ECLIPSE: "Paradigm"

Frontiers 2019

Rating: RRRRR

Review by Kimmo Toivonen 

This is the seventh Eclipse album, would you believe it!? They kind of reinvented themselves after the first two and stepped up to the elite level of melodic hard rock, at least in my books. There's been some line-up changes, but the nucleus of the band has remained the same = vocalist\guitarist Erik Mårtensson and lead guitarist Magnus Henriksson. The band's former drummer Magnus Ulfstedt played bass in the band for a few years and he plays on this album too, but recently quit the band. Eclipse recruited drummer Philip Crusner's brother Victor for the bassist position. He was introduced to the public at the album's release party.

Since "Are You Ready To Rock" (2008) Eclipse has been on a winning streak, and it continues with "Paradigm". Sure, this album sounds very much like its' predecessors, and Mårtensson's pechant for certain kind of melodies is evident. But... Is that a bad thing? I'll that over desperate trend chasing or pointless experimenting. Besides, everytime I think that "now this song sounds very familiar" a surprise twist comes along and slaps me in the face!

The opening trio of "Viva La Victoria", "Mary Leigh" and "Blood Wants Blood" is the strongest triplet punch from Eclipse to kick off an album. Hell, it's one of the stongest opening triplet punches from any band! All three songs are anthemic, catchy and powerful, but different from each other.

The pace drops down a little after the breathtaking start, but there are plenty of fine tracks among the remaining 8. Those include the two single releases prior to the album, "United" and "The Masquerade". The former is a laidback anthem driven by acoustic guitars, reminding me of Nickelback, while the latter is a stomping heavy rocker with a big chorus. Both songs took a while to grow on me. "When The Winter Ends" and the intense "Delirious" are also among my favourites.

I must mention "38 or 44" too, which sounds like an unreleased Pretty Maids song from "Future World"... Could it be that it was intended for Mårtensson's Nordic Union project with PM singer Ronnie Atkins, but not used because it would have sounded too much like Pretty Maids with Atkins singing?

With no weak songs in sight, only a few that won't make it to my "Best Of Eclipse" playlist, I see no reason to hold back... It's another 5R album for ECLIPSE. Call me a fan boy if you want!