Harem Scarem
Voice Of Reason

The beautiful cover photo that captures a surprisingly monochromatic landscape, almost unreal yet possible by the warm and steaming volcanic lakes of Iceland, spectacularly introduces the third album, dated 1995, by the Harem Scarem, a Canadian quartet of great talent not supported by adequate international success. The group has, unfortunately, recently disbanded after holding on for about twenty years and releasing a dozen albums, thanks especially to the strong response from Japan, as well as obviously from their homeland.

If their career had started just a few years earlier (their debut album dates back to 1991), they would surely have spent a few years in great glory before being swept away by the cheerful flannel-shirted crowd and the unheard-of volte-face by the major music labels against all classic rock, except for a few superstars (Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Guns&Roses, Metallica).

As is typical for Canadian bands, there's a good dose of old Europe in Harem Scarem's sound, while still remaining eminently American. More specifically, this inspirational connection to our local rock has a precise reference name: Queen. However, of the famous London quartet, all those decadent, kitschy, excessive, and sly aspects due to the particular personality of the brilliant but overflowing Freddie Mercury are completely bypassed. The inspiration concerns more strictly musical and technical aspects, such as the dramatic and passionate vocal setup (although Harry Hess's vocal tone, which is rougher, is completely different from Freddie's), the complex and layered use of choirs, the round, compressed and highly distorted sound of the lead guitar, easily reaching high notes and incredibly agile in the hands of Pete Lesperance, as much if not more than Brian May's.

No concessions then to dance and pop, much less to operetta or musicals. Harem Scarem's rock is compact and intense, an almost heavy-metal noisy and tense sound but full of melody with the addition, on this occasion, of a certain desire for grunge in the guitar accompaniment, whether to keep up with the times or due to a real interest in the new sounds that were decidedly in vogue in those years. Essentially, Lesperance tunes down his instrument and indulges in more expanded and "slack" rhythmic sounds, typical of the Seattle school, moving away from the midrange and precise timbres of the more classic A.O.R. to which the group's first two records led back.

Among the eleven songs on the list, my preferences go first and foremost to "Blue", which alternates beautiful pounding phases with verses of crystal-clear melody; at its center, there's a sensational solo by the guitarist, the best among the many that adorn the album, virtuosic yet highly melodic, a true song within the song. I also really like "Let It Go", a ballad introduced by a liquid arpeggio with a unique and suggestive sound that then reaches its climax by gradually intensifying the layered guitars and vocal arrangements. A bit tough but beautiful in the long run, is also the initial track that titles the work. The finale, consisting of "Necessary Evil", well-performed by the excellent Harry Hess, sung with heart in hand, is also well-executed.

In the nineties, rock, in my opinion, slowed down considerably in terms of inspiration, variety, innovation, and genius, but Harem Scarem were among those who helped not to consider that decade so much less musically interesting compared to the previous ones. In Italy, they are very little known, but one can always make amends, as their works are available online or in better-equipped record stores. There are more or less successful ones, of course, and of this album in particular, it can be said that it is average, neither the best nor the worst of their career, but in all of them emerges the undoubted class and musical skill of the quartet, well-cohesive and free of any cocky or brash posturing, respectful of the different Beatles, Zeppelin, Queen, Kiss, and others from whom they drew inspiration with passion and intelligence, to in turn formulate a certain unique sound and recognizable style.