Empire of the Moon – Έκλειψις / Eclipse CD
Empire of the Moon – 'Έκλειψις / Eclipse' CD
Deluxe 6 panel digipak edition with 12 page booklet
Ancient and forever, EMPIRE OF THE MOON have been lingering ominously within the pantheon of classic Greek black metal since 1996. The band's first demo, 1997's For the Ancient Light of Sinn, is a short-length spectre of splendorous mysticism revered by fervent worshippers of the traditional Hellenic form. But, as with many matters concerning Greek classicism, EMPIRE OF THE MOON soon became a study of patience and perseverance, as it took nearly two decades for the band's next according to arrive. During the interim, naturally, its members were busy with other well-respected cults like Chaosbaphomet and Wampyrinacht.
Tellingly translated to "Eclipse" in English, ΕΚΛΕΙΨΙΣ indeed eclipses anything the band has done to date - which is considerable, to say the least, with their axiom being quality over quantity. Utterly expansive despite its fairly compact run time of 40 minutes, here do EMPIRE OF THE MOON unfurl a regal, stargazing statement of interstellar black metal. Atmosphere and aggression find the perfect balance across ΕΚΛΕΙΨΙΣ, symbiotically in harmony much in the way an eclipse complements a full moon. Its seven, interlinked songs create a canvas of mystery and mysticism, breathing the same ancient air EMPIRE OF THE MOON always have, but here rendered in remarkably gleaming form, with a production that's polished yet powerful, fully befitting their grand visions. As always, the spectral synths of S.V. Mantus imbue ΕΚΛΕΙΨΙΣ with an otherworldly aspect that's uniquely their own.
