W.E.T. – Earthrage [Japanese Edition] (2018)

W.E.T., the melodic hard rock super-band created around Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse), Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman) and Robert Säll (Work Of Art), will release their new album “Earthrage” on March 23rd via Frontiers Music, with this Japanese Edition (plus bonus track) to be appeared tomorrow.
New music from W.E.T. comes along all too rarely. “Earthrage” is just the third album from the Swedish-American trio in a decade, and it’s five years since the release of previous album Rise Up.

Some serious excitement greets the arrival of “Earthrage”, and luckily it’s deserved. Perhaps due to the involvement of singer Jeff Scott Soto, W.E.T. are several notches weightier than the Scandi-AOR of keyboard player Robert Säll’s main group Work Of Art, while multi-instrumentalist Erik Mårtensson of Eclipse has never been shy of admitting his love of 1987-era Whitesnake.

‘Watch The Fire’ kicks things off in magnificent fashion, and ‘Kings On Thunder Road’, ‘Urgent’ and ‘The Burning Pain Of Love’ are hook-laden and rarely less than triumphant, cementing the band’s position top acts in the current Melodic Hard Rock scene.
It’s an album packed with straightforward, melodic hard rock that is easy on the ears, but packs just enough punch so that it may catch the attention of those who like their music a little heavier.

This is all underscored by a lush production job that is slick, warm and vibrant, resulting in an accessible album that is teeming with energy. There aren’t many truly guitar driven songs, but it is for the greater good, as axeman and producer Mårtensson knows the value each member brings to the group, finding a perfect balance between keyboards and guitars.

Some of the hooks (and believe me, there are a lot of them, most of which are incredible) a very commercial – just check the arena-ready ballad ‘Heart Is on the Line’ comes to mind), but W.E.T’s sound, for the most part, while melodic, it’s pretty muscular.

W.E.T. did it again. The songs are well written and memorable, the performances stellar and production dynamic and bursting with life. This may be a mere side project in the grander scheme of things, but it is clear that all members take W.E.T seriously.
It is this attitude that has helped to cultivate their standing in the melodic hard rock community, and I’ve no doubt that this new CD will cement their place as one of the best acts in the genre.
Don’t give it a miss, W.E.T. “Earthrage” is F.A.N.T.A.S.T.I.C.

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
12. Elegantly Wasted (Acoustic) [Japan Bonus Track]

Erik Mårtensson: Guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals
Jeff Scott Soto: Vocals
Robert Säll: Keyboards
Magnus Henriksson: Guitar
Robban Bäck: Drums
Additional guitar solo on “Urgent”: Thomas Larsson

PRE ORDER:
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/KICP-1896
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