Release
date: November 20th
2015. Label: Napalm Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
The
Transcendence – Tracklisting
1.
Higher
2.
Stargazer
3.
Imperial Mind
4.
Gotta Move
5.
You're Too Late
6.
Break Up
7.
Bellevue Groove
8.
Fast Love
9.
Rock'N'Roll Shock
10.
Brand New Ending
11.
Keep Me Spinning
Band
Members:
Jenna
- vocals, guitar
Acid
- guitar
Anders
- bass guitar
Jimi
- drums
Review:
Take
a huge cauldron and hang it over an open fire. Add in equal measures
MC5, Kiss, Iggy & The Stooges, Thin Lizzy, The Hellacopters and
Hanoi Rocks. Stir thoroughly until all the ingredients are well mixed
and top everything off with a healthy dose of all things Gothenburg.
Let it simmer for a good while and make sure it's cooked to
perfection. Vóila, you have a shitkicking, knuckle dragging,
in-your-face badass band called Honeymoon Disease. Where are they
from you ask? Gothenburg, of course, one of the best cities in the
world.
Full
of grit and attitude 'HIgher' kickstarts this suckerpunch of an
album. Jenna and Acid are riffing like there is no tomorrow while
incorporating sweet harmonies at the same time. Beautiful! A sweet
mix of Thin Lizzy and The Hellacopters emanates from 'Stargazer'.
Slightly slower than it's predecessor, the band goes for melodies and
a languishing tone. And man, the solo is awesome. It's back to
ballsyland again with 'Imperial Mind'. Stripped down, full of edge
and going 120mph this is rock'n'roll at it's prime. Full of groove
and riffs 'Gotta Move' is a very apt title. I mean, I can't stop
dancing and head banging to it...and I can't dance to save my life!
Apart from doing great dual guitar, both in the riff and harmonizing
department, Jenna and Acid harmonizes excellently vocally as well.
Not only on this song but on the whole album. Oh, that Thin Lizzy
ending is great!
Back
to good ole' r'n'r on 'You're Too Late' there's a dollop of punk
snarl and attitude. Short, sharp and to the point Honeymoon Disease
can't do no wrong. 'Breakup' is as close as it gets to ballad on this
wax. Slow and full of groove with painful lyrics, hence the title, it
shows the diversity and talent this band possess. The rhythm section
of Anders and Jimi is on point, as usual, but they really shine here.
And the same can be said for 'Bellevue Groove', a song that could
have been taken taken straight out of the heydays of Kiss, when they
were still a great band. Mid-paced but on the spot as it snakes and
weaves it's way to the end. Oh yeah, total rock at it's finest, 'Fast
Love' is a beast. Big riffs fly high side by side with harmonies and
a devil-may-care demeanour.
Rhythm
and rattle rub shoulders on the super tight groover 'Rock'N'Roll
Shock'. It belongs to the slower songs on 'The Transcendence' but it
showcases a band at it's very best. Weaving back and forth between
tempos the guitars either roars or whispers while the bass guitar is
thumping mercilessly as the drums pounds me to dust. Yes, I'm talking
about the dark 'Brand New Ending'. It has everything the band is
rolled into one song and it is absolutely amazing! 'Keep Me Spinning'
ends this stunning debut from my fellow Swedes and what a way to end
things. Starting out mid-paced, it is one of those songs that
gradually builds up to finally explode in the end. Not only is it by
far the longest track on the album but it is also one of the best.
And that says a lot about this monster release. Once the eruption is
over and you think the song is done a beautiful outro commences that
blows my mind.
What
a nice surprise this was. Had not heard of this troupe before, so to
have them knock me off my feet is awesome. That's how I want every
album I listen to to be. True, that doesn't happen as often as I
like. So when it does I am completely taken away and smitten and I'll
love said album until the day I die. Honeymoon Disease has done this
and then some. Add to the fact that they hail from my old home town
Gothenburg makes things even better. Seriously though, if you like
your rock'n'roll to have awesome riffs, loads of groove, harmonies,
bite and attitude look no further. Honeymoon Disease are the real
deal and they take no prisoners!
Words
by Håkan Nyman
Thanks
to Mona, Jon and Andy at NapalmRecords for the promo. The Transcendence is available to buy on
CD/DD/Vinyl from Napalm Records now.
Links:
