Pelata Melodic Hard Rock certainly has its own underground niche. Bands like Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Firehouse and Europe may not command the sales figures or radio airplay they once did, but their influence resonates in the music of underground bands/studio projects across the globe; bands that still use overdriven guitars, bands that still stack their chorus harmonies to the sky, bands that rock it like its 1989…bands like Eclipse.

Song to song, Eclipse delivers high quality Hard Rock with strong chorus hooks, hot solos and, most importantly, conviction. You can tell that this is exactly the music they want to make and that they’re not faking it. “Breaking My Heart Again” has a really big chorus and a massive double-picking riff calling to mind classic Dokken & Whitesnake. “To Mend A Broken Heart” is a super-catchy rocker with another out-of-the-park chorus. The same can be said for just about any song on here; “Wylde One”, “Million Miles Away”, “Unbreakable” (good Summer time feel on this one) and “Call Of The Wild” all pack quite a punch. The only thing missing is a soaring power ballad (not missed, but just surprised there’s not one here).

Ok, so you know what to expect. Anyone into any of the bands or musical elements mentioned here would do well to pick this one up. I, for one, am happy that bands exist that continue on in this Rock tradition…especially ones that are this good at it.

Stephen This Stockholm-based melodic rock/metal act which was fronted by the talented Erik Martensson finally released their third album, "Are You Ready To Rock?" in 2008 after their first album with Frontiers Records, "Second To None", four years earlier. Typing Eclipse at Google might not be a good idea since there are too many bands from many countries are using that generic name, but the great thing is, the music here is a blasting experience, cranking up the quality way above that decent name. To describe the musical direction of this band, imagine Whitesnake's "1987" in the mix with Europe's early heavy metal side, and you get a pretty obvious picture of how they sound.

The first three tracks will drop your jaw and drool you all over with "Breaking My Heart Again" exploded like Whitesnake's "Bad Boys", "Hometown Coming" shown a pumped-up tempo and raise the loudness with a superb chorus, "To Mend A Broken Heart" chopped in with a modern riffs before flying high with a soaring chorus. "Wylde One" is a strange sleazy title but a killer song indeed. "Under The Gun" has a bite of neoclassical piece at the Chorus and also a great track. "Unbreakable" is much more radio-friendly and my most fave song of the album, perhaps the best tune with an unmistakable perfect chorus. "Million Miles Away" is a huge commercial melodic metal with overwhelming riffs, another flawless attempt by the band.

I love this album from start to finish, nothing's weak at all, and beware as this has no ballad for the tender hearts at all. Eclipse praised the loud, the distortion, the unmerciful fast tempo, but still retained the balance with enough amount of melodic and commercial ingredients. "Are You Ready To Rock?" is a question raised for those who want to raise their fists and yell "Hell Yeah We Are!". This is one of the year 2008's highlight records, five stars, no doubt!