Just when you thought that Swedish rockers H.E.A.T. had finally landed a stable line-up it all came crashing down once again. This time it was singer Erik Grönwall’s turn to leave the band to pursue other adventures. We all know what happened there. First he got leukemia and beat the shit out of that and then he joined Skid Row. Very impressing. I, however, was massively disappointed in his leaving and without throwing a shadow over returning singer Kenny Leckremo, it was with Grönwall’s arrival I became a fan of the band. I was also very surprised by him leaving. Their latest effort II (2020) was a fantastic album and an album that sported lots of rave reviews and became a big favorite among fans.
I was never all that impressed with the band’s self-titled 2008 debut or the follow-up Freedom Rock (2010), even though none of those records were bad at all. I just found them – and still find them – uneven. It was with Address The Nation (2012) and Grönwall I became a fan and I still hold all the Grönwall fronted records as brilliant efforts. That said, to take back Leckremo was a smart move. After all, he was there from the beginning and the guy is an ace singer and a really good frontman, even though Grönwall’s shoes are quite big to fill. The new record is a bit of a trial by fire for both Leckremo and the band. Personally, I was never worried that H.E.A.T wouldn’t come up with the goods. The question wasn’t whether the record would be any good but just how good it’d be.
The album opens with the second pre-album single “Back To The Rhythm”, a big, bouncy melodic Hard Rock piece that knocked me for six right from hello. The groove here is massive, the organ and the crunchy guitar throws in a 70’s Classic Rock twist into the otherwise 80’s laden rocker. It’s melodic and catchy yet never slick or fluffy and it sure has an edge to it. The melodies sticks like super-glue and the chorus hook is so massive and sharp it hurts. This could be one of H.E.A.T’S finest moments ever and should be a hit of mastodon proportions. I’m floored.
The first pre-album taster we got was with the first single “Nationwide”, an uptempo hard-rocker with a fat punch and a driving guitar line and a raucous organ which gives it a slight Classic Rock touch. The metal-edged riffage pays homage to old, 80’s Metal like Saxon, Dio and Iron Maiden albeit with a more Melodic Rock touch in the melodies. My first impression with the song was disappointment – I just didn’t think it had the big hooks and it came across as somewhat in one ear, out the other but it started to grow on me pretty fast. Now I think the song is great, firey with attitude and a kicking, in-your-face chorus. In my book, this is a show-opener. Thumbs up.
The rhythmic and even headbang-friendly stomper “Tainted Blood” comes on like a fist in the gut – hard, rough and menacing with very recognizable H.E.A.T melodies. There’s a bluesy feel to this mid-tempo rocker yet the vocal arrangements brings on some smoothness to the table with a big AOR/Melodic Rock flirting chorus which contrasts brilliantly to the rest of the song. Superb. “Hollywood”, the third and latest single is a more straight ahead and upbeat rocker. It’s a pretty sleazy and dirty number yet it brings on the slicker Melodic Rock trademarks where the smoother keyboards contrasts nicely to the crunchy guitars. The chorus is another huge one and very sing-along pleading and crowd-friendly. This will be real live-killer for sure. Great.
“Harder To Breathe” is a mid-tempo yet bouncy Melodic Rock stomper with a juicy rhythm and smooth melodies on top and it actually sounds like it could have been written for the II album style-wise. The main-riff reminds me slightly of Dokken with it’s crunchy edge and Jona Tee’s keyboard-playing here is phenomenal. The chorus is big and hookey but it’s not hitty or single-friendly at all, it’s more if a deep track – and I mean that in a good way. Good tune. “Not For Sale” is another one that blends 70’s inspired Classic Rock with it’s edgy organ sound a rough edged guitars and 80’s Arena Rock with smooth, direct and infectious melody-hooks all over. It’s got the big H.E.A.T melodies all over it and would fit on any of the previous Grönwall fronted albums. Awesome!
The mandatory power ballad comes in the shape of a semi-ballad, an upbeat, big and quite bombastic slow-burner called “One Of Us”. The song holds a large musical landscape and brings on an early 90’s Arena Rock-ballad vibe. It’s built around a big piano-riff, a riff that could have ended up on a Savatage record actually. The chorus is majestic and grandiose with an intense and direct hook. It’s brilliantly catchy but never cheesy. Smells like a hit in my book. Awesome. On an edgier and harder note, the riff-happy “Hold Your Fire” brings on a Classic Rock crunchy vibe, a bit sleazy with a good, beefy punch and firey rhythms. The vocal-melodies are smoother and the Def Leppard inspired chorus is big and catchy yet not in a single kind of way. Good one.
“Paramount” is pretty much a pop-song, upbeat, straight forward and direct and the most AOR smelling tune on the album. The tune is total 80’s right out of the back-pocket of a soundtrack to, say, Top Gun or something like that. It’s a crowd-pleaser, live friendly as hell with a chunky rhythm and with hooks pretty much everywhere – and another chorus so infectious you’ll never get rid of it once it stuck. Brilliant. The fast, heavy, raunchy and crunchy hard-rocker “Demon Eyes” blasts away ballsy and tough and the edgier moments of the Joe Lynn Turner fronted Rainbow comes to mind. Clearly metal-fueled, the song doesn’t lack melodies and the chorus is another distinct one. A future live-opener? Damn good.
H.E.A.T closes the album in the best of ways with “Wings of An Aeroplane” that has classic H.E.A.T written all over it. The song opens with a fine-tuned acoustic intro before it continues with a monster-riff on a beefy note. Albeit being carried by a tough, steady beat that builds a solid foundation, the verses are a bit more laid-back. That said, the guitars are prominent and crunchy and the organ makes for a heavier outlook which makes for a dynamic contrast to the song’s otherwise Melodic Rock structure. The chorus is strong as hell with an immense hook and catches on like super-glue, very classic H.E.A.T. Brilliant closer.
So did Kenny manage to fill Erik’s shoes here? I’d say he does. Does this mean I don’t miss Erik then? No. Because I do to some extent. But that will pass. Kenny does a brilliant job on this record and I think he sings better than ever before. So, how strong is this record compared to the rest of them, then? Well, it’s a magnificent album but I still hold Address The Nation, Tearing Down The Walls and II as my favorites. That said, some of H.E.A.T’s best work lies on this record. I’d be surprised if any fan is disappointed by this record because there is nothing here to be disappointed of – this band’s lowest level is ridiculously high. Erik or Kenny, doesn’t matter, H.E.A.T deserves to be huge no matter who’s holding the mike. Now it’s Kenny, so they deserve to become huge with Kenny. Well done.
8/10
More H.E.A.T reviews
Freedom Rock
Address The Nation
Tearing Down The Walls
Into The Great Unknown
II
Tracklist:
1. Back To The Rhythm
2. Nationwide
3. Tainted Blood
4. Hollywood
5. Harder To Breathe
6. Not For Sale
7. One Of Us
8. Hold Your Fire
9. Paramount
10. Demon Eyes
11. Wings Of An Aeroplane
CD & Festival reviews 