Treat
‘Tunguska’
2018 release from Frontiers Records srl.
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Buy the album:
Media.
Treat – ‘Build The Love’ music video.
Treat – ‘Rose Of Jericho’ lyric video.
The Band.
Robert Ernlund – Vocals. Anders Wikström – Guitars, backing vocals. Patrick Appelgren – Keyboards, guitars, backing vocals. Pontus Egberg – Bass. Jamie Borger – Drums.
Artist location:
Sweden.
Track listing:
- Progenitors.
- Always Have, Always Will.
- Best Of Enemies.
- Rose Of Jericho.
- Heartmath City.
- Creeps.
- Build The Love.
- Man Overboard.
- Riptide.
- Tomorrow Never Comes.
- All Bets Are Off.
- Undefeated.
- Tomorrow Never Comes (acoustic bonus track).
Review:
Since returning from a thirteen year absence in 2006, Stockholm rockers Treat have been on fire, releasing material that rivals the best of their careers.
In 2006 the band, who had disbanded in 1993, came together to write two new songs for the compilation album ‘Weapons Of Choice 1984-2006’. The album did rather well and the band decided to get back together. Fast forward to 2010 and they released their first original studio album since their eponymous 1992 record.
With the 2010 record, ‘Coup De Grace’, we saw the return of original vocalist Robert Ernlund, who had previously left the band in 1990 and was replaced by Mats Leven for the album ‘Treat’. The album also saw the band taking a more modern approach to their sound while at the same time keeping the strong melodies that they have always been known for.
That record saw great success and is largely considered one of the band’s best albums standing alongside 1986’s ‘The Pleasure Principle’ and 1987’s ‘Dreamhunter’.
Finally touring the world for the first time since the 1980’s, the band continued on their upward trajectory with 2016’s fantastic ‘Ghost Of Graceland’ record and now in 2018 the band has returned with their third studio album since re-banding.
The album is entitled ‘Tunguska’.
Your first question is probably, just what the heck does that name mean? Well, according to founding member and guitarist Anders Wikstrom “The album title is a reference to a mysterious, large explosion that took place in Siberia in 1908, but metaphorically and artistically “Tunguska” represents the last piece of the puzzle to be put in place since the band’s reunion’.
The album starts on a very high note with ‘Progenitors’. This is an excellent rocker with a catchy chorus and great harmonies that is very much in the vein of the bands past two albums. It leads into ‘Always Have, Always Will’, a rocking track with some good guitar work.
Next up is ‘Best Of Enemies’ and it is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. A great, hard rocking song that leads into the second single from the record, ‘Rose Of Jericho’. A link to the lyric video for it can be found near the top of the page under the Media heading. The song is a terrific rocker that sounds a bit like something that would have been on the ‘Ghost Of Graceland’ album.
‘Heartmath City’ is another standout that has a great chorus and it takes us into the only song of the record that I just do not like at all. ‘Creeps’ is just not a very good song in my opinion and, for me, it brings the album down a little. But next up is the first single from the record, ‘Build The Love’, and it is a nice, upbeat song with a more modern flare to it. The link to the music video can be found under the Media heading.
Two rockers, ‘Man Overboard’ and ‘Riptide’, bring us to the first and only ballad of the record with ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ and it is excellent. If you get the import version of the album then you will get an acoustic version of this song included as well.
‘All Bets Are Off’ is a good, upbeat rocker that leads into one of my favorites with the final track of the regular edition of the album in ‘Undefeated’. It is one of the most rocking tracks of the record I think and just a very catchy and kick ass rocker! Just a fantastic song and probably my favorite song of the record.
The record is fantastic and any fan of the band’s music since ‘Coup De Grace’ will definitely want to pick this one up immediately. There is not really much different here than those past two records, but they do it so well you don’t need anything different. These guys are all talented and absolutely stunning musicians and Robert still sounds phenomenal vocally. There are few bands that can boast of leaving their career for so long and then coming back and being just as strong, and stronger, than they ever were. These guys did that and are continuing to do so. An amazing band.
I will be honest and say that, for me, the first half of the album is stronger I think as a whole as there are a few tracks on the second half that, while great songs, are just not up to the same level as those first five tracks of the record. But there are definitely some great songs on that second half and, with the exception of ‘Creeps’, there is not a bad song to be found here.
Give the singles that are linked near the top of the page a chance, if you like those than you will love this record because those singles are not even the strongest songs contained here in my opinion.
Yet another excellent release from Treat. I will say it again, this band has been on fire since reforming.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 92 out of 100.
Standout Tracks:
‘Progenitors’.
‘Best Of Enemies’.
‘Rose Of Jericho’.
‘Heartmath City’.
‘Build The Love’.
‘Tomorrow Never Comes’.
‘Undefeated’.
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