Eclipse - Armageddonize

[AlphaMale]

[JC_AOR]

Yep superb stuff, I love it. Not sure how it compares to their other releases yet as I need to hear it some more but I'd say it's probably going to be in my top 5 this year.

[Geoff]

I like it too. More or less what you'd expect from them to a T. Which is a good thing. There were a few tunes like 'Blood enemies,' 'One Life - My Life,' and 'All died young' which didn't work too well for me on first spin, but overall it's a good solid disc. I won't comment on my thoughts about rating it 100%, but I'll just say it'll probably rate around the 80% mark for me and possibly slot in my top 20 come year end, depending on what else the year throws out, of course. I don't expect it to be a top tenner, though.

 

Very good disc, but yeah, it's just a very good disc.

[Glen]

Ive heard One Life - My Life and the chorus hook is amazing. Love the song.

[Geoff]

I'm hoping, like Care Of Night, that it'll sit better with me after a few spins. But to be honest, after that initial spin, I just thought - yep, it's very good. Exactly what I expect from a Martensson project. But it's just got to the point where I've heard it all before now. I don't think there was an actual "Martensson project" in 2014, but I still feel like I heard him on at least half a dozen albums in 2014, just on production and song writing merits alone.

 

Don't get me wrong - he improves otherwise average artists/bands very consistently and I think he is excellent in everything he does. It's just that when it comes to his own band, he's already spread himself so thin and it's not as "fresh" anymore.

 

I do really like this new album, but as Velocity once said, "You don't amaze me anymore."

[The Rocker]

I get what you're saying about spreading himself out so much, but if it means high quality music I'll take it every day all day.

[Stefan]

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGocExzCOZ0

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Damn! I just listened to that "One Life - My Life." That's one massive song. I need to get this album. It already sounds better than their previous.

[Glen]

Damn! I just listened to that "One Life - My Life." That's one massive song. I need to get this album. It already sounds better than their previous.

 

Backed. That song is marvellous. Not really keen on blood enemies tho - they always through something like that in.

 

Theres only prob one or 2 songs id skip the rest are great.

 

Personally I still think are you ready to rock is their finest hour.

[AlphaMale]

This is my go to disc right now. I have listened to this at least a dozen times now. Very addictive choruses and just top notch crunchy hard rock. These guys are one of the best bands out there.

[Geoff]

Dropped my initial thoughts on this today, after a bunch of spins:

 

1. I Don't Wanna Say I'm Sorry - pure class - excellent melodic hard rock opener with a great chorus - 9.5

2. Stand on Your Feet - good solid song, but a pretty son-descript hook / chorus. Solid tune. - 8.25

3. The Storm - another very solid, but pretty unspectacular song. Good stuff, though - 8.5

4. Blood Enemies - I have no idea why they keep making space for these silly viking rockers - 6.5

5. Wide Open - another good, big chorused melodic hard rocker - I like it - 9.25

6. Live Like I'm Dying - good ballad - killer verses and a good big chorus. Good tune - 9.25

7. Breakdown - decent pretty big chorus, but otherwise, a plodding kind of "carnival" rocker - not really into it - 7.5

8. Love Bites - pretty killer hard rocker - good stuff - 9.25

9. Caught Up in the Rush - wasn't expecting much from this for some reason, but it turns out to be one of the best on the album. Good ballsy verses and a killer chorus with some really cool backing vocals. Awesome track - 9.5

10. One Life - My Life - the lyrics through the chorus don't flow well here, but the verses are awesome. It's a good song, but a bit of the word "life" overkill - 8.75

11. All Died Young - bit of a throwaway song - not much to it at all. Passes through the ears without any impact whatsoever - 6.5

Total - 84%

[Glen]

I was thinking around 85% (even though im desperately trying not to.....)

 

Those 3 are my weak moments as well.

 

Still cant moan at 8 very good to excellent songs....another winner from Eclipse.

[Nightrain]

Based on 2 spins, I will drop a heavy 95% on this one! Excellent combination of hard rock and melodic metal and their best so far.

I think 'Breakdown' is their weakest moment here but I still give it an 8 and the two 6.5 from Geoff are 9.5 and 10 for me

 

'Are you ready to rock' came second and it's still a solid 90% album but not as complete as this one and 'Bleed and Scream' was trying too hard on melodic metal sector but still offer a strong output and probably sway around 86%

 

Congrats Erik for makin' such a fine album !

[Geoff]

I think 'Breakdown' is their weakest moment here but I still give it an 8 and the two 6.5 from Geoff are 9.5 and 10 for me

 

 

WTF? It doesn't really matter because either answer is going to hurt my face, but which one would you give 10? Obviously you're not alone as Andrew (melrock.com) also considers them both 10/10 evidently, and Russ' rating suggests he'd give them both about 9.5... but yeah, not for me.

 

I might give myself a side project to rate their discography too, out of curiosity. Why do you not mention their excellent debut?

 

Anyway, end of the day, it is an excellent album and very nicely done bar the 3 songs I noted above.

[Glen]

Those 2 are prob a 7 and 7.5 from me.

 

I havent got the debut....neither has NT I guess. Its pretty hard to get hold of :-(

[Geoff]

Really?! You sinners. What about 'Second to none?' Are you guys just bandwagon jumpers from when Martensson hit the big time?

 

I actually remember vividly back to 2001 and the Eclipse debut. My good mate and I at the time would go surfing each weekend (without another care in the world) and one week he'd drive and the other week I'd drive. On my turns I mostly played modern rock tunes in my car on these compilations I'd made, but I was so high on some of those tunes on the Eclipse disc ('Midnight Train,' 'Only One,' and 'I believe in you' etc.) that I sneakily added a few of the Eclipse songs on my modern rock compilations and when my mate actually commented on them, and pointed them out from the pack as standouts, I was all like a proud dad. Haha, what a tool.

 

Anyway, great debut and great memories, though worlds away in terms of style from where Eclipse are now. 'Second to None' was far more hard rock in the flavour of what they are now, though I can't remember off the top of my head any massive standouts other than 'All I do.' A discography I really must revisit.

 

I can't believe you guys are just bandwagon hoppers...

[Glen]

Mate I didnt even have an internet connection until 2005 lol.

 

I logged onto the net and found Id missed a decade of music - 1995 to 2005.

 

I must have bought about 50 albums in the matter of a few months.

[sirlemonhead]

I wasn't impressed with it at first but it's growing somewhat. I just wish they'd drop the copying of other bands - the Gary Moore/Whitesnake/Sykes and now Def Leppard stuff.

 

Wide Open is a definite skip track - that Chorus is *awful*. I can't really get into Breakdown as it's basically a Blue Murder - Jelly Roll "homage" / ripoff and the Def Leppard Gods of War riff in Caught up in the rush is really jarring.

 

I loved Are you ready to rock but the riffs on everything that has come since just sound very unoriginal, unfortunately.

 

Definitely prefer this one to Bleed and Scream anyway.

[Nightrain]

@geoff : i didn't have their first two albums mate but i'll try tracking them down

@

 

 

I think 'Breakdown' is their weakest moment here but I still give it an 8 and the two 6.5 from Geoff are 9.5 and 10 for me

 

 

WTF? It doesn't really matter because either answer is going to hurt my face, but which one would you give 10? Obviously you're not alone as Andrew (melrock.com) also considers them both 10/10 evidently, and Russ' rating suggests he'd give them both about 9.5... but yeah, not for me.

 

I might give myself a side project to rate their discography too, out of curiosity. Why do you not mention their excellent debut?

 

Anyway, end of the day, it is an excellent album and very nicely done bar the 3 songs I noted above.

 

 

I don't have the first two albums man but good idea, I'll try tracking them on youtube. I think it's like the first Newman album, very rare until it's re-recorded. I don't get why they re-recorded Are you ready to rock while they should have done the first two

[DaHun72]

@ Geoff..... Fancy that, a couple of Eclipse tracks sticking out on a modern rock compilation

[DaHun72]

@ Geoff..... Fancy that, a couple of Eclipse tracks sticking out on a modern rock compilation

[Geoff]

If you doods have trouble finding the first two Eclipse discs I'll try to do some uploading for you if I can. Let me know how you go. They're definitely a must in any collection, imo.

[Nightrain]

yeah sure man, please do that if possible, after all, it's impossible to buy them right ?

[Glen]

 

yeah sure man, please do that if possible, after all, it's impossible to buy them right ?

Yeah even Erik said it was virtually impossible.

[Stefan]

yeah sure man, please do that if possible, after all, it's impossible to buy them right ?

 

It's not impossible but they don't come cheap.

 

From Ebay:

 

The Truth And A Little More $1,198.46 (!!!)

 

Second To None $55.98 (used)