I do have to give Ecliptica some credit. After looking at that band name, that vaguely (ahem) familiar logo, and even the somewhat flashy cover art, I think most would reach the same hypothesis as to what to expect here. However, Ecliptica throws an unexpected curveball; they are, in fact, not an exact copy of Sonata Arctica, as you no doubt noticed I was suggesting earlier. However, they don't completely escape the lull of humdrum genericism, either. Journey Saturnine is a (mostly) inoffensive, but entirely predictable and formulaic album.
For the most part, Ecliptica plays par for the course, safe power metal songs. This isn't the kind of PM with extreme, florid keyboards or speed, however, and frankly I'm not sure whether the band could handle such a style. There isn't exactly evidence of a plethora of unique talents showing through here, but that could simply be the result of just how restrained this material is. Nothing is particularly offensive about Journey Saturnine (apart from one abysmal song); it's just sort of... well, there. Too many midpaced clunkers with shoddy, simplistic riffs crowd the track-listing, and too few of the songs deviating from this repetitive scheme contain any convincing hooks to remember.
The most questionable department here is definitely the vocals. They're so hit or miss it's almost unbelievable. Thomas Tieber gives a decent effort without showing too much range, reminding me of Evergrey's vocalist in some respects. Apart from his average, clean performance, however, the other attempts fail on a sometimes humorously awful level. Some harsh vox are provided in a few tracks, and both their utilization and execution are awkward at best. The female singing is absolutely atrocious. I can't tell if their overt throatiness or tone of apathy are intentional, but I do know for sure that it's not working. Like, at all; maybe for a 70s blues band, but not Ecliptica.
The absolute nadir of Journey Saturnine comes in the form of "Without You," which basically redefines how low one can go with a power ballad: putrid vocals, coma-inducing melodies, and truly mind-numbing songwriting. If this track had come in the middle of the album, I honestly would have stopped listening to it entirely. It's that bad. As it stands though, this is just a slightly below average power metal album that will fade from memory shortly after listening to it. It's not bad to affront the senses, but I was in Ecliptica, I certainly wouldn't quit my day job just yet. Just try harder next time.
Overall: 4.5/10 (Poor)
For the most part, Ecliptica plays par for the course, safe power metal songs. This isn't the kind of PM with extreme, florid keyboards or speed, however, and frankly I'm not sure whether the band could handle such a style. There isn't exactly evidence of a plethora of unique talents showing through here, but that could simply be the result of just how restrained this material is. Nothing is particularly offensive about Journey Saturnine (apart from one abysmal song); it's just sort of... well, there. Too many midpaced clunkers with shoddy, simplistic riffs crowd the track-listing, and too few of the songs deviating from this repetitive scheme contain any convincing hooks to remember.
The most questionable department here is definitely the vocals. They're so hit or miss it's almost unbelievable. Thomas Tieber gives a decent effort without showing too much range, reminding me of Evergrey's vocalist in some respects. Apart from his average, clean performance, however, the other attempts fail on a sometimes humorously awful level. Some harsh vox are provided in a few tracks, and both their utilization and execution are awkward at best. The female singing is absolutely atrocious. I can't tell if their overt throatiness or tone of apathy are intentional, but I do know for sure that it's not working. Like, at all; maybe for a 70s blues band, but not Ecliptica.
The absolute nadir of Journey Saturnine comes in the form of "Without You," which basically redefines how low one can go with a power ballad: putrid vocals, coma-inducing melodies, and truly mind-numbing songwriting. If this track had come in the middle of the album, I honestly would have stopped listening to it entirely. It's that bad. As it stands though, this is just a slightly below average power metal album that will fade from memory shortly after listening to it. It's not bad to affront the senses, but I was in Ecliptica, I certainly wouldn't quit my day job just yet. Just try harder next time.
Overall: 4.5/10 (Poor)
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