In the live context H.E.A.T. is by far the best Melodic Hard Rock band that Scandinavia and even the whole Europe has known since a longtime. You could think that I'm maybe a little too enthusiastic in my comments, but those who had the privilege to catch them last fall, for their electrifying performance at Nothingham's FireFest X, are all in agreement with me: Rarely melody had rhymed perfectly with so much energy.

Irresistible onstage, the Swedish team also known as H.E.A.T. is clearly heading to the same path to bring this efficiency onto the recording tape, as evidenced by "Tearing Down the Walls" his fourth upcoming full length, set to be released on April 14 by earMUSIC, the bet is victorious. I am a strong supporter of this young band since the first album in 2008, and even if I loved Kenny Leckremo's vocals, his famous replacement, popular as a TV hero / winner of the Swedish Idol program, since the 2012's  "Address The Nation" is totally fitting the spirit of the band , even better than that, the Erik Gronwall's voice and competencies had completely eclipsed the early controversial inquiries, concerning his highly commented recruitment, now he should be considered like the best asset of H.E.A.T..

The band is now a five piece gang, with only one guitarist, since former Dave Dalone, the historic member left one year ago but with all the respect due for his past contribution, the sound of the band is now better tighter and the sole axe-player (Eric Rivers) is really impressive and displayed a new emphasis on some more adventurous and advanced technics, with an enormously increased level and also a progression in the melodic method, what a fluidity in the playing. This is improved by a lot of typically Swedish accents: think Kee Marcello (ex-EUROPE / ex-RED FUN) and his legendary lyrical way of soloing ("Emergency" /  "Eye For An Eye").

The Swedish combo is at the top of its glory, at the peak of their art, a difficult and demanding mastery of musical craft ("Mannequin Show"), this "Tearing Down The Walls" will soon be considered, rightly, as a corner stone of their career but also as a strong statement directed toward the non-believers and the doubters, plus it's a clear message for the fans of the band as a concrete confirmation of a bright future...It's time to believe.

The sound is larger than life and the songwriting style is obviously focalized on the dynamic ("A Shot At Redemption") and on the hooks a little less on the harmonic side than before, yet the melodies are everywhere, very addictive and contagious, the DNA of the band is still clearly tagged toward AOR, only updated by a few Sleazy overtone ("Enemy In Me"), with a solid coherence with their newly balanced style between Melodic Heaven ("We Will Never Die" / "All The Nights") and Hard Rock Hell ("Inferno" / "Eye For An Eye"), the whole is enhanced by new arrangements yet still very classy but in a new found density.

In my perspective, this duality is very rewarding, sometimes in the core of the same song, "Tearing Down The Walls" holds a new found creativity by stretching the borders of the genre, thanks to this evolution H.E.A.T. proudly stands as a real credible band and cannot be quoted anymore by some as a formulaic/nostalgic act only... The heat is on.