Embrace the World

According to a web search I just did, harrow seems to mean "click here to see full definition!". I was hoping to learn if calling a band Harrow had any special significance. Perhaps "click here to see full definition" makes perfect sense; if you're reading this, clearly you opted to click here (meaning on my review) to see the full definition of Harrow (the band). In short, I define this group as 75% power metal, 15% progressive, and the remainder either groove or 90s-style heavy metal. Their sound falls into that category of nothing you haven't heard before, but they are just very good at this particular style of metal. 'Embrace the World' reminds me of what Annihilator's 'Set the World on Fire' might have sounded like with a better execution.

Harrow has definitely embraced their strengths on this album. In their earlier works, Frank van Gerwen's vocals sounded perfectly good, but almost a little too 80s for my liking. By that I mean he seemed to go for frequent soaring high notes, more of an Iron Maiden influence. With this final release from the band, he has found a powerful comfort zone that really enhances the overall sound. While the soaring highs are still there, they sound more polished than before. He also goes into a snarly tone regularly that reminds me of Edwin from Decision D, or occasionally almost like Shmier from Destruction.

There are also moments of experimentation with the vocal patterns, too. The best song here is 'Masquerade of War', which (along with 'The Sun') features some layered singing with two different lyrics done together in different styles. One of my favorite bands, Mushroomhead, does this all the time. This probably explains why I like it so much when Harrow applies the same idea to a power metal style. It's just a little different; it isn't a simple overdub to get some low growls under a higher clean note but more like the way a rhythm guitar riff would chug away under a tasteful lead.

As I mentioned before, the music doesn't break any new ground. However, there still is a recognizable style on display. After listening to their 1997 release, it becomes clear that Harrow was quickly focusing their sound. Shame on them for breaking up right as they hit their stride! Drummer Martin Kuipers is actually the reason I gave this band a chance. He performed on one of my favorite quirky thrash albums, the debut from Mystrez. Desperate to find something similar, I followed the link to Harrow's page. If you're familiar with Mystrez, I'll say that his drumming here is tamer, just less technical overall. However, he always picks the right tempos to match what the guitars are playing. His skill stands out during the progressive sections on the album, with a flawless transition from simple to more complicated rhythms. In fact, his own smooth transition from technical thrash to power metal proves his competence as a well-rounded drummer.

The guitar performances could be my favorite parts of 'Embrace the World'. In short, it sounds like a great deal of thought went into every passage. As a drummer, my interpretation of their style is that they seem to play a lot of "full" chords rather than all power chords. That description may not make sense, but whatever they do during a lot of the rhythm parts just feels thicker and adds some depth to the songs. Some power metal bands come off rather heavy-handed with the forced melodic guitar work. Here, you will find variety ranging from gloomy to upbeat, melodic to dissonant, heavy to mellow. Within this variety are many subtle touches that increase the replay value. Coincidentally, 'Masquerade of War' features some of the best riffing as well as vocals. This one song maintains a steady momentum while the guitars go from a headbang-ready riff, to a speed metal riff, to a gloomy arpeggio, and back. For those interested in lead work, I don't recall hearing a lot of solos on the album but they are always good when present.

Besides the previously mentioned song, the instrumental title track is highly recommended. It plays like a summary of this album's variety. While the vocals are obviously absent, the music goes from moody to pensive to inspirational with ease. I first noticed this song while playing the CD repeatedly on a trip to Portland, Oregon. The weather in that city can be an exercise in finding beauty on an otherwise dreary day. 'Embrace the World' (the song) plays out like almost every day I spent there. You can give in to the gloom and let it control you, or choose to focus on the intrinsic positivity to find your own sense of inspiration.

Ultimately, the downside to an album that does a well-used style of metal properly is that it may still take repeated listens for the overall effect to sink in. This sounds counterintuitive, as usually the same will be said of highly technical music. However, the persistent depth to the guitar work, impressively varied singing, and appropriately mellow drumming all merge to create a very listenable album.

[My CD is buried in storage pending a cross-country move, but as of now the auto-populated data from when I ripped this album lists the title track as #10. This track is most definitely instrumental, so either I have it mislabeled or the lyrics listed on the album's page are incorrect].