Review by Sonny for Empire of the Moon - Εκλειψις (2020)

Empire of the Moon formed in 1996 as a duo comprising guitarist/bassist/vocalist Ravenlord Wampyri Draconium and vocalist Ouroboros, releasing a two-track, dungeon synth / dark folk demo in 1997. With the addition of keyboard player S.V. Mantus in 1998 they expanded to a three-piece, then promptly disappeared from the world of recorded music until the release of their debut album in 2014. Fast forward another six years and we are presented with the band's follow-up full-length, Εκλειψις (Eclipse).
The album is a typical example of hellenic black metal with it's generally mid-paced tempo, memorable and melodic guitar riffs and epic and atmospheric style, provided in the main by Mantus' sterling keyboard work. The vocals are savage and ragged-sounding, but still work exceedingly well in concert with the old-school riffing. The bulk of the album's seven tracks form a four-part concept piece, Per aspera ad lunae, which tells the story of the narrator's seeking of and encounter with a couple of dreadful, dark goddesses and is where the album's mystical and occult narrative heart lies.
Εκλειψις doesn't break any new ground it's true and it certainly isn't a difficult album to "get into", but it is a terrific example of greek black metal that stands up well against any in the genre and when a black metal album sounds this damn good then it is definitely worthy of your time.