ECLIPSE – Paradigm [Japan Edition +1] (2019)

Although they’ve been a relatively consistent purveyor of big tunes over the years, it’s unlikely that many would have been expecting ECLIPSE to drop one of the most unpredictable wildcard releases of 2019. And yet, that’s just what Eclipse have gone and done with their staggeringly massive sounding seventh effort, “Paradigm“, to be released next week, and in Japan, tomorrow, including a bonus track.

A textbook example of how not lose momentum in terms of quality control and energy, the record flies out of the traps with the neo-classical opening into the melodious stomp of first single, ‘Viva la Victoria’, and never lets up from then on; boasting a gargantuan chorus, and an incredibly elevated performance from Erik Mȧrtensson.
Acoustic undertones are combined with power on the genuinely impressive ‘Blood Wants Blood’, with a brooding outlaw touch to the guitars, and an overall classic Springsteen vibe that latter day Jon Bon Jovi would sell his bollocks to attain.

There are healthy dollops of ’80s nelodic hard to bangers such as ‘Mary Leigh’ and the Van Halen-esque album highlight, ‘Delirious.’
Even when they take it down a notch on the relative power balladry of ‘Shelter Me’, there’s still a significant punch to the instrumentation, and a chorus that will have many cathartically weeping into their pint like a yeti discovering therapy. If that image isn’t enough to get you to check out ‘Paradigm’, I frankly don’t know what will.

New album 2019 “Paradigm” is Eclipse’s tour de force: the crafting of the tracks on this album is superb and overall this is a killer classic hard rock album with many highlights.
Produced with a carefully modern approach but not distracting it from its ’80s bones, “Paradigm” kills.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

01. Viva La Victoria
02. Mary Leigh
03. Blood Wants Blood
04. Shelter Me
05. United
06. Delirious
07. When The Winter Ends
08. .38 Or .44
09. Never Gonna Be Like You
10. The Masquerade
11. Take Me Home
BONUS TRACK FOR JAPAN:
12. When The Winter Ends (Acoustic Version)

Erik Mårtensson – Vocals, Guitars
Magnus Henriksson – Guitars
Magnus “Dynamite” Ulfstedt – Bass
Philip Crusner – Drums

PRE ORDER:
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/MICP-11515