Harem Scarem
Mood Swings

And we move on to the second work of Harem Scarem, namely Mood Swings, dating back to 1993. The lineup is the same as their debut album, with Harry Hess on vocals/keyboards, Pete Lesperance on guitar, Mike Gionet on bass (who is losing hair and will become almost bald on Voice Of Reason), and Darren Smith on drums.

Mood Swings represents the absolute masterpiece of the Canadians, a peak that the band from Ontario will never reach again, but this does not mean that their career will collapse, quite the contrary! Some really remarkable albums will come out in the following years, and I'm talking about the much-maligned Karma Cleansing and Big Bang Theory, but I'll discuss this separately, God willing, and above all, Debaser permitting!

Returning to us, Mood Swings highlights a hardening of the sound, focusing this time on a more robust hard rock very close to the classic metal of Dokken, where Lesperance's guitar often takes center stage. However, everything is still blended with beautiful melodies and the wonderful choruses that characterized their debut album. The album thus aims for greater physicality and musical concreteness, without neglecting melody, resulting in one of the most successful works in melodic hard rock and, I venture to say, even in hard rock in general. And, as usual, the track-by-track.

It opens immediately with a bang. A menacing intro by Lesperance and a lethal riff open one of the most beautiful rock songs written by the group: "Saviors Never Cry" is a stunning song, possessing an incredible vitality, with an outstanding vocal performance by Hess as always, not forgetting the essential contribution of the rest of the rhythm section with Smith and Gionet. Another punch to the gut follows with "No Justice", another masterpiece by the band, where once again Lesperance rules with a truly remarkable solo reminiscent of Extreme (with vague oriental references). The song's engaging finale highlights the group's huge versatility. Then comes an electric ballad like "Stranger Than Love", which any self-respecting rocker can dedicate to their partner to achieve... what they desire! It is followed by "Change Comes Around" with a decidedly interesting intro and truly precise guitar work by Lesperance. This time Hess's voice adapts to even lower tones, but the most beautiful thing about this song is the Queen-like finale: a great song and another masterpiece of the album!

We find ourselves halfway through the album with "Jealousy", a more reflective and constructive song compared to the initial blasts, yet it remains a very beautiful and sweet track, not a true ballad but simply an excellent interlude, built on effective melodies and with that class that only Harem Scarem naturally possess. The keyboards make their presence felt (but very slightly) on "Sentimental Blvd.", sung by drummer Darren Smith, and this time Hess only provides backing vocals in the bridge and chorus of the track. Smith has a rather husky tone of voice, but the song is pleasant and impactful in this beautiful electric semi-ballad. It's worth noting that this song will be revisited by Hess in his 2003 solo album. After the atmospheric instrumental "Mandy", the hard rock returns with "Empty Promises", which opens with another excellent riff by Lesperance and continues with a certain physicality throughout its duration, featuring a great break midway and a good solo. "If There Was A Time" shows a more intimate side: here too Lesperance's guitar is felt in all its mastery, but it perfectly blends with the keyboard melodies created by Hess and the always excellent remaining rhythm section of Smith and Gionet. "Just Like I Planned" is a hard rock version of the Neri per caso, a song that seems out of place but actually highlights Hess's and the other group members' enormous vocal abilities, especially on a choral level. The album closes with the beautiful "Had Enough" in which the four Canadians showcase all their class.

Summing up, we have in front of us a true masterpiece of the genre as already mentioned above. In the years to come, Harem Scarem will lose a bit of direction but will still manage to produce good music.