Wolves at the Gate - Eclipse (2019)

Solid State Records, July 26, 2019

Tracklist

1. The Cure

2. Face to Face

3. A Voice in the Violence

4. Drifter

5. Enemy

6. Evil Are the Kings
7. Eclipse

8. Response

9. History

10. The Sea in Between

11. Alone

12. Counterfeit

13. Blessings and Curses

A step above the majority of Christian rock/metal, Cedarville, Ohio's Wolves at the Gate has gained a positive reputation in the metalcore scene along with several longer-running Solid State label mates. Eclipse is seven years removed from the band's full-length July 2012 debut Captors. The band is notable for their strong influence of 2000s post-hardcore bands such as Thursday, Blindside, The Receiving End of Sirens, and especially Thrice. Since Captors, Wolves at the Gate has experienced minor lineup changes and explored different territory with each album.

The eclipse theme is clear and consistent throughout in the lyrical content of the album. Imagery of light and darkness, faith and doubt, and truth and lies is prevalent throughout. While Eclipse goes in a more hard rock direction compared to a metalcore sound, the back and forth interplay between clean and harsh vocals remains prominent. Drummer Abishai Collingsworth makes his presence felt with a strong rhythm section behind each track. "Face to Face" and "The Sea in Between" introduce spoken word into the band's sound. Opener "The Cure" is a melodic metalcore single comparable to "Flickering Flame" from their last album in tone and structure. The next two released singles "A Voice in the Violence" and "Drifter" also appear early in the tracklist. Discussing doubt and faith, "A Voice in the Violence" is contextually similar to "The Cure", and "Drifter" follows more of a heavy alternative rock structure. The final single "Counterfeit" shows up near the end of the album as the second to last track and is one of the weaker tracks. Elsewhere, "Face to Face" is a clear highlight, bolstered by an anthemic hook and symphonic overtones. "Enemy" is likely the most straight-up hard rock track and is comparable to Thrice's "Hold Up a Light". The lone ballad and title track "Eclipse" thematically explores doubt and questioning one's faith. It is the album's strongest moment, offering a nice contrast between the calm atmosphere of the verses and the progression to a heavier rock sound.

About the only element Eclipse lacks lacks a standout, emotionally moving track that covers the entire soft-to-heavy spectrum of Wolves at the Gate's sound. The penultimate Types and Shadows track "Hindsight" exemplified this and helped that album make a lasting impression. Previous closers like "Man of Sorrows" showcased a buildup and a clear contrast, so I would have liked to see a dynamic track like this one on Eclipse, since "Blessings and Curses" is rather anticlimactic as a closer. Wolves at the Gate has done better with past releases Captors and Types and Shadows, but overall Eclipse is another strong release from a skilled band. The musicianship is solid and the album concept is well executed, strengthening the whole of the project. I give it a score of 7.5/10.