The title of H.E.A.T’s seventh album is either slyly ironic or heroically oblivious. There’s absolutely nothing futuristic about Welcome To The Future, unless it happens to be 1979 and we’re still waiting for the invention of the keytar, the DeLorean car and Vince Neil. But then these Swedes haven’t so much been behind the curve for their entire career as operating on an entirely different timeline, one that stretches roughly from 1985 to 1991. For nearly 20 years now they’ve been waging a one-band fight against modern trends – the musical equivalent of the Japanese soldier on the Pacific island who doesn’t know World War II ended years ago.
Welcome To The Future is their second album since the return of original singer Kenny Leckremo, who replaced previous incumbent Erik Grönwall. Leckremo may not possess the latter’s TV talent show-honed charisma, but he’s got the leather lungs and the almost audibly swishing hair that every self-respecting melodic rock singer needs.
