Sweden’s hard rock/arena rock
band H.E.A.T returns with a special album titled Extra Force. A follow-up to last year’s Force Majeure which was the return of the band’s original lead
singer, Kenny Leckremo, after frontman Eric Grönwall’s departure for Skid Row.
This is a compilation album of sorts, featuring two new tracks, two re-recorded
songs previously sung by Grönwall, three singles from Force Majeure, and six songs performed live. There are various
versions of the LP out there; CD, vinyl, and digital download with different
tracklists. The one I got is the iTunes version which is the most complete one,
featuring 13 tracks in all. The major difference from other releases is that
the iTunes version includes three tracks from last year’s Force Majeure, so if you already have that LP, the three tracks
found here are duplicates of those. Extra
Force is designed to serve as an introduction to the band’s music.
I must confess that I’d heard of
the band H.E.A.T for years and had heard their songs here and there, but never
took the proper time to dive in and listen to a full album of theirs. It’s only
last year when Eric Grönwall became Skid Row’s new singer that I actually went
on YouTube to listen to some of their songs. It’s then that I found out that their
original singer, Kenny Leckremo, who’d been their vocalist from their inception
in 2007 until 2011 when Eric Grönwall replaced him, had returned to H.E.A.T. So,
you could say that the band has come full circle. Kenny and Eric are both
phenomenal vocalists in their own right, but each of them has a distinctive sound.
In any case, the current iteration of H.E.A.T sounds amazing and I really hope
I get to see them perform live in the near future.
Here is the tracklist for the iTunes version of the album:
1 - Freedom (New song)
2 - Will You Be (New song)
3 - Rise (Kenny Leckremo Version - Original from H.E.A.T II - 2020)
4 - One by One (Kenny Leckremo Version - Original
from H.E.A.T II - 2020)
5 - Back to the Rhythm (from Force Majeure - 2022)
6 - Nationwide (from Force Majeure - 2022)
7 - Hollywood (from Force Majeure - 2022)
8 - Rock Your Body (Live - Original from H.E.A.T II - 2020)
9 - One by One (Live)
10 - Dangerous Ground (Live - Original from H.E.A.T II - 2020)
11 - Back to the Rhythm (Live)
12 - Nationwide (Live)
13 - Living on the Run (Live - Original from Address the Nation - 2012)
“Freedom” is a kick-ass
new song, an ‘80s-tinged earworm that instantly hooks you and never lets go. “Will
You Be”, the other new track, is a splendid ballad. It’s a shame that bands hardly
ever do ballads anymore, apart from vintage bands from the ‘80s that are still
around such as Extreme, Winger, and L.A. Guns to name a few, and H.E.A.T of
course. “Rise”, an Eric song redone by Kenny, is an anthem. I went back and
listened to the original and I prefer Kenny’s version. “One by One”, the other re-recorded
version, is a banger of a track. Raise your fist and sing along! It’s a
high-energy, infectious song. The next three tracks are singles from Force Majeure starting with “Back to the
Rhythm”, a perfect synth-infused rock tune with a catchy chorus. Then it’s on
to “Nationwide” and “Hollywood”, two stellar tracks that are instant classics
and arena rock at its best. Next, we move on to the live portion of the album.
I have a bit of a bone to pick here. Three of the live versions found on Extra Force are songs already included as
their studio counterparts. Bands often do this when they add extra live tracks
on their EPs/LPs. Why not release songs for which we don’t already have a
studio version on the same release? It’s much less interesting to have repeats of
one song studio/live than it would be to have a completely different song
instead. Especially when the live songs don’t all come from the same
performance as is the case here. Anyhow, that’s my two cents.
So, the live tracks begin
with “Rock Your Body”, another ‘80s-inspired anthem featuring cool harmonies
from the band. By the way, every live performance sounds crystal-clear and could
be released as an official live album somewhere down the line. Next up is “One
by One”, studio version already included, but this one is slightly longer live
and an excellent rendition. “Dangerous Ground” has to be the most metal song of
this LP. It’s a great pick to feature it live, especially with the crowd
interaction. Next two tracks are “Back to the Rhythm” and “Nationwide”, which if
you bought the iTunes version are already included as studio versions. The set
ends with “Living on the Run”, which Kenny says is one of his favourite H.E.A.T
songs and they kill it live! It’s a great throwback to Bon Jovi, Europe, and ‘80s
hair metal in general. The crowd participation in this song is terrific as
well.
H.E.A.T is a band that represents
the essence of ‘80s arena rock and hair metal. Each musician is gifted and
Kenny Leckremo has a tremendous set of pipes. Extra Force is the perfect summer album released just as summer
ends, unfortunately. It’s got plenty of catchy riffs and flashy guitar solos to
satisfy old school metal fans. It shot right into my Top Five albums of the
year so far, it’s that awesome. This is the kind of music I grew up with and
that I dearly love. From top to bottom, save for my minor gripes about the live
repeats, Extra Force is an outstanding
album and a perfect way to get into the band’s music for newcomers. Fans of
Europe, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, and ‘80s arena rock will
go nuts for this record.
H.E.A.T’s Official Website: https://www.heatsweden.com/
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