Album Review: Eclipse - Paradigm

After getting three albums featuring his songwriting last year, this is the first time we've been graced by Erik Martensson in 2019. He has proven himself to be one of the best, and the most prolific, songwriters in melodic rock these days, so there is always anticipation to hear what he does next. I'll be honest here, though; Eclipse is not my favorite project of his, even if it is the biggest. I have preferred the two albums he made as Nordic Union, with Ronnie Atkins singing, to the songs Erik hiself has voiced in his main band. But coming off of a fantastic album with them, and with more time in between for us to take a breath from his songwriting, my expectations for Eclipse are higher than they've ever been. And considering the two singles released for the record had some of that Nordic Union darkness to them, I was more than ready for this.

Those songs, "United" and "Viva La Victoria", were as catchy as anything Eclipse has done before, but with a bit less of the bright sheen that has kept me from fully loving their previous records. Erik's voice can be a bit too clean at times, so hearing hints of Atkins' grit come through in his delivery gave the songs just enough texture that both of them were instantly more memorable to me than anything from "Monumentum" or "Armageddonize". They're the Eclipse I've been waiting for.

Sure, there's a bit of a formula going on here. The second track, "Mary Leigh" fits the same slot and mold that "Hypocrisy" did on the first Nordic Union album, complete with a chorus featuring a woman's name (it was Caroline in the previous track). Is that a drawback? It could be taken that way if you're tired of the formula, but I'm not there yet, so I'm not bothered by it. As long as the songs are this good, minor quibbles aren't important.

What the singles implied is made clearer listening to the album in full; this is a slightly darker version of Eclipse. I find that a welcome development, but I'm sure some fans will be disappointed in not having another pure sugar rush delivered to their veins. All the catchy hooks and infectious melodies you could want are still there, but they have a different finish on them. If their earlier work was like a coat of glossy paint reflecting the sun, this is semi-gloss. It's not much different, but just enough for the impact to be noted.

When we do get something a bit... fluffier, it doesn't sounds as powerful. "38 or 44" is good, but that hook doesn't resonate the way that "Blood Wants Blood" does, and I think it's because of how sunny it sounds. Sunlight fades colors, and in this case, it might also fade melodies. I do think Erik's writing hits a better chord when he dials down the cheeriness.

But that's one song, and this is an album that delivers exactly what it's supposed to. If you like melodic rock, big guitars paired with even bigger hooks, Eclipse is doing just that. Sure, I'm still going to say I prefer Nordic Union, but the gap is getting closer. The last couple of Eclipse albums have been very good, but this might just be the best of the bunch. Basically, when it comes to melodic rock, there hasn't been a better album yet in 2019. Is that clear enough?