Short Reviews [Huis - 2024 - "In The Face Of Unknown"]

Huis are back with their fourth album, following on from 2019's "Abandoned". Sylvain Descoteaux (vocals, keyboards), Michel St-Pere (guitars), and Michel Joncas (bass, Taurus bass pedals) have been there for all the releases, while keyboard player Johnny Maz joined for the last one, but long-time drummer William Regnier has now departed, and he has been replaced by Martin Plante. Huis are one of the most consistent progressive rock bands around, and I have really enjoyed all their albums to date and this one is no different in that respect. They may have only released four albums in just over a decade, but that is not too shabby in the current environment, especially since Michel is highly time poor, given he runs the label and is involved in multiple other bands including the mighty Mystery. Huis have a way of combining melodies, arrangements and vocals so that everything is a highlight, all at the same time. The punch of bass pedals combined with real bass can be quite reminiscent of Genesis, and there is liquid fluidity to their playing. Somehow, they manage to combine melodic rock, AOR and Progressive Rock in a manner which almost defies categorisation. On PA they have been claimed by the Neo team, but I am sure that is more due to the Mystery connection, as in many ways this is full on Crossover, both the defined sub-genre and also in its approach. There is an almost pop element to the approach but brought to us through the eyes of prog musicians, so we get plenty of harmonies, lifting vocals and dramatic underscoring by guitar, bass and drums while the keyboards can be soft and gentle or bombastic and driving, whatever the needs are at the time. It is a very easy album to get inside, easy to listen to but never easy listening and the result is a prog album which genuinely makes me smile when I am playing it. I am not being asked to concentrate to make sense of what the musicians are demanding of me, but instead I am being encouraged to take this on face value and just revel in the joy of great music which at times really rocks. This is a fun album, reminding us that progressive music is to be enjoyed and not endured. Yet another great release from Huis.