Treat: Tunguska (Frontiers)

Swedish melodic rock legends Treat are back with a new album, titled Tunguska. I have to admit I’ve been on a Treat high these past few years. Their last two albums – 2010’s Coup de Grace and 2016’s Ghost of Graceland – have been on steady rotation, and I finally got to see the band live at this year’s MelodicRock Fest 5 event. So a new Treat album is not only welcome, but highly anticipated.

Aside from the excellent Pontus Egberg (who joined in 2016), the lineup on Tunguska is the same one on 1989’s Organized Crime. That classic Treat sound is present here, as is the more mature approach to songwriting that made the previous Treat albums so effective. Not too heavy, not too light, Tunguska is another superbly crafted melodic rock album with fantastic melodies, strong, steady vocals (and very effective vocal harmonies) and a polished production. Guitarist Anders Wikstrom is just a master of melody, and when he’s paired with vocalist Robert Ernlund it is always magical.

Unlike Coup de Grace and Ghost of Graceland, Tunguska doesn’t knock you out on the first spin. It’s a grower, as they say. And it does grow on you more with each spin. Not that you have to make an effort to like it – far from it. It just takes a few trips through the album to see which songs stand out the most (for me it’s “Best of Enemies,” “All Bets Are Off,” “Tomorrow Never Comes” and the weirdly-named but extremely catchy “Heartmath City.”) and how they all gel together. As expected, there are no weak songs.

Tunguska is another first class melodic rock album from a band that pretty much defined the whole Swedish melodic rock sound. It’s an immediate contender for melodic rock album of the year, joining the likes of W.E.T., White Widdow, The Senior Management, Ammunition and Vega. Treat albums are always “must have” releases, and this is no exception.