H.E.A.T - Tearing down the Walls

(CD Album Review)

*****

Can you feel the H.E.A.T!!!

In a way we all remember what H.E.A.T were like when they opened for Toto back in 2007 and hitting Eurovision qualifier's back in 2009, but they have gone on a long way since then, changing vocalists in 2010 to add in Swedish Idol winner Erik Gronwall to man the helm left absent by Kenny Leckremo. Now that Erik has got comfortable in the band with material and shows under his belt, we all knew that the second album he sang on would be the best yet even though his first effort 'Address the Nation' wasn't a bad effort at all.

The album storms open and takes you to the 'Point of no Return' their is no going back this is the new H.E.A.T album and don't we all know it. The track opens with a traditional AOR riff and cluggs into motion lead by Erik Gronwall's stand out vocals and sounds like a track taken straight out of the eighties, you wouldn't guess that it has only been recorded recently. 'Point of no Return' is a Soft Rock anthem that can't be ignored and no better way to open up an album than this little number, which has a short guitar solo by guitarist Eric Rivers that has totally blown my socks right off.

'A shot at Redemption' has a really Blues / Country / Soft Rock feel to it that could have been created by a band like the Little Angels or even the Black Crows if they went even more American radio Rock, while 'Inferno' turns up the H.E.A.T to the max with a hint of "oooh's" and a touch of Hardcore Superstar to boot when they were at their best with Thomas Silver in the band. This is a track that really takes me back and I have already fallen in love with it and one of the stand out tracks on the new record, the band has already recorded a music video for this track so I guess this is the first single of the album. The title track of the record 'Tearing down the Walls' starts off like a Mr. Big track before turning into a Bon Jovi meets Aerosmith 'Armageddon' era. type of track, yes a big soppy ballad of a song but at the same time a massive commercial hit.

'Mannequin Show' is one of the oddest tracks on the album, it's a traditional 80's AOR track but it has an odd feeling to it, maybe because the strings on it make you feel the mannequin's are coming to life like out of that film way back... you guessed it in the 80's called... you guessed it again 'Mannequin'. I think this will be a great song live because you can sing a long with it like most H.E.A.T songs but it has even more of a participation feel to it. 'We will never Die' shows good use of Jona Tee on the keys and Jimmy Jay keeping a steady bass line and again Eric Rivers on guitar for a killer solo. I was trying to place the influences in this song but their are so many so it's hard to from Nightwish to Robert Palmer to of course FM.

The drum beat at the beginning of 'Emergency' is awesome and it kicks in traditional H.E.A.T fashion and sounds like comes out of a 80's movie which I totally love and is a great high before they get all emotional with 'All the Nights' which is really beautiful and is near enough just Erik's vocals and piano, maybe a H.E.A.T album with just keys and vocals is to come or maybe a special edition with all the tracks done this way would be cool. 'Eye for an Eye' is really big and has a lot of riff stops and starts on it mixed with keys like a lot of AOR tracks and a chorus that has a really flowing melody, I do wonder why this track wasn't earlier on the album because it's one of my favourites.

The album ends with 'Enemy in Me' which really plods along and 'Laughing at Tomorrow' which feels like it's a closing track, you know the scene where the guy get's the girl and goes into the sunset. I think this is a great album and if you like AOR and Soft Rock you would be an idiot not to listen to it, their isn't one bad track on it and the artwork inspired by the film 'Warriors' is just fantastic. This album is the whole package and you couldn't ask for more of H.E.A.T, I'll be buying a proper copy and blasting out in the car as much as I can because this is what this album is designed for.