H.E.A.T - Tearing Down The Walls (2014)

[embrock]

I think it's another great album by these guys. Period. Sure, they've toughened up their sound a bit, but it's nowhere near that turn in direction some of you guys make it up to be imo.

 

One thing though: There has been a lot of talk about 'Mannequin Show' being a carbon copy of that Bitchy Spears song. Sure, the chords structure and the vocal melody are very similar, but it is the sound which makes a huge difference for me. On the other hand I hear a lot of the exact same song in the chorus of "Eye to Eye" (when Erik pronounces the 'Eyeyeye...'), where I always expect to hear the follow up line 'Hit me Baby one more time'. Anyone else getting this?

[KarpetRydOFunk]

Don't get the impression that my critique is anything but the result of skyhigh expectations, but to expand a little on the stylistic change I'm feeling... The changes are subtle, but they're there. I don't have a problem with profanity, but here, I have to roll my eyes a little as I think to myself, as DeLaCruz notes above, "Ooooooooh, how 'edgy'!!!11!!!!1" It doesn't feel in line with the classic H.E.A.T sound and honestly, dumbs down the songs. I'm not in my twenties anymore, and this shift in attitude feels like an appeal to angsty young adults. Gronwall is certainly feistier and has a different attitude than his predecessor, and what I liked about Kenny was that his singing style didn't cater to the mass appeal of a general public that laps up the style, glitz, and gimmickry of music 'stars' instead of the songs themselves. This is really only evident on a couple tracks, but it's enough to throw me off.

 

The vocal stylings on Eye For an Eye and Enemy in Me in particular just reek of a 'younger' band playing music for 'younger' people. Appealing to a younger demographic is what I meant when I offered that this record is a step backward for the band. Let's face it, younger music listeners are generally looking for something different than what I look for, as a fan of the sort of melodic rock that is largely shunned by popular opinion. I want lush, soaring vocals that showcase huge melodies and vocal ability. Eye For an Eye, with its bubblegum pop chorus, sounds like a heavier version of a song by <insert your favorite pop princess here> and Enemy in Me, with those whispered sections and shouted chorus vocals, is more in line with a style of banal modern rock that isn't in league with what I wanted out of this particular release. Mannequin Show, in my opinion, is a disaster. Quirky keyboards, plodding guitars, and whether it was intended or not, far too reminiscent of one of the biggest pop hits of this millennium to not be a huge distraction to me. Shot at Redemption just plain doesn't sound like H.E.A.T and is far too jangly and removed from their classic sound. A great singalong track, but not in the spirit of their classic sound. I'm actually surprised that some of you aren't noticing the same stylistic changes. I think the attitude here is miles from that of their first two, and even of Gronwall's debut with the band. Shrug...

 

Again, it's not a bad record at all, as there is some excellent stuff here. Point of No Return, Inferno, We Will Never Die, and Emergency are all fantastic, with We Will Never Die being an excellent example of the H.E.A.T. sound that I wish they'd continued. All the Nights is a nice song, but agree with Geoff that it could have used the full band treatment to take it to the next level. Also, some of the keyboard intro work in a few spots on the album created some strange atmosphere that just didn't jive with me.

 

The clunkers are Eye For an Eye, Enemy in Me, and Mannequin Show, while Shot at Redemption, Laughing at Tomorrow, and Tearing Down Walls are decent songs and I wouldn't begrudge another for enjoying them, stylistically they don't appeal to me.

 

Bottom Line is that I find myself listening to this album more to dissect what it is that I don't like about it rather than simply to enjoy it's brilliance, which tells me that it certainly has plenty of flaws. Again, just my take. I'd actually been working on quite an in depth, 'controversial' review of this album and had many thousands of characters down in Notepad before Windows Update reared it's ugly head and I wasn't quick enough on the draw to commit the .txt to disk before Automatic Update gave the virtual bird and sent my afternoons work out to wherever the hell 1's and 0's go to die. Had to get at least some of it off my chest.. Ha

 

It seems everyone is chastising you for speaking your mind, but I actually appreciate the way you stripped each song apart. That's generally how I approach music, and, as one who hasn't listened to this yet, it brought my expectations down, so maybe I'll be able to enjoy it more.

[Geoff]

Yeah, I think there's a lot of merit to what JoeS is saying too, I guess because we are on a similar parge, lol. No doubt Joe appears a little more disappointed with the disc than I, but I do agree with part of what he has to say on the disc.

 

I know a lot of people want to love this new disc (I know because I was one of them) and everyone's pretty caught up in the honeymoon period, but I do wonder if in time a few people will come around to seeing what Joe and I are saying about this one. No one wants to be the one to speak ill of their favourite band/s, but I do feel it had to be said about this album.

 

I made a version of this album today which features the album tracks, then 'Shame,' 'Under your skin' and 'She's like the wind.' I'll say this. I wish that for the domestic copy of the CD they replaced 'Laughing at tomorrow' with 'Shame,' 'Shot at redemption' with 'Under your skin' and 'All the nights' with 'She's like the wind.' I personally think that would already be a much better version of the CD.

 

Listening to 'Under your skin' repeatedly makes me realise that this CD does not have a 'Living on the run.' There is no blatantly commercial really melodic rock song on this disc. There's killer hard rockers, but nothing like a 'Living on the run,' or for that matter, 'Under your skin.'

 

With regard to my comments on the ballads, I actually think 'All the nights' at it's core is a better song than 'She's like the wind,' but I find myself much preferring 'She's like the wind.' I like piano / acoustic ballads as much as the next guy. I think the very subtle new Pretty Maids tune, for instance, is amazing. But I still think what I said initially, 'All the nights' is nowhere near close enough to being a strong enough song to be that stripped back. Not even close, imo. The worst thing is listening to it and picturing the full band arrangement and thinking how good it could have been. Because an even better version of the CD would be to replace 'All the nights' with a fully electric version of that song, and then replace 'Mannequin Show' with 'She's like the wind.'

 

Anyway, just rambling now. I stand by my thoughts on this one and will wait to see how it plays out for everyone else once it's had time to settle.

[Nightrain]

Dying to buy the EP but then I'm afraid the Jap tour edition of 'Tearing Down The Walls' will include that, damn H.E.A.T

[zacharyamelie]

The album has grown on me and I`m really enjoying it. ATN was safer and easier to swallow, Tearing Down The Walls is a little more daring and varied...although it doesn`t always work.

 

Like some have said All The Nights would have been even better if at one point in the song the entire band had showed up. Erik vocals on here are brilliant.

 

I much prefer Laughing At Tomorrow as a closer than Downtown for ATN. But I can see why some may not like the Scandi beer drinking chorus.

 

I got over the Mannequin Show sounding like the Spears tune, it`s a good one.

 

The only two tracks that don`t do much for me are the bluesy We Will Never Die (the chorus goes nowhere, reminds me of bluesy tracks Europe used to do. This song belongs more on the bands debut) and Enemy In Me (the `Attention` parts irritate me).

 

Other than the title track this album could not be any further removed from the sound of Freedom Rock.

 

One thing the band could use is another lead guitarist for the solos, one with a different texture and tone than the guitarist that is presently there. It would give the solos more spark and individualism. A Reb Beach or Pete Lesperance style.

 

Erik has never sounded better, a true gem of a vocalist. He is the highlight of this album.

 

Emergency is the best track hands down. My other favs are Point Of No Return, Tearing Down The Walls and Inferno (despite the over aggressive lyrics).

 

Still very melodic but no longer can I mention AOR and H.E.A.T. in the same breath.

[Geoff]

Just 'cause I'm here as this came in, a few quick ones before I sleep:

 

Gotta say, I don't agree that this album is more varied than 'ATN.' Like I said above somewhere, I thought that 'ATN' was far more diverse and had a much better range of songs.

 

To each their own, but I love 'Downtown.' I think it's a super track. 'Laughing at tomorrow' grates on me more and more with each listen. It's almost as bad as 'Shot at redemption.' I don't know where or why someone thought this chanty beer drinking sing a long vocals style they have on a few songs on this album was a good idea, but it's not. It's really not. It's dreadful. Leave it for the vikings, I say. Anyway, 'Laughing at tomorrow' is for me the 2nd worst song on the CD.

 

I never really associated 'Mannequin show' with the B.Spears song until I saw it here. I just personally hate the vibe on that tune. Almost creepy/eerie kind of vibe, and all I can picture when I hear that chorus is people doing that Michael Jackson 'Thriller' dance or some variation of it. The song just leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. The shame about this and 'Laughing at tomorrow' is that both have beautiful mid-tempo verses, but two shocking choruses.

 

Totally agree with you on 'We will never die' and 'Enemy in me.' Reading above, you could see the positive about 'We will never die' and say oh yeah, that's nice, it's from their debut era and it's cool to hear that style on the new disc. Or you could be negative and note that it didn't make the cut for the debut, or the second album, or even the third. Why? Because it's a weak song. Haha, or you could just be realistic and for me, I just think it's a plodder. It's not awful, but the song just does nothing at all for me.

 

Anyway, just a few cents work. I also like Erik's vocals and I do love the ballsy sound, but I don't think there's any doubt that this will rank as my least favourite disc from the kids so far.

[zacharyamelie]

Tracks like Shot At Redemption, Laughing At Tomorrow, The Mannequin Show and All The Nights make this one much more varied in sound and I find it more daring than ATN. I can listen to ATN and almost all the songs blend into each other very easily... other than Downtown. The flow of ATN was simpler and easier on the ears....but no way more varied.

 

One of the potential downfalls of TDTW is the fact it may be too varied with some of those off beat tracks like I mentioned above.

 

Even after 4 albums. H.E.A.T. have yet to release in my opinion a near perfect album, they are all great and keep me wanting more.

 

Still hard to imagine Andrew gave this one a 100% rating over at Melodicrock. com

[Glen]

OK guys, here's my spin on things -

 

1. Point Of No Return (10) - you couldnt ask for a better melodic rock opener. intro is brilliant, chorus is over the top amazing and the build up and solo rips. Perfect in my book.

 

2. Shot At Redemption (8) - Dont understand the hate for this track? really infectious anthem with a great solo and amazing after solo bridge which is pure HEAT sound - will be a great live track i reckon

 

3. Inferno (10) - Barnstorming mhr. awesome verses + pre....also chorus is trademark HEAT. perfect climatic solo. Flawless

 

4. Tearing Down The Walls (8) - big sing a long ballad with good chorus hook. just seems to be missing something...perhaps a climatic moment? good stuff tho.

 

5. Mannequin Show (6) - can anyone really listen to this and not think Britney Spears???? its well done, but at the end of the day its a rip off plain and simple. Ooops they made a boo boo.

 

6. We Will Never Die (9.5) - probably the most lush sounding song here - real debut AOR vibe. sensational track with a great vocal.

 

7. Emergency (9.75) - first off, great riff! add to it perfection in the verse, a great chorus and a really cool musical interlude and we have another winner!

 

8. All the Nights (9) - amazing vocal. touching heartfelt lyrics. haunting musically. i love that the full band never comes in...that would have been way too predictable...perfect the way it is. really diverse and brave move, but one that works 100%

 

9. Eye For An Eye (8.75) - again great chugging riff. typical HEAT verse and very nice chorus. just another spot on rocker

 

10. Enemy In Me (8.5) - another good rocker - not overly keen on the solo, but that's being picky. solid as hell

 

11. Laughing At Tomorrow (8) - perfect verse it must be said.....but the chanting doesnt work in the chorus - would have been much better with just Erik singing. nothing i would ever skip tho.

 

 

Overall : 87%

 

Overall a really good hard rocking and varied disc. Really just a continuation of ATN to these ears. However they have beefed the sound up in many places and this is no bad thing. its not perfect by any means but a very enjoyable disc none the less.

 

Bonus tracks & EP

 

Shame (8.5) - would the album benefit : YES

[not a fan of the intro but its a good ballsy rocker with a nice chorus - should have closed the album]

 

Under Your Skin (9) - would the album benefit : hell YES

[great AOR styled rocker. love the vibe. replace that rip off Mannequin Show with this gem]

 

She's Like The Wind (8) - would the album benefit : NO

[very rarely does a cover version add anything to an album. it's a decent version but not as good as the original which for me is a classic tune. Makes you realise just how good Swayze's vocal was cos Erik doesnt quite pull this one off....imho of course]

 

 

Cheers all.................

[Kim_Hp]

I'm still surprised by some comments here, I thought you guys would be all over this . Maybe I'm biased but I have struggled to find flaws with this album.

Glen you are so correct about All the Nights, as you said bringing the full band in would have been too predictable I think it's really better the way it was left.

Still haven't heard "Shame" (shame on me) but I would also agree that "Under Your Skin" would have been nice on the album, really killer track.

As for "She's Like The Wind" there's a story about that one as well, apparently they weren't sure if it was good enough to release but when they (by accident) discovered that it had actually been recorded the same day as Patrick Swayze's birthday they felt it was a "sign" and decided to release it.

 

Despite all the hatred for "Mannequin Show" and "A Shot At Redemption" I stand by my earlier comments, this is IMO two of the best tracks on the album. And yes Glen I heard listened to "Mannequin" about 10 times without ever thinking about that Britney tune...is there something wrong with me?
Seriously, I would never have thought about it until someone mentioned it... still, it's NOT a "rip off"...the chords are not even the same.
Still a bit unexpected 2nd single choice... would have thought a track like the title track or "Emergency" would have suited better as a single. Now everyone will just bitch about the Britney similarities til times end haha.

[Glen]

Its the only weak link for me. If under my skin replaced mannequin show it would be a fantastic album - 90%+.

 

Thats not to say that it hasnt replaced it on my ipod ;-)

[The Rocker]

Its the only weak link for me. If under my skin replaced mannequin show it would be a fantastic album - 90%+.

Thats not to say that it hasnt replaced it on my ipod ;-)

I need to get " Shame " somehow

[Jez]

Jury's still out on this one. I'm not exactly disappointed with this so far, as I wasn't pinning my hopes too high like some of you guys seemed to. Initial spins (3 so far) are promising, though not completely KO'd by it if i'm honest...Again, like Gotthard, will report back

[Guest JoeS]

This is the most anticipated release of the year for fans of the genre, so I don't think anyone (cough..) is out of line in critiquing the hell out of it, though it does make me a little uncomfortable being critical publicly, because I'm fucking sensitive, and consider other people feelings..Ha. Seriously, the album is the result of a lot of hard work and isn't anything to be ashamed about. And, a few more thoughts, because I listened to it again today to find something to complain about..

 

- Under Your Skin doesn't belong on the album. Would have been the best track, but doesn't fit stylewise. Again, they're heading in a different direction.

 

- Yes, I hear Britney in Eye for an Eye too, but thought it might be overkill to mention it.

 

- Strangers at the bar generally don't care to discuss Swedish MR.

 

- Undecided whether AtN or TDtW is more 'varied', but AtN was more cohesive and made more sense.

 

- Downtown was a much better closer. I'd have loved it if it had built up to something more substantial than it ultimately was, but had great atmosphere and, if I had to compare it to something off the top of my head, it'd be like having a cigarette after sex, and appreciate how they left that song as it is.

 

- Jaded Heart and Paid My Dues is probably my favorite MR cover.

 

- Looking forward to the next H.E.A.T. release.

 

- Looking forward to anything that Kenny and Dave do, if that's true, because I want to believe they would do something completely mind blowing, because... I want to believe, and certainly don't believe in that UFO garbage!

 

Also, I have not had sex, but I need a cigarette while I consider my thoughts on Reckless Love.. Has anyone been banned from this forum? Ha, continue....

[KarpetRydOFunk]

I'mma spin this tomorrow. I'm actually a little excited. Heh.

[Glen]

If they can have 'we will never die' on the album then they can have 'under your skin'....its not that different.

[Geoff]

If they can have 'we will never die' on the album then they can have 'under your skin'....its not that different.

 

Friend, what the hell are you saying, man?! They're polar opposites. One is blatantly commercial melodic hard rock, the other is a plodder which just sits at half to quarter throttle the whole way though. Sorry mate, I think they couldn't be further apart.

 

As for 'All the nights.' Dudes, am I stoned? I acknowledge it, and y'all here have reminded me many times on this forum that I'm the biggest pussy here when it comes to beautiful sentimental heartfelt ballads. Well, not just ballads by any means. Any heartfelt, sentimental song with a touching lyric will get me everytime. But that's my issue with 'All the nights.' It's a bland lyric and I don't get any connection or heartfelt emotion from it at all. Not even a bit. I find it very cold, which is the only reason I say it just doesn't work so stripped back. With a full band backing you could have the big vocal harmonies in the chorus too and it'd be as cold as the title track, but still sound f*cking awesome. As it is, it's just a limp song and no lyric within that song touches me at all. How are we possibly hearing that song so differently, my compatriots? As for being predictable to have the band involved, sometimes being predictable is not a bad thing. I'd have preferred a predictable great song to an average unpredictable song.

 

JoeS, you're probably right about 'Under your skin' not belonging on the album. It would make the album a lot better, but you're right. It's much more in the style of the really commercial melodic rock songs that were all over 'ATN,' especially including the bonus tracks. The song would be right at home on 'ATN,' but not so much this disc.

[Glen]

You & joe are confusing me. Are you saying theres no commercial melodic rocks songs on this album?

 

The reason I like All The Nights is that it is an interesting take on the 'I wish I had you back'....and yes it is sad and yes it is heartfelt and a bit haunting which is why it works well as it is....with just Eriks emotional (and excellent) vocal and the piano.

 

Anyway ive said my bit. I really like the album...its pretty diverse in style with some hard hitting stuff, melodic moments, etc but all wrapped up in the HEAT sound.

[Geoff]

You & joe are confusing me. Are you saying theres no commercial melodic rocks songs on this album?

 

 

None like 'Living on the run.' Nothing like that at all, or 'Under your skin,' to be honest. You have to hear that, don't you? The best songs are all big anthemic hard rockers, but not that mid-tempo kind of really commercial tune, like 'Living on the run' or the like. I guess 'Inferno' is pretty close to that style, but nowhere near the stuff that was on ATN.

 

As for 'All the nights' I'm certainly not going to tell you that what you're hearing is wrong. To each their own. If the song touches you, then I'm pleased, and kind of jealous. For me, it does nothing at all, but if it works for others, good luck to you. It ain't no 'The only one' by Parachute, that's for sure. That song's still got gooseflesh residue on my spinal cord, from a year ago.

[Glen]

Oh well as I said before I think we're all over analysing it now. Its just a rock album after all.

[Geoff]

Oh well as I said before I think we're all over analysing it now. Its just a rock album after all.

 

Honestly mate, totally agree. But that said, I guess that's what these forums are for, where we all get to be a bit stupid about stuff like this. The forum would be pretty pointless is we all just turned up and said "I like it because it is good." Or "I don't like it because it's bad." lol, I sometimes look at the stupid over-analyzed stuff we say on these forums, but then I do acknowledge, I guess that's the whole point.

 

The funny thing is, for all the shit we've said, there's only a 5% difference in how we actually rated the disc. Though I gotta admit, I was generous to 'Shot at redemption.' Any other band records that and it's a 5 at best. But I like these kids so it got a 7. But it's a really really weak song (and instant skip every time - haven't heard it in full since I played the EP through) and no one is ever going to change my mind on that.

 

Oh, and by the way, did I read correctly above that 'Mannequin Show' is the 2nd single? What's next, 'Laughing at tomorrow' will be the 3rd single? Seriously, whoever is in charge of that department needs to be shot. Don't they want to sell this thing? Two singles so far should have been 'Inferno' and 'Emergency' - no brainer, imo.

[DeLaCruz]

 

If they can have 'we will never die' on the album then they can have 'under your skin'....its not that different.

 

Friend, what the hell are you saying, man?! They're polar opposites. One is blatantly commercial melodic hard rock, the other is a plodder which just sits at half to quarter throttle the whole way though. Sorry mate, I think they couldn't be further apart.

 

As for 'All the nights.' Dudes, am I stoned? I acknowledge it, and y'all here have reminded me many times on this forum that I'm the biggest pussy here when it comes to beautiful sentimental heartfelt ballads. Well, not just ballads by any means. Any heartfelt, sentimental song with a touching lyric will get me everytime. But that's my issue with 'All the nights.' It's a bland lyric and I don't get any connection or heartfelt emotion from it at all. Not even a bit. I find it very cold, which is the only reason I say it just doesn't work so stripped back. With a full band backing you could have the big vocal harmonies in the chorus too and it'd be as cold as the title track, but still sound f*cking awesome. As it is, it's just a limp song and no lyric within that song touches me at all. How are we possibly hearing that song so differently, my compatriots? As for being predictable to have the band involved, sometimes being predictable is not a bad thing. I'd have preferred a predictable great song to an average unpredictable song.

 

JoeS, you're probably right about 'Under your skin' not belonging on the album. It would make the album a lot better, but you're right. It's much more in the style of the really commercial melodic rock songs that were all over 'ATN,' especially including the bonus tracks. The song would be right at home on 'ATN,' but not so much this disc.

 

the only nice part in ''all the nights'' and the only reason (albeit VERY small reason) not to skip this track every single time is the short part where an additional keyboard or synthesizer (or whatever the hell that is) coimes in and the whole band sings background vocals while erik repeats the line ''all the nights are lies'' but that's only like..... 20 seconds, but sounds nice, shiny and sparkly with the sugary keyboard on top, everyone know what I'm referring to?

[Glen]

 

Oh well as I said before I think we're all over analysing it now. Its just a rock album after all.

Honestly mate, totally agree. But that said, I guess that's what these forums are for, where we all get to be a bit stupid about stuff like this. The forum would be pretty pointless is we all just turned up and said "I like it because it is good." Or "I don't like it because it's bad." lol, I sometimes look at the stupid over-analyzed stuff we say on these forums, but then I do acknowledge, I guess that's the whole point. The funny thing is, for all the shit we've said, there's only a 5% difference in how we actually rated the disc. Though I gotta admit, I was generous to 'Shot at redemption.' Any other band records that and it's a 5 at best. But I like these kids so it got a 7. But it's a really really weak song (and instant skip every time - haven't heard it in full since I played the EP through) and no one is ever going to change my mind on that. Oh, and by the way, did I read correctly above that 'Mannequin Show' is the 2nd single? What's next, 'Laughing at tomorrow' will be the 3rd single? Seriously, whoever is in charge of that department needs to be shot. Don't they want to sell this thing? Two singles so far should have been 'Inferno' and 'Emergency' - no brainer, imo.

Ha ha yeah the singles are odd choices.

 

I would have maybe gone for Emergency & Tearing Down The Walls.

[Kim_Hp]

I'm still amazed that Geoff can't hear the brilliance in "A Shot At Redemption"...sounds like a classic Bon Jovi-type anthem to these ears...only better

[Glen]

I'm still amazed that Geoff can't hear the brilliance in "A Shot At Redemption"...sounds like a classic Bon Jovi-type anthem to these ears...only better

 

I like it...have since first listen. It's not the best on the album, but its a catchy number for sure. Very cool solo as well. Its an album track though, not a single imo.

[Y&TForever]

 

Still hard to imagine Andrew gave this one a 100% rating over at Melodicrock. com

And the last Journey release!