The Eternal Return is the sixth studio album by American melodic death metal band Darkest Hour released on June 23, 2009 through Victory Records. The album was produced by Brian McTernan who had previously produced Darkest Hour's debut album The Mark of the Judas in 2000. The album fulfilled the band's contract with Victory, making it their last release through the label.

Darkest Hour is an American metal band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1995. Though failing to break through early in their tenure, the band has received acclaim for their albums Undoing Ruin, Deliver Us, and The Eternal Return. Deliver Us debuted at number 110 on the Billboard album charts, with sales of 6,600, and their more recent effort The Eternal Return garnered them an even higher position in the Billboard album charts at number 104. Their album Godless Prophets & the Migrant Flora charted at 42 on the Billboard 200, a peak for the band, and it marked a stylistic shift in the band's discography.