W.E.T.'s 'Apex' - Album Review

I generally avoid the various manufactured 'supergroups' put together by Frontiers Records, for the many, many reasons discussed on this blog before, but there are a handful which have stood out over the years - and I have found to be worth my time. As much as I like AOR and melodic rock, there are only so many cookie-cutter songs from the label's in-house songwriters I can handle - but the long-standing supergroup W.E.T. is one band that I do look out for, and I have generally enjoyed their output over the years. Based around the songwriting talents of multi-instrumentalists Erik Mårtensson and Robert Säll, alongside frontman Jeff Scott Soto, W.E.T.'s brand of AOR and melodic rock tends to be harder-hitting than average - which should not come as a surprise to anyone who is familiar with Mårtensson's and Soto's careers to this point. I am less familiar with Säll's work, but I get the impression that his output is generally smoother and more typical of the melodic rock genre - whereas Mårtensson is a known metal fan and Soto has sung for many metal bands. That is not to say that W.E.T. are a metal band, as they are not, but they are certainly tougher than most AOR - which helps them to stand out on Frontiers' roster. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the band which W.E.T. most closely resemble is Mårtensson's own Eclipse - another Frontiers melodic rock band which dabble with heavier riffing from time to time. W.E.T. has always felt like the other side of Eclipse's coin, particularly given that Mårtensson is the principal songwriter for both and Magnus Henriksson also pulls double duty on the lead guitar front. The similarity between the two bands has sometimes, though, been a negative in my opinion. W.E.T.'s first two albums, 2009's self-titled debut album and 2013's Rise Up, felt a bit more distinct from Mårtensson's day job (and, indeed, other Frontiers-related projects) - but there have been more similarities when comparing W.E.T.'s last two albums to Eclipse's work. I did not find either 2018's Earthrage (which I reviewed here) nor 2021's Retransmission (which I also reviewed here) as strong as the two albums which came before - and I think that this is partly down to their similarity to Eclipse. Säll seemed to be less involved with both albums, particularly Earthrage, leaving Mårtensson to steer the ship - with Soto chipping in here and there. I enjoyed both albums, but given that Eclipse are generally pretty prolific I sometimes found it hard to tell one album from the next. This is somewhat also the case with newly-released fifth album Apex - which dropped last month. Four years on from Retransmission, W.E.T. are still very much the same as ever - with Mårtensson again in the driving seat, Soto doing a fine job vocally, and Säll popping up very occasionally. Henriksson's solos are as good as ever and bassist Andreas Passmark is now fully entrenched in the band after making his debut on Retransmission. There is a change behind the drum kit this time, though, with Soto's long-time associate Jamie Borger (Treat; Talisman; Last Autumn's Dream) replacing Robban Bäck.

There is still plenty to enjoy, though, despite the continued similarity to Eclipse - as well as the fact that Eclipse released albums in both 2023 and 2024. Perhaps more Mårtensson so soon was not really what was needed, but Soto does add enough of a point of difference - and the album kicks off nicely with Believer, Säll's only songwriting contribution here. Opening with a juddering main riff and a big drum barrage from Borger, Believer is very much the core W.E.T. sound distilled into a few minutes. All three of W.E.T.'s main players are credited with co-writing the song - and Soto takes the lead throughout vocally, whilst Mårtensson distinct vocals add layers of harmony. Some of the songs are sung more as a duet, but this one features Soto alone - although the soaring chorus is aided by the presence of the aforementioned harmonies, whilst subtle keyboards add depth. Like Eclipse, W.E.T. are much more guitar-heavy, though, and the verses utilise a similar riff to the one which opened the track - whilst the chorus is a bit smoother overall. Being's Säll's only songwriting contribution, it is fitting that he lays down the song's guitar solo - which is a good mix of bluesy controlled sections and faster shredding. The song does nothing new, but it opens things up well - setting the tone for what is to come. This House Is on Fire is very Eclipse-like - and it is the first duet here, with Soto and Mårtensson trading lines back and forth during the verses before the pair join forces for a bouncy chorus packed full of hooks and energy. Borger is not featured here, though, with Philip Crusner (Fatal Smile; Eclipse) instead handling the drums - which suggests that the song started life for Eclipse before being re-worked for this album. This does not help the aforementioned similarities, but the song is a strong melodic hard rocker which is packed full of hooks and an infectious energy. Soto uses the smoother side of his voice here to really push the chorus forward - whilst the more angular voice of Mårtensson adds some bite. Mårtensson handles the guitar solo here, too, and he throws in some neo-classical lines for good measure. What Are We Fighting For is more of a mid-paced rocker - reining in the pace and bounce of the previous track to go for a more cinematic and anthemic approach. Like the last song, the band's two main singers trade vocal lines during the verses - with Mårtensson perhaps more the dominant force here, until the smooth chorus kicks in and Soto takes over. In a way I wish that Soto would handle all of the lead vocals to reduce the comparisons with Eclipse, but the two voices work pretty well together - and Soto does tend to win out overall, particularly during this anthemic chorus. It is an easy chorus to latch onto, and the song's main riff is similarly infectious despite a somewhat wider scope.

Love Conquers All is the first slower piece here, with the song being the first ballad. Melodic rock albums need ballads and this one generally fits the bill despite still having quite a bit of weight behind it. The early parts of the song feature Soto singing against some clean guitar melodies, but later on the rest of the band do kick in - adding plenty of hard rock grit behind Soto's more emotional vocal delivery. The chorus is memorable despite the slower pace, too, with more big vocal harmonies throughout and a generally meaty production with guitar leads and subtle keyboards. Henriksson adds a pretty folky solo to the piece, too, and the hard-hitting slower number is a strong addition to the album. Where Are the Heroes Now is more of a blatant hard rocker, but it is another which opens in a somewhat cinematic manner - with more of a keyboard presence and some staccato riffing which gradually builds up before Mårtensson starts to sing. As is sometimes the case here, the vocals are shared throughout the verses, with Mårtensson perhaps dominating, but the chorus sees both singers singing in tandem for the most part - albeit with perhaps Mårtensson still dominating. Soto still adds plenty of class to the track, but this is a song which feels more like Mårtensson's vehicle - with the stripped back verses that feature Passmark's bass playing seeing the vocals with plenty of space in the mix. Mårtensson really cuts through, then, before big harmonies fill another memorable chorus which is full of hooks - despite perhaps a lack of bombast. Henriksson's solo brings the drama, though, with lots of busy runs and off-kilter melodies which add a lot to the song's overall vibe. Breaking Up is more of an overt hard rocker, with a spiralling main riff which drives the piece from the off - with some subtle organ adding accents to this riffy intro. The tougher vibe brings out the grittier side of Soto somewhat, who dominates vocally here despite some big Mårtensson harmonies during the snappy chorus. Despite the riffier vibe of much of the song, the chorus remains a smooth and uplifting as ever - with the verses moving back and forth between hard-hitting moments with pinch harmonic-driven guitar riffing and slower sections with a strong bass presence. Mårtensson and Henriksson share the solo spot, too, with their contrasting styles allowing for shredding and neo-classical melodies to sit atop the riffing. Nowhere to Run maintains the previous song's hard-hitting vibe, although the pace is much more mid-paced - with the main riff creating a strong hard rock groove which the song generally rests on throughout. The chorus is different, though, utilising more of a keyboard presence and smoother guitar lines - but the verses, which Soto soars over, are a mixture of groovy riffing and a slightly funky overall feel. This is not Extreme levels of funk, but the song is certainly groovier than is typical for W.E.T., whilst Säll's busy and extremely fast guitar solo is fluid to counter the strutting elsewhere.

Pay Dirt opens with a sultry bluesy riff, which an old-school guitar tone keeping the funky vibe from the last song alive - and the song soon kicks off properly, morphing into a pretty 1970s-inspired hard rocker with a much rawer feel overall. The chorus leaves the rawness behind, adding in some keyboards and some gang vocals, but generally the aforementioned bluesy riff dominates throughout - whilst Borger's drumming swings more than it has elsewhere. There is a strong retro feel to the song, then, and it is something a bit different compared to what the band has done before. There are still strains of AOR throughout the chorus, but overall this track is much more organic than is typical. Henriksson does add a shredded solo, which is busier than perhaps it needs to be, but the track's overall stomp and riffing is infectious as a point of difference. Pleasure & Pain is another slower track, with the song being the album's second ballad. Unlike Love Conquers All, though, Pleasure & Pain feels murkier and darker overall - with the keyboards taking on a denser feel, whilst the clean guitar lines which open the song and later dominated the verses have a more sombre feel overall. Occasional piano melodies cut through and Soto adds plenty of emotional weight to the track - with these things adding to the song's overall darkness. The chorus is still very melodic and hooky, though, despite it doing a decent job at maintaining the relative darkness conjured up elsewhere. It is the strongest ballad here for me as a result. Stay Alive lightens the mood again and goes for more of an overt AOR sound. This is the only song here which features prominent keyboard melodies - with a big synth hook opening the track up which continues to dominate even when the guitars kick in. There is a strong 1980s feel throughout, then, with the backing vocals feeling more Def Leppard-esque at times during the chorus - and verses which slow down somewhat to allow the bass to pulse through. The synth hook resurfaces throughout, too, which helps to reinforce this throwback feel overall - whilst Mårtensson's smooth guitar solo is quite effects-heavy which further adds to the song's melodic and smooth feel. The album then comes to a close with Day by Day, another song which something of a smoother overall feel. The band have left their two 1980s-most tracks to the end, then, as this is another piece with slightly more prominent keyboards - and a mixture of clean guitars and heavier riffing to add plenty of depth. The track is more upbeat than the previous one, though, with a bombastic chorus bringing the best out of Soto - and it is performances like this which make me realise why he briefly fronted Journey. All of the songs here are hooky in one way or another, but this song just feels very traditionally such - with a big chorus and a slower-paced guitar solo which is full of hooks really allowing the brightness of the song to shine through. Overall, then, Apex is another strong effort from W.E.T. it feels stronger overall than the last two - and is closer in spirit to the first two despite still feeling very close to Eclipse in places. The songwriting is tight and hooky, though, so anyone with a love of AOR will find something to like here.

The album was released on 28th March 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for This House Is on Fire.