Eclipse "#7" zine
[zine]
Eclipse is back with another huge free issue that's packed full of rock solid content that just keeps getting better and better. The general layout is still the same (full color covers, black and white newsprint innards), but this time around a lot of the content is their best yet in my opinion. The cover story is on Blind Guardian, and even though I don't care for the band the interview is rather interesting and held my attention. And then there are some wonderfully in-depth talks with all sorts of bands like The Hellacopters, Keelhaul, Converge, and 27 - all of which tend to offer some uncommon insight into the bands' work. But the real beauty is the extensive Anathema piece. Superb, absolutely incredible... it's very rare to see an interview of this caliber that is quite obviously being handled by a well-researched longtime fan of the band. Of course, there are some wasteful little bits of straightforward "by the books" Q & A (mainly with Overkill, Decapitated, and As Hope Dies), but these one-page-or-less setbacks don't hold the massiveness of the rest of the issue down one bit. The reviews section is also nicely done, and I do believe the reviews are even longer this time out than in the past. Some of the writing is a bit too much for my personal tastes (i.e. using lots of adjectives and a bit more "intellectual praise" than I care for), but the reviews are extensive and thought out, and that's what matters when it all comes down to the wire. In fact, the reviews are so extensive that they only average about three compete reviews per page! And when you take into account that most magazines, especially some of the bigger names in underground music, would be cramming in at least 10 reviews per page, that really says something in Eclipse's favor. My only real complaint with the reviews section is that about 90% of the coverage is devoted to relatively high profile releases from well-known bands/labels (bands like Dark Tranquillity, Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil, My Dying Bride, etc. and labels like Relapse, Ferret, Ipecac, and so on). There's nothing wrong with that, but I'd prefer to see a larger amount of truly underground coverage in the event that I might find out about some new bands to check out. But that's just me. Regardless, this is my personal favorite issue of Eclipse yet, and I'd love to see them get on a more regular release schedule. There's a suitable amount of advertising within, so I certainly hope that they're being financed well enough to break even on this venture, what with the "cost" being free and all, because they're doing fine work indeed... Absolutely worth looking into. (8/10)
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Eclipse - http://www.eclipsemagazine.ws

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