Album Review — H.E.A.T.
H.E.A.T. — II
H.E.A.T. is one of those bands you might not have heard. They are a Swedish band whose lead singer, Erik Gronwall, starred in the Alice Cooper/John Legend version of “Jesus Christ Superstar”. And although their new album is titled “II”, it’s actually the band’s sixth studio album.
The best way I can describe the band’s sound is to combine some of the 80s arena rock bands with Shinedown. Gronwall has tremendous range and can hit all the notes. Musically, the band would definitely fall in the “hard rock” genre with a modern touch. They aren’t too unlike Swedish countrymen Eclipse.
The album starts of with a more modern “Rock Your Body”. It’s upbeat with that anthemic sound but I think there’s more potential here then what we get in the chorus.
“Dangerous Ground” kicks off with an impressive Gronwall scream. It almost has a Motley Crue-type feel in the verse with a huge chorus which reminds me of Eclipse.
“Come Clean” is probably my favorite track on the record. It reminds me quite a bit of the new Eclipse record which was my favorite record last year. It’s an excellent track and I’d like to hear like this please.
“Victory” and “We Are Gods” are a little over the top for me. “We Are Gods” in particular sounds quite a bit like Shinedown to me. Both are decent but there are better tracks here.
Speaking of, “Adrenaline” is up next and is back to that heavy melodic sound that they do so well. Gronwall is a star and his vocals are quite impressive. When given a quality song, he really soars.
“One By One” sounds straight out of the late 80s hair metal scene. Well placed keyboards accentuate at just the right times. The album as a whole has a huge sound to it and this track is a good example. There’s a lot going on but you can hear everything clearly. Not an easy feat to accomplish.
“Nothing To Say” is a decent ballad. I imagine Gronwall can sing just about anything. For a ballad to really hit it has to be something special and this one is just average.
“Heaven Must Have Won An Angel” is back to the late 80s hair metal sound. Not a lot new here but it’s not a bad track.
“Under The Gun” has a little more meat to it and is another huge sounding track. There aren’t a lot of albums these days that have that huge production so it’s nice to hear a band go all out with their sound.
The album ends strong with “Rise”. Another track that combines that 80s hair metal with that more modern Shinedown feel to it. I’m not sure what to call it, but I like it.
With Eclipse, W.E.T., Nordic Union and now H.E.A.T., European melodic rock (or whatever you want to call it) has produced some great records over the last few years. Although I wouldn’t put “II” up with the Eclipse records, it’s an impressive album. Great production, fantastic vocals and a very interesting sound meshing the old with the new. All the ingredients are there, and when the song is right, it’s really good. The songwriting is a little uneven at times and maybe a bit too predictable, but overall I’m a fan. “II” is a quality record that is definitely worth your time.
90 out of 100
Track Listing
1. Rock Your Body
2. Dangerous Ground *
3. Come Clean *
4. Victory
5. We Are Gods
6. Adrenaline *
7. One By One *
8. Nothing To Say
9. Heaven Must Have Won An Angel
10. Under The Gun
11. Rise *
*Best Songs