Kev Rowland Back in In 2010, a new band came together under the watchful eyes of Canadian rock vocalist Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) and German producer Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, Khymera), First Signal. At the time Harem Scarem were on a break, and Frontiers President Serafino Perugino presented Hess with some melodic rock songs which he felt were worthy of his attention. The debut album was greeted with great interest, and even though Harem Scarem became a viable entity again, Hess was keen to record more songs under the First Signal monicker. The second album came out in 2016, when he there was a total shift in personnel and he was joined by Daniel Flores (drums, who also produced the album) and Michael Palace (guitars) plus assorted guests, and now they are back with the third where the core line-up has been expanded by the addition of Johan Niemann (bass) . The inspiration behind the album were the first two Harem Scarem albums, two absolute Melodic Rock classics, but with some new twists thrown in, with songs covering everything from AOR to Arena Hard Rock.

Any fan of melodic hard rock will know exactly who Harry Hess is, and what he consistently delivers, and this is nothing different in that it is top class with great performances from all involved. Keyboards are a key part of the overall sound, and with great hooks and melodies combined with strong production and immaculate harmonies it is hard to really pick fault. True, it is a cast of thousands when it comes to the songs themselves (the press release proudly states they are provided by Stan Meissner, Harry Hess, Henrik Hedström, Lars Edvall, Anderz Wrethov, Andreas Johansson, Carl Dixon, Bruce Turgon, Sören Kronqvist, Morgan Jensen, Hal Marabel, Daniel Palmqvist, Ulrick Lönnqvist and Nigel Bailey), but Hess is front and centre of everything which is going on and with the guys next to him in perfect sync the result is a blast from start to finish.

True, there are times when one can feel there is just too much sugar coating going on, but here is a band who in many ways really are capturing those very early days of Harem Scarem, who are still one of the very top bands to come out of Canada. It would be great for these guys to be out on the road and really gelling together, but given priorities I expect this only ever to remain as a studio project, which in many ways is a shame as I would love to hear them grow as a unit. But even as it stands this is a great slab of melodic rock.

Stephen When Harem Scarem decided to fold the cards couple years ago, I'm not expecting them to return at least 5-6 years, but the news of Frontiers reviving the magical voice of Harry Hess in a project similar to Place Vendome or Sunstorm is like a winter breeze in a hot summer sun. Hess is purely a full-time singer here as most of the songs contributors are not from any Harem Scarem camp, but some big names such as Richard Marx, James Christian, Erik Martensson, and Robert Sall. Musically, First Signal is a breed of early Harem Scarem blended with their later era and the typical Dennis Ward's melodic rock style.

"This City", the first single of the album, is a monstrous melodic bliss with a catchy chorus and nice solo. This track alone successfully brought back the nostalgic value of Hess' golden era in the dawn of 90s. "When You Believe" is up next, another great track and I'm sensing a big Journey influence inside. "Part of Me" continues the classic Harem Scarem style. "Crazy" is a sad and anguish ballad and somehow reminds me of Bon Jovi's "Santa Fe". The title track, which is quite similar to "This City", is a mix of classic and contemporary Harem Scarem style, another fave of mine. "Into The Night" is a soothing piece of melodic rock and "Yesterday's Rain" has a thick W.E.T scent and both are simply stunning. Honestly, the rest of the album is pretty good as well, no weak moment at all, and Hess provides an immaculate vocal delivery throughout the album.

First Signal is definitely made for fans of early Harem Scarem but maintained the fresh edge to keep this album from sounding outdated. Hess' voice is as strong as ever and this album just keeps getting better and better after repetitive spins. I can't help but to give this a solid five stars and consider this a big treat while waiting for them to reunite.