Haken - "Vector"

Haken - Vector 
2018, Inside Out

1. Clean
2. The Good Doctor
3. Puzzle Box
4. Veil
5. Nil By Mouth
6. Host
7. A Cell Divides

Where to go after the Eighties love-fest that was Affinity? Apparently, you go back to being heavy. Vector is the heaviest and most aggressive album since Visions. I am okay with this, by the way. The songs are dense, knotted compositions, full of heavy riffs, poly-rhythms, and everything you've come to expect from Haken. I also think there's a bit more in the way of hooks here than there was on Affinity. Also noteworthy, this album is pretty short for Haken. At seven songs (with one being an ambient intro track) and a scant 48 minutes, I think this is the band's shortest full-length album. However, I think the brevity works in the album's favor. The cram a lot in those 48 minutes so you're still getting a full meal. I'm just glad I can listen to the whole thing on the way to and back from work. Vector hasn't overtaken The Mountain but it's immensely enjoyable.

Useless Fact: There's a story here somewhere about a doctor in an asylum performing dubious experiments. Though there's a lot of room for interpretation as to what it's actually about and what is happening.

Haken - "Affinity"

Haken - Affinity
2016, Inside Out

1. affinity.exe
2. Initiate
3. 1985
4. Lapse
5. The Architect
6. Earthrise
7. Red Giant
8. The Endless Knot
9. Bound By Gravity

I fell in love with Haken after 2013's The Mountain. They remain one of my favorite progressive rock/metal fans so I was eager with anticipation for Affinity. It's a different album, influenced and inspired by progressive rock from the 1980's. So there's lots of 80's type riffs and 80's type synth parts. It all gels together so well and sounds new and vibrant and nostalgic at the same time. Like...this could be the soundtrack to the book Ready Player One. I'm not sure whether it overtakes The Mountain or not, but it's a great album. I think the parts where they're the 80's-est are my favorites. "Earthrise" in particular is an amazing song as is the fifteen minute epic "The Architect." The album isn't a concept album, per se, but has the overall theme of artificial intelligence and how it affects humanity. At least I think that's the concept. Anyway... go buy this!

Useless Fact: All the packaging for the album resembles cassette packing and old computer displays.

Haken - "Visions"

Haken - Visions
2011, Sensory

1. Premonition
2. Nocturnal Conspiracy
3. Insomnia
4. The Mind's Eye
5. Portals
6. Shapeshifter
7. Deathless
8. Visions

My good buddy recommended I check out Visions as we both went nuts over the band's latest full-length album, The Mountain. So I bought it, because if he says I'll like it, chances are at least 98.9% that I will like it. Surprise! I really like it! It's actually a good deal heavier overall than The Mountain. Whereas the newest album falls a bit more on the "progressive rock" side of the spectrum, this one is more on the "metal" side. The shear amount of talent here boggles the mind. The bass playing is astounding and the sense of melody is captivating. Emotion just pours out of this music. Remember when I was just getting into Dream Theater? I have to say, Dream Theater sounds almost sterile and antiseptic compared to some of the stuff I've gotten into since then. Especially this. I think I might actually like this better than The Mountain. Though I don't know... I'd better listen to The Mountain again...

Useless Fact: This does seem to be a concept album about time travel, vampires, and murder, but I'm not exactly sure what the story is.

Haken - "Resoration EP"

Haken - Restoration EP
2014, Inside Out

1. Darkest Light
2. Earthlings
3. Crystallised

Holy cow! I can't believe I didn't review this! I've had it since around Christmastime of last year. Well, let's remedy that right now shall we? Restoration is a nice cheap little EP and it is well worth your time. "Darkest Light" is heavy - more akin to some of the stuff on Visions. It's a good song but it doesn't blow my socks off or anything. "Earthlings" is a ballad that is, honestly, kind of boring. The final track, "Crystallised," however, is amazing and wonderful. The whole EP is only like $2.67 on Amazon last time I checked. Worth every penny I'd say.

Useless Fact: I don't really have anything else to say about this album.... sorry.

Haken - "The Mountain"

Haken - The Mountain
2013, Inside Out

1. The Path
2. Atlas Stone
3. Cockroach King
4. In Memoriam
5. Because It's There
6. Falling Back To Earth
7. As Death Embraces
8. Pareidolia
9. Somebody
Bonus Tracks:
10. The Path Unbeaten
11. Nobody

Haken is yet another wonderful You Tube find. Also, The Mountain is quite possibly one of the most stunning albums I've heard in quite a while. It's got so many different influences. I hear some King's X in the layered vocals. I hear a little Devin Townsend. Some Dream Theater. All of it mixed together in a potent stew of some of the most beautiful songs. "Cockroach King" is a tour de force in terms of progressive songwriting with awesome vocal interplays and heavy guitars. "Because It's There" starts with a vocal part that's almost Gregorian chant and evolves into this amazing soaring chorus. "Pareidolia" and "Somebody" are awesome emotionally charged songs that are simply mesmerizing. I know it's illegal but if nobody posted the album on You Tube I would have never known to buy this!

Useless Fact: The bonus tracks are different arrangements of "The Path" and "Somebody." Hence the titles.