Canadian melodic hard rockers Honeymoon Suite come back out of nowhere in early 2024 with a new album titled Alive after a sixteen year break since their previous album – Clifton Hill in 2008.
OK – there was the Hands Up EP in 2016 though that was eight years ago and it has the running time of an album.
Anyhoo – here we are in 2024 and have this new Honeymoon Suite album to enjoy. After over four decades in the business, Alive has the band on top form. A very solid, enjoyable slab of high class, punchy hard edged, feel good, refreshing melodic rock in the typical Honeymoon Suite style.
I go back with them to their heydays of the 1980s. The local radio station had a weekly one hour rock show. One night they played a couple of tracks from The Big Prize and I was hooked. Their stuff was hard to find here in the UK back then – though fortunately I was due to go on holiday to Toronto and came back with their self titled debut, The Big Prize and Racing After Midnight.
Those three albums certainly put them on the map with good sales – not surprisingly especially in their homeland. However they’ve not been the most prolific in terms of recorded output since. For example a ten year break between Monsters Under the Bed and Lemon Tongue then another seven until Clifton Hill.
That said, all their albums are classy and Alive is certainly no exception.
We have ten tracks of short, punchy, no messing about, crisp, beefy, up beat melodic hard rock with big memorable choruses and hooks.
Powerful vocals, thumping rhythm section, tasteful use of keys and the excellent beefy guitar work from Derry Grehan. Varies his riffs and his solo work is as always with him is fluid yet economical.
Also a couple of bonus tracks which are new versions of a couple of HMS classics – Love Changes Everything and New Girl Now.
The title track starts things off in fine style. Nice riff pushing it along, big vocals, flowing solo, big hook, instantly memorable. Have a look at the video:
And so it continues over the remainder. Find What You’re Looking For a little slower than the opener though no less enjoyable with another memorable hook and melody. Done Doin’ Me comes in hot – well, as does the entire album. The couple which go in the ballad territory are no back numbers either.
Over forty years in and Honeymoon Suite retain the class and enthusiasm from back then to this day as evidenced here on Alive. Welcome back lads…..! Various formats available.
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