Paradigm

Paradigm is Eclipse's seventh album, the band's breakthrough that thrust them into mainstream attention all at once. Tying modern sonic weight to 1980s-style huge choruses while fully incorporating the Gary Moore-esque Celtic melodies first budding on "Battlegrounds," it greatly widens the heavy-AOR mold. With drummer Philip Crusner and bassist Magnus Ulfstedt in the lineup, it brings a dramatic, lyrical style to high completion. Praised across the board as an ambitious work that broke the heavy-AOR mold, it lifted the band onto major festival stages. The lead single "Viva La Victoria," with a noir-tinged riff and a majestic chorus, is a signature song that has logged over twenty million streams. From the huge chorus of "Mary Leigh" and the shadowed Celtic melody of "Blood Wants Blood" to the aggression of "Delirious," varied songs line up. Erik Mårtensson's expressive singing and Magnus Henriksson's brilliant leads color the whole record, making it the most successful album in the band's history. It is a standout classic marking where melodic rock now stands.