Eclipse – Viva la Victouria

6/10

When I first heard Eclipse, more than ten years ago, I thought they were quite good. As years has moved on, more and more people have praised their effort and their crowd grown larger and larger. And I’ve always thought they’re quite good. Today, they are one of Swedens most beloved melodic hard rock bands. And guess what, I still think they’re quite good.

But as they now release a double live album, my excitment strikes a little higher than regular. Why? Well, there are many bands that have a good run in the studio, but can absolutely kill it live. Just listen to Bullets live album from last year and hear how it kills every studio album they’ve ever made! And Eclipse is just the band that I can imagine strike all the right notes on a live. Viva la Victouria is a double album recorded in the bands home town Gothenburg, collecting their greatest tunes performed electrified in front of an enthusiastic audience, so this could definately be the album that turns me around on Eclipse!

So does it turn out majestically? Well… not really. More like… well, quite good. But nothing wrong with that, I’ve never heard an Eclipse album I haven’t liked, and I will always be glad I checked this one up as well. The crowd seems to love the show, the band is on top of their game, and the sound is well produced and dynamic with a good mix of rock ‘n’ roll and unplugged. The only thing I miss is that extra something that takes this band higher, and stardust that makes the songs blossom and their sound stick out among the crowd of melodic rock bands of today.

But the album doesn’t stop with the live show. Towards the end, there are a couple of bonus tracks stretching from a cover of Lisa Miskovskys Driving One of Your Cars (as if the original wasn’t rock ‘n’ roll enough) and a couple of acoustic tracks and (of course, it’s 2020) quarantine tracks. I guess they work as a bonus, especially if you’re a fan, but they seem a little like fillers in my book, and doesn’t contribute that much.

So I guess it all comes down to you being an Eclipse fan or not. If you are, go ahead and buy Viva la Victouria, you won’t be disapointed. If you wanna check the band out, go ahead and listen, this is a great place to start. And if you don’t like them, this won’t change your mind. Me, I think they’re quite good, so I think this album is quite good as well. Nothing wrong with that!

Artist: Eclipe
Title: Viva la Victouria
Label: Frontiers
Date of release: 6/11-20
Time: 105,05
Rating: 6/10
Standout track: Battlegrounds