Overload

Overload is a work on which Harem Scarem builds highly polished melodic rock around trim, beautiful guitar, lyrical vocal melody and precise choruses. Rather than relying on flashy decoration, it draws the listener in through the songs’ deft construction and the natural flow of the harmony. An engaging record full of the calm conviction particular to a mature band. From the powerful drive of the opener “Dagger” and the beautiful “Afterglow” to the lyricism of “Rise & Fall,” every song is of a high standard, while cuts like “Don’t Come Easy” and “Can’t Live With You” convey the band’s rich melodic sense. Both hard rock numbers and mellow ballads have a playing ease and songwriting surety backed by long experience. Its major distinction is a construction that wins carefully on the plain appeal of the songs and the deftness of mature playing, over flash. A cover of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” is also fun as playfulness. Letting you fully savor Harem Scarem’s sure, craftsman-like appeal, it is a fulfilling melodic-hard-rock work showing a veteran’s underlying strength.