Brand new album from the Scandinavian rockers.
Arguably authors of the blueprint when it came to the Scandinavian rock explosion which burned all too briefly in the latter half of the 80’s, Swedish melodic rock maestro’s Treat have the kind of enviable pedigree that most lesser bands can only dream of aspiring to. Founded way back in 1983 by guitarist Anders Wikström and vocalist Robban ‘Robert’ Ernlund, the band made their full length debut a couple of years later with the infectious party rock vibe of ‘Scratch And Bite’, although I suspect most would probably agree that they reached their musical peak with the ‘Dreamhunter’ and ‘Organized Crime’ albums a few years later.
Skilfully finding a balance between svelte AOR-like sophistication and rabble rousing anthems, Treat had hooks to die for and a never ending line in melodies that would burrow deep into your subconscious before exploding in spectacular fashion. Their bubble burst following Ernlund’s departure in the early 90’s, and although they chose to soldier on with Mats Leven for a while, 92’s ‘Treat’ swansong was a much darker, less immediate beast than anything that had gone before. Made obsolete by the grunge induced cull which cleansed the boated body of corporate rock, the band have consistently resisted the calls to reform until they felt the time was right. When they finally succumbed a couple of years back, the inevitable ‘Best Of’ offered irrefutable proof of their rich legacy to all those too young to remember first hand, the inclusion of a few choice new songs also proving they still had what it takes.
Well, it’s taken them a while to get to this stage, but at long last fabled comeback album ‘Coup De Grace’ is all set to go. I’ll admit that I was a tad unmoved by newbie ‘No Way Without You’ when I first heard it at Firefest last year, but as it was but one song amongst a potential pantheon of new classics I wasn’t overly concerned. To start on a downer then, there are a couple of things that strike me about ‘Coup De Grace’ ... the cover art is frankly naff, and opening preamble ‘Prelude – Coup De Grace’ drags on a little too long for comfort. However, those minor quibbles aside, what the five guys involved have achieved here is absolutely stunning!
Pitched stylistically somewhere between ‘The Pleasure Principle’ and ‘Dreamhunter’ for the most part with a healthy more contemporary sounding undercurrent, this is exactly the sort of album I (and no doubt most other Treat fans) have been waiting for. A dazzling aural banquet overflowing with punchy anthems, gentle ballads and brooding slow burners; Treat have really grabbed the bull by the horns with this release and shown young upstarts like H.E.A.T just how it should be done! Ernlund’s vocals are pretty much how I remember them – impassioned and heartfelt – whilst Wikström and keyboard player Patrick Appelgren trade licks as if their lives depended on it. The harmonies are spot on (possibly some of the best they’ve ever had if truth be told), the melodies absolutely huge, and the constantly shifting dynamic makes fifty or so minutes just fly by in a blur!
On the first few listens I found myself intrinsically drawn to ‘Paper Tiger’ and ‘Skies Of Mongolia’, both displaying a lyrical sophistication not normally associated with Treat, yet still balancing their message with some achingly great hooks. But if I’m honest, pick any track at random (including the aforementioned ‘No Way Without You’) and you’ll as like as not be equally impressed. I’d hesitate to call this ‘Album Of The Year’ material this early in the cycle, but it’s certainly ‘Album Of The Year So Far’ in my book, and will no doubt feature in the mix come December ... stunning!!
Dave Cockett
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