Frontiers [Release date 23.03.18]
In the extensive world of melodic rock collaborations, W.E.T. can be seen as the nearest to a supergroup, bringing together the talents of prolific vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Eclipse’s main man Erik Martensson and Work of Art’s Robert Sall. Their other commitments mean that W.E.T albums are worth anticipating, this being only the third and the first since 2013’s ‘Rise Up’.
At that time Eclipse’s heavier direction differentiated the two acts. However, with last year’s excellent ‘Monumentum’ squarely within the melodic rock mainstream, and with Erik co-writing all the songs (JSS having a credit on just less than half and Robert none at all), there was a high risk of this release becoming indistinguishable from an Eclipse album.
‘Watch The Fire’ is, pardon the pun, a slow burning opener which opens with a big riff but which sees both Jeff and Erik singing, and takes a while for its classy chorus to come to the boil. ‘Burn’ sees another Eclipse band member in Magnus Henriksen alternate between acoustic and electric guitar, with a fiery closing solo, while ‘Kings Down On Thunder Road’’s anthemic tales of youth is where the Eclipse connection is strongest.
The first change of pace comes in ‘Elegantly Wasted’ with string-sounding keyboards and a hi-tech production that reminded me of Def Leppard or eighties Queen, though a mark deducted for the nursery rhyming of ‘another glass of wine, and I’ll be fine’.
However the bulk of the album is instant, uptempo songs such as ‘Urgent’ (where the title is not the only Foreigner influence) ‘Dangerous’ and ‘Calling Out Your Name’ with big, brash choruses.
JSS’s vocals are ever superb but it is almost as if he is reacting against the eclecticism of other projects he has been involved with, not to mention his more progressive other supergroup in Sons of Apollo, and gone as far back to the AOR mainstream as possible.
Indeed a couple of songs almost serve as a taster of what might have happened had Journey retained his services back in 2007. The lush, dreamy ballad ‘Heart Is On The Line’ is graced by ‘Faithfully’-esque who-oah-oahs’ while album closer ‘The Neverending Retraceable Dream’ owes more than a touch to ‘Be Good To Yourself’.
Elsewhere ‘I Don’t Wanna Play That Game’ and ‘Burning Pain Of Love’ are also big slices of melodic rock, allied to a few contemporary production touches.
It’s an album that may divide opinion as compared certainly to their debut they play things very safe – but what it lacks in originality it more than makes up for with the panache with which the songs are delivered. ****
Review by Andy Nathan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
