It's hard to believe that I first caught sight of Heartland way back in 1991 when they were supporting Mr. Big during the 'Lean Into it' tour, just before that particular band had a massive hit with 'To Be With You'. The Heartland  set that evening made such an impression on this reviewer that I rushed out the following day during my lunch break and bought a copy of their debut album, and a couple of the singles as well! After all this time I still love that album and even now it gets played more than occasionally. 

Three years later Heartland's second album, 'Wide Open' was released on the Long Island label and although the album was really just a collection of demos there was still some good songs on it.  However by the time their next album, the imaginatively titled 'Heartland III', was released through Escape (that labels first “proper” release) there was only vocalist Chris Ousey left from the original band, but by then of course he had teamed up with former Gillan side man Steve Morris. Heartland III unfortunately left me fairly cold and I only bought the next album, 'Bridge Of Fools' after hearing the stunning 'Castles In The Sand, but once again the rest of the CD  left me fairly cold. 

Around this time Chris Ousey teamed with Canadian Kaos Loey (ex Paul Laine band) to release two brilliant albums under the 'Distance' moniker. The band, with Loey in tow, even played the Gods 97 and served up an enjoyable set, as the songs seemed to work better acoustically. Throughout the intervening time Heartland have continued to release albums only, due to the patchiness of some of the earlier work  I’ve never bothered to get them and I only heard 'Communications Down (their last album) when a friend of mine played it to me.  So when this new album 'Move On' arrived I must admit to not expecting very much. 

The first thing to strike me however about 'Move On' is how much heavier the band sound and it almost sounds like the classic Distance Debut mentioned earlier. Album opener Hard Hearted Man is very much an up-tempo rocker with a riff that reminds me of a Honeymoon Suite track  on the Racing After Midnight album. The CD then continues in this up tempo fashion with 'City Of Lights' which is a guitar driven number  with some excellent bass work courtesy of Mathias Gregerson. Next up is 'Take Me Alive' which adds a funky feely to the rhythm but still contains some fairly heavy guitars (for Heartland that is!). 

Track 4 'How Was I To Know' is an acoustic lead ballad with excellent overdubbed electric guitar, whilst 'I'm Getting Ready' is an excellent mid tempo rocker and features on backing vocals (as does most of the album) from Grand illusion members Peter Sundell and Per Svensson; Steve Morris also provides one helluva solo during this particular song. 'Hell Or High Water' can't make up its mind as t what it wants to be, as it is too  to slow to be rocker and to up tempo for a ballad, but then we get back to another up-tempo number in the shape of 'Too Sad To Cry'  that grows on you the more you listen to it. 

Track 8 Remember Me? Is another up-tempo track (this must be record for Heartland) and again reminds me of the Distance albums, but then we get Redemption, which is an instrumental, Now instrumentals are fine but there is a time and a place for then and unfortunately this is  not it! Luckily things improve with 'Where Do We Go From Here?' which proves to be a personal favourite featuring, as it does, that keyboard sound from the first two Heartland albums and it even hints a little at 'Living On The Knife Edge form the Classic Virginia wolf album Push. (Chris Ousey's previous band). Rounding out the album are 'One Fine Day', which is an up tempo acoustical driven track and finally 'Rotate' which again proves to be another funky track and would work well in a  live situation. 

There you have it, 'Move On' is a welcome, if somewhat surprising, return to form by Heartland and fans of the band should have no hesitation in buying this album and I can recommend it to anybody would like the two Distance albums as in all honesty this sounds like the third Distance album to my ears!  If you’ve had your fingers burnt by Heartland in the past give it a listen and see what I mean about the return to form.

Let us know your views on 'Move On'

Track List

Hard Hearted Man
City Of Lights
Take Me Alive
How Was I To Know
I’m Getting Ready
Hell Or High Water
Too Sad To Cry
Remember Me?
Redemption
Where Do We Go From Here?
One Fine Day
Rotate

Line  Up

Chris Ousey - Vocals
Steve Morris - Guitar, Keyboards
Rasmus Dueldahl - Drums
Mathias Gregerson - Bass
Bjarne T. Holm -  Drums Track 5