Eclipse releases their 11th studio album, “Megalomanium II”, shortly after their previous “Megalomanium”, amongst a very busy and interestingly creative period of the band, where touring, recording, live playing keep things rolling for them. Following almost 25 years if I am not mistaken (wow, that is a long time..), they continue being very resourceful in their music and now seem to stabilize within the current quartet form, giving us great albums (and live shows I must add!).
This record does not of course re-invent the wheel or re-discover the universe. Business as usual for Eclipse, it is very heavy, melodic, with anthemic choruses, all trademarks of the band which has established itself as one of the finest in the melodic hard rock genre overall, and specifically within Scandinavia. Erik Mårtensson and Co. have done an excellent job, combining catchy lyrics and anthemic choruses, embracing the magic riffs by Magnus Henriksson on lead guitars (one of the best guitarists out there, to my humble opinion) and of course a very solid rhythm section provided by the mighty Crusner brothers, who deliver the goods Crusner-style!
Focusing on the songwriting and the production, the emphasis on this record is though given on the fine melodies, the vocals and overall the improvement of the melody element. The songs are fine examples of great songwriting and capturing the real essence of what Eclipse is capable of. ‘Still my Hero’, ‘Dive into You’ and ‘To say goodbye’ are such cases where the melodies overwhelm you and this unique feeling bursts, mingled with an astonishing groove and beautiful guitars. Simply brilliant!
The highlight of the album and my personal favorite is a.. heavy metal song! ‘Divide and Conquer’ is an absolutely brilliant tune, where fast paced riffs, drumming and the screams of Erik Mårtensson can blow you away and I actually cannot wait to hear this song played live! This is exactly what I love in Eclipse, songs like this, where the band really sets the tone.
“Megalomanium II” is another great album from Eclipse and it should be definitely played loud on your stereo, as such loud conditions are its natural habitat, being crafted by such an amazing band, with inspiration, brilliance and love for what they do.
8/10
Links:
Official website of Eclipse
Follow Eclipse on: Facebook and Instagram
Tracklist of ‘Megalomanium II’:
1. Apocalypse Blues
2. The Spark
3. Falling To My Knees
4. All I Want
5. Still My Hero
6. Dive Into You
7. Until the War Is Over
8. Divide & Conquer
9. Pieces
10. To Say Goodbye
11. One In A Million
Lineup of Eclipse:
Erik Mårtensson – Vocals
Magnus Henriksson – Guitars
Philip Crusner – Drums
Victor Crusner – Bass
