Utterly essential listening.

At last year's Firefest, event Ringmaster Kieran Dargan told me he had heard a preview of this album, and that it sounded "like H.E.A.T. but with balls!" With that sterling recommendation ringing in my ears, I couldn't wait to hear this album for myself – and Mr. Dargan has hit the nail firmly on the head. Though the insanely catchy melodies and huge choruses of yesterday are still very much in evidence, 'Tearing Down The Walls' is a little heavier, much more mature, and even a little darker in places than its predecessors.

Any preconceptions that people may have had about enlisting a Reality TV contestant as a lead singer were swiftly shot down with the strength of the 'Address The Nation' album, Erik Grönwall silencing the doubters with an amazing performance that reaches even greater heights on this latest release. H.E.A.T. have done their growing-up in public and 'Tearing...' is the perfect demonstration of this, featuring their most ambitious arrangements and lyrics so far.

Opener 'Point Of No Return' is ushered in with a gentle acoustic intro before erupting into life, displaying how the band have incorporated the harder and darker edge into their dexterity to provide amazingly catchy melodies, a facet that turns up later on the album with the stunning 'Eye For An Eye' while 'Inferno' is all snot-nosed Punk attitude, and possibly the hardest H.E.A.T. have rocked to date. Breaking new ground, the excellent 'Tearing Down The Walls' is a mid-tempo power ballad with a soaring chorus, but also featuring a very contemporary sound with the moody 'Mannequin Show' treading a similar path and demonstrating how the band has evolved and can continue to grow. The tender piano/vocal ballad 'All The Nights' is another exhibition of their continuing maturity.

However, there are still plenty of the commercial anthems that made us fall in love with them in the first place. By now everybody should have heard the stunning first single 'A Shot At Redemption' with its gang-style chorus, but 'Emergency' and the bouncy-rhythm-driven 'Enemy In Me' are also catchy as hell. The mid-tempo 'Laughing At Tomorrow' which closes out the album is an inspirational melodic hymn with a phenomenally huge chorus that resounds around your head for hours, and is the perfect example of old and new H.E.A.T.

H.E.A.T. have survived the departure of original guitarist Dave Dalone without missing a beat; Eric Rivers stepping up to the role of sole guitarist in stunning fashion. Armed with yet another bunch of excellent song, superstardom surely now beckons. With youth still on their side, H.E.A.T. will be the band that sets the standards to which all others should aspire to; utterly essential listening.

Ant Heeks