HAREM SCAREM
“CHANGE THE WORLD”
Album Review by Syl Pdll

10/10

After around three years of absence from the stage, Harem Scarem has returned to the music scene with new material under his arm which they have titled “Change The World”. This album shows a breath of fresh air for the band consisting of Harry Hess (vocals, backing vocals and keyboards), Peter Lesperance (guitars), Creighton Doane (drums) and the presentation of Mike Vassos (bass) teaching why they are still a benchmark for melodic hard rock after three decades of experience.

“Change The World” is the song of the same name on this album and with which this musical journey begins. It is through the guitar chords that we introduce ourselves to this song that partially recovers the band’s musical roots with a fresh touch. It is a song that casts a positive vibe on the listener by talking about how we are part of the change. A surprise that we can find from the middle of this song is the presence of Tony Harnell as a vocal accompaniment.

“Aftershock” tells us about the adversities that human beings go through throughout our lives, demonstrating that strength to get ahead. With that characteristic hard rock style that they have developed very much in their style in combination with some acoustic elements, their vocalist, Harry Hess uses a high-pitched range of voice to denote that willpower giving the song greater realism.

“Searching For Meaning” was one of the songs that have overshadowed me when listening to this album. The strength of the drums begins with this song guided through the chords of the drums, the bass and the keyboard that in lyrical terms shows that search for meaning and meaning to what we do in different areas of our lives. The chorus is short and forceful, taking up the essence of melodic rock.

“The Death Of Me” shows a darker facet of the band without neglecting that melodic atmosphere that they have created throughout this album, but whose lyrics show us that light at the end of the tunnel in a complicated situation. The vocal performance of Harry Hess is simply spectacular as he has managed to demonstrate the accumulation of sensations and feelings that are involved in this type of episode.

The presence of the piano as a dominant instrument can be found in “Mother of Invention”. It is a rock ballad with a load of melodic elements in all its splendor. Harry Hess’s vocal performance is masterful in the chorus, that emotional charge that he transmits through his voice gives goose bumps.

The next song is “No Man’s Land” which is guided through the lines of Mike Vassos’ bass. With a rhythm more oriented towards hard rock with a touch of mysticism that transports us to unknown territories, as well as “In The Unknown”, which breaks with that rhythmic sphere and leans more towards the melodic that tells us that sensation of darkness that inhabits inside of us when we allow ourselves to be guided by fear. Harry Hess in this song shows his vocal ability and that I have personally followed since I heard it on First Signal, another of the projects created under the Frontiers Records signature.

With a rhythmic base that recovers the roots of hard rock in its pure state, “Riot In My Head” begins. It is a song that is enjoyed from start to finish as it shows something different from what the band has developed throughout this album. Contrary to “No Me Without You” which addresses one of the most recurring themes in melodic hard rock that is love. Harry Hess performs in this song a heartbreaking interpretation that will infect the listener with that feeling of sadness that invades us at the end of a relationship.

“Fire & Gasoline” is a song that from the first chords takes you to a racetrack and musically they create that feeling of adrenaline and emotion creating that duality between good and bad. With a vocal performance that moves away from the melodic and approaches a musical style closer to the new generations. This song doesn’t stop enchanting me no matter how many times I repeat it, it’s wonderful.

“Swallowed By The Machine” is the song that ends this album by the Canadian melodic hard rock band. With a softer rhythm without losing that rock essence, it offers us a reflection before a world that is being increasingly dominated by machines whose changes, we are creating ourselves. Undoubtedly great closure for a great album.

In conclusion, Harem Scarem has managed to adapt to modern times by creating an album that approaches the new generations, but that also unites its faithful followers through chords that remind us of the old school of melodic hard rock with some modern touches. It is a band that is constantly evolving and presents an interesting musical proposal.

TRACKLIST

Change The World
Aftershock
Searching For Meaning
The Death Of Me
Mother Of Invention
No Man’s Land
In The Unknown
Riot In My Head
No Me Without You
Fire & Gasoline
Swallowed By The Machine

http://www.haremscarem.net
https://www.facebook.com/harem.scarem.band/

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