Eclipse's 'Wired' - Album Review

There has been a lot of quality AOR and hair metal that has come out of Scandinavia over the past couple of decades, but one of the best of the region's melodic rock acts is the Swedish four-piece Eclipse. Led by the multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer Erik Mårtensson, Eclipse have been releasing consistently strong albums since forming back in 1999. While the band's first three albums are very hard to track down, everything that they have released since 2012's Bleed & Scream, their fourth album, has been a lot of fun - and the fact that Mårtensson has often had the dubious honour of being one of Frontiers Records' in-house songwriters/producers for their myriad of cookier-cutter projects makes Eclipse's consistency the more impressive. Mårtensson has written a lot of songs over the past couple of decades, but the best of them have always been held back for Eclipse (and also W.E.T., a Frontiers project that I do actually like). One of the reasons why Eclipse have often stood out from the rest of the modern AOR pack, at least for me, is the bite that their music usually has. Eclipse are certainly at the heavier end of the AOR spectrum, and their sound focuses much more on razor sharp guitar riffing than big keyboards. Mårtensson is known to be a fan of music much heavier than that which he writes, and he has mastered channelling heavier tones into Eclipse's music - while still maintaining the core AOR melodic trademarks. It helps that the band's lead guitarist Magnus Henriksson, who has been in the band with Mårtensson since the beginning, has a style that really suits Eclipse's heavier sound. Henriksson, at times, has a great John Sykes-esque tone; and his riffs and shredded solos are a great compliment to Mårtensson's songwriting and melodies. The combination of Mårtensson and Henriksson throughout the band's career is a big reason why Eclipse have been so successful in the melodic rock world - and this combination is once again apparent on the band's newly-released eighth album Wired - which came out last month. Wired follows relatively hot on the heels of 2019's strong Paradigm (which I reviewed here) - an album which continued on the more concise version of the band's sound that was featured on 2017's Monumentum (which I also reviewed here). Eclipse's albums before Monumentum tended to be longer, but from the 2017 release onwards the band have cut away all of the fat to create albums of an old-fashioned, digestible length. Wired follows this trend, but the album is still classic Eclipse in nature - with the band's hard-hitting AOR sound still present. It is also the band's first album to feature bassist Victor Crusner, brother of drummer Philip Crusner who has been in the band since 2015, who has immediately made his presence felt on Wired by co-writing a few of the album's songs.

The album opens in classic Eclipse fashion with the hard-hitting Roses On Your Grave. Following a slightly uncharacteristically jangly guitar intro, a big riff kicks in and the song morphs into something very typical of the band's sound. The verses are pulsing affairs, with a strong bass presence from Victor and some stop-start guitar riffing, while the chorus is much more hard-driving - with some punchy double bass drum interludes and a strong vocal from Mårtensson. Mårtensson has the perfect voice for this sort of heavy AOR, and the song's choruses are packed full of soaring melodies that bring the best out of his melodic, yet slightly gritty, voice. It is a great way to kick the album off, and the song is sure to become a live favourite on future tours. Dying Breed is less in-your-face, and takes a more overtly 1980s-esque path with some twinkling intro keyboards and a slightly smoother overall approach. Eclipse never sound like Survivor or Foreigner however, so their version of smooth still packs a punch. Dying Breed is a good example of the band's take on smoothness, and the verses are relatively stripped back for Eclipse. Victor's bass is once again quite prominent, and the keyboards (also played by Mårtensson) are higher in the mix than usual. The guitars are less cutting, but the riffing throughout is still strong - and Henriksson's shredded solo, despite being short, still makes its presence felt. Saturday Night (Hallelujah) is much more anthemic than the previous two songs. The pace of the opening numbers has been somewhat reined in here, with the song instead going for a punchy mid-paced groove. The guitar riffing is simple, but packed with hooks, and the use of gang vocals throughout the punchy verses make them very memorable. Eclipse often make use of tactics such as gang vocals, and they transform the songs which they are utilised in into arena-ready tunes. Saturday Night (Hallelujah) certainly has that Bon Jovi-esque feel throughout, although it still retains the band's usual crunch. It is another song that is likely to go down well live, and it has a big chorus that anyone can easily get into. Run for Cover is similar to Dying Breed with a strong 1980s-esque sound, but the song is somewhat less crunchy and instead goes for an even more melodic feel. It opens with a great, soaring guitar lead from Henriksson, while the verses are quite stripped back with a slightly funky drum pattern and some low key synths. The choruses are rockier, but they are still less in-your-face than much of the rest of the album. The band occasionally write songs in this vein, and when they do those songs end up being something of a subtle change of pace - while still largely maintaining the band's core sound.

Carved in Stone opens more slowly, with acoustic guitar chords and Mårtensson's voice. Some piano, courtesy of Olle Nyberg, soon joins in, adding subtle depth, making the song the album's gentlest up to this point. One thing that sets Eclipse apart from most AOR bands is their relative reluctance to write a lot of ballads. Most AOR albums have 3 or 4 big ballads, but Eclipse's albums are usually hard rocking affairs. It is always interesting, therefore, when the band do decide to write a ballad - as one is not necessarily guaranteed. Carved in Stone, despite the low key intro, does actually build up as it progresses - with its closing section rocking relatively hard. Much of the song is gentle however, which makes it stand out in the context of the rest of the album. Twilight gets back to the band's core sound however, with a faster pace and a slightly more cinematic overall sound. Keyboards play a much bigger part than is typical for the band, with the whole song being covered by their sheen. The guitars as a result are not quite as potent, but there is still plenty of riffing from Mårtensson and Henriksson throughout. The song's chorus is one of my favourites on the album too, as it has a big hook that is made bigger by a liberal use of harmony vocals. It is a very easy song to sing along with, and the big keyboard presence gives it more of a true AOR feeling than is typical. Poison Inside My Heart also starts relatively slowly, with more piano and acoustic guitars, but the vocal melodies make it clear that the song is going to build up as it moves along. Jaunty folk-esque melodies come from the piano throughout, which are borrowed by Henriksson during his later solo. It is a bit of a strange song melodically for Eclipse, but it still fits in with the sounds of rest of the album due to its accessible nature and soaring chorus. The folky melodies make it stand out though, and it sounds a bit different from the norm for the band - which is no bad thing. Bite the Bullet is much more typical, however, with a big intro riff and another bass-led verse. The band's trademark heaviness returns here in a big way, as the song's main riff has a real sledgehammer presence that drives the melodic, yet heavy, choruses - but there are also a few twists and turns. A guitar-led instrumental section takes on a Shadows-esque sound, with some shimmering guitar leads, which is something else that is somewhat different for the band. This section is pretty short lived, but it is certainly interesting - and it helps the song to stand out.

We Didn't Come to Lose is another more anthemic track, and it has a strong mid-paced stomp throughout as well as some more gang vocals. It is another song that is likely to go down well live, and parts of the song are made to be sung by a crowd. The verses are quite sparse, with a potent drum groove, which are likely to get a crowd going; while the choruses take on a similar rhythm that has been fleshed out with a strong guitar presence and plenty of vocal layers. There is a classic 1980s-esque key change at the end of the song too; meaning that the final chorus reprise stands out - which again will make it work well live. Things We Love ups the pace again, and it is another typical Eclipse song with an upbeat vibe and plenty of strong guitar playing. There is a lot more lead guitar than is typical throughout the song, with Henriksson taking the opportunity to really show off throughout. Instead of a big riff, guitar leads drive everything - and there are a few more folky melodies on show here, although they are rocked up akin to early Thin Lizzy. As such, the song is a number for the guitarists. Henriksson has a lot of time in spotlight throughout the album, but it feels like Things We Love was made to be a song that gave him a lot of presence. The guitar leads are essentially omni-present throughout, and as such there is a lot to love here for guitarists. The album comes to a close with the upbeat Dead Inside, another typical sounding Eclipse song that mixes hard-hitting riffs with a soaring chorus. The chorus is another of the album's best, and a great vocal showcase for Mårtensson. Given his multi-instrumentalist and songwriting prowess, it can sometimes be easy to forget what a great singer he is. Throughout this album Mårtensson shows again and again why he is one of the best modern melodic rock singers, but Dead Inside might contain his strongest performance on the album. The chorus sees him hitting some long, sustained notes which are full of emotion, but his overall performance is strong and in-keeping with the song's overall rocking vibes. Not to be outdone, however, there is still plenty of good guitar playing from Henriksson throughout too - including another strong solo that helps bring the album to a close. Wired on the whole is another strong album from Eclipse. It does not really add anything significantly new to the band's canon, but as another collection of strong melodic rock tracks it is extremely enjoyable and fans of the band will be satisfied with more of the same. Eclipse are certainly a go-to modern AOR band for me, and Wired is up there standard-wise with the rest of the band's impressive catalogue.

The album was released on 8th October 2021 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Bite the Bullet.