It was nearly 40 years ago that Treat formed as a melodic alternative to the rough and ready metal their native Sweden was known for. Granted, some of these said metal bands were as melodic as they were heavy (i.e. Europe, 220 Volt, etc.). Treat, on the other hand, lie firmly in the melodic rock camp and bask in it. Their sound was hard enough for the headbangers, catchy enough for the general public, and European enough to insure they’d never make it in America. It’s hard to pin down what exactly makes a band sound “European”, but there’s a definite distinction between the Scandinavian AOR of Treat and the breezy west coast AOR of say Toto.
Despite spending the better part of the 90s and 2000s inactive, Treat has since reformed and released a string of albums via Frontiers Records that are shockingly as strong and exciting as their classic 80s fare. I say “shockingly” because if I had a dollar for every old school band who has since lost “it”, I wouldn’t be running this site right now. I’d be sipping a fruity drink on the coast of some exotic island, but that’s besides the point. Treat joins Magnum, FM, Dare, and a small handful of other AOR veterans who are absolutely killing it this far into their careers, and schooling the new generation in the process.
Their latest album, The Endgame, continues the band’s winning streak with its high energy anthems and classic 80s charm. Production wise, the band has gone the modern Eclipse route (i.e. layers of guitars, vocals, an overall “loud” sound), but it works to their advantage, particularly on cuts like “Freudian Slip” and “Home of the Brave”, the latter of which boasts folksy Thin Lizzy-esque melodies. There’s also no shortage of intoxicating chorus centric earworms, bound to take residency in your head for days on end, such as “Rabbit Hole”, “Sinbiosis”, and “Carolina Reaper”.
Although Treat has never been an outright metal band, I’d be lying if I said they didn’t occasionally display some metallic tendencies. While these tendencies don’t necessarily dominate The Endgame, they definitely seem more evident on here than on past Treat releases. “Both Ends Burning” boasts downtuned chug metal riffs akin to latter day Pretty Maids, “Jesus from Hollywood” tow the line between metal and AOR like an early 90s Yngwie Malmsteen deep cut, and “Dark to Light” is for all purposes melodic doom metal, fusing the worlds of neon lit AOR and gloomy Sabbathian doom. They certainly add an intriguing dimension to this release, as does the pseudo-prog balladry of “Magic” and “To the End of Love”.
If I were to rank the post-reunion Treat albums right now, The Endgame would be second to only 2010’s Coup de grâce. I just hope the album’s title isn’t foreshadowing “the end” of the band itself. If so, what a way to end such a storied career. If not, I’ll be eagerly awaiting the release of Treat’s next opus. Listening to and reviewing their work is always a…Treat. Get it? I’m here all night folks!
8 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: AOR
For fans of: Eclipse, Pretty Maids, Europe