As a fan of Canadian melodic Hard Rock band Harem Scarem I was quite intrigued when Frontiers Records revealed that they would release a new project that would feature Harem Scarem singer Harry Hess back in 2010. Back then the Frontiers all-star albums didn’t come thirteen a dozen and many of them were both exciting, fun and last but not least really good. The project took the name First Signal and the self-titled debut was a phenomenal Melodic Rock album, an album I still listen to a lot. It was a success so a follow-up was a must and One Step Over The Line came out six years later and was almost as awesome. Hess sure put his stamp on those albums even though he wasn’t involved in the song-writing.
Since then two more releases has come out – Line Of Fire (2019), a good release and Closer To The Edge (2022), a dull and underwhelming effort that sounded just like every other all-star project of lately. The issue now with those projects is that the fact that they used to contain a whole bunch of different song-writers that gave the albums some diversity now mostly contains one or two of them which makes them sound exactly the same. I can’t say I was aroused by the news of a new First Signal album after the last belly-splash but I also felt I really needed to give it a fair shot.
Opener and single “Unbreakable” kicks off the album right like I had hoped it would. It’s a guitar-driven, heavy Melodic Rock cruncher right out of Harem Scarem’s back-pocket and I’m wondering if Hess might have a hand in the song-writing here. It’s melodic with some smooth vocal melodies but it’s also punchy on a beefy rhythm, it’s distinct with lots of edge and melodies that hits home right off the bat. A strong opener with a spot-on refrain that’s gold to me. Very good. On a slamming rhythm and rowdy guitars “Situation Critical” is a busy rocker, quite hard-hitting with some slight metal-inserts. The tune holds a darker edge, it’s hard and potent with a striking in-your-face chorus. Great stuff.
Leading single “Shoot The Bullet” is the roughest tune yet, more in the vein of Hard Rock with a Melodic Rock touch and could easily have fitted one of Harem Scarem’s later releases. It’s a firey, red-hot stomper, quite ballsy with a kick-ass live-feel but also melodic enough to create some major hit-potential with a chorus that hits bulls-eye right away. Great stuff. “Always Be There” is a mid-paced, quite smooth semi-ballad. The song is carried by a solid rhythm that brings along a catchy riff and lots of smooth power ballad-ish vocal melodies. It holds an easily embraced refrain that really sticks but that’s said it’s on threshold of being too sugary.
On a faster track, the highly energetic “Dominoes” comes crashing with a spark where traces of Metal has sneaked in again. It’s live-friendly, guitar-driven and punchy but also throws in some quite poppy vocal-melodies in the big chorus that creates an immediate hook. Good stuff. On a smoother note “Rain For Your Roses” throws more melodies in the vein of early Harem Scarem. A bit on the AOR side it also holds the guitar at front which brings along some edge and the refrain is splendid, very direct with lots of hit potential. Good one. The title-track on the other hand comes on strong on a heavier note and is more a ballsy hard-rocker than anything else. It’s powerful, ballsy, metal-flirting and rough. The verses is more mid-tempo but the chorus ups the speed and throws a monster hook our way. This is brilliant.
If Def Leppard and Harem Scarem wrote a song together it could very well turn out like “Never Gonna Let You Go”. AOR-ish as it is it also contains a meaty rhythm-section that lays ground for some chuggy, chunky guitars and hooky melodies. The Def Lep-like main guitar line is contagious and the massive sing-along friendly chorus is simply astounding. No wonder it was a single. Should’ve been a big hit in a fair world. In another direction “Not This Time” is more uptempo and punchy and throws in some 80’s Pop mixed with heavier rock-guitars and AOR melodies. It’s big on synthesizers in the verses but the chorus is more slick AOR. It’s an ok tune but the chorus never really takes off properly.
First Signal enters power ballad land with the smooth “In The Name Of Love”. After a low-key start featuring only piano and vocals on a soft note the band comes in and takes it into a more bombastic direction, still slow, down-beat and quite slick, the way we know our beloved power ballads. The chorus is huge, hooky and infectious with a major Harem Scarem vibe involved. Very good. The album ends upbeat and straight forward with the rhythmic AOR stomper “Never Be Silenced”. It’s a good-time party rocker with a late 80’s vibe, striking melodies and some smooth and direct vocal-lines and the hooky chorus is for you who dug the debut Harem Scarem album. A great song and a perfect closer.
Something has happened with this project. Even though First Signal has released some good albums after the two first, they’re not really albums I go back to that often. I will go back to this one because it’s really damn good. Especially after the last record this is album is a breath of fresh air. Sure, it’s a Melodic Rock album and there’s nothing new musically on the table but there’s a fire and a spark here that the later albums are missing – and the songs are really, really good. It’s also an edgier and more robust affair we’re getting here, more guitar driven and punchier with a heavier outlook which suits the project very well. Well done by all involved.
8/10
More First Signal reviews:
One Step Over The Line
Line Of Fire
Closer To The Edge
Tracklist:
1. Unbreakable
2. Situation Critical
3. Shoot The Bullet
4. Always Be There
5. Dominoes
6. Rain For Your Roses
7. Face Your Fears
8. Never Gonna Let You Go
9. Not This Time
10. In The Name Of Love
11. Never Be Silenced
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