Treat really are on a blinder since reforming and this, their third studio album since then, is a testament to the ability of the band to keep delivering each time, yet do so in a fresh manner each time.
Tunguska is the perfect companion piece to the timeless classic Coup De Grace and the album between, the more modern sounding Ghost Of Graceland.
Tunguska has elements of both – the modern forward momentum of Ghost and the classic anthems of Coup.
In all honesty – if you’re a fan of Scani melodic rock, all three are as essential. Period!
So we have another high energy album here featuring 12 amazing compositions – all layered in vocal harmonies - 10 mid-up tempo tunes and a couple of monster ballads. Tomorrow Never Comes and the impossibly good Build The Love are genre defying classics.
The diversity among the tracks might give some fans reason to rate this downwind of the last 2 albums, but I embrace this evolution in Treat’s history. Best Of Enemies, Creeps and Man Overboard are probably the most challenging songs to dissect, but for me they still kill and add texture between the anthems of Always Have, Always Will; Progenitors and Rose Of Jericho.
It doesn’t stop there though, Riptide, All Bets Are Off and Undefeated give the last half more energy than the first.
The only caveat I will impose is the sequencing. I would not have chosen the running order of the songs as has been done here. I think there are a couple of options to make it even smoother.
Highly digestible Scandi melodic goodness right here. The band can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, and this makes 3 from 3 in the classic album stakes.
The choruses are huge, the hooks even bigger and the sound is baby bum-cheek fresh. The harmonies really are something!
Frontiers Music Srl is truly thrilled to announce the release of Treat's awesome new album, ”Tunguska”, which will be released on September 14, 2018. Today, the band has premiered a music video for first single, "Build The Love", which you can see here;
Building on the success of their last two albums, ”Coup de Grace” (2010) and ”Ghost of Graceland” (2016), which were both released after the band’s reunion in 2006, Treat's return has been more than welcome by fans and critics alike. With the two latest albums having received praise as true masterpieces, TREAT is releasing their new album, packed with riveting rockers and seductive, soul searching melodic rock songs, on a wave of newfound creativity and high anticipation from their fanbase.
But what is "Tunguska"? “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,” says guitarist, producer and founding member Anders Wikstrom. ”It highlights the unique musicianship we have developed together over the years in the creative songwriting process, but also illustrates how we want our albums to sound and feel in the 21st century. We managed to dig deeper into the lyrical content, and musically, the dynamics in the songs and production are more distinct as we let heavy, raunchy stuff co-exist with the softer side of the band.”
”Tunguska” was once again produced by respected writer/producer, and longtime TREAT fan, Peter Mansson together with Anders Wikström, showcasing a band who, despite a thirty plus year career, are hungrier and more energetic than ever!
TREAT’s current lineup includes Robert Ernlund (vocals), Anders Wikström (guitars, backing vocals), Patrick Appelgren (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Jamie Borger (drums), and Pontus Egberg (bass). ”My goal has always been to capture the band in the studio when we can reflect what we are like at a live performance peak. That´s why we did not continue touring for another extended period on the back of the last album ("Ghost of Graceland") and went into the new album writing and recording process instead,” tells Anders. ”When our fans hear ”Tunguska”, this decision will speak for itself. When I listen to it, I get the same feeling I had when we finished ”Organized Crime” back in ´89, when everybody had stepped up to the plate and played as if their lives depended on it. I truly believe this is Treat's finest hour! And that goes for every single member of the band! Damn proud!”
The band is truly at the top of their game and songs like the outstanding lead single “Build The Love,” or rockers like the fabulous album opener “Progenitors,” "Always Have, Always Will”, and “Rose of Jericho” stand out as future live staples in the band’s repertoire. ”Every time we meet up with fans anywhere in the world, they are always full of praise for our current releases, which is really heartwarming as we do feel we don't have to rely on our 35-year back catalogue to attract audiences. We feel we are a better band nowadays, both as songwriters and live performers, matured just like a great red wine! After living with the album for some time, I find myself jumping in and out randomly on my choice for favorite songs and for some reason that has never been the case before. To me that's what a real album is about and what makes it worth working day and night to compete,” concludes Anders Wikstrom.
Current Schedule Dates Below w/ More To Be Announced:
15 Sep – Indoor Summer 2018 Festival – Hamburg, DE
4 Oct – Shibuya Club Quatro – Tokyo, JP
5 Oct – Nagoya Club Quatro – Nagoya, JP
6 Oct – Umeda Club Quatro – Osaka, JP
1 Nov – Oefenbunker – Laandgraaf, NL
2 Nov – Biebob – Vosselar, BE
3 Nov – Kubana – Siegburg, DE
5 Nov – Matrix – Bochum, DE
6 Nov – Der Cult – Nürnberg, DE
8 Nov – 7er Club – Mannheim, DE
9 Nov – Hall Of Fame – Wetzikon, CH
10 Nov – Riffelhof – Burgrieden, DE
16 Nov – Frimis Salonger – Örebro, SE
17 Nov – Katalin – Uppsala, SE
23 Nov – Sticky Fingers – Göteborg, SE
24 Nov – Palatset – Linköping, SE
”Tunguska” tracklisting:
1. Progenitors
2. Always Have, Always Will
3. Best Of Enemies
4. Rose Of Jericho
5. Heartmath City
6. Creeps
7. Build The Love
8. Man Overboard
9. Riptide
10. Tomorrow Never Comes
11. All Bets Are Off
12. Undefeated
TREAT:
– Robert Ernlund – lead vocals
– Anders Wikström – lead guitars and background vocals
– Patrick Appelgren – keyboards, guitars and background vocals
– Pontus Egberg – bass guitar and background vocals
Frontiers Music Srl is very happy to announce the release of the first in a series of live albums and videos captured at the popular annual Frontiers Rock Festival.
The first artist in the series is the legendary Swedish melodic rockers TREAT, who will release their first ever live CD and first live DVD/BLU-RAY in over 10 years entitled “The Road More or Less Traveled - Live in Milano” on April 21.
On April 23, 2016, Treat played a hotly anticipated set at Frontiers Rock Festival III. Held close to Milano, Italy, this was the third annual edition of the festival and saw Treat playing hot on the heels of the release of their latest studio album, “Ghost Of Graceland”. The release date of this live album happens to be about one year after the initial performance took place and almost coincides with the 2017 edition of the Frontiers Rock Festival as well.
The band took the stage by storm, opening the show with the title track from their last studio album and showcasing a very special lineup, which features H.E.A.T. keyboardist Jona Tee taking the place of Patrik Appelgren for this exclusive performance. Treat offered a show with a great mixture of new and recent songs taken from their latest album, the highly regarded 2010 release “Coup De Grace”, and classic songs from the good ol’ days including “World Of Promises”, “Get You On The Run”, and “Ready For The Taking”.
Says guitarist Anders Wikström, “As we haven’t released a live home video in 10 years, let alone a live album ever, and then Serafino asked us, we were more than delighted, and frankly, long overdue, to show our fans what we been up to for the last couple of years. With so many albums to choose from and our audience constantly asking for different songs in the setlist, this was a great opportunity to close one chapter, only to start writing the next. "The Road more or Less Traveled” is a great reminder for anyone to see that Treat is very much a living and breathing live entity!”
Treat’s performance was truly a unique and special one and this live video documents a great moment in the band’s history as well as serving as a celebration of one of Sweden’s finest hard rock bands ever!
"This year will take us right back we belong, on stage! We have some really cool surprises and will of course play the best of the new, but also older songs we haven’t performed in ages! See you all on tour through 2017,” concludes Anders.
“The Road More or Less Traveled” will be released on CD/DVD, Blu Ray standalone, and digital editions and will include the following tracks:
CD/DVD/BLU-RAY:
1. Ghost Of Graceland
2. Better The Devil You Know
3. Non Stop Madness
4. Ready For The Taking
5. Papertiger
6. Do Your Own Stunts
7. Endangered
8. Gimme One More Night
9. We Own The Night
10. Roar
11. Get You On The Run
12. Conspiracy
13. Skies Of Mongolia
14. World Of Promises
SEE TREAT ON TOUR:
March 25 - Torp, Avesta , SWE
March 31 - High Voltage, Copenhagen, DDK
April 1 - Oefenbunker, Landgraaf, NL
April 2 - Roxyoxy, Flensburg, DE
April 4 - Garage DeLuxe, Munich, DE
April 5 - Kreuz, Obermachtal, DE
April 6 - Der Cult, Nurnberg, D, DE
May 17 - Shibuya Club Quattro, Tokyo, JP
May 18 - U- Umeda Quattro, Osaka, JP
May 27 - Kalos Festival, Madrid, ES
AAugust 25 - Hair Metal Heaven Festival, Hull UK
TREAT
Robert Ernlund: Lead vocals
Anders Wikström: Lead Guitars and vocals
Pontus Egberg: Electric Bass and vocals
Jamie Borger: Drums
Patrick Appelgren- keyboards/ vocals
We all know what an astounding record Coup De Grace was, mainly because most of us are still playing it some 6 years since it was released. Where has that time gone??
With Ghost Of Graceland Swedish legends Treat warned us that they were changing things up a little for the new album – updating their sound for a modern day feel.
And that they have done, but this is no leap into the unknown or unfamiliar territory. There are noticeable changes and some fairly contemporary sounds going on, but at the heart of this album is twelve absolutely cracking melodic rock songs that are driven by hooks, melodies and choruses to die for.
Then there is the production! The updated sound is a perfect fit for the band and sees them continue to evolve. The feel is somewhat lighter, despite a couple of tracks being every bit as heavy as ever and there are orchestral parts all over this record.
This album is still going to sound fresh in 6 years the same way that Coup De Grace has kept us company for the last 6.
Everything about this album screams class, style and intelligent songwriting. Not a weak track or filler to be found and the band deserve to be proud of yet another essential release.
This is a different beast than Coup De Grace. The guitars and overall production style is more attuned to a modern rock market than classic Scandi-hard rock. There are also a lot of additional effects and synth passages and even the vocals are at times slanted towards a modern accent.
In places I could imagine something similar coming from the likes of Shinedown, but once the chorus hits – every time it’s a melodic home run.
There are so many anthemic choruses on here; it was hard to keep track of them all! Several weeks of listening later, it still sounds fresh and new and exciting to listen to.
Opening the album with a mid-tempo, heavy anthem, the band immediately signals that they’ve updated their sound. So guitars might be a bit more aggressive and tuned down a little, but the chorus is immediately likable. The symphonic keyboards add real texture to the song.
I Don't Miss the Misery is what I referred to before when I compared some tracks to Shinedown. The intro, heavy riff and verse vocal is pure modern rock, but the chorus is glorious, hands in the air, anthemic bliss. I love the contrasts.
Better the Devil You Know is kinda left of center and something different again, until another anthemic layered chorus arrives to throw us back to the 80s.
Do Your Own Stunts is an extraordinary song in any day or age. It’s not quite a ballad, not quite anything else. Basically it’s a slow, building track with a lot of heart and a lead vocal and chorus that defy gravity. Add in orchestral parts and piano and you have a modern masterpiece.
That track rolls seamlessly into Endangered, which is more traditional Treat and once again features a likeable commercial verse before a monster chorus blows things sky high.
Inferno is a very similar track and delivers a one-two old-school melodic rock punch of big choruses and big hooks.
The curiously titled Alien Earthlings is slower and darker and creeps along with a modern vibe until, yes once again, a monster anthemic layered chorus arrives for singalong time.
Nonstop Madness is a simpler, more relaxed track, but there’s no letup in pace or that expected big anthem chorus.
Too Late to Die Young rocks along at a good pace, perhaps the fastest rocker of the album. The beat thumps and the vocal harmonies and a killer chorus make it yet another winner.
House on Fire probably blends into the album more inconspicuously than some other tracks, but it has its place. It’s all hooks and while not as immediate as others, still grows into an essential track over time.
Together Alone is a beautiful ballad that sticks in your head, sung by guitarist Anders Wikstrom and accompanied only with piano and orchestra. The chorus is layers deep in instrumentation and makes quite an impact. It reminds me a little of something Mike Tramp might try.
Everything to Everyone closes the album with a multi-layered mid-tempo rocker. Another good chorus of course and in many ways the albums closes in the same musical way it started.
Ghost Of Graceland is full of class, full of more classic Treat songs and full of extraordinary production techniques that take several weeks to absorb and appreciate. I would not be surprised if some come back to this album in several years’ time to discuss how it lead the way as far as moving melodic rock in a more modern, contemporary direction.
Coup De Grace was more a traditional melodic hard rock record that had almost universal appeal. This album perhaps may not have the legs of its predecessor, due to the style and overall more laid back design, but there’s no denying this is another classic and an album the band and us as fans should be very proud of. Brilliant as hoped.
Frontiers Music Srl is truly excited to announce the return of the mighty TREAT with their brand new, kick ass album entitled “Ghost of Graceland”! It will be released on April 15th.
Building on the success of their last album ”Coup de Grace” (2010), hailed by both fans and critics as a masterpiece, Treat is releasing an album packed with reflective, soul searching songs dressed in devilishly seductive yet hard hitting melodic rock.
“This is where we are today. As a band, as musicians, songwriters and individuals. It’s a statement: this is us in 2016”, says main songwriter and guitarist Anders Wikström.
”Ghost of Graceland”, produced by long time TREAT fan and respected writer/producer Peter Mansson and co-produced by Anders Wikström, showcases a band with a thirty plus career, that are hungrier and more energetic than ever!
To achieve the organic, pure, bold, (somewhat) cocky, contemporary sound with melodies and choruses to die for that they were going for, the band took a step back. Says Anders Wikström: ”It’s a musical as well as a personal soul searching. We traced us back to our roots, the music and the heroes that got us dreaming back in the 70’s: Kiss, Van Halen, Sweet, Deep Purple and UFO. An era where music and musicianship really mattered and rock ’n’ roll was a matter of life or death.” TREAT got in the time machine and retrieved all that restless energy. But ”Ghost of Graceland”, with all it’s delicious, action packed and hook ladden melodic rock that could soundtrack a party, also sees a band that reflects on their personal lives.
”Ghost of Graceland” is Anders Wikström’s take on the world: both his own and the bands personal journeys, and perspective on modern life in general. ”I really wanted to express what goes on in my mind and talk about relationships, politics, economics and the choices we make. The title song is a metaphor… paradise or prison? It´s up to you to decide."
”I Don’t Miss the Misery” tells the story of a man on the brink of madness, going through hell and he finally sees the light; perspective changes in a crisis and you find new kicks in life. In ”Do Your Own Stunts”, which musically is in the same vein as the classic ”Get You On The Run”, Anders writes about a father trying to teach his kids how to live their lives to the fullest, and ”Together Alone” is a heartbreaking and powerful ballad, that sees Anders singing lead vocals for the first time. But, it wouldn’t be a TREAT album without a kick ass, Friday-night-let’s party-and-get-too-wild song: ”Too Late To Die Young” is a tongue in cheek classic rocker, with some clever name checking.
Robert Ernlund (vocals), Anders Wikström (Guitars and backing vocals), Patrick Appelgren (keyboards, guitar and backing vocals), Jamie Borger (drums) and new bass player Pontus Egberg (King Diamond) are a powerhouse. Pontus replaces the band’s songwriting partner Fredrik Thomander who has also been performing live with the band since 2013. ”When we started working on this album and in need of a permanent replacement on bass, Pontus was the only guy we had in mind. He´s a good friend of ours and a fantastic musician and live performer. He and Jamie just blow the roof off together on this new album!”
”We’re doing what we love. We’re proudly flying the flag for hard and melodic rock. Honestly, this is a very, very good TREAT album”, says Anders Wikström. TREAT are proud, confident and hungry for more!
Experience TREAT Live at Frontiers Rock Festival in Trezzo Sull’Adda (Milano) on April 23rd 2016.
“Ghost of Graceland” tracklisting:
1. Ghost Of Graceland
2. I Don’t Miss The Misery
3. Better The Devil You Know
4. Do Your Own Stunts
5. Endangered
6. Inferno
7. Alien Earthlings
8. Nonstop Madness
9. Too Late To Die Young
10. House On Fire
11. Together Alone
12. Everything To Everyone
TREAT:
- Robert Ernlund – lead vocals
- Anders Wikström – lead guitars and background vocals (lead vocals on “Together Alone”)
- Patrick Appelgren – keyboards, guitars and background vocals
- Pontus Egberg – bass guitar
- Jamie Borger – drums
Produced by Peter Mansson / Co-produced by Anders Wikström
Excitement continues to build around the April release of a brand new TREAT album - 'Ghost Of Graceland'.
But what's it all about? Is it an Elvis covers album? Is it Memphis inspired or perhaps the guys ate nothing but peanut butter and banana sandwichs while recording?
I sked drummer JAMIE BORGER for more info.
He states: "I've been living with these 12 new TREAT songs for 6 months, and now that they're down on tape, mixed and mastered, I can tell you this much; U Gonna Fuckin' Love `Em All!! (parden my French) :-)
This is the record we have wanted to do for years! After our success with Coup De Grace (2010) I guess a lot of people out there thought it'd be impossible to top that one; but here it is!
I've been in this business for more that 30 years now, and I've never been this excited 'bout an album that I've recorded! If this is the last album we ever do, I'll be so proud to go out with a big bang!!!"
Wow!
So what does Frontiers A&R/CEO Serafino think? His reply was pretty simple: "IT'S A MONSTER!!!"
The long awaited new TREAT album, Ghost Of Graceland is due in April! The Japanese date is April 13 and Frontiers will confirm the worldwide date in April shortly.
Here's the band's latest post:
"Yes folks! Today we finished our New album. Letting Mastering maestro Mats "Limpan"Lindfors (pictured in the middle) at Cutting Room in Stockholm, bless it!
In over a year long working process, we,ve been redefining who we are and where we wanna go as a band together with our amazing producer Peter Mansson, who deserves every award there is for putting up with us on the journey! Album title, release date and some other very exciting news will be revealed soon, but please keep checkin' in here or @treatnews Instagram and all @Frontiersrecords websites for updates and info. //Treat, aka, happy campers!"
