Haken v. new single Nightingale (April 26)

[GasparXR]

I think I agree they both lift each other up a lot. I thought both were good as standalone albums, but they make way more sense together. I felt like A Cell Divides was weak for an album closer, but it's EXCELLENT as the closing for Act 1 so to speak. And I thought Prosthetic, while a good opener compared to ACD as a closer, makes more sense as the start of Act 2. Of course, Clear is a fantastic opening track, and same goes for Only Stars ending the albums.

I personally can't wait to finally hear Virus live, especially when put together with Vector. If they even come to my area. I also expect them to pull out Cockroach King for the encore considering the lyrical connection. Although they play it a lot, they didn't end up playing it on most of the tour I saw them on, which was the Vector tour at the end of 2018.

[425]

I thought Virus ended up being pretty strong, especially after being somewhat disappointed in Vector. I haven't gone back to it in a while, because the time when I was listening to it a lot coincidence with a painful period in my life, but it may have been my favorite album from what I felt was a pretty weak 2020.

For me, though, Haken will probably always be The Mountain, Aquarius and then the rest.

[jammindude]

Ya know, I've never gone back and listened to both back to back.  I probably should.  I thought Vector was a bit of a let down, but it may be more enjoyable as a double album given how much I love Virus.

Doing this is exactly what sold me on both albums. And a BIG +1 to Gaspar’s thoughts as well. You practically read my mind.

[GasparXR]

Ya know, I've never gone back and listened to both back to back.  I probably should.  I thought Vector was a bit of a let down, but it may be more enjoyable as a double album given how much I love Virus.

Doing this is exactly what sold me on both albums. And a BIG +1 to Gaspar’s thoughts as well. You practically read my mind.

Dammit, not again! I thought the doctors fixed that

Speaking of weird opening/closing tracks, The Alien seems like a weird opening track too. I might change my mind when I hear the whole album, and it's definitely a badass opener, but the fact that people have said it sounds like it could be linked to Pale Blue Dot makes me think it would work well as the second track on an album where Pale Blue Dot is the opener. My mind will be blown if that actually turns out to be the case lol. PBD does actually seem like a cool opener song. Imagine if they surprised us and opened their shows with PBD / The Alien.

[me7]

Yes, Vector and Virus together become more than the sum of their parts. Probably the least bloated double album I have ever heard.

[KevShmev]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

[ariich]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

I mean, I agree with you but the difference is pretty moot really.

[Metro]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

I reject your hypothesis and substitute my own

[Ben_Jamin]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

I would call them a double album in the same vein that Mezmerize/Hypnotize and Automata I/II are double albums.

Both albums are about the same concept and both utilize the same tones and sounds.

The concept double album just happened to be released as two separate cds, which the labels most likely felt would sell better and I believe they did, as releasing two separate releases also counts as two products. 

[KevShmev]

You guys are cute.

[nobloodyname]

Only me who's really taken with Ross Jennings' new song, then?

Just re-checking out the other two. Grounded is brilliant, that chorus. Really liking Words We Can't Unsay, too.

Have to say, I think I'm enjoying these tracks more than anything of Haken's although I really rather enjoyed Virus. Definitely buying the album.

[Ben_Jamin]

You guys are cute.

I actually think it would've been neat to do what SOAD did and had both albums combine to form the full double album package.

[Ben_Jamin]

Only me who's been really taken with Ross Jennings' new song, then?

Just re-checking out the other two. Grounded is brilliant, that chorus. Really liking Words We Can't Unsay, too.

Have to say, I think I'm enjoying these tracks more than anything of Haken's although I really rather enjoyed Virus. Definitely buying the album.

It was alright, I might find it better when not watching the video. I kept thinking of that Sledgehammer video, and couldn't focus on the song itself. 

I prefer Grounded and out of the songs released that is one that I find myself gravitating towards.

[jammindude]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

I never actually said that they WERE a double album. I said that the two albums benefit when you view them as a double album. The comparison to Automata 1&2 is perfect. Exactly the same thing.

[jammindude]

Only me who's really taken with Ross Jennings' new song, then?

Just re-checking out the other two. Grounded is brilliant, that chorus. Really liking Words We Can't Unsay, too.

Have to say, I think I'm enjoying these tracks more than anything of Haken's although I really rather enjoyed Virus. Definitely buying the album.

I’ve been swamped so I haven’t even had an opportunity to check it out lately. It’s on my to do list.

[Ben_Jamin]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

I never actually said that they WERE a double album. I said that the two albums benefit when you view them as a double album. The comparison to Automata 1&2 is perfect. Exactly the same thing.

Another one could be Keeper of The Seven Keys.

[KevShmev]

Except that the studio albums are not a double album.

If you want to call them companion pieces to one another, have at it, but to call two separate albums a double album is, well, factually incorrect.

I never actually said that they WERE a double album. I said that the two albums benefit when you view them as a double album. The comparison to Automata 1&2 is perfect. Exactly the same thing.

me7 did, though, and his post was the last one before mine (which is why I didn't feel the need to quote it). 

[jammindude]

We could just start referring to them as V/VI. 

[me7]

I think the BTBAM comparison fits better than the SOAD example. Mezmerize and Hypnotize were two albums that work fine on their own. Both have proper endings, Mezmerize doesn't just leave the listener hanging.

Vector and Virus feel to me more like Automata I and II, given how abruptly Vector cuts off.

[jammindude]

I think the BTBAM comparison fits better than the SOAD example. Mezmerize and Hypnotize were two albums that work fine on their own. Both have proper endings, Mezmerize doesn't just leave the listener hanging.

Vector and Virus feel to me more like Automata I and II, given how abruptly Vector cuts off.

Exactly. I even remember the complaints when Automata 1 came out that Blot, while being a killer track, didn’t sound like a proper ending for an album.

[Buddyhunter1]

Blot is a far more satisfying album closer than The Grid. Sorry to bring the BTBAM hot takes into the Haken thread.

[Ben_Jamin]

I think the BTBAM comparison fits better than the SOAD example. Mezmerize and Hypnotize were two albums that work fine on their own. Both have proper endings, Mezmerize doesn't just leave the listener hanging.

Vector and Virus feel to me more like Automata I and II, given how abruptly Vector cuts off.

Very true. I just like how they did the album covers for that. 

I do like how they were getting people to realize how Virus was going to be by posting pictures of Ketchup and Mustard. 

Funny thing is, I have both bands' albums but haven't listened to much of Automata I/II much at all.

[fivestring]

I thought Virus ended up being pretty strong, especially after being somewhat disappointed in Vector. I haven't gone back to it in a while, because the time when I was listening to it a lot coincidence with a painful period in my life, but it may have been my favorite album from what I felt was a pretty weak 2020.

For me, though, Haken will probably always be The Mountain, Aquarius and then the rest.

A lot of the same here. I'll also likely be in the minority, but Vector was just nothing special for me. I felt it sounded like just another prog metal band. Virus came back and it had the spark I was looking for and liked about Haken. To me, I can't say they are Part I and Part II of a concept record or set or whatever. They sound vastly different to me.  I'm also the type of fan that has The Mountain at the top of their list. IMO, their best by a long shot.

Also, dang.... Ross is super busy! Haken, Novena, and now his own solo album?? That guy is just cranking it out! Good on him for being so creative and productive.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

6:22- in Streams is a nice section. Love mellow Ross! 

[Fritzinger]

I completely agree about the "least bloated double album" ever statement! Some bands put the same amount of work (or less) into a double album (looking at you MP), whereas Haken released the two halves separately and putting a shit ton of work into each of them - resulting in a double album where without a second too much.

And yeah, Virus is still my album of the year 2020, without anything even coming close. And I'm much more of a prog fan than a metal fan.

[The Letter M]

https://youtu.be/Tdk45uQd5Y0

Classical Composer Doug Helvering has posted his first ever Haken reaction - "Cockroach King"!

-Marc.

[crazy climber dude]

And yeah, Virus is still my album of the year 2020, without anything even coming close. And I'm much more of a prog fan than a metal fan.

It's always contextual/subjective. It's almost impossible NOT to compare albums to other albums by the same band. And almost unequivocally, there will be at least ONE of those albums that you use as the template....and the newest stuff will NEVER leapfrog.

But if you COULD hear it in a vacuum.....you would say, whoa? Who the hell is this? Virus is a great example. Another one is Falling Into Infinity. If had never heard DT and listened to Lines In The Sand on the album, or even watched JP doing THIS solo....what would you think? https://youtu.be/DGbDQkxg3SU

[425]

FII was one of the last DT albums I heard (well, of the ones that were released when I got into the band in 2013), but I still feel that way about Lines in the Sand.

[KevShmev]

Pretty sure if Virus was the first Haken album I had heard, I would have stopped right there and moved to another band.

[Cocopjojo]

FII was one of the last DT albums I heard (well, of the ones that were released when I got into the band in 2013), but I still feel that way about Lines in the Sand.

Sorry, what do you mean by this? FII is the most recent you've heard of all of DT's albums?

[425]

No, it was one of the last ones I heard—when I got into the band 8 years ago. At the time, they had 11 albums, and I heard 9 of them before FII—I only heard WDADU after it. Since then, of course, they've released three more albums, all of which I obviously heard after FII.

[Fritzinger]

Good thought! I love Falling Into Infinity and I also love Virus, no matter what came before or next. So, if I could hear those two "in a vacuum", I would still feel the same. Two awesome (and underrated) albums.

[The Letter M]

https://www.facebook.com/100044565693628/posts/409505897211597/

Who’s ready for a big announcement tomorrow?!

🤔🤔🤔

-Marc.

[ariich]

I'm afraid I must claim ignorance, genuinely don't know what it is, but would guess something tour related just based on timing.

[jammindude]

Finally announcing Diego’s replacement?