Album Review: W.E.T. - Earthrage

01. Watch The Fire
02. Burn
03. Kings On Thunder Road
04. Elegantly Wasted
05. Urgent
06. Dangerous
07. Calling Out Your Name
08. Heart Is On The Line
09. I Don't Wanna Play That Game
10. The Burning Pain Of Love
11. The Never-Ending Retraceable Dream

For the uninitiated, W.E.T is a supergroup featuring the talents of Erik Mårtensson (Guitar / Bass / Vocals), Magnus Henriksson (Guitars), Jeff Scott Soto (Vocals), Robert Säll (Keyboards), and Robban Bäck (Drums).

Earthrage is actually my introduction to the band. I'd heard of W.E.T before, but didn't realise who was in it, and never paid any real attention. I'm starting to think that I've been missing out on something really special!

Opener Watch The Fire was also the first single, and it's easy to hear why. It's an absolute stormer of a piece of AOR infused Hard Rock/Heavy Metal and introduces the listener to two of the finest voices in Rock within a few seconds. It's one of those 'hairs standing up on the back of your neck' moments, and is backed up by a huge, memorable chorus and some outstanding guitar work. 

Burn kicks off with some massive synths, before bursting into a dynamic Hard Rock song that sounds like a more 'Metal' Journey. Kings On Thunder Road is an equally awesome track which also has a massive chorus. Just when you think that they may not be able to keep up this unbelievably high standard of timeless Hard Rock anthems, they hit us again with the Queen meets Def Leppard monster that is Elegantly Wasted.

Urgent is probably the heaviest song on the album, and it's an infectious driving beast. Dangerous is another belter and has a keen Pop sensibility in the chorus. Even the ballads on this album are beautifully written and delivered, and again boast ginormous choruses that are undeniably magnificent.

Having been a lifelong fan of Kiss, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and countless other melodic Hard Rock bands from the 80's, Earthrage really appeals to me. It sounds like my favourite bands from that genre at their very best, but with an updated production and a modern twist. It's an absolute gem of a record and every single song here deserves to be a hit single. It really is that good.