and when I youtubed two songs from it today I still found them great – but those two songs are the only time I have listened to anything from that album since shortly after I wrote that review in august of 2012. I think the same will be true about this album in 2022, I will probably play it a few more times and then it will probably never be heard again despite being a great album that I really enjoy listening to. The songs are excellent, they get to your head at once and fans of great music are recommended to listen to and enjoy this album.

I guesstimate that this album will be considered by myself to be among, or close to, the top ten albums of 2017 as it is a great album that is enjoyable all the way through. I cannot help singing along with what I hear and I really like songs like opening Vertigo, the excellent video track Never Look Back and the brilliant Born to Lead. Yeah, it is an album that you just have to like but I don’t think it can be called a timeless classic despite all the excellence it shows. Timeless classics are not only great albums they offer something that really sets them apart from everything else, and this album does not do that, it just offers brilliant hard rocking songs.

In the end I think Eclipse offer us a great and catchy album here, one that no one will regret purchasing. Just great hard rock and no bullshit.

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