H.e.a.t: Tearing Down The Walls

If you are looking for a ballsy album worth Tearing Down The Walls for and to set your Melodic Rock 2014 alight, then look no further than this fourth offering from Swedish (honestly, where else?) sensations, H.e.a.t. Not only does this album contain bags... no sacks... no industrial breezeblock carrying crane fulls of melody but it also completes this band's journey from AOR hopefuls to bristling, muscular Hard Rockers who happen to understand how to infuse their music with the melody of the A, the O and indeed the R.

Once the false sense of security giving keyboard introduction fades out, "Point Of No Return" rips your speakers to shreds on first introduction, unapologetically kicking them to the ground and trampling them underfoot as it does so. With the sheer in your faceness of the riff and licks on this track, it's amazing to think that this outfit have actually slimmed down from a two, to a one guitar act since their last album. Yet that lone six-string is a feature across the utterly irresistible "Inferno", where drummer Crash stuns and stars, brooding "Mannequin Show", where an Abba motif is used to good effect, and the dirty-boot stomp of "Enemy In Me" where the beat is so gargantuan that He.a.t will need to hire a cruise liner to import it into the UK for their upcoming four date tour ( of which full details of where and when can be found here ).

Vocalist Erik Gronwall, who debuted on previous album, Address The Nation, after ably replacing the seemingly irreplaceable Kenny Leckremo who fronted this band's first two releases, is simply stunning right across TDTW, his energetic performances adding a sharp edge to already hyper active tracks. However this album is no one trick pony. The endearingly ramshackle "Laughing At Tomorrow" allows Jona Tee's keys to dominate Eric Rivers' guitars for at least a short while, "All The Nights" is a piano, multi-layered vocal and string infused master-class, while the album's title track, a superb Mr. Big meets Bon Jovi ballad of powerness and "Eye For An Eye" sit as close to out and out melodically busting AOR as we get. It is a sublime mix, expertly executed and laid down with such confidence that H.e.a.t leave no doubt that they've finally arrived at exactly where they always wanted to be. Cleverly there's still enough in evidence of what made them so endearing in the first place that their existing fans will be carried along, while there are enough hooks and choruses to suggest genuine crossover appeal isn't too outlandish ether.

Welcome to the Melodic Rock highlight of 2014 so far. However I'd guess come year's end, I'll be removing the "so far" from the statement... yes Tearing Down The Walls is that good.

Track Listing
1. Point Of No Return
2. A Shot At Redemption
3. Inferno
4. The Wreckoning
5. Tearing Down The Walls
6. Mannequin Show
7. We Will Never Die
8. Emergency
9. All The Nights
10. Eye For An Eye
11. Enemy In Me
12. Laughing At Tomorrow

Added: April 11th 2014
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: H.e.a.t Online
Hits: 2940
Language: english

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