It’s almost unbelievable yet Eclipse has done it again for a third time in a row! Since 2012 and “Bleed & Scream”, the Swedish outfit has established its own trademark sound and at the same time it seems to be the only reliable force to be reckoned with in the modern hard rock genre. And just when you thought that they could surpass the quality of “Armageddonize”, here comes “Monumentum” to blow your mind and show once again who is the Big Boss in 2017!
Erik Matensson has evolved into a well-oiled, unstoppable hit machine while his sideman, guitarist-extraordinnaire Magnus Henriksson leaves you in awe with his majestic riffs. The impressive fit for both of them is that they combine all the prefect elements for what a great album needs: compositions, top notch performance, production) and at the same time they have found an ideal rhythm section (Crusner-Ufstedt) to raise the bar even higher on “Monumentum”!
From a pure musical standpoint, “Monumentum” doesn’t have that many differential elements compared to “Armageddonize” (not that we needed any). Again, Eclipse delivers an arsenal of hard rock anthems, catchy as hell choruses, in your face, melting atmosphere and a crystal clear production. Hard rock songs, powerful ballads, heavy moments (eg. “Black Rain”) and melodic rock tracks add the missing pieces to the “Monumentum” sonic jigsaw puzzle.
I can honestly say and underline that this is the best Eclipse album! Period.
Highlight: In a time and age where we expect the next hit by…H.E.A.T., Eclipse waves proudly the hard rock flag and prove that this is the best hard rock band of this decade!
