Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: W.E.T.
Label: Frontiers Records
Release: 2014
Running time: 95:53
Rating: 4/5
No doubt about it. When talents come together under one vision, you get a force that flattens everything in its path! Goal reached. Mission accomplished! Again! W.E.T.! The band first put itself on the map with its 2009 debut »W.E.T.«, a fresh melodic rock entity promising to give the melodic rock scene a serious shot in the arm, and last year it gave birth to its second studio album, »Rise Up«. And to mark the occasion, W.E.T. came up with an unusual gesture. They celebrated with a special concert held on January 17, 2013, in the middle of the Swedish capital Stockholm, at the club Debaser. To stir up even more buzz around the event across the planet, W.E.T. didn’t just record the whole show, they streamed it live over the internet!
W.E.T. consist of Robert Säll of Work Of Art (the “W”), Erik Mårtensson of Eclipse (the “E”) and Jeff Scott Soto, who once sang for Talisman (the “T”). To get the repertoire right on stage, though, the trio needed some real reinforcements. Three more musicians joined them: extra guitarist Magnus Henriksson, bassist Andreas Passmark and drummer Robban Bäck.
At this celebratory show, the band went big on the new studio album, mixed in songs from the debut, and served up a few special treats: two Talisman classics (I’ll Be Waiting, Myterious), plus a song that originally belongs to Eclipse, Bleed And Scream, where Erik Mårtensson takes the lead vocals (just like in Eclipse), and a Work of Art song, The Great Fall, for which the original Work Of Art singer Lars Säfsund jumps on stage as a special guest.
Great camaraderie, razor-sharp instincts, tight playing and a big core of adrenaline-fueled rush with a surplus of testosterone. And there’s the responsive flexibility of Soto’s voice, a constant over the years and proof of his top-tier class and the vast experience this musician has piled up over a long-lived career. Swedish musicians are a guarantee of flawless execution. Their diligence pushes them toward perfectionism and total dedication to whatever they take on. Of course, underneath it all is a sense of musicality and a knack for the lead melody that ignites instantly, and the guys in W.E.T. certainly don’t lack for that. W.E.T. could export these qualities abroad.
In short! Everyone who got hooked on the album »W.E.T.« as well as its follow-up »Rise Up« won’t stay indifferent to this concert document. It’s a brilliantly executed piece of work, both sonically and performance-wise! Especially if you’re a melodic rock enthusiast and a fan of the Scandinavian AOR approach, or of the melodic rock revival, whose core driving force (its creative nucleus) is none other than Sweden! This double live document is also a great place to start exploring the musical story of W.E.T. for all you freshly baked fans and music-curious souls!
Line-up
Jeff Scott Soto – vocals, keyboards
Erik Martensson – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on track 7 (CD1)
Robert Säll – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
Magnus Henriksson – guitar, backing vocals
Andreas Passmark – bass guitar
Robban Bäck – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Lars Säfsund. – vocals on track 3 (CD2)
Production
W.E.T.
Track list
CD1:
1. Walk Away
2. Learn To Live Again
3. Invincible
4. I’ll Be There
5. Love Heals
6. Rise Up
7. Bleed & Scream
8. Bad Boy
9. Still Unbroken
10. Broken Wings
11. I’ll Be Waiting.
CD2:
1. If I Fall
2. Shot
3. Comes Down Like Rain
4. The Great Fall
5. What You Want
6. Brothers In Arms
7. Mysterious
8. One Love
9. Poison (Numbing The Pain) (Bonus Studio Track)
10. Bigger Than Both Of Us (Bonus Studio Track).
