Canadian hard rock royalty, Honeymoon Suite, return with their ninth record – and return is the operative word.
It might be just over a year since their last one, but this feels like a step back to their roots.
“Fly” sees solos soar as high as the choruses, for example, but “Way Of The World” is exactly the reason they’ve endured as long as they have. Put it this way: bands past their 40th anniversary aren’t supposed to sound as fresh as Honeymoon Suite do on the harmonies and hooks of the superb “Every Minute.” Derry Grehan’s guitar here sounds absolutely filthy.
But hard rock needs its ballads, of course, and the power ballad “Way Too Fast” would have doubtless been a big hit during the first 10 years of their existence.
That said – and this may just be personal preference – Suite are, well, sweeter when they’re rocking. “Stay This Time” has a Def Leppard vibe, and “Crazy Life” lives in their natural habitat: arenas.
Short and sharp, ten songs in just over half an hour. “Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down” sees them once again writing with – and produced by – Mike Krompass. He’s worked with artists as diverse as Smash Mouth and Steven Tyler, and his gift for understanding the bands who entrust him means “Live On” is a glorious melodic record – and one that just oozes class.
A band that has had two long hiatuses in its career, HS are evidently brimming with ideas at the moment, if the mid-paced melody of “Keep This Love Alive” is any guide. The type of thing Bon Jovi should be doing at this stage of their careers, it’s arguably the high point here.
They get down and dirty – not to mention bluesy – on “Unpredictable.” “I should really act my age,” sings Johnny Dee, but he knows there’s no fun in that.
A feature of this album is how it sounds rooted in the past but never dated. To that end, the energy keeps flowing right to the end, with the anthem that is “Ever Leave You Lonely.”
41 years and counting – but crucially, two albums in 12 months – this Honeymoon is continuing, and “Wake Me Up When The Sun Goes Down” is the work of men who aren’t ready for an early night.
Rating: 8/10
