Harem Scarem / Art Nation / Russ Ballard - 3 x Album Reviews

Reviewed by Iain McArthur • 28 April 2025
Last weekend was a big one for Italian label Frontiers. Their own three-day festival in Milan showcased the best of the talent on their roster and on the Friday they released another batch of three albums that are worthy of attention. With the earlier release of the latest collection from W.E.T. they’ve had quite a month in April.

Canadian rockers Harem Scarem were the Sunday headliner at the festival and their latest album ‘Chasing Euphoria’ continues a fine late-career renaissance. Their 1993 album ‘Mood Swings’ has justifiably achieved legendary status and like FM, they were re-united and rejuvenated by an appearance at Nottingham’s Firefest a few years ago. Songs like ‘Sinking Ship’ and ‘Things I Know’ from 2017’s ‘United’ have fully justified that.

Pete Lesperance on guitar and vocalist / producer Harry Hess (also of First Signal) have always been there and allegedly the band’s name was derived from a ‘Bugs Bunny’ cartoon. The latest album is another slice of muscular Canadian melodic rock (which is just like American melodic rock but with more hockey and less tariffs) and standout tracks include the rollocking title track, ‘Better the Devil You Know’, ‘Reliving History’ and especially ‘In a Bad Way’. The band are just completing a short European run with Cassidy Paris and hopefully we’ll see them back over here soon.

Gothenburg rockers Art Nation burst out of Sweden about ten years ago, featuring guitarist Christoffer Borg and rising star vocalist Alexander Strandell. We know Strandell from his stellar work singing the Martin brothers’ songs on the outstanding Nitrate album ‘Feel the Heat’ last year but he’s also performed with Crowne and on the most recent Lionville album.


Other than the Covid years, they’ve been good for an album every second year and the latest ‘The Ascendance’ follows on from 2023’s ‘Inception’ and features some more muscular melodic rock but with a harder edge, some euro-bounce and it hits the spot with some anthemic songs which are almost power metal-lite. ‘Set Me Free’ and ‘Thunderball’ rock along well, there is a typical lady’s name power ballad ‘Julia’ and ‘Unstoppable’ comes over a bit danceable like Amaranthe.


Overall, this is another quality release and I am sure they will have gone down well live at the Frontiers festival too.


Veteran Russ Ballard is a veritable emperor of song-writing, with royalties from repeat plays of some of the best songs you’ve ever heard topping up his pension with every passing month. He can’t stop the great song ideas popping into his head though, so he’s now released thirteen new ones in a double CD collection entitled ‘Songs from the Warehouse / The Hits Rewired’. On first listen, it is clear that there are some gems in here like ‘Soul Music’ and ‘Last Man Standing’ but generally I would describe it as a song-writing masterclass but maybe “a grower rather than a shower” and I’m not sure there are any obvious chart-topping sensations to match ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’, ‘I Surrender’ or ‘God Gave Rock & Roll to You’.


No fear though, the second disc in this set features updated home-grown versions of many of Russ’ greatest hits that are perhaps best known when performed by other artists. Now when you are so familiar with hearing these works by KISS, Rainbow and Ace Frehley, it can make this CD sound like a covers album but it is none the worse for it. Among my favourites are marginally lesser-known, less rocky songs like ‘I Know There’s Something Going On’ (ABBA’s Anni-Frid), ‘No More the Fool’ (Elkie Brooks) and ‘So You win Again’ (Hot Chocolate). For slightly younger rock fans, we get ‘On the Rebound’ (Abominog-era Uriah Heep) but sadly no ‘Riding with the Angels’ (Samson).


This album really is a treasure trove and it is great to hear Russ still writing and performing to a very high standard. Those attending WinterStorm in Troon in November will enjoy seeing and hearing Russ in action and it will be interesting to see how he edits his back catalogue into a festival set. I am certainly looking forward to it.