The Haken thread v. Restoration

[ariich]

Good move. Just skip to the last track and put it on repeat.

And miss out on Drowning in the Flood? *slaps*

Interview in the Prog mag is cool and the review was generally pretty positive. Hopefully should get some new listeners!

[Perpetual Change]

The last song actually isn't anywhere close to being my favorite.

By the way, how do you guys pronounce their name?

[Zook]

Hey-kin

[ariich]

From the drummer Ray himself:

'Haken' is pronounced

Hay-Ken.

Not 'Hack-en' or 'Hark-en'

but

HAY-KEN.

Just like taken, forsaken or...bacon

[Zook]

Who the hell has said Harken? There's not even an R.

[ariich]

Who the hell has said Harken? There's not even an R.

FREAKS, THAT'S WHO!

[Nick]

I love Harken, Haken sucks.

[Perpetual Change]

Harken opening for Dream Theatre. Now that'd be a tour to remember.

[Zook]

Yes! They could do dueling banjos with Jack Palowski.

[faemir]

Heh, i'd been saying Harken. Guess i'll have to learn to say Hayken.

[ariich]

Heh, i'd been saying Harken. Guess i'll have to learn to say Hayken.

FREAK!

[AcidLameLTE]

wut

Where did that "r" come from?

[faemir]

From Iain, clearly.

[TimmyHiggy]

Failmir

[TimmyHiggy]

Backstory: I recently got a new phone which has MP3 player functionality

Interesting bit: It occurred to me this morning that I could take the phone into the bathroom and play music on it through the loudspeaker whilst I shower.
Today I showered whilst listening to "Streams" and it was great!!

[faemir]

I'm still listening to Celestial Elixir 10 times as much as the other songs, it's soooooooooooo goooooooooooooooooooooood.

[ariich]

She may never retuuuuuuuurn
But I can't wait foreveeeeeeeeeeer!

[Perpetual Change]

after weeks of listening, I'm still loving this album. The only thing I don't care for are the growls in Streams. I don't mind growling, but the way it's mixed in seems a little weird. Like the growls are really really loud compared to everything else going on.

[Haken]

Yeah, Haken are terrible! Harken rock!

Harken opening for Dream Theatre. Now that'd be a tour to remember.

Now that would be a dream come true!

Cool interview in Classic Rock Presents Prog guys.

We are very pleased with the feature and review in 'Prog', the reviewer really seemed to dig the album (that always helps). I'v also just been told that we had a great review in terrorizer too, its good to see that a metal based magazine is showing some appreciation to a prog band.

Backstory: I recently got a new phone which has MP3 player functionality

Interesting bit: It occurred to me this morning that I could take the phone into the bathroom and play music on it through the loudspeaker whilst I shower.
Today I showered whilst listening to "Streams" and it was great!!

Hell yeah! next time put on 'Eternal Rain'

after weeks of listening, I'm still loving this album. The only thing I don't care for are the growls in Streams. I don't mind growling, but the way it's mixed in seems a little weird. Like the growls are really really loud compared to everything else going on.

The feedback on the death growls have certainly been mixed, I personally feel that they tie in nicely with 'Aquarius' concept. I reckon we'll steer clear of the death growls on the next album and go for a new approach. The 2nd album is coming along nicely BTW, i'v got most of the intial ideas down, we'll aim to release it next year at some point.

Hen

[ariich]

Exciting news indeed!

Regarding growls, personally I think the way they're used on the album works pretty well, but I also imagine a lot of people who are into Haken's kind of music won't be a fan, so I can understand cutting them out. I mean look how upset DT's fanbase got over the use of even vaguely harsh vocals on recent albums.

[faemir]

Exciting news indeed!

Regarding growls, personally I think the way they're used on the album works pretty well, but I also imagine a lot of people who are into Haken's kind of music won't be a fan, so I can understand cutting them out. I mean look how upset DT's fanbase got over the use of even vaguely harsh vocals on recent albums.

And bowing to a few whiners instead of doing what *you* want is what should be done?

[Nick]

You shush, giving into peer pressure it awesome.

[MetalManiac666]

Exciting news indeed!

Regarding growls, personally I think the way they're used on the album works pretty well, but I also imagine a lot of people who are into Haken's kind of music won't be a fan, so I can understand cutting them out. I mean look how upset DT's fanbase got over the use of even vaguely harsh vocals on recent albums.

And bowing to a few whiners instead of doing what *you* want is what should be done?

Yeah, this.

[ariich]

Exciting news indeed!

Regarding growls, personally I think the way they're used on the album works pretty well, but I also imagine a lot of people who are into Haken's kind of music won't be a fan, so I can understand cutting them out. I mean look how upset DT's fanbase got over the use of even vaguely harsh vocals on recent albums.

And bowing to a few whiners instead of doing what *you* want is what should be done?

Yeah, this.

Yeah, being successful and listening to your fans are so lame and overrated.

Besides, growls are hardly a major part of Haken's music. I mean on the demo they only feature in 2 out of 6 songs (in one only very briefly), and on Aquarius they're in 2 out of 7 songs, again pretty briefly. It's not like the music would lose anything to those of us that like growls, but those two don't would be happier.

[Perpetual Change]

 

What have I done???

Anyway, I don't mind the growls, and dig 'em from a conceptual point of few. But those growls are still probably my least favorite part of the album.  Streams, even with the growls, manages to be my favorite song on the album.

[TimmyHiggy]

I for one really enjoyed the growl sections in Aquarius, and feel that they fit in really well with the plot at those moments and, after a few listens to get rid of the initial shock, fit in well musically too. It will be shame to see them omitted due to people moaning. However, if the music is written with this in mind and there aren't any obvious "growl needs to go here" moments that suffer as a result (Which I'm sure there won't be given the quality of the song writing on all the songs I have heard!)  then I won't be complaining at all!

[Kyo]

Yeah, Haken are terrible! Harken rock!

Over here it certainly doesn't help that Haken is an actual German word (meaning "hook"). 

[faemir]

Wait, what?

[TimmyHiggy]

Backstory: I recently got a new phone which has MP3 player functionality

Interesting bit: It occurred to me this morning that I could take the phone into the bathroom and play music on it through the loudspeaker whilst I shower.
Today I showered whilst listening to "Streams" and it was great!!

Hell yeah! next time put on 'Eternal Rain'

I tried out Eternal Rain this morning, it was very good but resulted in a very long shower. Eternal rain was very good but I hadn't finished when drowning in the flood started, and I stayed in for the entirety of that as well...

[Blondino]

Wow this thread has been pretty busy!

Just dropping in to say hello. This is Tom, Haken's bassist. Thanks for the support chaps!

[Nick]

I'm not your chap, buddy!

[ariich]

Tom and Hen in the same thread?

Nice username as well!

[faemir]

So guys, when's the second album being released?

[ariich]

Yeah, hurry up already!

[Blondino]

From what Hen tells me, the second album is pretty much written already, and what little I've heard of it sounds pretty bombastic.

In the meantime, those in the UK who can't wait until the Autumn to see the man in action are cordially invited to come to one the following three To-Mera shows this weekend:

16th July: The Underworld, London
17th July: MOHOLive, Manchester
18th July: Asylum 2, Birmingham

We'll be playing 3 carefully-selected songs from each release, plus a special cover which will feature the one and only Richard Henshall on guitar. Worth the price of a ticket just for that spectacle