What stuck with me and what I remember intensely from the last year is the fact that it was marked by poor releases,
particularly in the Melodic Hard Rock scene, a trend that unfortunately persists through these first two
months of 2020. You may be wondering why I chose to begin the review for H.e.a.t.'s new album, "II", like this.
First things first, the album has good compositions, amazing production, and great sound. It certainly is a good album,
and it shines above the rest when compared to all the aforementioned poor releases from last year!
However, I don't believe this fact alone makes it a "super album", as I see many claim it to be on social media
and the reception from its first reviews. I believe that this enthusiasm stems from the lack of high quality Melodic
Hard Rock music from the last year and a half.
This is evident from the titles given to this album such as "Best AOR album of 2020".
Am I missing something or what?
What does AOR have to do anything with pure Melodic Hard Rock music?
Is it the best Westcoast album of the decade already? (laughs!!)
Erik Gronwall is a very good frontman and an excellent showman, but doesn't live up to the
vocal capabilities of Kenny Leckremo, nor does he bring out the same emotions.
The tracks of this album didn't have the emotions and melody that tracks such as "Cry",
"Never Let go", "Bring The Stars" and "Keep On Dreaming" had.
The abscence of Eric Rivers in guitars is also felt throughout the album.
One more thing to keep in mind is that we're talking about a great studio album with
excellent production, don't expect to hear the same quality in live shows.
In summary, my opinion is that this is a good release that you should definitely
add to your collection, and that H.e.a.t. remains among the top bands of Melodic
Hard Rock. However, we must see things as they are: a good album with high
quality production and respectable compositions.
One last thing I have to add is that Melodic Hard Rock is displaying a downwards
trend in its quality, a trend that may evolve into a problem for fans of this genre
should it continue to persist. That is all...
George "Snaki" Karatzas 9/10: "Definitely one of the better albums that I've listened to in 2020 so far!
Excellent music from the Swedes once again! Go and get it right now! It'll be one of the good purchases of this year!"
For BeRock Radio MiniZine (2020)
