February 20th, 2012 
James Shotwell 
Artist: The Panic Division
Album: Eternalism
Genre: Alternative rock
The Panic Division, returning after a brief hiatus, have exceeded themselves on Eternalism. The album is a mythical, ethereal adventure, one that invites you into an exuberant and enchanting dream world. It engulfs the listener throughout in ambient folds of music set to a raucous, precocious guitar sound, sketching each song in vivid detail. It has a serene touch at times and an icy elegance at others, but what unites each track on the album is a genuinely pristine artistry.
Eternalism is deceptive at times, luring the listener with dark, hazy, suspenseful stirrings such as on opener “Marching Tide,” then segueing into something far more pressing and powerful. “Silver Rings,” the second track, erupts in an explosion of guitars that knock real force into this nebulous world. The vocals retain the ambience, with an echoing, otherworldly effect that’s anchored by majestic flights of guitar. Everything is carefully designed to have the same icy quality and it works beautifully, evoking the subliminal and glassy style that pervades the album. Such is the enduring appeal of this track that the crashing force of “The Miracle of You,” which follows it, might actually throw you. Here, the effects don’t feel as streamlined, even verging on awkward. The vocal layering remains exquisite however, and its determination eventually wins it favour. “The Labor of Love” is a glorious afterthought, channelling more than a few elements of 80s pop to create something coated in vintage style. Its dreamscape rumblings and huge, swelling chorus give it the grainy feel of yesteryear. The instruments are heavy when they chime in, and gaping in their silence. The track is emphatic and arresting, an early standout that crescendos at all the right moments for maximum impact.
After these opening musings, the album settles into a varied pattern, mixing unbridled and exhilarating songs with more sullen pieces. The raw edge of the guitars acts as a constant nemesis for the liberated synths, ensuring the album never becomes too grounded in one style over the other. This in turn lends it widespread appeal – there’s spunk and flair for those with heavier tastes, and a pervasively rich and brooding air for the dreamers.
The flights of heavier music are indicative of the band’s post-hardcore roots and perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s on the album’s three reworked tracks that these shine through. “Shut Up and Leap,” “Melody Ave,” and “Easier” are “revisited, remixed” tracks from the Sleepwalker EP and all exhibit a tacit dissimilarity from the other songs. They’re more gruelling in sound, focused and upfront in sentiment. “Easier” closes the album with a rawer, rasping pitch and an edge and pace that isn’t quite matched elsewhere. The songs seem to come from a more organic place and the evidence of darker roots underlines Eternalism’s mystic character. Of the newer tracks, “Bleed” is the one that hints most obviously at this. Its guitars crash through the veil of eerie eloquence that permeates the record and refuse to be usurped. The chorus is magnificent, a muted roar that flashes more aggression and potency than anywhere else. It retreats into the dreamy fold with its verses, but otherwise retains an incandescent passion that sets it beautifully apart.
“Too Young to Fall” is possessed of a wondrous delight and openly ponders its heady lyrical questions. What starts off as something of a sullen take on life takes on, with the bristling effects, a sense of excitement and curiosity – rumblings also evident in “Lifeline.” The latter’s faded keys imply innocence, a resurgent and hopeful memory that glistens with affection and desire.
“The Heart Is In Bloom” has a snappier, sweeping sound that could captivate a stadium, and as the album draws to a close “Fireflies” stands out. If it’s possible for musical notes to be onomatopoeic, they are. They have the same lilting crescent of light that one associates with the titular creature and infuse the song with a dazzling, darting freedom. The music takes a wider, more limitless view than the vocals and fades away gorgeously to something whispering and fleeting.
Eternalism is, ultimately, a strikingly beautiful record, with a lyrical and graceful quality not often seen. It’s refined but with a solid edge, just as likely to punch you in the face as it is sweep you away. Whatever your particular preference, there ought to be something here you’ll love.
SCORE: 9/10
Review written by Grace Duffy
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