Harem Scarem - Weight Of The World


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Frontiers
Catalog Number: FRCD 094
Format: CD
Total Time: 38:04:00

Harem Scarem were formed in 1988 and their self-tited debut saw the light of day in Canada in 1991. They followed this up in 1993 with the classic album Mood Swings. I hadn't heard a lot of Harem Scarem and I was a bit skeptical of this being another standard Frontiers Records melodic rock fest. How wrong I was because...

...Weight Of The World is incredible.

From the opening track I knew this was going to be special. This was going to be high-quality hard rock with a difference and even now I don't even know where to start. This is so good that it could make it on commercial radio (as it was in the late 80s anyway - radio doesn't play anything special today). This is a hard rocking monster with generous melodies that works like nothing I've heard in this genre recently. There's a generous helping of vocal harmonies and melodies that are huge but it gives it a moody feel to it as well. And it's all very reminiscent of some early Def Leppard too without the pomp and ceremony that they attracted. The songs are short which means you're not hearing any self-indulgent rubbish and the album ends after 37 minutes - but what a 37 minutes they are. I could start on the dreamlike production or the startling energy of vocalist Harry Hess. I could even talk up the extremely intricate work of drummer Creighton Doane or the work of guitarist Pete Lesperance but there's no need really. Just take my enthusiasm for saying this is what melodic rock should be about.

Weight Of The World - there's so much to talk about but I just want to say this is one of the best melodic rock albums that will be released in 2002. Do yourself, your friends, your enemies, your neighbours, and anybody else you consider, a favour and get hold of this wonderful album by Harem Scarem.

[Harem Scarem changed their name to Rubber after Big Bang Theory (1998) and released their next three albums (2 studio, 1 live) under that moniker for the Canadian market, including Weight... ; however, Weight and Live At The Gods were also released in Japan under the Harem Scarem name. Aside from name, there are tracklisting differences, which you can learn of at the band's... or rather bands'...website. ?PW ed.]

Similar To: (early) Def Leppard, Rubber

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]


Tracklisting:
Weight Of The World (5:00) / Killing Me (3:14) / Outside Your Window (4:37) / All I Want (3:57) / This Ain't Over (4:15) / Internude (0:56) / You Ruined Everything (3:35) / Charmed Life (3:07) / If You (3:09) / See Saw (2:53) / Voice Inside (3:17)

Musicians:
Harry Hess ? keyboards, vocals
Pete Lesperance ? guitar, keyboards, vocals
Barry Donaghy ? bass, vocals
Creighton Doane ? drums, vocals

Guest:

Darren Smith ? background vocals

Discography:
Harem Scarem (1991)
Mood Swings (1993)
Live & Acoustic (1994)
Voice Of Reason (1995)
Live In Japan (1996)
Believe (as released in JP) (1997)
Karma Cleansing (as released in CA) (1997)
Live Ones (JP only) (1997)
Believe (spec. ed.) (1997)
Big Bang Theory (1998)
The Best Of (JP only) (1998)
B-Sides Collection (1998)
Live At The Siren (1998)
Ballads (JP only) (1999)
Rubber (by HS in JP; released as s/t by Rubber in CA) (1999)
Last Live (JP only) (2000)
Rocks (JP only) (2001)
Rubber - Ultra Feel (2001)
Weight Of The World (as Rubber in CA) (2002) The Very Best Of (JP only) (2002)
Live At The Gods (2002)
The Early Years (2003)
Higher (2003)
The Essentials (2005)
Overload (2005)
Human Nature (2007)
Hope (2008)
This Ain't Over ? The Best Of The Avalon Years (2009)

Video Hits & More (VHS/DVD) (JP only) (2002)
Live At The Gods (DVD) (2002)

Genre: Melodic Metal

Origin CA

Added: December 19th 2004
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.haremscarem.net
Hits: 2174
Language: english

  

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