Recent Reviews

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

[ More Music Reviews ]


Treat: The Road More Or Less Traveled Live
Treat The Road More Or Less Traveled Live In Milan CD Album Review

Treat: The Road More Or Less Traveled Live

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal
5.0/5.0

Facebook
Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 13.04.2017

After their momentous resurrection some ten years ago, Sweden's Treat has been part of the Frontiers Music family since their 2010 comeback album, Coup De Grace. It took them another six years, but they returned with Ghost Of Graceland last year. Curiously, though part of the Frontiers franchise, Treat never played the Frontiers Rock Festival until last year. Their hour plus show was recorded for The Road More Or Less Traveled Live In Milan, a CD/DVD package. We consider the DVD side in this review.

Treat Band Photo

Treat

Suffice to say, you need to get this DVD. It's excellent, a keeper, and you'll want to watch it many times. First, the sound recording is fabulous, with every player and instrument coming through crisp and clear. (It doesn't hurt that the gig is held in the Live Club at Trezzo sull'Adda, one of the finest venues in Italy, where the acoustics are warm and vibrant.) One of the things I love about the Treat sound is their vocal harmonies, which sound amazing live. Do Your Own Stunts is killer. As for the video recording, several camera angles are used from crowd perspective to individual performers to behind the drum kit. There's nothing particularly spectacular about the stage or rig setup, mostly it's utilitarian and simple made to move the music forward. Much the same could be said for the lightning, with spots flying hither and fro.

Treat - Do Your Own Stunts (Live)


More importantly, Treat's performance is superb, with excellent musicianship strengthened by an animated and enthusiastic band. Vocalist Robert Ernlund is quite the crowd cheerleader, encouraging the crowd to sing along many times. He's also a bit of a humorist. Before introducing the 1985 single Get You On The Run from the debut album Scratch & Bite, Ernland says, pointing to a young woam, "I guess you weren't even born then." (Or something to that effect). I don't know. Looking into the crowd, I think, besides the youngeters, there were more than a few of us Fifty-something rockers on hand.

Some mention of the set list should be made. Being on the Ghost of Graceland Tour, Treat pulls five from their latest album: the title cut, which starts the show, and also Better The Devil You Know, Non Stop Madness, Do Your Own Stunts, and Endangered. From Coup De Grace they drop We Own The Night, Papertiger and Roar, two of my favorite Treat songs, and then for one of two encore songs, Skies Of Mongolia. After these, Treat reaches back to their past for their most prominent singles: 1985's Get You On The Run (Scratch & Bite), 1987's World Of Promises (Dreamhunter) the second encore song, and 1989's Ready For The Taking, Conspiracy, and Gimme One More Night (Organized Crime). Honestly, those latter songs were something of history lesson for me. Treat never made it on the American hard rock radar when they were first active.

Needless to say, Treat's The Road More Or Less Traveled Live In Milan is an impressive and entertaining audio visual testimony to one Sweden's great melodic hard rock bands. You will enjoy it over and over again. Quite recommended.

Treat - Paper Tiger (Live)




CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

The Bottom Line

Treat's The Road More Or Less Traveled Live In Milan is an impressive and entertaining audio visual testimony to one Sweden's great melodic hard rock bands. You will enjoy it over and over again. Quite recommended. Get it.

Find A Review

Alphabetical Index

a b c d e f g h i j
k l m n o p q r s t
u v w x y z #
New & Notable
Read the Lionville: Supernatural Album Review

eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]