Haken v. new single Nightingale (April 26)

[senecadawg2]

I went on Amazon.com on Friday afternoon and bought the MP3 version - it was only available in the deluxe version (all songs with and without vocals) if you wanted MP3 but that was fine, it was $3.00 more than a regular album but I'm cool with that.  $3.00 for an instrumental version of the album -which I will listen to- is more than fair in my mind.  And a good way for them to make a little extra scratch, which I'm also OK with.


So, anyway, this is a band that I've really wanted to love but just never could seem to figure out what all of the hype was about.  Now, don't get me wrong here.  There is no doubt that this is an extremely talented group of musicians.  My biggest beef with them has been that I always felt like that quirky/complexity thing was being milked a little too much and the result was the albums are very, very dense and take a very long time to sink in.  Plus, for me at least, I need a little more emphasis on melody rather than complexity in order to connect with a piece of music on an emotional level.  I found that while I very much enjoyed listening to Aquarius, Visions, The Mountain and the Restoration EP, I never really connected with any of the songs and I am still hard pressed to name any tracks on any of those albums.  I rarely reach for them. 


Despite all of this, I still admire their skill and talent and enjoy their music enough that spending a few bucks on a download version of their album is the least I can do to support a good band that's putting out this kind of music.  And to my pleasant surprise, after two spins I've gotta say that this one is definitely going to be my favorite of the bunch.  The vocalist has improved with each release, and that's good because I've generally considered the vocals to be the weakest element with this band.  But with this new album I think they did a much better job of keeping the vocals more interesting, more melodic and less....I don't know...angular?  The melodies are smoother and they built some nice harmonies in a lot of places that I've really not heard a lot of on previous albums.


To me, the mark of a good musician is one who can play their instrument and not get distracted or upset by criticism.  The mark of a great musician is one who takes criticism as assistance and uses it to propel themselves forward.   I'd put Haken -and particularly Ross Jennings in the latter category. 


It's far too soon for me to rate it, but if my gut is right - and it usually is - this one's going to be my favorite of theirs.

I couldn't have said it any better. All of this applies to me.

I think the quirkiness of the music was a little too much for me on their first three albums. Too many video game/circus moments which distracted me and made it difficult for me to get emotionally attached. And while those elements are still here, I think they fit much better with the retro theme of the album. It feels more purposeful, on Affinity. And much more importantly, I agree that the vocals feel much smoother here. On past albums they often jumped into a kind of musical/a cappella style which I don't like much.

[kirksnosehair]

^yeah, I agree with that.   

[mike099]

I am absolutely blown away by how great this album is. I dare to say I am more blown away than by The Astonishing (there I said it, now you are allowed to slaughter me).

I MUCH prefer Affinity over TA, so you'll get no slaughter from me

We're talking Album Of The Year material right here.

Yea, too bad there is not a progressive category for the Grammy's.  The Mountain would have been a contender and Affinity would certainly be a contender.

[KevShmev]

You'd get slaughtered if you said The Astonishing is better

But TA is better.   Okay, I have only heard Affinity once, but most of it sounded like the usual okay to pretty good Haken stuff, while much of TA is pretty great.  Not even close in my book.

[Tomislav95]

You'd get slaughtered if you said The Astonishing is better

But TA is better.   Okay, I have only heard Affinity once, but most of it sounded like the usual okay to pretty good Haken stuff, while much of TA is pretty great.  Not even close in my book.

To quote myself

Yeah, because Affinity slaughters TA! 

I wouldn't say that myself because I love TA but Haken is probably more loved than DT on DTF

[BlackInk]

You'd get slaughtered if you said The Astonishing is better

But TA is better.   Okay, I have only heard Affinity once, but most of it sounded like the usual okay to pretty good Haken stuff, while much of TA is pretty great.  Not even close in my book.

Compared to Affinity, I wouldn't be comfortable calling The Astonishing proper music.

[Enigmachine]

I really liked Affinity after hearing it for the first time. Don't know if I can even properly compare it to TA, maybe it's about the same level of quality for me.

You'd get slaughtered if you said The Astonishing is better

But TA is better.   Okay, I have only heard Affinity once, but most of it sounded like the usual okay to pretty good Haken stuff, while much of TA is pretty great.  Not even close in my book.

Compared to Affinity, I wouldn't be comfortable calling The Astonishing proper music.

WTF

[jakepriest]

You'd get slaughtered if you said The Astonishing is better

But TA is better.   Okay, I have only heard Affinity once, but most of it sounded like the usual okay to pretty good Haken stuff, while much of TA is pretty great.  Not even close in my book.

Compared to Affinity, I wouldn't be comfortable calling The Astonishing proper music.

  That's the same as stating that any music you don't like isn't proper music.

[mikeyd23]

I've listened to this album a couple times now and I can definitely say its really good. 1985 is so cool.

Can't wait to spin this one more! 

Compared to Affinity, I wouldn't be comfortable calling The Astonishing proper music.

Seriously man? It's perfectly fine if you don't like TA but how is it not proper music?

[Train of Naught]

These extreme comparisons are always just a cry for attention it seems to me. If you honestly dislike an album and nothing more, you wouldn't be throwing it in people's face all the time.. right?

I think TA and Affinity are both great, maybe I like Affinity a tiny bit more but it's pretty close.

[BlackInk]

Oh come on, of course I consider it proper music. It was an exaggeration to get the point of how much more I like Affinity across. It should be clear.

[jakepriest]

Oh come on, of course I consider it proper music. It was an exaggeration to get the point of how much more I like Affinity across. It should be clear.

You're on DTF. We only deal in absolutes here.

[BlackInk]

I've should have known you are all sith lords.

[King Postwhore]

So the big "O" in your avatar if fake.

I knew it.


I'very been a big DT nut for a long time but I have to admit this is a better album than TA. Doesn't mean TA is bad, just that the new Haken album is that good.

[425]

I haven't played Affinity yet, as I just got it today and I'm doing a discography run leading into it, but right now I'm enjoying Restoration about ten times more than I have had before. I must have listened to this 4-6 times before, and never really liked it too much, but it's just suddenly clicking today. Anybody else have a similar experience with Restoration, that it just totally missed the mark at first and then turned into a massive grower?

[Crow]

not i, I listened to it a few months back and it still did little for me 

[425]

Totally get that feeling. Before today, I would have said Earthlings is a solid track and that's about it. Something just clicked somehow.

[Dublagent66]

Yeah, because Affinity slaughters TA! 

I wouldn't say that myself because I love TA but Haken is probably more loved than DT on DTF

Even if I loved TA (which is never gonna happen), Affinity would still be light years ahead of it.

I haven't played Affinity yet, as I just got it today and I'm doing a discography run leading into it, but right now I'm enjoying Restoration about ten times more than I have had before. I must have listened to this 4-6 times before, and never really liked it too much, but it's just suddenly clicking today. Anybody else have a similar experience with Restoration, that it just totally missed the mark at first and then turned into a massive grower?

Aquarius was somewhat like that for me and maybe Visions a little bit.  The Mountain may have taken a little while also, but not too long.  Restoration and now Affinity clicked immediately for me.

[Heretic]

I prefer everything Haken have released to any DT album besides Images and Words and SDOIT tbh, I've really grown off of DT in the last two years

[Sacul]

I've listened to almost 12 albums released this year so far and TA is probably the weakest of them all, and Affinity might end up in my top 5

[Implode]

If I had to rank Haken albums with DT albums in between it'd be like this:

1. The Mountain
2. Affinity
3. SFAM
4. I&W
5. SDOIT
6. Visions
7. Awake
8. ADTOE
9. Aquarius

Some of these are very and hard to rank, but I think it's close enough. In all reality, right now I feel like Affinity should be at the top of the list, but I'll admit I'm still in the honeymoon phase with it.

[425]

Just had my first listen! This is really good. I liked the addition of more atmospheric sections and the lyrical direction they took. Ross's singing just keeps getting better and better. Lapse, Earthrise and Bound by Gravity are the immediate standouts to me.

[Crow]

on my second listen now, feeling like Bound By Gravity is the best track here but I really like Earthrise and The Endless Knot too

[Polarbear]

I have to admit, i have never cared about Haken. I have listened their other albums(and ep.), and i just never cared for those.

This album is a whole different story! Possibly the freshest sounding prog album, of the last 5 years! I would like a little less downtuned guitar, but i'ts not a big negative. I just love the songs "1985" and "Bound by Gravity"!

This is easily the best album they've done. And like i said, a true breath of fresh air for this genre of music! And needless to say, this demolishes the last two DT albums in every way!

[jakepriest]

I would like a little less downtuned guitar, but i'ts not a big negative.

Haken's 8 string riffs are the best thing ever.

[Fritzinger]

I would like a little less downtuned guitar, but i'ts not a big negative.

Haken's 8 string riffs are the best thing ever.

Agreed. Those heavy riffs in the finale of The Architect in combination with the epic melody are just .. Well, astonishing.

[Elite]

Received the clear vinyl today - starting my first listen of the new album right now. Turntable engaged.


EDIT: Initiate was nice. Starting 1985 now. Wow, nice and proggy. Sounds good!

EDIT 2: Woo, nice low riffs! Yuck, those vocal effects are disgusting.

EDIT 3: loving the guitar sound on this record so far.

EDIT 4: this song is great

EDIT 5: this song has an awesome solo. The rest is less good than the previous track

EDIT 6: I've been wanting to hear this track ever since the tracklist came out

[EraVulgaris]

I would like a little less downtuned guitar, but i'ts not a big negative.

Haken's 8 string riffs are the best thing ever.

Agreed. Those heavy riffs in the finale of The Architect in combination with the epic melody are just .. Well, astonishing.

I love how fast the internet is with stuff like that

[Elite]

EDIT 7: Ooh nice bass solo - that chorus was pretty awesome as well.

EDIT 8: uhm, this sounds oddly out of place to be honest 

EDIT 9: that was overall quite disappointing. Now the second LP.

EDIT 10: I'm pretty sure that was the best track so far.

EDIT 11: that song had some interesting stuff going on, but I can't recall any of it now that the next track has started.

EDIT 12: Perhaps this track is even better than the one in edit 10. I'm loving the phased input of electronic stuff throughout the album. The electronic breakdown here was awesome.

EDIT 13: That was nice too.

Final thoughts: overall, I enjoyed that quite a bit, but I think I need a lot more listens before I can fully appreciate this. Preliminary rankings (after one listen!):

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

[darkshade]

I haven't heard H4KEN yet, but I mean, was Yes' new stuff in 1994 or 1999 wasn't nearly as good as DT's. Haken is the "new hotness" in prog

[Dr. DTVT]

Until I had the CD to see the lyrics, I kept hearing the first line of The Architect as, "Mr. Jonas Green before me", and I kept wondering who Jonas Green was 

[Zydar]

I have a crush on the chorus in Lapse.

[jakepriest]

I have a crush on the chorus in Lapse.

I've listened to the album many times and I still can't remember what Lapse sounds like 

[Implode]

And I'm the opposite. Zydar, ever since I read your post a couple hours ago, I haven't been able to get the chorus of Lapse out of my head.

[Dublagent66]

Totally digging the deluxe edition with the instrumental versions.  Anybody else get it?