Eclipse's 'Paradigm' - Album Review

Sweden's Eclipse have been releasing top quality AOR albums since their formation in 1999. The four-piece, led by frontman and songwriter Erik Mårtensson, is probably one of the most consistent modern AOR acts going, with their music always treading a fine line between being extremely accessible and hard rocking. Eclipse are certainly no sugary AOR throwback act, but a strong hard rock band in their own right that inject melodic rock sensibilities into their songwriting. I was quite late to board the Eclipse train however, but picked up 2012's Bleed & Scream in the year or so after its release. Hearing one of the singles on Youtube impressed me, and the John Sykes-esque guitar riffing of lead guitarist Magnus Henriksson is what initially drew me in. Despite being a latecomer to Eclipse, I was already familiar with Mårtensson's style due to his - at the time - heavy involvement with Frontiers Records. Eclipse existed and released albums before being signed to Frontiers, but once they made the transition Mårtensson was instantly put to work by the label on a plethora of their numerous in-house fantasy projects. I have spoken before about my distaste for the label's 'vanity bands', and unfortunately Mårtensson seemed to find himself caught up in many of these efforts, with many of his songs appearing on 'solo' albums by Jimi Jamison, Bobby Kimball, and a host of other one-off projects. Luckily he seems to have extracted himself somewhat from the Frontiers grind now, which has given him chance to focus on Eclipse and his other main projects a greater deal. Last year saw Mårtensson writing songs for W.E.T., his main side project featuring singer Jeff Scott Soto and others, with their third album Earthrage (which I reviewed here) being released in March 2018. With the new W.E.T. album and a handful of live dates out of the way, Mårtensson turned his attention back to his main band and set about writing a new batch of songs with Henriksson for the band's seventh studio album. Released last month, Paradigm is classic Eclipse - and anyone who has in particular loved the band's last couple of albums will instantly connect with this one. The band's last album, Monumentum (which I reviewed here) from 2017, seemed to present a slightly more concise Eclipse than had been seen previously - and Paradigm continues that trend. The new album is under 45 minutes long, and contains very little filler - which makes it an extremely easy and enjoyable listen. With a band like Eclipse you always know exactly what you are going to get, and there are no changes to the band's established sound here. Hard-hitting AOR is the name of the game again here, and the band sound as good ever. The four that made Monumentum return here, with bassist Magnus Ulfstedt and drummer Philip Crusner joining the band's founding members once again, although Paradigm will be the last album with Ulfstedt who left the band not long before the album's release.

As with all of Eclipse's albums, Paradigm gets underway with an anthem. It is hard not to imagine Viva La Victoria opening the band's shows on their next tour, as it is the sort of track that grabs you by the throat and never lets go. The opening few seconds are deceiving, with some gently-plucked acoustic guitar notes, but when the rhythm guitars crash in the song really gets going. The opening melody is expanded upon greatly, and gives way to a 1980s hard rock chorus with some smooth vocals from Mårtensson and dynamic drumming from Crusner. Mårtensson's knack for writing a soaring chorus is explored here, and throughout the album, with an anthemic moment showcasing some excellent melodies early on - before Henriksson takes over late on for a short solo. It is the sort of track that Eclipse have been putting out since forever, and it encompasses everything that is great about the band in a few short minutes. The only weakness that the song has is that it is not as good as Mary Leigh that follows it, but considering that Mary Leigh is my favourite song here I will forgive the opener that transgression! The AOR elements are pushed right to the fore here, while the band's trademark crunch is retained with some razor-sharp rhythms from both Mårtensson and Henriksson. The increase of keyboard use helps to raise the song to the next level for me however, and it really takes me back to many of my favourite 1980s melodic hard rock records. A killer chorus is the true icing on the cake, and it sees Mårtensson laying down melody after melody, with soaring harmonies just bigging everything up. The track is one of my favourite Eclipse cuts to date, and it is easily the album's highlight for me. Blood Wants Blood is somewhat similar to the album's opening number, with a slower melody opening everything up before the band crash in and take the melody to the next level. Eclipse have never been shy about rocking out, and this track certainly takes on a bit of a heavier feel than many of their songs. Mårtensson's vocals during the verses see him singing in a slightly lower register than usual, while Ulfstedt's bass rumbles away enhancing the song's heavier vibe. This does not mean that the song is any less melodic than usual however, with a chorus typical of the band's sound - with Def Leppard-esque harmonies and plenty of catchy refrains. The heavy feel of the song ensures that Henriksson shines with a shredded solo too, adding further to that vibe. Shelter Me is the first slower track here, and it is something of a ballad. It opens with some gentle clean guitar melodies and Mårtensson's heartfelt lyrics, but it slowly begins to build around a pulsing chorus - with Crusner's drumming adding a staccato, fist-pumping rhythm to accompany the vocals. The chorus is an instantly catchy moment, with some excellent melodies that will immediately stick in the head of anyone listening. While the track is something of a ballad, it is still not afraid to rock out, with the chorus in particular packing a bit of a punch and contrasting nicely with the more stripped-back sections.

United, unsurprisingly, it something of an anthem. It is not one that hits you between the eyes however, but instead opens with some upbeat acoustic guitar chords and Mårtensson's vocals. He initiates something of a call to arms with this folky opening, but it is not long before the rest of the band join in. The more laid back opening again acts as a contrast to the sections to follow, with a stomping pre-chorus section introducing rockier elements before exploding into a simple chorus with some strident vocal melodies and subtle harmonies. The sound is not as big here as on some of the other songs, but there is a primal simplicity that shines through. It is an extremely easy song to sing along to, and I imagine it will be a popular track on the band's upcoming tour. Delirious opens with a somewhat distant-sounding guitar lead, while the drums and bass build up around it, before a big Henriksson riff kicks in which includes plenty of those John Sykes-esque moments that originally attracted me to his playing. Crusner's occasional bursts of double bass drumming only enhances this mood, and encourages him to riff even harder, while Mårtensson conjures up a host of excellent melodies around his playing. The song in general is fast-paced, with a pacy verse and an urgent chorus that is another of the album's best. The vocal melodies and harmonies are a little more sugary here, but that works well against the more overtly 'metal' backdrop of the song. The contrast is a fun one, and the lengthy shredded solo that Henriksson performs is one of the album's most individually-explosive moments. When the Winter Ends is another slower track, with an acoustic opening and a bit more of a general laid back sound despite some chugging guitar rhythms and an expansive cinematic chorus that sees the band sounding their biggest. There are few better chorus writers in 2019 than Mårtensson, who rarely seems to fail crafting one. While not every song that he writes is a hit, you can usually guarantee that the chorus will at least be big and catchy. That is the case here, and is certainly the best moment of the track - and it really seems to hold everything together. Some big wordless vocal sections play off the chorus melodies, which adds some fun to the piece, before the song slowly fades out with an extended instrumental outro which features a lengthy Henriksson solo - perfectly phrased so it fits in with the song's overall mood. .38 Or .44 ramps things up again somewhat, with an impressive Crusner drum intro starting things off before an early Helloween-esque riff takes over. Mårtensson is known to be a big metal fan, and he occasionally injects some of his love of the genre into his AOR writing. This is a track that benefits from this influence, with some heavier riffing throughout to toughen things up - although a greater keyboard presence helps to add some extra melodies. It is perhaps unsurprising then that the chorus has something of a power metal feel, with some powerful vocal melodies and a constantly driving drum pattern that never lets up.

Never Gonna Be Like You is more of a 'standard' Eclipse track, although it is also one of the least-interesting pieces here in my opinion. My theory about Mårtensson's chorus-writing abilities show to be true here however as, despite the song not being one of the album's best cuts, the chorus is still strong and interesting. The rest of the song just falls a little flat in comparison to the rest of the material on the album, with verses that fail to grab the attention and a lack of stand-out melodies. The chorus is good however, so at least there is still something to enjoy as the song passes by on listens to the album. The Masquerade gets things back on the right track however, and again showcases something of a power metal influence with an anthemic chorus opening the song up and a pounding, strident drum pattern keeping everything moving throughout. This is likely to be another song that is going to be a favourite on the upcoming tour, and I can understand why it was released as a single prior to the album's release. While not one of the album's very best tracks, it is an instantly-catchy song that again showcases everything that is great about Eclipse's sound in a single song. Mårtensson's vocal display throughout the track is also excellent, with some real venom seen during parts of the verses before he goes into full-on stadium rock mode for the chorus. The album comes to a close with Take Me Home, which opens with a heavy-sounding bass and drum combo - while a strong keyboard backing helps to create an atmosphere. Keyboards in general are not used as prominently throughout this album as they have been on previous Eclipse records, but I think that goes to show how much of a hard rock album this is. The riffing throughout is much heavier than on your average AOR album, and that is what makes Eclipse stand out from the crowd for me. The keyboards do a great job to add depth here however, as the track closes the album in style with more of a cinematic sound - with a few soaring guitar leads thrown in for good measure. There are also hints at Celtic-esque melodies throughout too, with some of the guitar leads sounding like something from a long lost folky Thin Lizzy song - which is certainly something a little different for Eclipse. It is a fairly atypical track for the band, but it works well as a closing piece with some more excellent Mårtensson vocals and an atmosphere that perfectly brings the album to an end. Overall, Paradigm is another strong release from the Swedish band and one that sees them rock possibly the hardest that they ever have. I love the band's mix of AOR and hard rock, and leaning towards the latter on this album certainly worked well for Mårtensson and co. I hope that the band add some UK dates to their upcoming tour, as I would love to catch the band live for a second time.

The album was released on 11th October 2019 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Masquerade.