Every so often a new band comes along that from out of nowhere releases a debut album that completely knocks you off your feet! Back in 2008, that band was H.E.A.T from Sweden who released an album that for me personally captured everything I love about music in a way that very few other bands have. Musically, lyrically, visually with imagery of sunsets, palm trees and airports and themes of positivity, time and space that appealed just as much as the music....it was an album that delivered on all counts. Since 2008 H.E.A.T have taken the melodic rock world by storm, with tours all over Europe and the UK and major festival appearances at the likes of Sweden Rock, Firefest in the UK and even Loud Park in Japan. Not to mention even trying their hand at representing Sweden in the iconic Eurovision Song Contest and whilst they were unsuccessful in being chosen as Sweden’s representative, the band ended up with a massive hit single ‘1000 Miles’ as a result.
Now here in 2010, H.E.A.T are back with their follow up album ‘Freedom Rock’ which features 13 tracks of sheer melodic bliss. Compared to the debut, ‘Freedom Rock‘ whilst lacking the magic upon first listen, is an album of high quality classy melodic rock that displays the maturity of the band in not only songwriting, but also musicianship. Opening track ‘We’re Gonna Make It To The End’ is almost as perfect as it gets if you were to introduce someone to what H.E.A.T is all about. The catchiest song on the album, it will invade your aural senses with it’s infectious lead guitar break, soaring lead vocals and heavenly background vocals throughout, it is H.E.A.T at their anthemic best and just when you thought the song couldn’t pack anymore punches, the breakdown after the guitar solo elevates the song to a whole different level.
The bluesier ‘Black Night’ featuring one of H.E.A.T’s more prominent fans in Edguy/Avantasia’s Tobias Sammet on lead vocals, is not to be confused as being a Deep Purple cover, although the hammond keys throughout the track certainly channel a Deep Purple influence. In stark contrast the mega AOR anthem of ‘I Can’t Look The Other Way’ showcases
the more pure AOR direction that the band has headed with this album compared to the debut. The ballad ‘Shelter’ is one of those tracks that grows on you with repeated listens and features some simply stunning vocal arrangements.
‘Beg Beg Beg’ the first single from the album is funnily not even in my top 10 tracks on the album, sure it’s a fun rock song with some unadulterated 80‘s influences, but doesn’t quite measure up against a killer anthem such as ‘Danger Road’ which could be lifted straight from your favourite 80’s action movie montage sequence! From here on in the album is an avalanche of pure melodic rock bliss. ‘Stay’ is classic H.E.A.T and may be familiar to some from the Japanese version of the first album.
‘Everybody Wants To Be Someone’ is one of the album’s definite highlights, a song that may start slowly with a vocal and keyboard first verse, but builds to be an anthem of epic proportions, fuelled by a scorching vocal performance from one of the finest going around at the moment in Kenny Leckremo and some Toto’esque backing vocals. ‘Nobody Loves You’ (Like I Do) and ‘I Know What It Takes’ are a double shot of trademark H.E.A.T uptempo feel good rock with some blistering guitar work.
In the classy AOR of ‘Cast Away’ buried towards the end of the album, I have to almost boldly state that this is now my favourite H.E.A.T track of them all. Displaying how the band has evolved as songwriters, the majesty of this track is that it is not as immediate as the rest and takes repeated listens before it charms you with it’s endless melodies and hooks, as will the album closer ‘Who Will Stop The Rain’.
With a weight of expectations on their shoulders as a result of their magical debut, the band have certainly delivered with ‘Freedom Rock’ and prove that they are a legitimate force to be reckoned in the world of AOR and melodic rock.
Read our interview with H.E.A.T guitarist Eric Rivers by clicking here!
