Megalomanium

Megalomanium is Eclipse's ninth album, on which the band boldly took power-pop and punk freshness into their signature huge hooks. Within a tight roughly-38-minute shape, it concentrates immediate rock numbers stripped of any waste. Recorded at a studio on an island in Sweden's Lake Siljan, it is a record packed full of the band's DNA and bursting with momentum. The cover hides the Roman numeral "I" in its title, hinting at the existence of the companion Megalomanium II, made at the same time. The lead single "The Hardest Part Is Losing You," combining soulful melody with a powerful riff, is one of the band's finest anthems. From the Celtic-lyrical "Anthem" and the weighty "Children of the Night," recalling Dio and Sabbath, to the catchy "Hearts Collide," varied songs line up. On "High Road," bassist Victor Crusner takes lead vocals for the first time. It is a gem on which Erik Mårtensson's outstanding songwriting balances maturity and youthful energy at a high level.