Much to the delight of melodic rock fans around the globe, W.E.T. has announced the release of their fourth album, "Retransmission". Core members Jeff Scott Soto, Erik Mårtensson, and Robert Såll deliver another astounding album. W.E.T truly epitomizes what melodic rock has become in the new decade. The key element at the foundation of W.E.T has always been to create a modern melodic hard rock sound that will drive the genre into the future. Combining powerhouse rhythms and top notch production, the music is equally classic and contemporary. The album contains eleven tracks.

"Big Boys Don't Cry" leads off the album. It begins with a rough edge of a riff and Jeff's signature vocal snarl. The harmonies come through strong in the chorus, almost DEF LEPPARD like in the delivery. "The Moment of Truth" begins with some hearty bass notes and a dangerous riff. Compared to label mates CREYE, their music is just slightly harder. Those vocal harmonies are sure catchy, and just try not to sing along. "The Call of the Wild" opens with soft clean guitars and a pretty little melody. From there it transforms to a faster moving song, with some echoes of background vocal harmonies that remind me of THE BEE GEES, oddly enough. The guitar solo shows some real skills.

"Got To Be About Love" was the first single I heard on the album, and it wrenched its hooks in me immediately. The tender verses, and the big chorus, are just so memorable. Add in a once-on-an-album vocal performance, and you have an instant classic. "Beautiful Game" begins with another tough riff and some rich sounds. A key change with a scream ushers in a guitar solo. As per the genre, the biggest bang for your buck is in the chorus. "How Far To Babylon" begins with some choppy guitars, bass and drums. Vocal harmonies in the verses are augmented by a big guitar sound. Having three guitarists will do that for you.

"Coming Home" is a shorter song with a more poignant sound. I would not call it a "power ballad" per se, because it's not a ballad. But the melodies run stronger here. It's one of the more memorable songs on the album in my opinion. "What Are You Waiting For" is more of a power ballad, with a slower pace and some clean guitars. Soto gives a lot of his soul in his vocal performance. "You Better Believe It" is another three-minute track with a mid-tempo pace and some light guitar work in the beginning. That thumpy bass is wonderful and thickens the sound nicely.

"How Do I Know" is a rough around the edges track with some steady opening rhythms. It's also another one with a great guitar solo. "One Final Kiss" closes the album, in grand fashion. Another edgy riff leads the charger here, and the chorus marks a key change. It's another catchy song with a firey guitar solo, high with emotion.

The production on the album is near-perfect. One thing I don't hear a lot of are the keyboards, but that's OK, as this is guitar driven Melodic Rock. What W.E.T. pushes on "Retransmission" are big choruses, with memorable hooks. Towards the end of the album however, I found that some of the riffs sounded just a little bit too familiar. I understand that in the AOR genre, you are not going to get total originality, but even just a few more unique riffs would have lifted the album into the stars. Maybe I was expecting too much after hearing "Got To Be About Love?" Overall, a good album, but there is room for improvement here.