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Huis — In the Face of the Unknown
(Unicorn Digital UNCR-5104, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-12-24

In the Face of the Unknown Cover art

Canadian five-piece Huis has been plying their craft for about fourteen years, with four albums to show for their effort. They have a big proggy sound, somewhere between the neo-progressive sound so prevalent in the 90s and the melodic, album oriented rock of bands like Journey, especially given to superb vocals and multi-part harmonies. There has only been one change in the lineup since 2019’s Abandoned: drummer Martin Plante replaced founding drummer William Régnier, but other than that the band remains the same, with singer and keyboardist Sylvain Descôteaux, keyboardist Johnny Maz, bassist Michel Joncas, and guitarist / keyboardist Michel St-Père. In The Face of the Unknown contains eight tracks, four of which approach or exceed the ten minute mark, and these aren’t just extended jams, but fully composed multi-sectional epics. Opening with the eleven-and-a-half minute “Chaos,” the group wastes no time getting into some wonderful melodic passages, allowing well over two minutes of stunning composition and musicianship to pass before the vocals come in. One might wonder why a band needs (up to) three keyboard players, something that is pretty much self-explanatory when one hears synths, piano, and Mellotron (or a facsimile thereof) all at the same time, not tracking one another. One thing that is apparent right from this very first cut are the powerful vocals of Descôteaux, often multitracked and harmonizing with himself for a very rich sound that sets Huis apart from most of the neo bands. “Paralyzed” starts out very much in the Berlin school style, but quickly brings in some bluesy Floydian guitar followed by the vocals and a more rocking persona. The band may hail from Quebec, but it’s worth noting that all of the songs are sung in English. Other standouts include the powerful and gritty epic “Requiem for the Last One,” blessed with some thoughtful lyrics and an extended instrumental prog workout that’s quite impressive. “Crossroads” is another epic length piece that may well be the album’s finest moment, building slowly at first to the memorable “Hold On” refrain, then onward and upward to its ten minute-plus conclusion. The band is firing on all cylinders, sounding better than ever. Maybe it’s time for a live album?

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Huis

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http://www.huisband.com

 

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