W.E.T - 'Apex'

It may have been four years since their last release ‘Retransmission’, but album #5 ‘Apex’ delivers everything that’s expected of it. It is,

Space mission patch on fabric displaying a spacecraft, stars, and "WET" text. Names circle the border: Andreas, Robert, Erik, Jeff, Jamie, Magnus.

It’s funny that nowadays that the merest mention of a “Frontiers Project Group” can have the majority of Rock fans running for the hills, regardless of who may be involved, and yet as soon as any announcement is made regarding a new release from W.E.T. the sense of anticipation is palpable, even before we’ve even heard a note.

It surely has to be mostly down the clientele involved; the original trio of guitarist/keyboardist Robert Säll (Work Of Art), guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist/ producer and chief writer Erik Mårtensson (Eclipse), and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman, plus numerous other notable acts!) had already earnt a huge amount of respect from the Rock community with their aforementioned bands, but when they came together for the self-titled debut W.E.T. album in 2009 it set a new standard for those “project” bands that has yet to be bettered (though some occasionally have come close, take Black Swan for instance...). Of course, it helps that the band themselves are responsible for their own song-writing, rather than using some of the regular outside writers that Frontiers can tend to over-employ.

Over their sixteen-year existence the W.E.T. line-up has expanded to include Eclipse’s guitarist Magnus Henrikssen, bassist Andreas Passmark (Narnia/Royal Hunt), while the latest recruit is drummer Jamie Borger (Talisman/Treat, and reinforcing the “T”...) And while albums don’t come around too often due to the busy schedules of all the members involved, when they do there’s a certain air of expectancy involved.

It may have been four years since their last release ‘Retransmission’, but album #5 ‘Apex’ delivers everything that’s expected of it. It is, without doubt, the customary masterclass of perfect Melodic Rock songs with exquisite hooks, and the stunning performances that go with the territory, while Erik Mårtensson appears to be singing a little more than usual (no bad thing in my book).

From the first single ‘Where Are The Heroes Now’ with it’s amazing Magnus Henrikssen guitar solo, through the catchy-as-the-clap ‘This House Is On Fire’, the lighter-waving power ballad ‘Love Conquers All’, the grooving ‘Nowhere To Run’ and the more modern-sounding closer ‘Day By Day’, ‘Apex’ is a treat from start to finish. And would you believe, I personally don’t think it’s the best thing they’ve ever done; but even a marginally substandard W.E.T. album still blows the pants off everything else around it.

Though essentially a side-project to their day-jobs, W.E.T. never fail to deliver the goods. Essential.

Reviewer: Ant Heeks

Label: Frontiers

Genre: Melodic Rock

Issue Reviewed In: 110