These Canadian rockers have been about...their previous recordings nothing more than lush, but very middle of the road rock...love rock, power ballads, swishy and sweeping but nothing out of the ordinary...and then 'Voice Of reason' hits...and what's happened ? Well, the '90s were a wake up call for metal, many bands, reliant on their satanic imagery basically bit the dust, whilst other bands decided to alter their sound. To some fans this may have been considered a sell-out, in fact some fans would be correct, but there were some bands who had evolve or die a gory death at the hands of grunge. And so, Harem Scarem, after too many sick-inducing radio friendly moments of boredom, went all alternative on us to some extent, and good for them. If anyone has seen the video for the cracking 'Blue', you wouldn't think it was the same band, who originally looked like something from a catalogue with their cropped haircuts, dodgy facial expressions...surely hair metal needs hair ? Anyway, Harem Scarem, albeit for a short time, seemed willing to trade punches with the likes of Enuff Z Nuff, and had echoes of the wondrous Saigon Kick, as the big, bolshy guitars caress the sweeping pipes of Hess. This isn't innovative, but it's sugary and this time the rumoured big songs have some weight and depth, again, 'Blue' shines through (backed by a wonderfully odd video).
Harem Scarem were never alterno-rock but as a step forward 'Voice Of Reason' made all the right moves to keeping in time, and whilst I often croon about so many bands who seem to borrow heavily from The Beatles, Harem Scarem, for a short time could have been one of those lush acts. It didn't last however, but this is an album worth checking out even if it lacks the supreme innovation and catchy wonder of so many other bands before.
7/10
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