Review by Paul Sabin for MPM
There must be something in the glacial water in Sweden that allows the country to produce so many great melodic rock bands! Falling firmly in this category is H.E.A.T. who return with their seventh album, `Welcome To The Future’. This is the second album since the departure of Erik Grönwall and the return of original singer Kenny Leckremo.
First track, `Disaster’ is like a TV ad for everything H.E.A.T. are about. Think bombastic, melodic guitar riffs, swishing long hair and a face melting lead vocal that come straight from the Eighties. `Running To You’ replete with its Wooa-wooa’s is a sleazy little number that gets under your skin. Fast paced, singalong goodness dripping with guitar solos, atmosphere and harmonies galore await the listener here.
`Call My Name’ kicks off with some bluesy guitar courtesy of Dave Dalone before the synths and the rest of the band kick in. A soulful performance by Leckremo here makes this track sparkle. `In Disguise’ has a semi symphonic metal feel as the track marches along filled with screaming guitars, pomp and Lechremo’s trademark screams.
`The End’ has a more modern vibe to it with a speedy delivery and keys that are a close relation to Bon Jovi’s `Runaway’. Dalone’s fretboard wizardry adds to what is an outstanding song that is bound to get the crowd bouncing when played live. `Rock Bottom’, (no its not a cover!) is the cliché rock song you’d expect it to be. Corny rhyming lyrics, a chanty chorus and lots of hat tipping to the likes of Europe, Guns n Roses and Mötley Crüe can be found here. Rock cheese done with polished aplomb by one of Sweden’s finest!
`Children Of The Storm’ brings in thunderous drums, soaring keyboards and kick-ass, infectious chorus to pull it all together. `Losing Game’ takes a turn down the blues rock road that conjures up similarities to early Whitesnake with Lechremo oozing feeling with his lyrical delivery.
`Paradise Lost’ is where a driving chorus meets a power metal background making for an epic, grand, melodic song that leaves a lasting impression. ‘Tear it Down (R.N.R.R.)’ takes us straight back to the mid eighties. Old school phones ringing, lyrics that Dio would be proud of, and a stripped back sound dominated by distorted guitar and a mighty vocal that means business. What a glorious track!
`We Will Not Forget’ has that folky rhythm that so many bands have used to great effect, from Thin Lizzy back in the day to the more recent Eclipse. A scratchy guitar part marks the beat ahead of the punchy chorus before heading off for a stratospheric solo that adds to the excitement of this track.
H.E.A.T. may be welcoming us to the future but all is not as it may seem. In reality, this album will allow you to time travel back to the days when band like Ratt, Whitesnake, Europe and Van Halen ruled the airwaves. The future the band refer to, I believe is their future, as, if they continue to make great albums like this their future is guaranteed and very rosy indeed. Turn up the H.E.A.T., dig in and rock out!!
The album is available to order digitally from https://heat.lnk.to/WTTF.
The album is also available to order on CD and vinyl from – https://ear-music.shop/products/section/11888
Follow the latest news on H.E.A.T and ‘Bad Time For Love’ here: H.E.A.T on
Facebook: / heatsweden
H.E.A.T on Instagram: / heatsweden
H.E.A.T on X: https://x.com/heatsweden
