Harem Scarem's 'Change the World' - Album Review

Considering how prolific the Canadian rock act Harem Scarem have been over the years, it is surprising that this is actually their first appearance on this blog. I certainly would not call myself an expert on the band's music, but over the years I have picked up a few of their albums - which I have enjoyed on a casual basis. The album of theirs that I am most familiar with is their 1991 self-titled debut album, which is considered to be a bit of an underrated classic in the melodic rock world. Harem Scarem are one of those bands who launched themselves too late to make a real impact. If their first album had been released a few years earlier then it probably would have been a much bigger deal, but as it stands the band are seen as something of 'also-rans' in the melodic rock and AOR genres - despite being pretty well-respected by a good number of rock fans. I think the reason why I have never really fully taken the plunge with Harem Scarem is just the sheer size of their back catalogue. The band seem to put out a new album every two or three years without fail (and sometimes even more frequently), and sometimes it can be difficult to get into bands with such huge catalogues - especially when most of those albums are pretty indistinguishable from one another. Harem Scarem have not really changed their sound at all throughout their career. Their tougher take on melodic rock has been honed consistently throughout their fifteen previous albums - which brings us to their latest release, Change the World. I remember meaning to pick up the band's last couple of albums on release, but they always seemed to be released at busy times when a lot of other albums I wanted were coming out. There are only so many new albums that one can purchase, but as I really enjoyed hearing the band's latest single The Death of Me a month or so ago I made the effort to actually pick up Change the World on release and review it here. In many ways, Change the World is exactly what I expected it to be. The album is packed full of tough and hard rocking melodic rock tracks, many of which are very enjoyable. The band's core is made up of Harry Hess and Pete Lesperance; with the former handling the vocals and keyboards, and the latter playing all of the guitar and bass parts. Hess and Lesperance have been the core of Harem Scarem since the beginning, with the pair writing the band's songs and essentially single-handedly performing most of their albums - especially the more recent ones. The drums here are handled by Creighton Doane, who has played one a few of the band's newer albums, while original drummer Darren Smith (who still often plays live with the band) adds some additional backing vocals throughout.

The album kicks off with the smooth, melodic title track; a song that is designed to draw the listener in and it does just that with a hypnotic opening guitar line and a hooky verse that is packed with subtle vocal harmonies. While the band often rock a little harder than they do here, this is a track that allows Harem Scarem to showcase their grander, more melodic side - with subtle keyboards bulking out the sound, and a Queen-esque chorus that is more than a little theatrical without ever going overboard. This big riffs that can be found throughout many of the album's other songs are mostly absent here, with Lesperance's guitar largely providing colour and melody - although a fast-paced shredded solo further enhances the Queen comparisons with some thin, majestic lead runs. It is a melodic feast of a song that ensures the album opens on a high point - and showcases the bigger end of the band's sound. Aftershock is tougher, with a big Lesperance riff driving the song from the off - with bluesy overtones that aid, but do not detract from, the overall melodic nature of the piece. Hess' voice sounds as good now as it did in the early 1990s, and this song really showcases his talents. He has clearly looked after himself well over the years, and a soaring chorus sees him sounding at home belting out some strong melodies - while some subtle melodies support him. Harem Scarem have always been a bit too tough to truly be considered an AOR band, but songs like this showcase their AOR leanings and should appeal to fans of bands like Foreigner and Journey. The keyboards are used more atmospherically, but the melodies are still there - and the chorus here is one that is likely to get stuck in the brain. Searching for Meaning recalls the hypnotic guitar lines from the title track, but applies that style to a tougher, riff-based song and it works surprisingly well. The mix of melodic leads and crunchier riffing suits the band's sound, and showcases how Harem Scarem are often caught between different camps. They are a band that does not neatly sit in either the hard rock or the AOR camps, and this song perfectly encapsulates that quandary. Despite this, the song is another enjoyable one - with a chorus that evokes the lighter end of 1980s stadium rock, with melodies that recall early U2 with a bit of a kick up the backside. Lead single The Death of Me was the song that persuaded me to purchase this album, and I still think that it is the best thing here. Sadly the band do not quite reach this quality too often, but when they do it showcases what a powerful band they can be. The song comes from the heavier end of their sound so it really packs a punch, but a soaring chorus ensures that there are still plenty of melodies to be found - with Hess shining here vocally, while also laying down some subtle organ to bulk up the riffs. Lesperance also dials everything up here too, contributing a muscular riff that the whole song hangs from while also laying down some choppy, atmospheric guitar lines during the verses. His guitar solo is excellent too, and is packed full of melodic, shredded lines that recall the guitar heroes of the 1980s while still also contributing melodically to the song as a whole.

Mother of Invention is a slower track and a solo Hess composition, so it is unsurprisingly much more atmospheric - with Lesperance's guitars often taking more of a backseat. Hess' piano drives the piece, with his melodies forming the basis of the verses which he croons over with his smooth vocal style. The chorus sees things ramp up somewhat, with the rest of the band joining in. Doane plays a slow-paced, sombre beat while Lesperance adds some depth with his guitar. While this is a song that largely focuses on Hess, Lesperance still gets a chance to show off with a beautifully controlled guitar solo after the second chorus that adds to the emotional depth of the piece nicely. It is not a fast-paced solo like many of his efforts, but is instead much simpler - which fits in well with the sparser, piano-based track. No Man's Land gets the band back on more hard rocking ground, with a bluesy riff kicking everything off that has a bit of a modern-sounding Led Zeppelin vibe. This feeling resurfaces occasionally throughout the song, but once the verses kick in the band's more atmospheric melodic rock sound takes over - with Hess' smooth vocals and occasional ringing piano notes. Lesperance actually focuses on the bass during the verses, with a dancing bassline creating a strong groove throughout - before bulking the choruses out with layers of guitar and occasional bursts of bluesy riffing. In the Unknown is much more melodic overall, with a catchy guitar lead kicking things off before an AOR-esque verse takes over with layers of atmospheric keyboards and a floaty vocal line. The ability to be able to constantly shift between harder rocking songs and these more melodic, catchy tracks is one of Harem Scarem's strong points - and the really do the latter well. There are better hard rock acts than Harem Scarem, but when they do this sort of smooth, melodic rock they really shine. The U2-esque melodies from Searching for Meaning return here too, with another stadium-worthy chorus filling the speakers - which is sure to draw lots of listeners in. Lesperance shines with another fun guitar solo too. He has a bit of a different approach to the guitar, and his flashy leads here showcase his style nicely. Riot in My Head is a faster-pace driving rocker, which actually reminds me a little of Joe Lynn Turner-era Rainbow with its barrelling riff and weighty organ backing. Hess and Turner are actually quite similar vocalists (smooth, but still with some grit to their delivery) so the comparison is apt, and it would not surprise me to hear that Lesperance is a Ritchie Blackmore fan - as there is certainly something of the Man in Black's riffing style to be found here. The chorus is more overtly stadium rock than Rainbow ever were however (even at their commercial peak) which means the song still fits nicely on the album without standing out unduly or sounding like a pastiche.

No Me Without You is another solo Hess composition, so it is unsurprisingly another ballad. His keyboards drive the early portion of the song, with a jaunty melody providing something of a contrast to his more emotional vocals - but overall this song is a bit more full-sounding than Mother of Invention, with a stronger drum presence throughout and a few stabs of weighty guitar from Lesperance. The chorus is also much bigger, with layers of harmony vocals to really boost the melodies sung by Hess. The band have always done slower songs well, and they still manage to squeeze a lot of drama into them. This is the album's best ballad in my opinion, and another strong moment on an album that is is full of memorable songs. Fire & Gasoline toughens things up again, with a darker-sounding driving riff kicking things off, while a murky verse further sets the tone with an organ growling in the background to offset Hess' lower vocals. He has a lot more grit in his delivery throughout this song, which really helps to further the heavier mood that the song is going for. Harem Scarem are rarely a heavy band, but this song is probably the closest thing on the album to being so. The riffing throughout is tough, but there is still plenty of melody to be found during the fast-paced chorus - as well as Lesperance's screaming, shredded solo. The album comes to a close with Swallowed by the Machine, a melodic piece that dials back the previous song's heaviness to reinforce the band's usual smoothness - with another hypnotic guitar opening and atmospheric keyboard backing. There are catchier songs here, but the melodies throughout the track are still strong and overall the piece is memorable - although there is still a little bit of murk that can be found throughout which helps to provide a contrast to the usual bright melodies. The high point of the song however is probably Lesperance's guitar solo which opens with a fast-paced melody, before launching into an expressive, bluesy run of notes that perfectly sums his approach to his instrument. It fits in with the murkier piece perfectly, but it is left to another reprise of the song's decent chorus to bring the album to a close. Overall, Change the World is a strong album from Harem Scarem that fits in nicely with their other more recent releases and continues the run of enjoyable, solid albums. They are not a band to drastically change things up between each release, but they are a reliable act who continue to deliver enjoyable melodic rock albums for their fans. I feel I need to dip back further into the band's catalogue, as they are a band that I would like to become more familiar with in the future.

The album was released on 6th March 2020 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for The Death of Me.