Release Date July 3rd, 2026
Format CD/Vinyl/Digital
Genre Hard Rock
Origin France
Harsh came together in Paris through the long friendship of Albert Arnold, Séverin Piozzoli, Julien Martin and Léo Löwenthal. Arnold handles lead vocals and guitar, Piozzoli adds guitar and backing vocals, Martin plays bass and backing vocals, and Löwenthal takes drums and backing vocals. The band entered the European hard rock circuit with "Out Of Control" in 2022, then built its name through more than 300 concerts across Europe and the United Kingdom. Four years later, the lineup returns with a second album shaped by life onstage and by a broader emotional range.
Harsh remains rooted in melodic hard rock, drawing from glam metal, arena rock and eighties pop without turning the music into a costume act. Big choruses, twin guitars and layered backing vocals form the core of their style. Arnold’s high register provides the main signature, shifting between a bright melodic approach and a rougher edge when the songs call for tension. The band’s presentation has a theatrical streak, though the music relies more on hooks and vocal chemistry than image.
"Feels" was mixed and mastered by Hannes Braun and released through Fireflash Records/Edel. Braun gives the guitars a broad, bright sound, with the bass audible beneath them and the drums placed high enough to add impact without crushing the vocals. The result is modern and radio ready, though it retains enough guitar edge for hard rock listeners who do not want the edges sanded down. The production can become overly smooth during the lighter passages, especially when stacked backing vocals and keyboard layers fill nearly every gap. Arnold remains the focus, and his performance is controlled across the album, moving from high melodic lines to a more strained delivery during the darker sections.
Musically, Harsh uses compact riffs, melodic guitar leads, large refrains and a steady rhythm section. Several songs follow the same verse, pre chorus and chorus pattern, which make the middle stretch less distinct than the opening section. "Fuel To The Fire" rises above that area through a strong hook and a faster rhythmic pulse. "Losing My Mind" adds tension and darker vocal shading, giving the album one of its more convincing emotional moments. The cover of Sembello’s "Maniac" is one of the best covers you’ll hear today. Harsh turns the pop hit into a heavier hard rock version with larger guitars and a chorus made for the stage. It sounds fully integrated into the album, and its urgency exposes how safe some of the original material can become. The slower songs add contrast, though the final stretch loses momentum and runs longer than its ideas require.
At its best, "Feels" is energetic melodic hard rock with immediate choruses, active guitars and a singer capable of holding the center. At its weakest, it relies too often on the genre’s standard structure and smooth studio choices. The album has enough variation to prevent total sameness, though not every chorus survives repeated plays. Harsh sounds prepared for larger stages, and the material should work better in concert than through headphones, where the repeated formulas become easier to spot. "Feels" is not essential, though it is far from disposable. It has enough hooks, emotion and guitar work to justify repeated spins, alongside enough safe writing to stop it from reaching the next level.
|7.5
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