HEED – The Call

No one expected Daniel Heiman and Fredrik Olsson’s absence from the Metal scene to last long after they quit Lost Horizon in late 2004. Everyone was right – the band Heed was born immediately thereafter, and signed to Bohus Entertainment before 2005 saw the light of day. The recordings for this album began in December 2004, and having already gone through several member changes, The Call is now about to hit the streets (June 2006). The sound is indeed reminiscent of that of Lost Horizon, but the songs are more mid-tempo and slightly “rougher” than their predecessors.

There are quite a few entertaining tunes to be found on this album. The opener “I Am Alive” (“Heed Hades” is just a short intro) is very melodic, and one of the album’s strongest numbers. The verse parts feature a groove and backing vocals reminiscent of something more recent by In Flames, and together with a hymn-like chorus and a neat guitar solo, this is a very nice track. That is also the case with “Last Drop of Blood,” a song for which the band has also made a video. This track immediately sounded like a cross between Atrocity’s “Cold Black Days” (chord progression and beat) and Shadow Gallery’s “Mystery” (vocal melody) –- if anyone is familiar with those two tracks. Anyhow, the track is another very melodic effort, well-suited for the single format.

Both “Ashes” and “Enemy” are more anonymous, To a big extent, they seem to rely solely on Heiman’s vocals to save the not so strong melodies (the former actually features one of the album’s strongest vocal performances).

“Salvation” is better, despite a rather meaningless intro riff. The verse is chunky and cool, and the chorus is of the more epic kind – almost recalling Tony Martin-era Sabbath. “Tears of Prodigy (Fallen Angel)” is another strong track –- very catchy, and immediately awakening the your attention. Fredrik Olsson lays down some incredible riffing on this one, check out the part starting at 2:35. “The Other Side” does well to follow up, with a very catchy main riff and a chorus to die for. Again, the groove kinda reminds of In Flames’ more accessible moments; “Only For The Weak” in particular. This track HAS to kick ass live.

“Hypnosis” isn’t that good, though, but luckily both “Moments” and “The Permanent End Celebration” manage to restore the positive impression. Both tracks are instantly riveting, with phenomenal choruses. Furthermore, Mats Karlsson complements “Moments” with some very cool drumming, and makes it one of the album’s top tracks. (Karlsson is no longer in the band, though, having been replaced by Ufuk Demir.) The Call should probably have ended at this point, as the closing ballad “Nothing” is nothing (hah) much to talk about –- being far too predictable and clichéd to entertain. Heiman sounds convincing, though, but unfortunately that alone cannot save the track from mediocrity.

Despite the down-tuned guitars and powerful production, this album almost has more in common with AOR than with what traditionally is considered Heavy Metal. The focus is on melody throughout, and there’s no doubt the pairing of Heiman and Olsson can result in coming up with memorable themes. However, the album as a whole suffers a bit from both lack of variation -– except for the (weak) ballad that ends the album — as most of the songs are very similar both in pace and structure. Also, the album would probably benefit from being reduced from 12 to 9-10 songs.

Still, the performance is impeccable, and The Call does indeed feature songs with undeniable hit potential. Fans of Daniel Heiman/Lost Horizion will love this album, and it’s a safe buy for everyone into the melodic side of Metal.