H.E.A.T.

On the face of it this is fairly generic Euro-rock along the lines of Europe or Foreigner – big riffs, screamed vocals and driving rhythms but the music is loaded with energy and punch, a certain brash braggadocio and it actually kicks ass quite royally.

Erik Gronwall’s vocals are superb, gritty and edgy, while Eric Rivers guitar roars and bucks against the bottom line of Jimmy Jay on bass and Crash on drums. Jona Tee adds texture and emotive side with his keyboards and they are completely a unit rather than a collection of musicians.

Erik Grönwall said about the title:
“Tearing down the walls is about breaking free from your mental walls that are holding you back. Go out there and try new things, don’t let yourself be your own worst enemy. Tear down the walls.”

The result is an album that seems to borrow liberally from a lot of the best of European bands but that has its own drive and they actually create a sound that makes you think of H.E.A.T. rather than any of the others.

‘Inferno’ is all about stadium sounds, arms waving and massive drive and appealing to the younger headbanger while ‘The Wreckoning’ has an almost classical element to it, dark and powerful and leading in to the Bon Jovi-like ‘Tearing Down The Walls’ and then there is the opener, ‘Point Of No Return’ which opens the album and makes a point for everything that follow,

Too many people take the chance to cock a snook at rock music like this but when it works – and this really does – it is great and life enhancing.



H.E.A.T have announced they will play four UK concerts in May:
London Garage
Newcastle O2 Academy 2
Glasgow Cathouse
Manchester Academy 3 Friday 16th May
Saturday 17th May
Sunday 18th May
Monday 19th May
Tickets for all four concerts are can be ordered from the official H.E.A.T website. http://www.heatsweden.com/wordpress/?page_id=1040