{"id":32455,"date":"2013-10-23T08:08:27","date_gmt":"2013-10-23T13:08:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=32455"},"modified":"2014-02-08T08:38:21","modified_gmt":"2014-02-08T13:38:21","slug":"harem-scarem-mood-swings-ii-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/harem-scarem-mood-swings-ii-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Harem Scarem | Mood Swings II<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"HaremOnce again a strong Canadian Wind is blowing – this time it is a reunited Harem Scarem delivering a solid and complete re-recording of their classic 1993 album Mood Swings<\/em>. With a fresh and clean sound plus three new tracks, Mood Swings II<\/em> should appeal to all Harem Scarem fans, or anyone looking for some old school melodic rock and metal.<\/p>\n

Three of the four original members are back together, although one has a very limited role. Frontman Harry Hess clearly demonstrates that he hasn\u2019t lost a step. His thick and sometimes smoky voice is as powerful as ever, and the more modern recording techniques uses only highlight his ability. The strings \u2013 both guitar and bass – are handled by the venerable Pete Lesperance. The integration and teamwork of guitar and bass are very strong as a result, and Pete\u2019s efforts behind the console are apparent as well, giving the entire release a bright and crisp tone. Original drummer Darren Smith also appears on the album, contributing lead and backing vocals on \u201cSentimental Blvd.\u201d but the drums on all tracks are capably handled by Creighton Doane, Harem Scarem\u2019s stick man since 2000. As is the Harem Scarem trademark, backing vocals are some of the best in the business.<\/p>\n

Musical highlights include: the powerful and hard rocking \u201cSaviors Never Cry;\u201d the slick and bouncy rhythm line of \u201cStranger Than Love;\u201d the funky, bluesy groove and blistering guitars of \u201cJealousy;\u201d the \u201cvintage\u201d sound of \u201cSentimental Blvd.\u201d delivered by Darren Smith\u2019s vocals; the gritty feel generated by guitar and vocals on \u201cEmpty Promises\u201d contrasting with the smooth acoustic work on the ballad \u201cJust Like I Planned;\u201d Each and every \u201cclassic\u201d track captured the spirit of the original.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorld Gone To Pieces\u201d is the first of the new tracks, and despite capturing the spirit of the old ones it has a decidedly modern tone. Slick guitars and a strong vocal performance make the song memorable. Pete Lesperance pulls out all his guitar chops on \u201cAnarchy,\u201d and Hess drops to the lower, grittier end of his range, suiting the lyrics perfectly. Doane\u2019s impeccable drums only serve to highlight the great rhythms and flows of the song. \u201cBrighter Day\u201d is a wonderfully uplifting melodic rocker and is hopefully an indication of things to come. All the new songs capitalize on the strong Harem Scarem sound and bode well for the future. Even though they\u2019ve modernized the sound a bit, there is no doubt that even after a five year hiatus Harem Scarem is still in top form. These three tracks prove that some things just never get old!<\/p>\n

Mood Swings II<\/em> is not only a great re-recording of a classic, it is a gem of an album on its own. The excellent re-working of the original album plus the three new songs makes it a winner all around. Harem Scarem fans can only hope that these new recordings are but the start of a newly revitalized career for the band, and with a little luck much more Canadian Wind will blow through in the future.<\/p>\n

Genre: Classic Rock<\/p>\n

Band:
\nHarry Hess (lead vocals)
\nPete Lesperance (guitars, bass)
\nCreighton Doane (drums)
\nDarren Smith (background vocals and lead vocals on \u201cSentimental Blvd.\u201d)<\/p>\n

Track Listing:
\n1.\tSaviors Never Cry
\n2.\tNo Justice
\n3.\tStranger Than Love
\n4.\tChange Comes Around
\n5.\tJealousy
\n6.\tSentimental Blvd.
\n7.\tMandy
\n8.\tEmpty Promises
\n9.\tIf There Was A Time
\n10.\tJust Like I Planned
\n11.\tHad Enough
\n12.\tWorld Gone To Pieces (new)
\n13.\tAnarchy (new)
\n14.\tBrighter Day (new)<\/p>\n

Label: Frontiers Records<\/p>\n

Website: http:\/\/www.haremscarem.net\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — Once again a strong Canadian Wind is blowing – this time it is a reunited Harem Scarem delivering a solid and complete re-recording of their classic 1993 album […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":32456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8704],"tags":[2317,1104,374,8159],"class_list":{"0":"post-32455","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2013","8":"tag-cd-review","9":"tag-classic-rock","10":"tag-frontiers-records","11":"tag-harem-scarem"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32455"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32455\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}