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HAREM SCAREM -

Score: 2.5 out of 5 Battle-Axes (more about rating system)

The Canadian melodic rock act Harem Scarem has been around since the 90s and became quite a phenomenon in Japan. Their earlier releases were upbeat, commercial 'smoochie' rock with an 80s feel. But in recent years, the band has adopted a more modern instrumental sound to go with their melodic vocals. In fact, they dropped the Harem Scarem moniker for awhile, assuming the name Rubber (what an awful name!) instead. However, the Harem Scarem name is a better money-maker, so with Weight Of The World, it's been brought back. Surprisingly, I've read a lot of reviews on melodic rock sites giving the band high accolades for this album. The reviewers seem surprisingly unaffected by the modern guitar tones, something I would expect them to detest. Despite the modern overtones, the band has held on to the hooks and choruses (the title track and "All I Want" are excellent examples) and oftentimes the modern elements give the band a bit of an edge that they certainly didn't have before. But I think the band is trying to find a meeting ground between their old sound and the sound of current modern rock bands. Despite the fact that Harem Scarem is a tight unit, I'm not a fan of any modern rock artists and I find the combination rather unappealing. And on a final note, "This Ain't Over" is very fruity, and thankfully is the only ballad on the disc. (Chris Dugan)

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