THE ETERNAL: Under a New Sun

Produced by Jeff Martin
Released: January 2011

Under a New Sun is the fourth album from Melbourne's The Eternal, and marks a distinct transition from their previous work. Having evolved from its early days as an Anathema-like doom band, the three-piece is now possessed of a more organic, robust and mystical sound that is clearly demonstrated here.


The album opens with a "Control" displaying a strong, dark, modern rock style. With Mark Kelson's heavily syncopated vocals and the processed scream of "And now you want control!", it actually recalls the heavier moments of groups like Disturbed and Stone Sour. It is certainly quite different from what The Eternal has presented so far, a very long way from the gloomy doom-laden debut of 2004.

With the vastly talented Jeff Martin in the producer's chair, The Eternal has cranked up the hooks to a degree more usually seen in the pop world, but over the course of the next few songs Martin's creative influence appears in danger of overwhelming the band. The title track is remarkably like Kav Temperley from Eskimo Joe singing with The Tea Party and the hook is very much like the one in that band's song "Temptation". "Delirium and Desire" begins with a ghostly choir that invokes some Pink Floyd-style chords and organ, then the big chorus sounds rather like, well, like Temperley and The Tea Party teaming up again. "Nothing Remains Without Us" is the The Eternal displaying something more of themselves, with an explosive guitar solo and a darkly heavy riff. Yet the spectre of the producer's former band continues to haunt Under a New Sun's first half. This culminates in "The Sleeper" that, with Martin on lead vocals, sounds like it could have been lifted directly off Splendor Solis. But it is after this point where the band seems to really find its true voice, taking the somewhat overt influences of the first half and crafting them into something more their own.

On "A Thousand Shades of You", The Eternal really steps up, laying down a heavy, creeping guitar riff for Kelson's vocals, this time pitched a step or so higher. Underneath the multi-layered voices of the massively hooky chorus, the band adds ethereal wailing and melodies and a glorious solo caps it all off. Brilliant. Booming drums and a classic rock riff power "Collapse" towards a truly epic 70s-style guitar solo. Again, the chorus is hookier than a pelagic long line. "Cast in Stone" is another for which the only short description is "epic", where Kelson throws huge riffs at each other that then clash heroically against Marty O'Shea's pounding drums. It's like the band waits until now to really let themselves go and bring the album to a rousing crescendo.

Under a New Sun is The Eternal's best and most expansive album yet and to deny its catchiness is practically a sin against nature. It's a very good release, but one hampered somewhat by a frustrating feeling of being overshadowed by its influences, resulting in something that probably doesn't quite show the originality that it really should. Nonetheless, anyone who enjoys dark, contemporary rock with a progressive twist should really enjoy this.

1. Control
2. Under a New Sun
3. Delirium & Desire
4. Nothing Remains Without Us
5. Eclipse
6. The Sleeper
7. A Thousand Shades of You
8. Collapse
9. Despondency
10. Cast in Stone
11. Departure

Rating: 85%

THE ETERNAL: The Sombre Light of Isolation

Produced by Mark McCormack and The Eternal

Released: 2004

After close to a decade as Cryptal Darkness, line-up changes and wrangles with labels finally resulted in this band becoming The Eternal. With their debut album, this group made its presence felt immediately. The Sombre Light of Isolation is an overwhelming release that was one of the best albums to surface in 2004.

The Eternal didn't exactly break much new ground with this, but what they did was create a masterful album that weaves its slow and majestic way through moments of Katatonia-like melodic Goth metal such as “Down” and “A Cruel Misfortune” to stark, grim tracks like the bleak, rumbling closing track, “All Hope Lost” with a dark sense of purpose. A guest appearance by vocalist Darren White late in the piece provides what is possibly the highlight in the brooding “Remembrance Scars”, a song that evokes the forboding darkness of White-era Anathema or even My Dying Bride’s Turn Loose the Swans. The Sombre Light of Isolation is an album that grows darker as it moves on, with the pairing of the title track plus the awesome “Black Serenity” providing a bridge between the melody-drenched first half and the mournful gloom of the later tracks.

The Eternal won themselves plenty of acclaim with this album, and rightly so. Because it’s a masterpiece.

1. Commemorate the Misery
2. A Cruel Misfortune
3. The Eternal
4. Down
5. The Sombre Light of Isolation
6. Black Serenity
7. Crimson Sacrifice
8. Harmony of Dissonance
9. Remembrance Scars
10. All Hope Lost

Rating: 98%