METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE

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Eclipse - Paradigm

Release Information

Rls Date..2020-04-02        Encoder......LAME 3.100
Genre.....Hard Rock         Graber.......EAC
Year......2019              Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps

Ripper....Anthem            Songs........11
Source....CD                Covers.......Yes
Url..http://www.eclipsemania.com

Release Notes

Artist : Eclipse
Album  : Paradigm
Label  : Frontiers
Cat.No : IROND CD 19-1954

Description :

A few years back the word Paradigm was one of those buzz
words that HR people and bankers used in as many sentences
as they could and the phrase  “Breaking the paradigm” was a
catch-call for ‘change.’ Strictly speaking a paradignm is
defined as “a typical example or pattern of something; a
pattern or model” so it makes you wonder what Eclipse mean
by entitling their new album thus? Are they saying that
they have the template for how Rock should sound- which
sounds a bit boastful? Or are they simply saying this is
the template for the Rock that Eclipse makes? OK who’s
still with me…

Whichever it may be, there is surely only one question on
people’s minds – after 2012’s mighty ‘Bleed and Scream’;
the wonderful ‘Argageddonize’ from 2015 and 2017’s
‘Monumentum’ is ‘Paradigm’ another slice of Rock that fits
in with that exulted company or something else entirely?

Well there are of course many already familiar with opener
‘Viva La Victoria’ a song that has those trademark Eclipse
melodies and expected smooth edges and yet at the same time
incorporates a pop nous and a light Celtic vibe like a
toned down Nightwish or a lighter take on Power Metal.
‘Mary Leigh’ keeps hold of that vibe and paints it across a
nice slice of guitar-fueled AOR that steps into Hard Rock
with a wonderful solo from Eric. There’s still the
wonderful melodies  we’ve come to expect but this is
something a little different.

‘Blood Wants Blood’ takes a folky into and launches into a
vintage Bon Jovi sing-along, it’s sure to hit some soft
spots out there but it’s far from the most interesting song
here. The slower  ‘Shelter Me’ is  wonderful, beautifully
orchestrated and powerful as power ballads go it’s a
winner. ‘United’ brings the anthem again with that Folky
introduction that brings to mind Euro-Rock of yesteryear,
and that underlying smoke of Folk structure and sensibility
used sparingly as it is on the album adds a nice extra
element.

And at the very midpoint of the album we get my highlight –
‘Delirious’ is a song that is built from the ground up a
huge rocker that melds the best of Eclipse with something
that you can imagine Van Halen putting out in the early
80’s. It’s bound to sound huge ‘live’. After that pacey
rocker ‘When The Winter Ends’ takes the foot off the pedal
for another melody-dripping mid tempo number that Eclipse
do so very well. It’s class all the way so far and
remarkably some of the best are still to come.

‘.38 Or .44’ starts with Crusner pounding the drums before
the lead guitar kicks in and things get crazy, another
great song and another faster number you cant help feeling
will come into its own live. ‘Never Gonna Be Like You’ is
typical Eclipse with all the boxes ticked.

And of course things get even better as the album closes
with two of the very best. First ‘The Masquerade’ wins the
most addictive sing-along chorus award, replete with its
rather cool latter-day Queen vibe going on; and closer
‘Take Me Home’ is the huge melodic cherry on top of another
rather satisfying Eclipse cake – this is what I knew we’d
get, and the guys yet again haven’t failed to deliver.

It’s an interesting album, certainly with it’s highs but
it’s also not quite what I expected. This is an album for
Eclipse fans but also for those that loved tracks like ‘The
Downfall of Eden’ and ‘Hurt’ from Monumentum as that’s
where it feels the band are just so slightly leaning.
‘Paradigm’ will leave you in no doubt that Eclipse ore one
of this decades finest Hard Rock bands.

Line-up: Erik Mårtensson – vocals, guitars | Magnus
Henriksson – guitars |Philip Crusner – drums | Magnus
Ulfstedt – bass

Release Tracklist

1.  Viva La Victoria                               3:11
2.  Mary Leigh                                     3:06
3.  Blood Wants Blood                              3:35
4.  Shelter Me                                     3:12
5.  United                                         3:48
6.  Delirious                                      3:09
7.  When The Winter Ends                           4:47
8.  .38 Or .44                                     4:08
9.  Never Gonna Be Like You                        3:21
10. The Masquerade                                 5:30
11. Take Me Home                                   3:47

Total Length :  00:41:34

Greetings To:

Too all people who contributes to make this
archive of good music in a exceptional conditions