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"Betrayed by an overly marked tendency to revere the old school spirit and by its lacklustre final section, H.E.A.T.'s "Welcome To The Future" is a disappointment compared to its predecessors."
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3/5
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In 2022, H.E.A.T. released “Force Majeure”, their seventh album, which saw the return of Kenny Leckremo -the band's first singer- following the surprise departure of the charismatic Eric Grönwall. On this work, the combo remained faithful to its preferred style: the melodic, anthemic hard rock of the 1980s. Will its successor, “Welcome To The Future”, follow in its predecessor's footsteps and prove just as well-made?
H.E.A.T. hasn't changed. The band has stayed the same, and on this new offering they develop the same 1980s-style hard rock. The antithesis of avant-garde music, and far from what its title suggests, this “Welcome To The Future”, with its particularly ugly artwork, shamelessly displays nostalgia at every turn. To appreciate it, you'll have to ignore the particularly sweet melodies, and the impression of having heard it all before. On the other hand, you'll need to appreciate the omnipresence of the synths and the bigger-than-life choruses. Just as catchy and enchanting in its intentions as its predecessor, this record proves less solid, with the guitars rarely taking over.
The first two-thirds of the album hold their own, or come close. 'Run To You' generates immediate excitement, its who ho ho approaching that of Eclipse's productions. 'The End' is fully festive, recalling Bon Jovi's ‘Runaway’ with its referential keyboard theme. 'Disaster' starts out Beast In Black-style, before following in the footsteps of Dynazty, notably through Leckremo's phrasing and intonations. Leckremo also plays Joey Tempest on the European-style ‘Rock Bottom’. As for ‘Children Of The Storm’, some will give it credit for instilling joy and good humor, while others will find that the “drum machine” sounds of the drums would not look out of place on a dancefloor.
Unfortunately, the last third of the work proves far less attractive. Melodically unconvincing and conceptually too basic, ‘Paradise Lost’ sounds like Avantasia, and ‘Tear It Down (R.N.R.R.)’, caught between a Black Sabbath-style start and a follow-up that veers towards Accept, leaves us wanting more. Like ‘We Will Not Forget’, which sounds like a track left over from Dynazty, these tracks just seem designed to fill in the gaps.
As a result, “Welcome To The Future” turns out to be a merely decent opus. Betrayed by an overly marked tendency to worship the old school spirit and by its last part, which makes little impression, it disappoints in comparison with its predecessors. Rejecting any hint of originality, it even becomes a caricature at times. For once, H.E.A.T. has committed its first (almost) faux-pas. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Disaster
02. Bad time for love
 03. Running To You
04. Call my name
05. In disguise
06. The End
07. Rock bottom
08. Children of the storm
09. Losing game
10. Paradise lost
11. Tear it down (R.N.R.R.)
12. We will not forget
LINEUP:
Dave Dalone : Guitares
Don Crash: Batterie
Jimmy Jay: Basse
Jona Tee : Claviers
Kenny Leckremo: Chant
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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The album may not have been released or the spotify ID has not yet been entered or there is no spotify ID available
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READERS
3/5 (2 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.5/5 (2 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH H.E.A.T.
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT H.E.A.T.
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