The HAKEN Survivor - Affinity: Round 1!

[Elite]

Previous round results:

Earthlings 11 (55%)
Crystallised 9 (45%)

Songs not mentioned here received zero votes.

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Restoration (EP) Results:

1. Crystallised
2. Earthlings
3. Darkest Light

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Affinity Results:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

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Haken Survivor Main Thread

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So, the Restoartion results shaped up with Earthlings going to Consolation rounds, joining the songs already there (see the Main Thread for the full line-up), while Crystallised gets a pass straight into the Finals, but scrapes by barely. Next album!





Haken first full release since nes bassist Connor Green joined the band and probably the release that gave the band 'mainstream' (if you can call it that within the progressive metal genre) appeal. After 'The Mountain' this album was for many people the first Haken album they could look out for and the band had obviously set the bar quite high with their previous efforts. In a sense this one is more reminiscent of their third, with there not being a real 'epic' like on their first two albums. Granted, The Architect is over 15 minutes long, but its placement on the album makes it feel like a long song, instead of a closing epic (to me, this is).

Three videos and singles were released for this album, of which one became the tour opener (Initiate), one remains a live staple (The Endless Knot) and one is quite rare to be seen live (Earthrise). With 'The Mountain' having focused on the seventies as musical inspiration, 'Affinity' looked a decde further, and incorporates elements of music in the eighties, mainly in the keyboard sounds. Of course, Haken give their own twist to all the songs, using extended range guitar on almost all of the songs and some of the quirkiness that was presented on their first two albums can still be found here, although you could say that as a whole it sounds more streamlined.

I've seen lots of people name this their favourite Haken album, perhaps because it was their first 'new' release. There is no denying that it's this album that made Haken take the step from playing small not-exactly-sold-out venues  (during the tour for 'The Mountain') to being a force to be reckoned with in the progressive metal scene and headlining some major festivals.

Well then, here is the most pointless round of the entire survivor, which is why I'm posting this one on the weekend anyway, despite not really doing that for other rounds. Have a go.

[RoeDent]

Yup... affinity.exe does make for a great intro, but that's all it is.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

.exe

[cramx3]

The intro

[The Silent Cody]

Of course .exe

[Evermind]

The first three albums have one thing in common, a good intro song—I mean, The Point of No Return doesn't even have that, but it has that circus theme which sets the mood of the album perfectly. If there's one department Haken dropped the ball on, it's the intro tunes. Both affinity.exe and Clear feel like unnecessary little themes before the actual album kicks in. I honestly don't see a point in making affinity.exe a different track. Rant over.

affinity.exe

[Zydar]

Affinity.bmp

[Crow]

Red Giant.
At least affinity.exe has something exciting happening.

[Elite]

Red Giant.
At least affinity.exe has something exciting happening.

[Crow]

Red Giant is probably the most boring and possibly the worst Haken song.
I dunno what else to say.

[Mladen]

It's among the blandest ones, that's for sure.

But it's not time for that one yet. Exe gets my vote.

[Zydar]

Red Giant is probably the most boring and possibly the worst Haken song.
I dunno what else to say.

I'll be voting for it after this one. I've never understood the love for it.

[jammindude]

I want to make it clear right now.....I would pay cash AND sell my body...pay ANY cost to save Bound By Gravity.  Fair warning.

But ya, exe needs to go first.

[Elite]

Well, that's a bit over the top, but I do agree with you that it deserves far better than the 6th place it got last time.

[ariich]

Nah 6th feels about right.

I know the thing that will annoy me in this one is that The Architect will do really well while vastly superior songs won't.

[DTA]

.exe

Much like the Visions album, I think this album has a clear winner.

[Crow]

yeah - bound by gravity is far and away the best track here

[Evermind]

.exe

Much like the Visions album, I think this album has a clear winner.

I agree, Initiate is just fantastic. 

[jammindude]

This was kinda pointless.   I honestly think exe should have just been combined with Initiate.   

[Crow]

not completely pointless, it allowed me to get an extra vote in on red giant in case of a tiebreaker further down the road

[Elite]

Well, I even said in the OP that this was going to be the most pointless round of the entire survivor. I’m not combining tracks anywhere, just doing it the way they are on the albums. Maybe I could leave out this round altogether in future editions though.

[Crow]

we do the eternal rain round every single time too and that outcome is probably never gonna change, but

[cramx3]

I'm not against following the process