Defunct Local Band Profile Series: Eclipse

Just to keep content rolling on the site before our next news post, here's this month's Defunct Local Band Profile a couple of days early! This monthly feature post looks at one or two defunct or inactive local metal, hard rock, or punk bands, in order to spotlight and promote their run for modern day readers, and our September 2021 selection gives us a prominent and familiar attraction for hard rock fans in the mid-2010s! Here's what you should know!

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Eclipse

Genre: Hard Rock/Nu Metal

Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Members: 

Curtis McKenzie (Haggith, Project 421), vocals
Daniel Horton (Haggith, Project 421), guitar
Fred Dunn (Re:Born), bass
Chris Thompson (Frightlight, Jack Spades), drums

Audio/Video: While original songs were a frequent component of Eclipse setlists, including new tracks and carryovers from Curt & Dan's prior bands like Haggith and Punch, Eclipse never released a CD or album of any kind. A number of live videos can be seen from Eclipse concerts on their Facebook page and our own Facebook page, if you're curious to see Eclipse in action during their heyday. Their best quality videos are of covers, but here's Eclipse at The Rockstar Bar in June 2016 playing two of their own original/prior band carryover tracks, "Metal Cage" & "Wasted"!

Info/Analysis: Debuting on stage in late 2015, Eclipse were a modern hard rock band featuring three then-members of classic metal quintet Project 906, as well as half of the early 2010s hard rock/grunge quartet Haggith. In their first year together, Eclipse made an early splash via podium finishes at March 2016's VM Radio and Speak Easy Battles of the Bands, and they would play numerous all-local shows through the fall, while opening for The Ripcordz & The Hazytones that August. After a series of Halloween gigs that October, Eclipse abruptly broke up early the following month, but they reunited in the spring of 2017, and would play a few more gigs over the following months, opening for Speaker, The Raygun Cowboys, and The Hazytones again in the process. Like the previous fall, Eclipse reprised their tribute band turn as "SSM of a Down" in October 2017 before disbanding again, this time permanently.

While not supremely distinct from Curtis & Daniel's other hard rock-leaning local bands (including The Bridge Heads afterwards), Eclipse were a fun and talented ensemble during their two years together, and their blend of familiar modern covers and solidly composed originals was always welcomed, especially if you missed Haggith! Curt's excellent vocals, Dan's solid guitar work, Fred's skilled bass, and Chris' experienced drumming came together well, and it's a shame their run couldn't last longer, but hopefully we hear more musically from all four guys down the line!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Defunct Local Band Profile! Next month, our random selection has drawn inactive local grindcore duo Brutally Fatal, whose confusing split timeline will definitely help out a single band spotlight on or around October 10th, so look for that then, and for weekend concert previews and more on the site next! Thanks everyone!