W.E.T. is an acronym for the bands that make up this new musical endeavor. The project is comprised of a couple of Swedes in guitarist Robert Säll from Work Of Art, guitarist / vocalist Erik Martensson from Eclipse and American vocalist Jeff Scott Soto from Talisman.
While Soto is the most recognizable name here, this union was actually originally conceived by Säll and Martensson who wrote all the music and lyrics prior to approaching Jeff. If the listener is able to put aside the somewhat cheesy name and front cover graphics and just concentrate on the music, they'll be rewarded with twelve of the finest examples the melodic / AOR rock genre has to offer. Tracks like "Invincible", "One Love" and "I'll Be There" are downright infectious and have more hooks running through them than the paintings on display at The Met. Soto is in fine form here as he nails each and every one of these songs with unbridled passion and conviction. These songs were written with him in mind so it's no surprise that his trademark, soaring vocals propel these melodic rock anthems. Throw in the requisite power ballads "Comes Down Like Rain" and "One Day At A Time" and you have a yourself a winner.
As an added bonus the album comes with a short DVD which includes a sit down interview with all three members as well as videos for "One Love", "Comes Down Like Rain" and "Brothers In Arms". These performance style clips also feature the final performances of bassist Marcel Jacob who sadly took his own life last year. Marcel was a longtime friend and band mate of Soto's, so at the same time these videos serve as a fitting way to honor his memory.
If you enjoy melodic, hook laden AOR rock then this album definitely deserves a place in your collection. As strong as this debut effort is one can only imagine that if this union isn't simply just a one-off, and Jeff is included in the creative process next time around, the bar should be raised even higher for their sophomore disc.
Track Listing
1) Invincible
2) One Love
3) Brothers In Arms
4) Comes Down Like Rain
5) Running From The Heartache
6) I'll Be There
7) Damage Is Done
8) Put Your Money Where The Mouth Is
9) One Day At A Time
10) Just Go
11) My Everything
12) If I Fall