Eclipse's 'Megalomanium II' - Album Review

Being a fan of the Swedish hard-hitting AOR act Eclipse is one that generally reaps rewards. The four-piece, headed up by prolific songwriter and frontman Erik Mårtensson, always seem to be working on something new - so their fans rarely have to wait that long for each new album. Even by the band's usual standards, though, the turnaround between last year's strong Megalomanium (which I reviewed here) and last month's Megalomanium II was extremely quick. Megalomanium dropped on 1st September 2023, with its sequel following just over a year later on 20th September 2024. I think that both albums came from an even more prolific writing session from Mårtensson than usual - and I also think that both of the albums were recorded at the same time. Looking back at the previous album's cover, the 'i' in the title has been fashioned to look like a Roman numeral number one - with the latest cover having the 'i' replaced by a Roman numeral number two. The sequel was clearly planned at the time of the last album's release, then, which suggests that the band recorded a huge amount of songs and decided to split them between two releases. In my opinion, this was wise. I am not sure Eclipse are the sort of band I want to listen to an hour-plus of music from in one go - and they would not really suit releasing a traditional double album. Eclipse are a band who write bite-sized anthems which are perfectly suited to the old fashioned 40-45 minute album runtime. If the Megalomanium sessions had been released as one large album, I think it would have been too much - and I doubt I would have spent half as much time with Megalomanium as I did last year if it had been twice as long. As much as I like Eclipse, they are not a band I tend to go back that often. I generally really like each new album as they come out, and give them a lot of playtime for a few months, but then they tend to go on the shelf and rarely come back off. Megalomanium was an album I did listen to quite a few times last year, though, so it did break the trend a little. It was an album which did something a little different and featured a few more modern influences among Eclipse's classic tropes. Whilst I do not think that Eclipse have released a weak album, perhaps 2021's Wired (which I reviewed here) was their least interesting. I cannot remember much about it now, whereas all of the band's other albums have standout tracks which I can instantly recall - so Megalomanium felt fresh. In some ways, then, Megalomanium II is a bit more traditional. Interestingly, the 2023 album featured a lot of co-writes from bassist Victor Crusner, the band's newest recruit, who's influence clearly shifted the album's sound somewhat. Megalomanium II is much simpler affair songwriting-wise, though, with Mårtensson writing most of the tracks alone. Victor and founding guitarist Magnus Henriksson get one co-write each, and some of Mårtensson regular non-band collaborators chip in on a handful of songs - but generally this album is very much Mårtensson through and through. It is also the band's third album in a row with the current line-up, with Victor's brother Philip Crusner once again handling the drums.

There are a lot of proper anthems on this album, in typical Eclipse fashion, but there are also a few slower songs and ballads. The classic Eclipse songwriting tropes are very much present and correct, then, and the album opens up with one of its biggest tracks: Apocalypse Blues. Despite being co-written by Victor, the song lacks some of the modern touches of the last album - and instead it just feels like the big singles of Eclipse's past. Henriksson's big main riff, which kicks in following a big drum barrage and some early atmospheric synths, channels John Sykes in a big way - and all of the band's usual hard-hitting energy immediately pours out of the speakers. The main riff is hooky, whilst the verses are a bit more stripped back - with the bass leading the charge whilst the guitars pop in and out with riff snippets and the occasional flashy lead. The pace is up-tempo from the off, though, and even the verses feel pacy. This is a high-octane rocker, then, and it really sets the tone for the rest of the album - showcasing Eclipse's hard rock credentials. They might be a melodic rock band, but they have always been one of the toughest in the scene - although this does not stop them from writing soaring choruses as this song can attest to. A busy guitar solo further showcases Henriksson's guitar prowess, before another big drum barrage brings the track to a close. The Spark is similar, although the pace is not quite as urgent this time. The song is more mid-paced overall, then, but there is still plenty of zest throughout thanks to the guitar riffing and a strong bass presence. There is much more of a synth-heavy sound this time, though, with the opening riff augmented by some cold synth stabs - and these synth sounds resurface throughout the track. They back the chorus, giving it some depth, whilst the main riff is reprised throughout to create some strong staccato grooves. Elsewhere, the bass is once again a main player during the verses, which are also somewhat stripped back to allow the chorus to really pop, whilst the chorus is packed with big vocal harmonies. To complete an excellent and memorable opening trilogy, Falling to My Knees opens with a punky 1-2-3-4 before exploding into a massive-sounding mid-paced melodic rocker with a hooky opening guitar lead and a smoother overall sound than the two songs which came before it. Eclipse are certainly a hard rocking band, but they still can possess an AOR smoothness when they want to - and this song showcases such at times, at least until a strident verse riff takes over behind Mårtensson's powerful vocal melodies. The two choruses on the album up to this point have both been big, but the chorus here might be the biggest of the three - with proper AOR hooks and less of an overall pace to allow them to bed in nicely. The chorus is a real earworm, then, and Henriksson also stretches out his solo to include lots of melodic phrases.

All I Want is perhaps not as strong as the opening three, but Eclipse rarely miss the mark in a big way - and there is still lots to like about the pacy rocker. It is a track which returns to some of the more modern rock vibes of the last album - but perhaps they do not quite gel as well this time. The chorus is a bit too frantic which means that the melodies do not quite hit home - but I like the bass-driven verses which showcase some of the positive traits of the last album. For me, though, the guitar playing here is less interesting. The band managed to mix both sides on their last album, but there riffing is more chord-driven this time - and I miss Henriksson's traditional heft. There are some melodic leads, though, which are enjoyable - I just wish there was more of a riff focus. Still My Hero is stronger, though, and it is the first somewhat slower track here - although it still packs quite the punch when it wants to. Opening with some melodic clean guitars, it is not long before a pretty hefty riff kicks in - albeit with a melancholic synth hook over the top of it. The synths perhaps temper the riffing slightly, but it works in this context given the more dynamic approach taken - whereby the verses are slower and more atmospheric before the chorus kicks in to rock things back up again. The bass drives the verses again, which is very much a theme so far, but there is also a strong keyboard presence to create an atmospheric feeling. The chorus is much tougher, though, albeit with the synth hook referenced making a return. This forms the basis of a strong chorus, though, and it is another earworm thanks to Mårtensson's vocal hooks and the synths. Dive into You slows things down further and it is the album's first ballad. Whilst Eclipse clearly prefer to operate at full-tilt, given Mårtensson's love of heavier music than he writes, they are also strong at crafting strong ballads - and this is another enjoyable effort which makes the most of Mårtensson's vocal abilities and the varied guitar playing of Henriksson. The song is not all that riffy, which is not a massive surprise, but his clean guitar playing throughout sets a great 1980s tone - with the rumble of the bass providing a reassuring grounding as Henriksson goes for a more atmospheric sound. The chorus is heavier, but it still retains a similarly atmospheric sound overall - and the song works as well as it does thanks to Mårtensson's vocal talents which carry all of the weight. Henriksson's guitar solo is expressive, though, with all the ingredients coming together nicely. Until the War Is Over is much rockier again, with the band returning to more of a mid-paced hard rock sound - despite maintaining some of the dynamic twists of the previous couple of numbers. As with Still My Hero, there is a bit of a synth melody accompanying the guitars early on - which creates some folky melodies that bring Thin Lizzy to mind at times. There is less of a focus on keyboard depth this time, though, and the track is generally a more hard rock piece. The chorus is much tougher overall, with some grittier vocals from Mårtensson, although the verses are on the slightly slower side again with cleaner guitars and a more open sound.

Divide & Conquer is heavier again, and the song opens with some chugging guitars which grow in stature before a more juddering riff kicks in - and the track morphs into a pacy hard rocker with a 1980s guitar tone driving everything and some frantic vocals from Mårtensson. Unlike most of the tracks here, the verses do not feel all that bass-driven - with the guitars instead doing all of the heavy lifting. There is a real crunch throughout as a result and Henriksson's guitar tone is perfectly suited for the song. The guitars sound huge and it is fitting that after the first chorus Henriksson launches into a shredded solo. The chorus is one of the album's hookiest, too, despite the song's heavier feel - and this shows Mårtensson's ability to make heavier tracks feel very melodic. Another couple of lengthier guitar solos are included later on, too, which makes the song the most lead guitar-heavy piece here - which ties in nicely with its overall riffy nature. Pieces is another somewhat more atmospheric song, but it retains plenty of the band's usual hard rock crunch. Instead of going for a more 1980s take on atmosphere, though, the synth and production choices feel more modern. The track is a bit of a hark back to the last album, then, but I think the choices work better here than they did on All I Want earlier. There is still an urgency and a decent chorus despite the cold synths used throughout and I also do not feel as if the guitars have been side-lined this time. A lengthy and very melodic guitar solo help to cement this feeling, but there are also a couple of decent riffs thrown in alongside the more chord-driven approach of the song overall. To Say Goodbye returns to ballad territory and, as much as I like Dive into You, I think this one is better overall. This is largely because of the chorus, which is just packed full of hooks. It is one of those choruses which takes a turn part-way through and tweaks the melodies and delivery slightly to make everything that bit more interesting. It is a chorus which has been in my brain since first hearing the album and, even though the rest of the song is a typical ballad arrangement with clean guitars, the chorus makes it shine. It is hard not to sing along - and a Queen-esque guitar solo is also a fun addition. The album then comes to a close with One in a Million, a song also on the slower side - but in a much more epic hard rock context. It is no ballad, despite some swirling early synths, with the track evolving around an Eastern-tinged guitar riff that is augmented by some synths and some snappy drum footwork. Eclipse have written a few of these more expansive hard rockers over the years and this is another good example of such - and it works really well as an album closer, as it expands on the band's core sound in a powerful way to make everything sound a bit larger. The guitar riffs really breathe here and the subtle keyboard and harmony vocal layers inject a lot of depth. Philip's busy drumming adds a lot, too, and some of his bass drum work here borders on metallic - but it adds a lot to the expansive riffing to create a few counter points of interest. A hooky, cinematic chorus and another excellent guitar solo pull everything together - and the album ends on a real high. Eclipse rarely disappoint and this album certainly does not. It compliments the last album nicely thanks to the slightly different overall tone, whilst most of the songs here are real winners which will no doubt become fan favourites over time.

The album was released on 20th September 2024 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Apocalypse Blues.