Everything that the band's fans love about Eclipse remains throughout Megalomanium's 11 tracks, and the few twists on their established sound are welcome. Lead single The Hardest Part Is Losing You kicks things off, and the song showcases what I mean. Gentle clean guitar melodies open the piece, over which a slightly folky lead is laid - but the song soon explodes into something more typical. The opening folky lead morphs into something more stadium-ready, and a snappy verse introduces Mårtensson's excellent voice for the first time on the album. He always delivers vocally, and he knows how to whip up plenty excitement with a strong vocal melody - and the verses here are hooky, with a strong backing thanks to Victor's bass presence. The chorus is where the song shines, though, and it showcases a slightly more modern edge - with melodies that would not sound of place in a My Chemical Romance song circa The Black Parade. The urgency of the stuttering drums and the tremolo guitar lead recall the emo pioneers - and the overwrought chorus melodies only enhance that vibe. It works really well in my opinion, though, and the hooks really shine - with a simple guitar solo adding further melody later on. Got It! actually opens in a similar way, with a big scream from Mårtensson and a frantic riff and drum groove which is right out of the pop-punk era. That vibe continues on throughout the whole song, and the punchy track is packed with more modern vibes - but the approach to vocal hooks throughout and a few lead guitar moments from Henriksson ground the track within Eclipse's core sound. This is perhaps best exemplified during the chorus, which mixes a punky pace and relentless energy with some choppy sections that again remind me a little of My Chemical Romance and their ilk. A shredded guitar solo based around some classic rock 'n' roll boogie riffing feels more typically Eclipse, but the foot-to-the-floor attitude throughout the song certainly feels a little different for the band overall. Anthem opens in a similar manner to the album's opening cut, with a few clean guitar melodies - but soon Philip's drums kick in, playing a very (fittingly) anthemic groove. There are certainly We Will Rock You vibes during the song's intro and chorus - and after a couple of pieces which sounded more modern Anthem feels more like Eclipse's usual 1980s-inspired sound. The clean guitars from the opening form the basis of the simple verses, which feel like the calm before the anthemic storm of the chorus, and the overall dynamic approach taken works well. Mårtensson's vocals sound a bit over-processed during the verses, though, which is odd, but he sounds his usual self during the shout-along chorus - whilst Henriksson clearly channels his love of Thin Lizzy during his heroic and slightly folky solo. The song is sure to become a live staple going forward, and crowds the world over will love the fist-pumping chorus. Those missing Henriksson's love of Sykes will instantly enjoy how Children of the Night opens out, as the main guitar riff is very Sykes-esque - and Henriksson's big riffing is much more of a feature here. The song was one that stood out to me from the off, and it remains one of my favourite cuts on the album. The mix of big riffing from both Mårtensson and Henriksson adds some metal weight to the track - whilst the subtle keyboard textures featured during the verses add a certain grandeur. The chorus is one of the album's best in my opinion, and it is another that I can see being really latched onto by a crowd. A few wordless vocal hooks throughout help, and Henriksson's solo here is his best on the album up to this point - especially as it transitions into a final reprise of the killer chorus.
Hearts Collide again opens slowly, with some mournful clean guitar melodies. Given the title and this opening, it seems as if the song is going to be a ballad, but in truth it is another modern-sounding hard rocker - although the track is a bit more atmospheric than what has been heard up to this point. Victor's bass dominates the verses, whilst gentle synths and clean guitar melodies add depth, but the chorus is another powerful moment which features some strident vocals from Mårtensson. The use of synths and the way the verses are structured feels quite modern - but the chorus is very much out of Eclipse's usual playbook, with stadium-ready hooks bursting out of the big guitar presence and lingering synths. It may be a little a different to the norm tone-wise, but there are still plenty of typical Eclipse hooks here - and the song is another strong one for me. I Don't Get It sheds all of the modern trappings which have been heard up to this point, and harks back to the band's last few albums. The up-tempo song is filled with 1980s-esque moments, and the main riff is one of the album's hookiest in my opinion. The snappy chords really stick in the brain, and they contrast nicely with the stabbing piano melodies which surface during parts of the verses. The snappiness of the riff generally sets the tone, though, and the song is on the heavier side. The piano adds depth, but this is a pretty hard-driving rocker despite the hooks - and the chorus is complete with walls of harmony vocals, and sections which feature gang vocals. Long-time followers of Eclipse will recognise the band's trademark style here from the off, and the track is another favourite. The Broken is more of a mid-paced track, and the heaviness of the last track is generally stripped away to create something a bit more groove-based overall. I would not often call Eclipse bluesy, but there are some more blues-based moments here - whilst more of a keyboard presence adds depth. The verses are another moment here which features the prominent bass playing of Victor, and they snake along nicely with a sparse overall arrangement and some jagged vocals. The chorus is heavier, but it feels a bit more atmospheric overall thanks to the increased use of synths - and another big vocal arrangement helps it to stand out from the bluesy strut of the rest of the song. So Long, Farewell, Goodbye returns to something a bit heavier. It is not as fast-paced as I Don't Get It, but there is a strong riff which drives the song early on - and the punch overall from Philip's drumming ups the overall heaviness. Despite this crunch, the song still pretty dynamic. The groove-based approach from the previous song is retained during the verses, which see the Crusner brothers going all-out and hogging the spotlight with some busy interlocking playing, whilst the more emotional chorus returns to something similar to the one found in Hearts Collide. Keyboards make their presence felt, and Henriksson's shredded solo helps to tie everything together. Eclipse have often done well with these mid-paced tracks, and the melodic approach overall here helps it to be another strong cut.
High Road, which is the song here which is partially sung by Victor, is another which feels a bit more modern overall. That being said, though, there is a strong keyboard presence throughout - and the opening synth melodies are very much rooted in the 1980s. It is perhaps less AOR-sounding than it initially seems like it could be - but it still very much sounds like Eclipse. There is a lot more space for Henriksson's guitar leads here, and he adds a lot with his playing, whilst Victor's slightly deeper voice adds some grit to the hard-driving piece. He does not sound all that different from Mårtensson, though, so I am not sure I would have noticed had it not said in the CD's booklet that he was singing. Mårtensson has more of a vocal presence during the chorus, though, but Victor tends to dominate throughout - and it is great seeing the band's newest member make his stamp on the band vocally, as well as with his songwriting. The song get heavier as it moves along, too, and there is a great closing section which features quite a bit of fast-paced double bass drumming to act as a powerful crescendo. One Step Closer to You feels slower overall. It is not exactly a full-blown ballad, but the overall vibe feels a bit more restrained - and there is a big emphasis throughout placed on Henriksson's laid back lead playing. The verses are again somewhat stripped back, featuring plenty of bass, whilst the chorus is bigger - with walls of keyboards and a warm vocal display from Mårtensson. There are gentler moments, whereby some clean guitar sections take over, and Henriksson's guitar solo is quite country-esque in tone with some more bluesy leads and the occasional twang in the mix. There is still plenty of power in the song, though, and the warmth of the arrangement and the country-esque side to the band's playing helps it to stand out as another song which is somewhat different. The album then comes to a close with Forgiven, a track which feels very typical of Eclipse's core sound. The opening guitar lead feels somewhat muted against the quiet background - but when the band really kick in, the elevated lead feels much more heroic. Many of the band's previous songs have done similar things, and there is a great lead guitar presence throughout - with extended notes particularly filling out the anthemic chorus. The song is one of those that just feels like it was destined to be an album closer. It does not do anything significantly different from the rest of the album, but Mårtensson's vocals throughout just feel that bit more conclusive overall - and there is a bit of a 'last chance' urgency to the soaring chorus hooks. It is another winning chorus on an album that is packed with hooky and memorable moments - and the slower, more anthemic version which sees the song close out is a great note to leave things on. As much as I have enjoyed all of the band's recent albums, I feel like Megalomanium may be the album which has grabbed me the most - particularly when considering the last two or three. The modern twists have helped to shake up the formula, and the band sound really fired up here - with some classic-sounding pieces and a few tracks which tread a slightly different path. It is always good to see a band experimenting a little, but Megalomanium is still Eclipse at its core - and it will continue to enjoy spins here.
The album was released on 1st September 2023 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Hardest Part Is Losing You.
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