The cover of this CD almost describes the sound contained within the little silver disc. Its art is of the bare minimal, an eclipse (of course) with sun flares depicted as sharp, metallic spikes, could this be a sly nod to their progressed sound? Those familiar with
Eclipse's debut may be surprised to find what's going on inside these tunes this time around. The first CD, "The Truth and a Little More" was a melodic piece of
AOR and those that got a-hold of it were quite pleased at what the band offered. But times change of course, and "Second to None" holds some winning cards close to its heart. A harder, edgier sound that seals the boundaries between 80s fluff metal (in the choruses) and walloping hard rock of today that borders on the electric energy of bombastic Euro-metal but with grittier overtones. The combinations are neatly blended together with a louder and prouder production than the debut, seeing the vocals coming across crisply with a rich bottom end. Yes, we've heard better, but the improvement over the debut in sound quality is something that cannot be ignored, they really have leapt into the present day where this subject is concerned.
Erik Mårtensson is a fine vocalist that might take some getting used to. He's a joy to hear for a couple of songs, but after several consecutive plays he begins to grate on the nerves. Luckily the tunes themselves hop around in style with sometimes little in common from one to the other, so Mårtensson is forced to dig up a different approach that keeps him sounding fresh. For comparison's sake, his pipes remind one of Kelly Hansen mixed with the Euro slant of Goran Edman, minus some of Edman's finer charms. But then again, we are talking about one of the greatest voices out there in Edman (in my opinion at least) so that's mighty fine praise. Magnus Henriksson is a capable guitarist, and uses the axe as an unexpected stealth weapon, slashing out purring solos and startlingly grinding riffs with ease. The rhythm section of Fredrik Folkare and Magnus Ulfstedt offers up no frills rock but with bass and drums in capable hands, Ulfstedt even sounding a bit wild like Mick Mars crossed with
Tommy Lee at times on some of the more demanding drum sections.
"Second to None" may rock harder than expected at times, but
Eclipse still manages to deliver the big boosting melodies associated with Scandinavian acts, but I believe they sound their very best when the guys are mimicking the NWOBHM survivors, pop-metal-mainstream-crossover- kings, Def Leppard. They go through many different stylistic changes, including incorporating some American acts sounds into the fun, like the rougher side of glam slammers Motley Crue, and some Sammy Hagar-era
Van Halen into the mix, but no matter what they do it ends up with a spikier feel than anticipated. A melodic rock fan that has been indulging in sugar coated candy music like Standing Tall or
Street Talk will be caught off guard and beaten to a pulp by the breakneck intensity of Henriksson's guitar playing throughout the duration of this record. It ain't power metal, but it sure isn't
AOR fluff either. Its a lot of bark, but with plenty of sharp bite too.
"Always Standing" gives the listener a taste of what's to come through the forty plus minutes ahead. Henriksson's guitar is positively slamming and Mårtensson is howling right along with it. A heavy-handed track that highlights harsh rock and Scandi flavored shredding over anything else. Not as grabbing as some of the other material on here, in fact, it's a tad unremarkable in general, but the song seems to gel nicely with its modern glue sticking sweet to the 80s rock feeling, and is the perfect introduction to the "new" sound of the band.
"All I Do" is another rocker that pops out a catchier chorus out of the melodic rock magic hat, and flaunts a rich melodic side with the heaviness riding on its coattails, and more fantastically crunchy guitar that opens up for a majestic solo that would make any
AOR fan proud. It's the kind of material that begs for a sing-a-long and kicks around in the head for days. Watch out for those drum rhythms too, they have punch and slam nicely along with the upbeat tempo of the song. Good stuff.
Sharing the same name as the album title,
"Second to None" is a strong, well honed track that has all the features that could have let it be something lifted from Lep's "X". It has that modern sound lurking in the backdrop but with strong pure 80s vocals that remind me a little of a
Firehouse delivery, well except on the finale where the vocals are warped out with effects.
"Nothing Between Us" has a lovely chorus and melodic hued verses that are ripped open by the savage wolf of the ravenous electric guitars. On a few sections the chorus slips by unnoticed by the lurking in the shadows guitar, but the solo deals out retribution with slabs of thick riffs and dazzling pyrotechnic displays that feel like Yngwie Malmsteen's dark velocity from his shining youth on the Viking ravaged "Marching Out".
"Light of Day" is an absolute slayer of a song, a moody acoustic opening that is reminiscent of Lep's "Pyromania" sound, and an anthem-like chorus that has all the bouncy rhythmic power of something hot out of "Hysteria". This is the kind of rock that filled stadiums "back in the day", but with an alter ego, something shady is buried beneath the gooey surface. The electric guitars are rough and tumble, a metallic sword slice through the hook laden fluffy vibes. It's kind of like what
Danger Danger did with "Return of the Great Gildersleeves" only with a darker heart at its core.
"Light of Day" fades out like a well-worn sunset, with a return of that haunting acoustic passage that shined the first ray of dawn upon the song, closes it with a contemplative feel and the spooked fingertips of reaching
midnight shadows.
"Season of Life" is one of those tracks that is not going to appeal to everyone, but for those that can stick it out for the long run will be well rewarded and may find themselves discovering a diamond in the rough. At first I had dismissed it as just another ballsy, mind numbingly guitar string breaking rock track that forces the European rockiness right down the throat like a bad medicine since little seems to set it apart from the rest. But on repeated listens, it grew and grew, like a blossoming flower, revealing all the beauty that may be missed on one desensitized by the rest of the album. This one should have been pushed closer to the beginning, it's a little strange and offbeat for an opener but doesn't deserve the fate of coming after
"Light of Day", arguably the best and most accessible track of the album. That damns it automatically. But for those that give it a glance anew, untainted by the haunting ghosts of the other songs, watch out for the twisting and ear bleeding guitar solo that shapeshifts from one form to the next, and the razor sharp vocals that glisten like the forcefulness of Savatage's "Blackjack Guillotine" followed by a jamming riff and a sustained "aaah" screech for the ending. Incredibly cool, and not to be missed or dismissed.
Quickly moving along, I'll touch on the remainder of the songs, for a brief picture of what to expect.
"Streets of Gold" is another rocker track that incases a cool bass rhythm inside of a punchy rhythm.
"I'll Ask For You" desperately wants to be "just another soft ballad", but the weird distortion drooping guitars set on the top of a piano backdrop and repetitive vocals that increase with emotional intensity with every repeat of the title line; "I'll ask for you", makes it for a strange but unique ride.
"Road to Forever" finds its own niche as a solid melodic rock track, and glides along the core of some beautiful guitar work. Kind of clichéd overall, but infinitely enjoyable, any way you listen to it.
"Body and Soul" has the spinning out of control urge of Winger's "In For the Kill" thrown into a pot with the chugging riff from the Crue's "Dr. Feelgood".
"Better World" is an acoustic song that reminds me of..
Pretty Maids! Late 90s
Pretty Maids when they sounded a little depressed and offbeat. Its likes to stay moody and brooding, and for under three minutes and as an album closer, this normally would be an out of place bit, but under these circumstances, actually works.
"Second to None" is a very cohesive album despite the band flirting with different sounds and styles, never settling into one particular mold. My preference still lays with their debut, for its melodic goodness is far more accessible than the let loose guitar that attacks the listener at every ample opportunity on this CD. But I can see that as being a plus for some, for as I was on the watch out for killer smooth choruses, the guitar performances often just leapt right into my face and smacked me to my senses. They demand attention and are just made for guitar lovers that want their riffs with polished chunkiness and brass attitude. The more hook laden pieces of course get extra points for instant appeal such as the bouncy delight of melodic powerhouse
" Light of Day" but there's place for technical slow burners too such as
"Season of Life". Its a disc that doles out heaps of stinging pain with the caressing love of melodic pleasure. While all songs are not nearly A+, cream of the crop material, I can't say there's anything here that I truly disliked or skipped over out of boredom. One can only wonder where
Eclipse are headed next, since their sound has morphed and grown in ways that owners of the debut disc probably never imagined.
Written by
Alanna Monday, April 26, 2004
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