Chasing Euphoria

Chasing Euphoria is a 2025 work on which, around Harem Scarem’s refined production and smooth flow of songs, the sure character of the mature band can be reaffirmed. Rather than being caught by flashy signature songs alone, following the sonic center, the deft placement of choruses and the natural flow between songs, a rich, unified expression as a whole album comes clearly into view. A record showing the fullness of a long career. Following the powerful drive of the opening title track “Chasing Euphoria,” the greatly flow-changing “In A Bad Way” and the lyrical “Wasted Years” toward the end, it is built so that each song’s role and subtle differences of temperature are easy to see. The compatibility of Harry Hess’s mature voice and Pete Lesperance’s precise guitar shows no decline in this period either, boasting superb steadiness. Its great value lies in how, even after a long career, the band keeps powerfully sounding the quality of the melodic hard rock it does best without lowering it in the least. A record filled throughout with a veteran’s sure craft and refined melodic sense. Standing out for its fullness even within the flow of the whole discography, it is a powerful, mature melodic-rock work.