THE ETERNAL – Celestial

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6.5

• Bands:
  THE ETERNAL
• Duration: 00:27:47
• Available from: 01/16/2026
• Label:

• Reigning Phoenix Music

Streaming not yet available

Having consolidated the lineup that sees Jan Rechberger and Niclas Etelävuori (Amorphis and ex Amorphis respectively) alongside the founder Mark Kelson and the now faithful squire Richie Poate, The Eternal return a year and a half after the release of “Skinwalker” with a new EP.

“Celestial” consists of six songs, including a short intro and the remake of a piece from “Sleep Of Reason” from 2005, and takes a different direction compared to the last album: if “Skinwalker” was a sort of return to the origins and to a dense and structured doom/gothic metal, the new tracks seem to follow the simplicity of the gothic metal of the central part of their discography, with streamlined structures and a direct impact.
The territories in which the Australian/Finnish group moves on this occasion are those recently covered by Katatonia and Swallow The Sun, made of captivating melody and total immediacy, with the guitars in the foreground to dose melancholy and vehemence and Kelson modulating his clean voice on clear and evocative tones without ever resorting to growl; there is no trace of the vaguely progressive inclinations that characterized “Skinwalker” and the pieces remain impressed upon first listening for their simplicity, for the well-chosen refrains and for that dark aura that never loses its charm.
Among these, “It All Ends” is striking for the energy that brings it closer to the Paradise Lost of “One Second”, while “Celestial Veil” and “Bleeding Into Light” can be compared to the wide-ranging solutions adopted by the latest Swallow The Sun and the revival of “Everlasting” (here renamed “Everlasting MMXXVI”) does not affect the final result since, although it is a decidedly catchy song and would be a perfect single, in this new version it does not differ much from the original.

A handful of good songs that mainly serve to pass the wait for the next album without providing too many indications on the direction that will be taken in the future: it will not be a fundamental piece in a career that can boast releases of a certain level, but this EP simply confirms the current good streak of The Eternal.