{"id":23351,"date":"2014-09-27T00:00:01","date_gmt":"2014-09-27T00:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=23351"},"modified":"2015-01-22T21:22:52","modified_gmt":"2015-01-22T21:22:52","slug":"album-review-harem-scarem-thirteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-harem-scarem-thirteen\/","title":{"rendered":"HAREM SCAREM – Thirteen (2014) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

HAREM SCAREM
Thirteen<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nFrontiers (2014)<\/span>
Rating: 9.5\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/td>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Harem Scarem is one of those classy heavy rock bands that have always had its finger on a pulse; a skill that not many other bands can find. I recall back in 1991 being mightily impressed by the Canadian band\u2019s self-titled debut, and wondering why they weren\u2019t huge as they effortlessly cavorted with numerous styles to create a sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord of catchy melodies, swirling harmonies and kaleidoscopic structures that rarely fitted into the normal framework.<\/p>\n

Whether throwing out soothing, lush ballads or tainting their swagger with an almost Beatles-esque psychedelia, for me Harem Scarem were always the uncrowned kings of cool, and yet unlike many other \u201calternative\u201d rock acts of their day, these guys have managed to last the term.<\/p>\n

Their reworking of the classic 1993 Mood Swings<\/em> opus emerged in 2013 under the moniker of Mood Swings II<\/em><\/a>, and served up a trio of new tracks which whet the appetite of fans eager for more.<\/p>\n

Thirteen<\/em> is another joyous overload of musical emotion, pomp and metallic harmony, and starts with the stunning \u2018Garden Of England\u2019 which offers up the expected bouncy, flirtatious guitars that lick the soul alongside those infectiously pleasant vocals which somehow transport us back to the heyday of late 80s rock. Indeed, such is the almost commercial properties of the opening track that we somehow feel familiar with some of the melodies, like seeing old friends again, and when we experience the bridge to the chorus the heart feels with joyful warmth.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s almost as if I want to arrange a tour consisting of Harem Scarem, Enuff Z\u2019Nuff, Cheap Trick and mercurial yet underrated Florida rockers Saigon Kick, such is the extravagant nature of this lush platter. In fact, it took me what seemed like hours to drag myself away from \u2018Garden Of England\u2019 such is its catchiness and that almost weightless production which allows the track to flow.<\/p>\n

Now, while I\u2019ve enjoyed nigh on every release from Harem Scarem I never expected them to reach the glorious, gorgeous heights of their debut, and yet I really believe they have done it with Thirteen<\/em>; I\u2019m left literally drooling over the results. Rarely have I heard a band play so naturally; just effortlessly shifting through the gears, and with whatever style bestowing an almost smooth coating to each instrument. Those layered harmonies just melt the soul, and as choruses come and go you can only marvel at such simplicity, but it is a straightforwardness no-one else has the ability to muster.<\/p>\n

\u2018Live It\u2019 comes in with a nice drum shuffle and, dare I say it, a quirky, bluesy twang \u2013 imagine The Black Crowes but with extra fluffy padding and sugary twists. Meanwhile, \u2018Early Warning Signs\u2019 offers up a darker riff initially, working in tandem with a solid drum plod and that devilish vocal growl, and yet the chorus just hits like a truly unexpected summery crescendo. Again, there\u2019s that early 90s feel of diversity \u2013 y\u2019know, the sort of enigmatic gush that should top every chart and yet for some unknown reason only remains cult, except for the more appreciative audiences in Japan.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Midnight Hours\u2019 somehow manages to take the album up into another heavenly gear. While most bands would be happy to rest on their laurels and soak up the energy and premise of the opening batch of tracks, \u2018The Midnight Hours\u2019 instead builds slowly, but once again offers up that rich, bulbous chorus of breezy quality.<\/p>\n

Can a band ever get so uplifting as Harem Scarem? These guys continue to supply permanent highs with an almost reggae-styled nod in the rhythm section before the sublime, piano-led \u2018Whatever It Takes\u2019 comes trickling in as a power ballad extraordinaire, only for the tears to be cast aside by the funky swirls of \u2018Saints And Sinners\u2019 with its rich vocal croon, but then the blossoming chords of \u2018All I Need\u2019 are back again to sweep us up within arms of joy.<\/p>\n

\u2018AlI Need\u2019 is a sweet mid-tempo plodder, but again it delivers up a killer chorus that\u2019ll have you nodding along like there\u2019s no tomorrow. Where the band finds such ideas is beyond me, but it feels as if Harem Scarem are ready for another rush of glory.<\/p>\n

The album\u2019s final segments are bolstered by the struttin\u2019 \u2018Troubled Times\u2019, which is so clever as again it offers no idea as to what is coming with that bombastic chorus. And if you find yourself comforted by this plush mover, then you\u2019ll be in dreamland with the exquisite \u2018Never Say Never\u2019 where Harry Hess will confirm your belief that he\u2019s one of rock\u2019s finest voices \u2013 his smooth tones just soaring above the sugary leads of Pete Lesperance.<\/p>\n

To be honest, back in the 80s I always imagined that if Def Leppard were actually any good then maybe their technological breakdown known as Hysteria<\/em> (1987) would have been something akin to this. But then again, it\u2019s fair to say that bands like Harem Scarem are rarely matched for talent and for me Thirteen<\/em> just puts them on a plateau that cannot be reached by others.<\/p>\n

Finally, as \u2018Stardust\u2019 oozes in on a slick, dark-tinged riff but builds to another heavenly harmony, one can only sigh with pleasure at such a gargantuan effort that rolls out of the speakers like some candy floss cloud of dreaminess.<\/p>\n

Many years ago somebody told me that genius is fleeting, but Harem Scarem are an exception to the rule… their brilliance is a constant.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HAREM SCAREMThirteen Frontiers (2014)Rating: 9.5\/10 Harem Scarem is one of those classy heavy rock bands that have always had its finger on a pulse; a skill that not many other bands can find. I recall back in 1991 being mightily impressed by the Canadian band\u2019s self-titled debut, and wondering why they weren\u2019t huge as they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[798],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-harem-scarem"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23351"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23354,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23351\/revisions\/23354"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}