HAREM SCAREM – Mood Swings II [digipak retail]

Frontiers Records was the vehicle for the release of “Mood Swings II“, the album celebrating the reunion of illustrious Canadian melodic rockers HAREM SCAREM.
After disbanding in 2008, rumors of a Harem Scarem reunion and a possible tour circulated all around and that gossip became fact when the band was chosen as the FireFest headliner (where they performed Mood Swings entirely) with additional European tour dates.

For the occasion, the reactivated Harem Scarem revisits their 1993’s popular second album “Mood Swings”. Harry Hess & Co. celebrates the Anniversary of such career-defining release re-recording from scratch the eleven songs that made up that CD and also adding three new tracks in the spirit of the original “Mood Swings” direction.

Now before you get your tidy whities in a bunch, “Mood Swings II” does nothing to soil the reputation of the original album. If anything it has crisp bright sound and a renewed strength, likely from the band being motivated by their reunion.

The great songs from the original album get a fresh, revved up feel including the first single “No Justice”, “Saviors Never Cry”, “Sentimental Blvd.”, my personal favorite “Stranger Than Love” and “Had Enough” with it’s brisk guitar intro.

As for the three new songs, the Def Leppard-like ballad “World Gone To Pieces”, the catchy “Anarchy” and “Brighter Day” are simply excellent, creating punchy classic melodic rock waves, maybe even a little edgier.
Specially the former will have the chorus spinning in your ears for several days.

Sometimes this type of re-recording exercise works and sometimes it doesn’t. I’m pleased to let you know that on this occasion it works very, very well, superbly I’d say.
If you’ve never experienced the wonderful Scarem Harem sound before you won’t find a better introduction than this “Mood Swings II”. To be honest, classy Melodic Hard Rock / AOR doesn’t get any classier than this.
Let’s hope the Scarem continue together for many years to come and releasing more albums in this style, which ultimately, it’s what the fans want.
Essential in every Melodic Rock collection

01. Saviors Never Cry
02. No Justice
03. Stranger Than Love
04. Change Comes Around
05. Jealousy
06. Sentimental Blvd.
07. Mandy
08. Empty Promises
09. If There Was A Time
10. Just Like I Planned
11. Had Enough
12. World Gone To Pieces (new track – bonus)
13. Anarchy (new track – bonus)
14. Brighter Day (new track – bonus)

Harry Hess: Vocals, Keyboards
Pete Lesperance: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards
Creighton Doane: Drums
Darren Smith: Lead & Background Vocals on “Sentimental Blvd.”

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Mood-Swings-Ii-Harem-Scarem/dp/B00DOQK2GE
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