COURSE OF FATE's third and upcoming album will be released early 2026 and will feature a very diverse set of compositions and give the listener the heaviest album to date, but still with numerous progressive twists and turns. Although it is not a concept album, all songs on "Behind The Eclipse" has a common tread throughout, where the interaction of darkness and light plays the main role. The album has nine songs, and "Memories" is first; a short mood-setter that leads to the title track. The mood is very somber, with clean guitars and spoken words delivered with a cold blow of wind. The title track is longest, clocking in at close to 10 minutes. A dark, weighted riff in the beginning segues into tense tones in the verses. The mid-tempo pace carries a haste with it, and the band delivers a lot of emotion in the chorus. It has a bit of a slow start, but that bluesy guitar solo that follows a slower passage smacks you right in the face. I'm wide awake now. It shifts yet again, with heavy bass notes leading the charge, and the clean vocals are very emotive.

"And So it Goes" changes the trajectory of the album from dark and cold to light and warm, with a sound that carries some nice melodies with it. I get some nods to old school Progressive bands like QUEENSRYCHE. "Acolyte" sees the album dive back into the shadows once again, and the pacing hastens. They also give you a taste of their fantastic musicianship and impeccable timing. Each note that Eivind sings can bring down an army…he is commanding in his delivery. "Hiding from the Light" turns the corner into the electronic realm a bit with some opening keyboards. The riff is dark again however, and it keeps the album well hidden within the dark nooks of the world. Some harsh vocals roar in to further accentuate the point, but the cleans in the chorus bring light back into the picture. So far, the balance between these two things is quite striking.

"Don't Close Your Eyes" opens with gentle, melodic tones, piano, and bass notes. The vocals are delivered at first party whispered, and there are cello strings in the background. The message here is "don't close your eyes, the moment may pass you by" and "don't wait for life," and even "don't dream of tomorrow," because today is the day you have to face. "Neverwhere" is the final song. It enters tentatively again, and the tension that builds you could slice with a knife. You can feel a massive riff right around the corner, and when it hits, it brings a lot of emotional power with it. The Progressive elements of the album are just here enough to notice, but they don't interfere with their songwriting approach. Another band with this level of prowess could easily fall victim to that.

With all the strong, positive sounds and compositions on the album, and there are many, it does come with one area I believe they could improve on. That is the pacing of the songs. Too many are on the mid-tempo or even slower side, and that does bog down the album a bit. Still, that aside, it was an excellent album that combines their strong musicianship with their rock-solid songwriting skills.