H.E.A.T's 'Force Majeure' - Album Review

Like many bands, the Swedish five-piece melodic rock/AOR act H.E.A.T have something of a lost album in their catalogue. Many albums that came out in 2020 were never toured properly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and H.E.A.T's excellent H.E.A.T II (which I reviewed here) is one of them. I was supposed to see the band in May 2020 on the tour for the album, but of course the show ended up being postponed. In fact, it ended up being postponed so many times that I am still yet to use the ticket - with those same rearranged UK shows scheduled to take place next month. I am looking forward to finally seeing the band as a headline act, as I have only seen them as a support band previously, but it is a shame that H.E.A.T II was never properly toured. In my opinion, H.E.A.T II is one of the band's best albums - and it appeared in my Albums of the Year list in 2020. Whilst it did not see the band doing anything significantly different from previously, it felt fresh - and it also perhaps rocked a little harder than the more cinematic and somewhat experimental Into the Great Unknown from 2017. The album contains a number of soaring, hooky, modern AOR anthems which are likely to become setlist staples going forward, despite the lack of its own tour, and it upped the heaviness slightly without ever losing any of the band's pop sensibilities. It has also become an important album for the band retrospectively, as it turned out to be the last that they would make with frontman Erik Grönwall - who left the band later in 2020. Whilst Grönwall was not the band's original frontman, the band certainly seemed to grow with him. I think that it is fair to say that he is the frontman that most H.E.A.T fans outside of Sweden have ever really known, and I was sad to see him go. He has since joined Skid Row, who have a new album due out next month, so I will certainly be interested to see what he brings to that band - who I am also a big fan of. What tempered the disappointment of Grönwall leaving H.E.A.T, though, was the announcement that he was going to be replaced by a returning Kenny Leckremo - who sang on the band's first two albums before leaving in 2010. I had not kept up with Leckremo's work post-H.E.A.T, but the band's first two albums are excellent - even if they probably only became known by the band's wider fanbase following Leckremo's departure. Wanting to enter this new era swinging, then, the band got to work on a new album - which led to Force Majeure being released last month. Force Majeure is H.E.A.T's seventh studio album, and the first to feature Leckremo since 2010's Freedom Rock. What is clear when listening to Force Majeure, thankfully, is that the band have not missed a beat here. Leckremo, who's voice is similar to Grönwall's (if perhaps a little less gritty), sounds as good here as he did a decade ago - and the songwriting talents of guitarist Dave Dalone and keyboardist Jona Tee, along with Leckremo himself, are as sharp as ever. H.E.A.T's sound has not changed that much over the years, although it has become somewhat tougher - and that is on display throughout Force Majeure. I did wonder if they would return to the slightly sleeker sound of the original Leckremo era - but instead H.E.A.T have generally stuck to their modern sound here.

This riffier nature can be heard from the off, as the anthemic Back to the Rhythm opens the album in fine fashion. In my opinion it is very similar to the songwriting style that dominated H.E.A.T II and the fist-pumping rocker is another that is likely to become a setlist staple. The song's opening is pretty epic in scope, with a knotty guitar line and some driving drums from Don Crash - which soon gives way to a powerful verse. The riffier nature of the modern H.E.A.T is pushed to the fore here, with Tee's organ giving the verses some weight, whilst Leckremo instantly puts any concerns relating to Grönwall's departure to bed. Leckremo's performance throughout this album is great, and his strident delivery during Back to the Rhythm showcases a harder edge to his style than was evident previously. With the organ adding depth, and the tough guitar tones of Dalone shaping the song, it is a great way to kick off the album - and the song contains a powerful chorus with a repetitive hook that will easily stick in the brain. A melodic Dalone solo brings everything together, and the album fires out of the blocks thanks to this anthemic opening. Nationwide, which was the first song to be released from the album a few months ago, sounds a bit like a sequel to Dangerous Ground from the previous album. It is an upbeat, hard rocking slab of melodic rock which is based around some razor-sharp Dalone riffing. Tee's keyboards tend to take a backseat here, although they add a melodic halo to the song's big chorus, with Dalone instead dominating everything. His guitar playing throughout is a great mix of 1980s-style riffing and high-octane bluesy lead flourishes. It very much feels like a showcase song for his throwback guitar style, but Leckremo also shines during a hooky chorus which has more of an AOR sheen thanks to the keyboards being more present in the mix. Given the guitar-led nature of the song, Dalone's guitar solo is quite lengthy. The first half of his showcase is more melodic and based around some of the song's other melodies, before he transitions into a more frantic, shred-based style to inject some additional pace into the hard-driving piece. Tainted Blood slows the pace somewhat, and goes for a grittier, mid-paced hard rock sound. Dalone's guitars once again drive everything, whilst Crash's drums power through the mix thanks to his staccato rhythm - but there is also plenty of space in the mix for Tee's keyboards. He uses a lot of organ sounds again here, and the organic pulses suit the tougher-sounding piece. A big keyboard swell is never too far away to temper the harder edges of the guitar tones, and the combination of the guitars and the keyboards here recalls many of the classic rock bands of the 1970s - with shades of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep certainly on display. The song is less hooky than the opening two cuts for me, though, as the track is one that focuses more of riffing and rhythm than it does big melodies. Its old-school hard rock feel makes it still very enjoyable, though, even if the band's trademark focus on a big chorus is somewhat lacking here.

Hollywood certainly returns to the band's love of a big hook, though, and the song actually seems to turn the clock back a bit to the band's first handful of albums. There are shades of Freedom Rock and 2012's Address the Nation here, as the grittiness has been toned down somewhat. The song still rocks hard though, thanks to Dalone's driving riffing, but the keyboards are much more prevalent here. The verses have lots of keyboard hooks, whilst the upbeat chorus is drenched in synths -  as well as big vocal harmonies to boost the melodies. The song's chorus is one of the most memorable here, and it is unsurprising that the song was released as a single to help promote the album. I can imagine it going down well live thanks to the sing-along nature of the chorus, and it also provides a bit of link to the band's past following three riffier pieces. Harder to Breathe slows the pace down somewhat, and goes for a mid-paced approach - although it is not as tough or retro-sounding as Tainted Blood. It actually reminds me a bit of Mannequin Show from 2014's Tearing Down the Walls as the rhythmic approach taken throughout is quite similar, and there is also a wordless vocal hook that is used throughout which recalls the previous single. Due to the rhythmic approach taken there is a lot more space for the keyboards to breathe. Dalone and bassist Jimmy Jay create the rhythm along with Crash, whilst Tee's keyboards add plenty of floating melodies. The song is also a great showcase for Leckremo, as there is a lot of space in the mix for him - and he unleashes a few big screams towards the end, too. Not for Sale picks up the pace again, but the song remains very keyboard-heavy. The cinematic sound from Into the Great Unknown is referenced somewhat here, particularly during the epic intro section, but in general the song is quite similar to the album's opening couple of tracks - just with a greater synth presence. Dalone adds a few high-octane lead flourishes, but in general he focuses on riffing throughout. This gives the song's its hard-hitting vibe, but there is a strong melodic edge throughout thanks to the keyboards. They are very prominent during the verses, which feel sweeter thanks to their presence, whilst the chorus is boosted by a wall-of-sound approach and plenty of vocal hooks. Dalone does get to shine during a lengthy guitar solo section, though, which sounds great - especially the second half which sees him backed by some growling organ. One of Us is something of a ballad, and it slows the pace considerably. It opens with some piano from Tee which Leckremo soon starts to sing over. I say the song is something of a ballad because, despite its slower sections, it still rocks out quite hard at times. I am not sure that the modern H.E.A.T are capable of not rocking out at every opportunity, and One of Us still hits these heights despite essentially being a ballad. Only really the first verse is genuinely slow-paced, but by the time the band crash in for the chorus the song feels weighty despite its slower vibes. The song's chorus is one of the album's best in my opinion, too. Leckremo really shines here, and the big vocal harmonies bring it to life. In classic 1980s ballad fashion, too, there is a bit of a key change towards the end which ups the power overall - and Dalone's melodic guitar solo sees him operating in a slightly more restrained manner than usual.

Hold Your Fire returns to the album's typical sound, and the tough modern H.E.A.T style is very much on display here. Dalone's inventive riffing keeps the song ticking, and his playing throughout is excellent. From simple power chord progressions to knottier melodies, Dalone drives everything here - whilst Tee's varied keyboard tones add depth. There is a lot more organ on display here, which helps to create some more old-school classic rock vibes, but there are also synths - which shimmer around the chorus. The chorus is another that really stands out for me, too. Leckremo's approach to vocal melodies is very hooky, and his style makes the two-part chorus sound as powerful as it does. The first part is more upbeat, with AOR hooks, whilst the second is weightier and more rooted in classic rock. Paramount opens with a slightly cinematic guitar lead, the melodies of which later form the basis of the chorus, and the song takes a slightly different path than typical for H.E.A.T. It still feels at home on the album, and the verses are crunchy as expected, but there is something of a pomp rock feel throughout the chorus and some of the melodic choices. The chorus has a bit of a Styx feel in my opinion, with some melodies from the Dennis DeYoung playbook, and this is backed up by some of the keyboard choices which are used throughout. There is a lot of bombast here, which helps the song to stand out here as being something a bit different for the band. As if wanting to showcase that their diversion into pomp rock was brief, Demon Eyes then crashes in with its fast-paced riffing and aggressive drumming. It is easily the fastest and heaviest song here, and it borders on metal at times due to its ferocity. Crash's drumming is busy throughout the track, with some occasional double bass flurries, whilst the riffing throughout is fast-paced and in-your-face. The band have rarely sounded this intense, and it is great seeing them really go for it here. There is a lack of the band's usual melodic approach, but the overall vibe of the track works well - particularly during Dalone's shredded solo. I cannot imagine that this is a sound that H.E.A.T will attempt too often, but it shows that the band can really rock when they want to - and Leckremo also showcases a surprisingly gritty side of his voice during the throat-shredding chorus. The album then returns to something more familiar with the uplifting and melodic Wings of an Aeroplane - a soaring mid-paced rocker which boasts another great chorus. This is another track that feels like a bit of a throwback to the older H.E.A.T sound, although Tee's retro organ ensures that there is still some grit there. The verses are often keyboard-led, with Dalone only joining in part of the way throughout, whilst the choruses are big and powerful - with lots more vocal harmonies. Following the pseudo metal of Demon Eyes, Wings of an Aeroplane is very much classic H.E.A.T - and another big key change in the final chorus is a great way to close the album out. As such, Force Majeure is another very good album from the Swedish band. I do not think that it is quite as strong as H.E.A.T II, but it carries on the sound forged on that album well and includes a couple of throwbacks to the band's past - as well as pushing their harder rock tendencies further in places. It is a great first album in a decade for Leckremo, too, and I look forward to seeing how they push on again with him at the helm.

The album was released on 5th August 2022 via earMusic. Below is the band's promotional video for Back to the Rhythm.