*I'm taking the easy ones!
Haken
Wiki Entry
Haken is a London-based Progressive Rock/Progressive Metal band formed in 2007. At the moment they have one debut album, Aquarius, released in 2010.
Biography
Haken was formed in 2007 by To-Meraguitarist and keyboardist Richard Henshall and his two school friends Ross Jennings (vocals) and Matthew Marshall (guitar). The band completed their lineup with a keyboardist they met on an online forum, Peter Jones, and Jones' close friend and drummer Raymond Hearne, and To-Mera guitarist Tom MacLean became the band's bassist. They recorded a demo in 2007 that contained two tracks, 'Snow' and 'Souls'. With the demo they began to play small live venues in London, with some good response. In 2008 they then recorded four more songs, 'Manifolds', 'Blind', 'Sleeping Thoughts Wake' and 'Black Seed', and released a full-length demo including all six existing tracks.
Later in 2008, Marshall and Jones left the band to pursue other careers. Charlie Griffiths, the guitarist for the band Linear Shpere and Anchorhead became a full time member of the band. The keyboardist Diego Tejeida joined the band in late 2008 as well. As they began to tour more, even opening a few UK shows for King's X, Sensory Records recognized them and offered them a record deal. They began recording for their debut album, Aquarius, soon after, and it was released in March 2010.
Personal Take
Let's be honest. I'm biased. I picked them for the roster. I think the fair thing to do is let you see a few other reviews.
1. Sea of Tranquilty:
From London comes Haken, a new progressive rock band who also have an obvious liking for the metal genre as well. Their new release Aquarius finds its home on Sensory, the heavier label from the folks at The Lasers Edge. Formed in 2007, the band is comprised of Richard Henshall on guitar & keyboards, Diego Tejeida on keyboards, bassist Thomas MacLean, guitarist Charles Griffiths, Raymond Hearne on drums, and vocalist Ross Jennings. As some of these folks are also members of To-Mera and Linearsphere, you can gather that Aquarious is going to be filled with some pretty adventurous music, and it certainly doesn't disappoint one bit.
Much of what you hear on Aquarious is dark and moody progressive metal. Though there are the obvious influences of Dream Theater, Kansas, Genesis, and IQ, the band has their own sound and manages to keep things very interesting throughout the CD. Lead belter Jennings has an almost Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave) edge to his vocals, his soaring pipes work well within the complex, symphonic framework here. The bombastic opener "The Point of No Return" mixes wild keyboard flourishes with crunchy guitar work, and Jennings really throws a curveball when he tosses in a few growls for good measure alongside his stunning mid-range delivery. "Streams" sees Griffiths & Henshall throw every kind of guitar style at the listen; down-tuned heavy riffs, blazing leads, sitar-like passages, and complex patterns, alonside some stunning keyboard passages from Tejeida. Add in the emotional delivery from Jennings and you have a real gem of progressive, symphonic metal. The title track is another 10+ minute epic, this one a gentle prog piece that recalls Genesis, Queen, and IQ, complete with gorgeous keyboard layers and strong vocals, that builds and builds to a symphonic finale that will remind of classic Dream Theater. The atmospheric "Eternal Rain" sees plenty of blinding trade-off solos between the keys and guitars (these guys can seriously rip!), and "Drowning in the Flood" is a crushing prog-metal face melter, filled with powerful vocals, beefy riffs, intricate rhythms, and majestic keyboards. After the moody & haunting "Sun" comes the epic closer, "Celestial Elixir". This one is a near 17-minute mass of complex interplay, atmosphere, melody,and crunch. Plenty of tasty playing here, as the band do a great job of meshing the chops with melody and atmosphere for one exciting ride.
You can easily see that Aquarious is going to find a home with the progressive metal community, but the one great thing is that the album is never too heavy, so it's safe to say that a lot of pure prog fans should find a lot to like here as well. Great overall presentation too, as not only is the album itself sizzling with fantastic production, but you also get a great booklet with fanstastic artwork and full lyrics to read along with. Haken have arrived folks...make sure to check this one out.
2. The Golden Bird:
Aquarius is reminiscent of various progressive artists, but does not walk in the shadows of anyone. In other words, the album contains similarities to music such as early Dream Theater and Yes but still creates an identity for itself. Haken has given a melting pot of genres, branching from progressive metal to jazz fusion, symphonic rock, folk, and even subtle touches of classical. Due to its high levels of originality and diversity, it is extremely difficult to tie this album to any other albums or even genres for that matter.
But as all progressive music, the music beams with musicality and complexity. There is no set structure throughout the songs, but the use of recurring themes effectively adds fluency. Every song is considerably dynamic, offering not only a great deal of different genres, but also various levels of heaviness and tempos. There is much diversity with respect to transitions between songs and song sections to attain flow. And additionally, neither the use of simple or complex rhythms are forced, giving even more natural feel to the album. The same can be said about the key signatures. Aquarius achieves a commendable level of musicianship without compromising the natural finish.
The instrumental aspect is no less impressive than the intelligence underlying the album. Though no instrument is overly better than the other, the keyboards stand out most to me. This is because other than Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess, I have never heard a more effective use of such a grand collection of sounds and tones. They range from piano to strings to synthesizers to xylophonic sounds to basically anything. Everything on the keyboardists behalf, including everything from support to soloing, is absolutely amazing. But the same applies to the remaining instruments. The singer has an amazing clean voice, and uses the growl very selectively and effectively. Great rhythms and riffs, as well as solos, are given by the guitarist. The bassist is more subtle, but does an excellent job of creating melodic support lines. And finally, the drummer gives unorthodox, but highly impressive beats and fills. Each band member makes a presence for themselves without compromising any other member or, more importantly, the music altogether.
Aquarius is among the most, if not the most, extraordinary debut albums I have ever heard. Whether it be regarding the musicianship or the instrumental execution, the album is flawless for all I am concerned. It extremely original, yet there are subtle hints of its origin. Without doubt, the record is a notable contender for album of the year. And though I may be quite presumptuous, it could very well be album of the decade. If Haken were to discontinue, it would be a grave tragedy for the art of music. But based on the quality of Aquarius, this band is going to great places.
3. Hellbound:
I am totally blown away. Haken is the best thing to happen to progressive metal in many, many years. Hailing from England, this relatively young band has unleashed a masterpiece. The great thing about this band is unlike a lot of prog rock bands they don’t come across as being pretentious. You get a huge helping of Yes/Kansas but they can turn up the heaviness ala Dream Theater’s “Train of Thought” on the drop of a dime. They make it all seem very seamless. The singer has a nice warm voice and takes you on the journey of what I believe is a concept album. Numerous time changes bring depth and incredible excitement with great anticipation as to what is coming next From prog rock to metal to movie soundtrack with loads of bizarre instruments such as banjos and oboe. They are always surprising you with each turn of the song. The music itself is quite intricate but presented in a very comfortable and melodic way. Closing track “Celestial Elixir” is seventeen minutes long and has one of the best choruses that you will hear all year. This album needs to be heard in its entirely to fully grasp how magical this cd is.
Pure gold.
You Tube Links:
Haken
Wiki Entry
Haken is a London-based Progressive Rock/Progressive Metal band formed in 2007. At the moment they have one debut album, Aquarius, released in 2010.
Biography
Haken was formed in 2007 by To-Meraguitarist and keyboardist Richard Henshall and his two school friends Ross Jennings (vocals) and Matthew Marshall (guitar). The band completed their lineup with a keyboardist they met on an online forum, Peter Jones, and Jones' close friend and drummer Raymond Hearne, and To-Mera guitarist Tom MacLean became the band's bassist. They recorded a demo in 2007 that contained two tracks, 'Snow' and 'Souls'. With the demo they began to play small live venues in London, with some good response. In 2008 they then recorded four more songs, 'Manifolds', 'Blind', 'Sleeping Thoughts Wake' and 'Black Seed', and released a full-length demo including all six existing tracks.
Later in 2008, Marshall and Jones left the band to pursue other careers. Charlie Griffiths, the guitarist for the band Linear Shpere and Anchorhead became a full time member of the band. The keyboardist Diego Tejeida joined the band in late 2008 as well. As they began to tour more, even opening a few UK shows for King's X, Sensory Records recognized them and offered them a record deal. They began recording for their debut album, Aquarius, soon after, and it was released in March 2010.
Personal Take
Let's be honest. I'm biased. I picked them for the roster. I think the fair thing to do is let you see a few other reviews.
1. Sea of Tranquilty:
From London comes Haken, a new progressive rock band who also have an obvious liking for the metal genre as well. Their new release Aquarius finds its home on Sensory, the heavier label from the folks at The Lasers Edge. Formed in 2007, the band is comprised of Richard Henshall on guitar & keyboards, Diego Tejeida on keyboards, bassist Thomas MacLean, guitarist Charles Griffiths, Raymond Hearne on drums, and vocalist Ross Jennings. As some of these folks are also members of To-Mera and Linearsphere, you can gather that Aquarious is going to be filled with some pretty adventurous music, and it certainly doesn't disappoint one bit.
Much of what you hear on Aquarious is dark and moody progressive metal. Though there are the obvious influences of Dream Theater, Kansas, Genesis, and IQ, the band has their own sound and manages to keep things very interesting throughout the CD. Lead belter Jennings has an almost Chris Cornell (Soundgarden/Audioslave) edge to his vocals, his soaring pipes work well within the complex, symphonic framework here. The bombastic opener "The Point of No Return" mixes wild keyboard flourishes with crunchy guitar work, and Jennings really throws a curveball when he tosses in a few growls for good measure alongside his stunning mid-range delivery. "Streams" sees Griffiths & Henshall throw every kind of guitar style at the listen; down-tuned heavy riffs, blazing leads, sitar-like passages, and complex patterns, alonside some stunning keyboard passages from Tejeida. Add in the emotional delivery from Jennings and you have a real gem of progressive, symphonic metal. The title track is another 10+ minute epic, this one a gentle prog piece that recalls Genesis, Queen, and IQ, complete with gorgeous keyboard layers and strong vocals, that builds and builds to a symphonic finale that will remind of classic Dream Theater. The atmospheric "Eternal Rain" sees plenty of blinding trade-off solos between the keys and guitars (these guys can seriously rip!), and "Drowning in the Flood" is a crushing prog-metal face melter, filled with powerful vocals, beefy riffs, intricate rhythms, and majestic keyboards. After the moody & haunting "Sun" comes the epic closer, "Celestial Elixir". This one is a near 17-minute mass of complex interplay, atmosphere, melody,and crunch. Plenty of tasty playing here, as the band do a great job of meshing the chops with melody and atmosphere for one exciting ride.
You can easily see that Aquarious is going to find a home with the progressive metal community, but the one great thing is that the album is never too heavy, so it's safe to say that a lot of pure prog fans should find a lot to like here as well. Great overall presentation too, as not only is the album itself sizzling with fantastic production, but you also get a great booklet with fanstastic artwork and full lyrics to read along with. Haken have arrived folks...make sure to check this one out.
2. The Golden Bird:
Aquarius is reminiscent of various progressive artists, but does not walk in the shadows of anyone. In other words, the album contains similarities to music such as early Dream Theater and Yes but still creates an identity for itself. Haken has given a melting pot of genres, branching from progressive metal to jazz fusion, symphonic rock, folk, and even subtle touches of classical. Due to its high levels of originality and diversity, it is extremely difficult to tie this album to any other albums or even genres for that matter.
But as all progressive music, the music beams with musicality and complexity. There is no set structure throughout the songs, but the use of recurring themes effectively adds fluency. Every song is considerably dynamic, offering not only a great deal of different genres, but also various levels of heaviness and tempos. There is much diversity with respect to transitions between songs and song sections to attain flow. And additionally, neither the use of simple or complex rhythms are forced, giving even more natural feel to the album. The same can be said about the key signatures. Aquarius achieves a commendable level of musicianship without compromising the natural finish.
The instrumental aspect is no less impressive than the intelligence underlying the album. Though no instrument is overly better than the other, the keyboards stand out most to me. This is because other than Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess, I have never heard a more effective use of such a grand collection of sounds and tones. They range from piano to strings to synthesizers to xylophonic sounds to basically anything. Everything on the keyboardists behalf, including everything from support to soloing, is absolutely amazing. But the same applies to the remaining instruments. The singer has an amazing clean voice, and uses the growl very selectively and effectively. Great rhythms and riffs, as well as solos, are given by the guitarist. The bassist is more subtle, but does an excellent job of creating melodic support lines. And finally, the drummer gives unorthodox, but highly impressive beats and fills. Each band member makes a presence for themselves without compromising any other member or, more importantly, the music altogether.
Aquarius is among the most, if not the most, extraordinary debut albums I have ever heard. Whether it be regarding the musicianship or the instrumental execution, the album is flawless for all I am concerned. It extremely original, yet there are subtle hints of its origin. Without doubt, the record is a notable contender for album of the year. And though I may be quite presumptuous, it could very well be album of the decade. If Haken were to discontinue, it would be a grave tragedy for the art of music. But based on the quality of Aquarius, this band is going to great places.
3. Hellbound:
I am totally blown away. Haken is the best thing to happen to progressive metal in many, many years. Hailing from England, this relatively young band has unleashed a masterpiece. The great thing about this band is unlike a lot of prog rock bands they don’t come across as being pretentious. You get a huge helping of Yes/Kansas but they can turn up the heaviness ala Dream Theater’s “Train of Thought” on the drop of a dime. They make it all seem very seamless. The singer has a nice warm voice and takes you on the journey of what I believe is a concept album. Numerous time changes bring depth and incredible excitement with great anticipation as to what is coming next From prog rock to metal to movie soundtrack with loads of bizarre instruments such as banjos and oboe. They are always surprising you with each turn of the song. The music itself is quite intricate but presented in a very comfortable and melodic way. Closing track “Celestial Elixir” is seventeen minutes long and has one of the best choruses that you will hear all year. This album needs to be heard in its entirely to fully grasp how magical this cd is.
Pure gold.
You Tube Links:
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