Track Review: “Eclipse” by Vanitas

On 18th February 2022 Birmingham five piece Vanitas released their first single “Ghostly Coast” and began the process of establishing a new sub-genre dubbed Cinematic DJent. Inspired by a love of video game soundtracks and polyrhythmic guitars they have steadily evolved their sound since that first single by incorporating orchestral arrangements and unclean vocals with more elaborate guitar work, building their fan base with every step. Making the most out of a waterfall release strategy with each single they have shared a fresh music video followed by behind the scenes footage, clocking up some incredible statistics in the process. Gaining momentum with their music has meant the ability to play bigger stages and over the past three years vocalist Jade Maris, drummer Jackson Cann, bassist Jon Willingham and guitarist duo Mitchell Barlow and Elijah Storer have earned a reputation for a sublime live show. Selling out The Flapper for the release show of last years sophomore EP “Chaos Theory” should tell you just how far they’ve come and sharing stages with everyone from Monuments to Creeper has done them no harm either. Not so much perpetual forward motion as ascendency towards the dream of European touring and major festivals. Now they return with a third single from a forthcoming EP “Journey to the Sun“…

Back in the 1940’s the original Superman cartoons used the introduction “Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!” to announce the latest episode of the series and at this moment, there doesn’t feel like a more fitting sentence to describe Vanitas. A seemingly unstoppable force of nature, instead of crumbling under the weight of expectation or offering up something that sounds like one of their other songs repeated with “Eclipse” the Birmingham based five piece have done the seemingly impossible. They’ve taken what they’ve done previously and gone a step further. Heavier, sharper, faster and arguably more focused than they have been been before, this new single brings together their trademark elements with a verse, pre-chorus and chorus structure so you get the sing-a-long parts as well as the headbang moments. The opening riffage from Barlow and Storer is both lightening fast and technical, setting the tone with an electrifying energy. Orchestrations from Matthew Jones of Capsaarx Studios then rise to the surface, giving the whole song a sense of epic grandeur without drowning anything out, Barlow nailing the mix from behind the boards. Impressively the guitars remain relentless, barely slowing for the first clean vocal passage before returning to the ridiculous tempo for an unclean verse and clean chorus. The quality of the musicianship on show is nothing short of incredible, the band leaning on every ounce of experience gained in the live arena. A tapped solo is absolutely sublime not to mention the rumbling bass of seismic proportions and thunderous, towering drumming. Like a painter, the outfit paint between light and shade, blurring the lines between the melodic and the heavy to once again give us something ridiculously good [9/10]

“Eclipse” by Vanitas is out 11th July 2025 and is available over at bandcamp.