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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: allewartenaufdaslicht_ on August 07, 2022, 05:56:48 PM
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MOD EDIT: New era of Haken, so let's make this the new thread - like the OP says, the last one was 176 pages.
Previous thread here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=42638.0
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After having listened to the Nightingale single today, which blew me away with the usual Hakenesque intensity, I really can't wait for the boys to drop that new album asap. I am aware of the Nightingale discussion thread here, however after that one having turned into a 176 page extravaganza of everything Haken I thought it would be fun to create an exclusive thread for speculations, wishes and intel on Haken album number 7.
Do you guys think Nightingale will be on the album? Or will it remain in the bands catalogue as an autonomous EP? Also, what direction do you guys think the band will venture into with this new record musically. Judging from what I hear in the bands newest track it sounds like they are slowly walking away from Djent as a favorite stilistic substrate for their work, which I am excited about. I would love to hear which direction you guys would like H7KEN to venture towards. Jazzy like the mighty mountain? Story-telling concepts like The Astonishing? Classical progrock à la Muse? With these 6 lads it seems that everything is a possibility. Whatever they end up doing, I am convinced that the climax of their career and discography is yet to come. Something tells me that Hakens Hotel California/Close To The Edge/Moving Pictures album is not yet released. Alright, groupie-ism over. Looking forward to your opinions!!! :hat
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Nightingale is only a single, so it won’t be an autonomous EP ala Restoration. However, I’ve got a pretty strong feeling it will be in H7KEN. I think they just rushed this one out so they could play something new on tour with Peter Jones.
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I'm sure Ariich would be able to answer all of your questions, but may be under a gag order :lol
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I'm sure Ariich would be able to answer all of your questions, but may be under a gag order :lol
I'm happy for whatever reliable facts I can get!
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What the hell, let's make this the new Haken thread - the previous one was going for 8 years and 176 pages (to be clear, that was definitely not 176 pages of discussion just about Nightingale! :lol). I've edited the OP to include a link to the previous thread.
To answer some of the questions:
- Nightingale will be on the new album.
- I haven't heard anything else from it yet but Pete's given me his impressions of it. I've quoted a relevant bit of my post from the last thread at the bottom of this post.
- The longest song on the album is something like 10 or 11 minutes and is apparently pretty crazy.
- Overall the album will be longer than Vector or Virus - Pete wasn't specific but I got the impression it'll be sort of Affinity-length.
- Recording is well progressed - they've posted on social media that Ray finished drum tracking, but also Pete has finished his parts, I think guitars are pretty much there and they've been doing vocals recently.
- I think it's looking most likely an early 2023 release, mainly due to vinyl production times now being double what they were pre-COVID.
Unrelated, but I saw Pete today and got a chance to catch up about the new album among other things. Sounding pretty exciting - for those of us who got a bit of a Mountain vibe from Nightingale, his personal take is that there's a sense of that throughout the album - not the same style, but a similar feel. What that means in practice I don't know yet. :lol
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although they could release the album on CD and digital formats first (which quite a few artists were doing and still are doing), since production times for CDs had always been faster than for vinyl, even pre pandemic. Anyway, carry on. (https://superdeluxeedition.com/feature/a-pressing-issue-how-the-vinyl-revival-has-caught-out-the-music-industry-during-the-pandemic/ this is the article that I referenced btw)
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The description of the longest song from forthcoming album being pretty crazy, per ariich, is why this band is no longer an auto-buy for me (or an auto-go if they come here, which is why I skipped it when they were in STL earlier this year). Too many moments on the last couple albums were of the "crazy, but where is the melody?" nature, and I fear this new record will follow that path as well. Yes, we know you guys can play super fast and heavy; now play something melodic, please. I am hoping I am wrong, but time will tell.
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Here's hoping the album doesn't get delayed until next year.
I agree with Kev about their direction for the last couple albums, but I think Nightingale is a good indicator that they're, hopefully, moving to more melodic stuff.
The only other thing I'd like to see, though I'm not too positive it'll happen anytime soon, is them giving the Restoration treatment to the remaining 3 songs from the demo, which had Pete on keys, and include them on the new album or another EP or something.
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The only other thing I'd like to see, though I'm not too positive it'll happen anytime soon, is them giving the Restoration treatment to the remaining 3 songs from the demo, which had Pete on keys, and include them on the new album or another EP or something.
I’d prefer a second EP. Focus on new material for the next album, put out the redone songs later.
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The only other thing I'd like to see, though I'm not too positive it'll happen anytime soon, is them giving the Restoration treatment to the remaining 3 songs from the demo, which had Pete on keys, and include them on the new album or another EP or something.
I’d prefer a second EP. Focus on new material for the next album, put out the redone songs later.
I really would love to hear this Restoration II EP sometime!
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I'd rather they make new music to be honest.
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An early 2023 release sounds good. Definitely need something good to look forward to next year, especially if it'll be a slightly longer album! Thanks for the updates and insight ariich!
-Marc.
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The only other thing I'd like to see, though I'm not too positive it'll happen anytime soon, is them giving the Restoration treatment to the remaining 3 songs from the demo, which had Pete on keys, and include them on the new album or another EP or something.
I’d prefer a second EP. Focus on new material for the next album, put out the redone songs later.
I really would love to hear this Restoration II EP sometime!
Rich, you know what to do! :lol :laugh:
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The only other thing I'd like to see, though I'm not too positive it'll happen anytime soon, is them giving the Restoration treatment to the remaining 3 songs from the demo, which had Pete on keys, and include them on the new album or another EP or something.
I’d prefer a second EP. Focus on new material for the next album, put out the redone songs later.
I really would love to hear this Restoration II EP sometime!
Rich, you know what to do! :lol :laugh:
Way ahead of you, I told Pete this would be a good idea ages ago. :P
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The only other thing I'd like to see, though I'm not too positive it'll happen anytime soon, is them giving the Restoration treatment to the remaining 3 songs from the demo, which had Pete on keys, and include them on the new album or another EP or something.
I’d prefer a second EP. Focus on new material for the next album, put out the redone songs later.
I really would love to hear this Restoration II EP sometime!
Rich, you know what to do! :lol :laugh:
Way ahead of you, I told Pete this would be a good idea ages ago. :P
Persistance is key :P ;D
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Really looking forward to the new material. I was lukewarm on Vector and Virus for a long time, but finally seeing them live again turned that around. Nightingale was so amazing live as well. The way they manage to blend complex song writing with incredibly catchy choruses and riffs amazes me.
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I'd rather they make new music to be honest.
Why not both?
The description of the longest song from forthcoming album being pretty crazy, per ariich, is why this band is no longer an auto-buy for me (or an auto-go if they come here, which is why I skipped it when they were in STL earlier this year). Too many moments on the last couple albums were of the "crazy, but where is the melody?" nature, and I fear this new record will follow that path as well. Yes, we know you guys can play super fast and heavy; now play something melodic, please. I am hoping I am wrong, but time will tell.
I still don't understand this argument. Their last three albums had tons of melody on them. They also had some batshit crazy instrumental rollercoasters, but they still managed to squeeze in some beautiful motives. Veil's chorus, Puzzle Box's finale, Host, Canary Yellow (if that song doesn't move you, you are not human), Invasion. The music around these melodic ideas became more complex and far better thought through, but the typical Haken hook lines are still there imo.
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I think the biggest difference between early and current Haken is that they don't play circus music anymore. :'(
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I think the biggest difference between early and current Haken is that they don't play circus music anymore. :'(
That's probably why Roine Stolt only liked Aquarius and not much else after that. :lol
-Marc.
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I'd rather they make new music to be honest.
Why not both?
The description of the longest song from forthcoming album being pretty crazy, per ariich, is why this band is no longer an auto-buy for me (or an auto-go if they come here, which is why I skipped it when they were in STL earlier this year). Too many moments on the last couple albums were of the "crazy, but where is the melody?" nature, and I fear this new record will follow that path as well. Yes, we know you guys can play super fast and heavy; now play something melodic, please. I am hoping I am wrong, but time will tell.
I still don't understand this argument. Their last three albums had tons of melody on them. They also had some batshit crazy instrumental rollercoasters, but they still managed to squeeze in some beautiful motives. Veil's chorus, Puzzle Box's finale, Host, Canary Yellow (if that song doesn't move you, you are not human), Invasion. The music around these melodic ideas became more complex and far better thought through, but the typical Haken hook lines are still there imo.
I agree with Fritzinger, there's plenty of melody on the last three albums.
I don't know Kev - that's two disagrees in a week - I used to always agree with you, I don't know what's going on LOL
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I'm with Fritzinger regarding Vector and Virus, however I feel that Nightingale is surprisingly difficult to digest. The music is very technical and it all comes together beautifully the way it is arranged, but I need to concentrate when I listen to it to not miss the details. During a spin of an album on the go, I usually spend 80% of the time concentrated on the music and 20% distracted. Nightingale blurs by me quicker than most of Haken's music if I'm not careful.
I think this is due to the mix rather than the actual music. It sounds somewhat fuzzy and flat, no lines or drum fills stick out sonically to me. I read something on the internet regarding vocal harmonies, I assume the writer meant the layered vocals near the very end but I just can't tell what exactly is going on there.
Anyways, I really like the track, but I'm surprised how many people consider it less technical than Vector/Virus.
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I'm kind of with Kev on this one. V/V both had plenty of melody, but it seemed separated from the "let's see how complicated we can make things" angle which was also there. Both albums had plenty I enjoyed and plenty I disregarded as it seemed more like wankery than what had come before.
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I didn't take to the last 2 releases like I did with previous material. Hoping they turn that around with the next release. Nightingale was pretty good. We'll see...
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Maybe I should have said "memorable melodies" rather than just melodies altogether, because, sure, they are there on the last two albums, but they most of them aren't memorable at all. The production on both is similar to that on Affinity, but that album was loaded with great melodies all over the place. It was like they amped up the technicality and made the overall production was a bit more metal (vs the first three albums which felt like a prog rock band production, but with some metal elements at times), but it felt like the melodies were still the priority. On the last two albums, especially Virus, it feels like they flipped the balance. On the plus side, Host is pretty awesome, and easily the song I go back to the most from either, but of course they ignore it live.
And I guess I am inhuman because I find Canary Yellow to be a snoozer and not moving at all.
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Vector has some great vocal moments for me. The Puzzle Box, A Cell Divides, and of course Host. I also feel that both Vector/Virus are not focused on catchy melodies for a reason. There's a certain feel, atmosphere, and tension in these albums that play into the concept. I see this as us, the listener, being able to feel what the patient of Dr. Rex's experiment is going through.
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One
One less
One less life
One less life for us to live
Whenever I hear Invasion, it is in my head for days and days. I’d call that pretty memorable.
Heck just typing that got a cycle going in my head.
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One
One less
One less life
One less life for us to live
Whenever I hear Invasion, it is in my head for days and days. I’d call that pretty memorable.
Heck just typing that got a cycle going in my head.
And now it’s in my head. The Virus spreads…
I’m optimistic about the new album. I just hope the metal aspect isn’t as dominant as it was on Victor/Virus. I think they took that aspect of their sound as far as they could take it. I much prefer Affinity.
Not really relevant, but seeing them play Affinity in full right before the pandemic started was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. Diego will be missed but I’m excited to see what else Pete brings to the table.
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One
One less
One less life
One less life for us to live
Whenever I hear Invasion, it is in my head for days and days. I’d call that pretty memorable.
Heck just typing that got a cycle going in my head.
I will definitely give you this one. Invasion is the one song from the last record that I actually like quite a bit. I have little to no use for the rest of the record, but that song is a keeper.
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One
One less
One less life
One less life for us to live
Whenever I hear Invasion, it is in my head for days and days. I’d call that pretty memorable.
Heck just typing that got a cycle going in my head.
And now it’s in my head. The Virus spreads…
Mine too. If it’s not this, it’s that War of the Worlds riff I mentioned that’s in Prosthetic and the ending of Messiah Complex.
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By the way, I have heard Nightingale twice now and I was drunk the first time :biggrin: and I am far from understanding that song. Now knowing that it will be on the new album, I will go back to my usual way of not listening to singles until I can hear them in the context of the album. So, no Nightingale for me until next year I guess...
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I guess I'll say it, I like the Virus/Vector sound a lot more than Nightingale. Virus was just such a good album IMO. But I like metal more than prog so I think that makes sense for my tastes.
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I'm not sure what the exact definition of a melody is (it just seems too abstract for me to comprehend, I guess), but I always thought there were a lot of really memorable and interesting parts on both Vector and Virus.
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Posted by Ross earlier on Facebook:
That's a wrap! Vocals for #h7ken are "in the can". Couldn't have done it without Ray Hearne both supporting me and whipping me into shape, in equal measures, every step of the way... and a huge thanks to our sound engineer Paul Win Audio Ltd (not pictured) for your patience, dedication and for bringing out the very best in my performances with your knowledge, experience and expertise!
This only means we're a little closer to getting this new stuff to your ears BUT there's still a way to go through the mixing process etc... Trust me, THIS ONE will be every bit worth the wait ;-)
HAKEN
(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/299332450_550062370275613_8108209486860886608_n.jpg?stp=cp0_dst-jpg_e15_fr_q65&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8024bb&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_ohc=Y3mABs9K3lgAX86AFrY&tn=4KKbA9D00Hxa7vL0&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AT8nbo0TTXtNJZmoIY0nTapZXOypmHSd6WxzDFA9MnG5Og&oe=62FBC448)
-Marc.
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Apparently they have a large announcement coming tomorrow. I hope it's album related.
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Diego returns
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Apparently they have a large announcement coming tomorrow. I hope it's album related.
Hopefully, the return of Nova Collective. I would welcome another album by them more than a new one by Haken. And I like Haken.
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I don't think it'll be album-related as they just finished recording it not so long ago, it'll take a while before we get "real" updates about that. My guess is the rescheduled tour in Europe.
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I don't think it'll be album-related as they just finished recording it not so long ago, it'll take a while before we get "real" updates about that. My guess is the rescheduled tour in Europe.
With the word "large" being used, I'm guessing a massive tour announcement as well. It could be the new album, but not sure what would be large about that unless its some sort of 3 disc album :lol
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Maybe fall/spring tour of Virus and Vector in full?
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I don't think it'll be album-related as they just finished recording it not so long ago, it'll take a while before we get "real" updates about that. My guess is the rescheduled tour in Europe.
With the word "large" being used, I'm guessing a massive tour announcement as well. It could be the new album, but not sure what would be large about that unless its some sort of 3 disc album :lol
UK based progressive metallers HAKEN are pleased to announce the release of their new prog rock opera/concept album 'The Cockroachstonishing', a beautiful story about how the King Cockroach found true love in the road from rags to riches, which this time lead him somewhere.
The massive project, spearheaded by the band's resident cockroach experts Jennings & Griffiths, will span three discs full of new music, with disc 3 being fully comprised of naturally recorded cockroach noises with string orchestrations underneath.
The band will embark on a three year world tour, supporting their new release by playing every disc in full, one each year. These dates will include the special participation of legendary drummer Mike Portnoy, who will appear as the King Cockroach*, singing and playing drummer Hearne's drums while he simultneously spits in the other band member's gear.
Ticket sales and pre-orders for the album to begin next week.
*Neither the actual Cockroach King or former band member Diego Tejeida will take part in this massive tour.
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:lol now that is LARGE
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:rollin :rollin :rollin
We need to get that sent to the band.
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I've not spoken to Pete since I saw him a couple of weeks ago, but my guess would be that this one is tour related. Feels slightly early for album announcement, although I don't think it'll be all that long for that either.
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We're already planning to hit Europe around spring 2023 for our honeymoon, so I'm hoping this lines up well. For all the places I've seen Haken, still haven't gotten to in their native country, or even continent.
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I've seen Haken in four different countries, I think :)
Tour would be nice!
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It's a joint EU tour with BTBAM.
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The Tilburg date seems doable for me :)
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I moved to Vienna in the spring and the perks of living in such a big city are becoming more and more apparent ;) Great to see a Vienna tour date on that list that I can reach within 25 minutes with the subway! Can't wait to see this awesome band again, it's been waaayyy to long. Also, this will be my first time seeing BTBAM since I became a fan! :metal
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I'll try to catch the shows in both Berlin and Leipzig. Seeing Haken LIVE really never gets old and if I had the time I'd follow them on tour across Europe. BTW does anyone know how they will subdivide the evenings between themselves an BTBAM? I like both bands but MUCH prefer Haken and I'd hate to see them support another act, I want them to play the last slot and play the longer set. Has anyone got intel on how they might do it?
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I'll try to catch the shows in both Berlin and Leipzig. Seeing Haken LIVE really never gets old and if I had the time I'd follow them on tour across Europe. BTW does anyone know how they will subdivide the evenings between themselves an BTBAM? I like both bands but MUCH prefer Haken and I'd hate to see them support another act, I want them to play the last slot and play the longer set. Has anyone got intel on how they might do it?
It's co-headline so the sets will be the same length (unlike last time they played together when BTBAM headlined).
I believe the plan is for Haken to play last this time.
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List of Haken Songs and Their Tunings
Gzarruk requested this and I thought I'd post it here for anyone curious. Some of these are from official sources, like the Affinity Tab Book. Others from fan-made tabs, and some from just watching their hands in live videos/playthroughs. Any corrections are appreciated, and if a certain someone close to the band could possibly maybe run it by them, that'd be great.
Pretty much everything they play nowadays is on 8-string guitar/6-string bass, but not everything requires the low F# string.
Aquarius
The Point of No Return
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Streams
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Aquarium
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Eternal Rain
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Drowning in the Flood
Guitar: A E A D G B E (7-String, Drop A)
Bass: A E A D G C (6-String, Drop A)
Sun
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Celestial Elixer
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Visions
Premonition
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Nocturnal Conspiracy
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Insomnia
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
The Mind’s Eye
Guitar: D A D G A D (6-String, Open Dsus4 tuning)
and B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Portals
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Shapeshifter
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Deathless
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Visions
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
The Mountain
The Path
No guitar or bass
Atlas Stone
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Cockroach King
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
In Memoriam
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Because It’s There
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Falling Back to Earth
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
As Death Embraces
No guitar or bass
Pareidolia
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Somebody
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Restoration
Darkest Light
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Earthlings
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Crystallised
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Affinity
affinity.exe
beep boop beep boop
Initiate
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
1985
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Lapse
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
The Architect
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Earthrise
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: A E A D G C (6-String, Drop A)
Red Giant
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
The Endless Knot
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Bound by Gravity
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Vector
Clear
No guitar or bass
The Good Doctor
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Puzzle Box
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Veil
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Nil by Mouth
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Host
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
A Cell Divides
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Virus
Prosthetic
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Invasion
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Carousel
Guitar: F# B D A D G B E (8-String, Standard with E dropped down to D)
Bass: A# D A D G C (6-String, Lowest string dropped down to A#, and E dropped down to D)
The Strain
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Canary Yellow
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Messiah Complex
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Only Stars
No guitar or bass
Fauna
Taurus
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Nightingale
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: A E A D G C (6-String, Drop A)
The Alphabet of Me
Guitar: E A D G B E (6-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Sempiternal Beings
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Beneath the White Rainbow
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Island in the Clouds
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Lovebite
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Elephants Never Forget
Guitar: B E A D G B E (7-string, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
Eye of Ebony
Guitar: F# B E A D G B E (8-String, Standard)
Bass: B E A D G C (6-String, Standard)
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:hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Their social media pages are hinting at new music coming.
"Are you hungry for some new music?" #h7ken
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Yep, should be soon! I was expecting early December but I guess might be sooner.
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https://www.h7ken.com/
Very exciting :coolio
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The new snippet sounds nice 🥳
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Fauna.
Hyped.
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The new snippet sounds nice 🥳
From the next single. I love it, and it's nothing like the Vector/Virus sound so I think it's a good choice for the next single.
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(https://www.h7ken.com/thankyou/Haken_Fauna.2bc10e57.jpg)
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Wow, beautiful cover!!
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Whoa, I love it! That might be their best album cover. Hopefully the album is as good, I didn't really like Virus.
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teaser: https://www.h7ken.com/thankyou/
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Pretty good cover! And I'm glad they're moving away from the Virus sound. Bring it on!
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Awesome cover. Love it.
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Very cool cover :metal
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monke
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teaser: https://www.h7ken.com/thankyou/
Thanks for sharing that. I gave the puzzle an honest try but had two pieces I couldn't set in place. Very nice snippet and a very interesting cover, reminds me of Opeth and The Flower Kings for some reason. Maybe Haken are entering their Swedish period? :lol
Looking forward to more, as always!
-Marc.
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I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
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I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
-
I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
Is Fauna the album title?
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The teaser kinda reminds me of The Dear Hunter, though maybe that's just because I've listened to so much of that band this year. Either way, sounds neat! Every album Haken has released thus far has impressed me a lot. Here's hoping they'll continue to impress me further!
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I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
So something more along the lines of Nightingale?
-
I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
So something more along the lines of Nightingale?
listen to this for reference: https://www.h7ken.com/thankyou/ I like the cover art too btw.
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I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
Is Fauna the album title?
yes
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animals
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I'll try to avoid singles and snippets, but if they're indeed moving away from the big metal sound, that's a welcome change. I loved it on Vector, but Virus was already too familiar and kind of bland. So here we go with something new. :tup
To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
So something more along the lines of Nightingale?
The album is varied, like Haken albums normally are. The next single is pretty different to Nightingale. You'll see what I mean once you hear it.
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which btw is called The Alphabet Of Me (according to the player properties)
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which btw is called The Alphabet Of Me (according to the player properties)
:tup
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I’m seriously excited for this release. I just hope my expectations aren’t too high. I honestly want to be blown away.
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@ariich: can you say, whether the next single will be a simpler song or more elaborate?
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They're both wearing the same suit, I couldn't resist
(https://i.imgur.com/NjGKxxo.jpg)
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:rollin
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It might not be a coincidence! Looking at the single art for The Alphabet of Me, it's clearly referencing Blade Runner. Might be a recurring theme in the artwork for this album cycle.
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@ariich: can you say, whether the next single will be a simpler song or more elaborate?
I guess simpler, but also a bit different.
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To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
I don't see that at all. I get that you are close to the band and know a lot more about them than I do, but the debut does not sound like a metal album at all. Even with the Dream Theater-isms on that album, it sounds like a rock band much more keen on prog than metal, IMO.
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To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
I don't see that at all. I get that you are close to the band and know a lot more about them than I do, but the debut does not sound like a metal album at all. Even with the Dream Theater-isms on that album, it sounds like a rock band much more keen on prog than metal, IMO.
I know someone who got turned off by that album because there’s a couple of Cookie Monster death metal vocal moments. It is absolutely a metal album. It’s just a progressive metal album
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To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
I don't see that at all. I get that you are close to the band and know a lot more about them than I do, but the debut does not sound like a metal album at all. Even with the Dream Theater-isms on that album, it sounds like a rock band much more keen on prog than metal, IMO.
Maybe we define metal differently but it has always been - to the band, journalists, and vast majority of fans - a prog metal album.
EDIT: How about a translation without genre labels.
To be clear, they've always had plenty of heavy riffs and dark sections in their music and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and more focused and reliant on dark, heavy, guitar-driven riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
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:hat
I love the the walking stick in the lower right corner of the album cover, it's adorned with a moskito trapped in resin as worn by Jurassic Parks John Hammond. As demonstrated by the artwork of Charlies recent solo record as well as the bands very name (Haken used to be a comic hero Ross and Rich obsessed over), the band seems to be very fond of sci-fi and comic franchises. It's what makes them so intriguing to me - they are total nerds. Not unlike Rush, they put endless amounts of thought into every single piece of their material and then drastically cut back on it, let it mature and reevaluate, always with great attention to detail and trying to avoid any loose ends. The results speak for themselves, I don't know a higher quality progressive rock/metal group at the moment that I could personally say the same about, not on this level, Haken is lonely at the top - which makes the insane modesty and self-mockery they are constantly practicing whenever I get to meet them in person that much more obscure.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E4VxH6fVoAUvSP2.jpg)
Anyway - @ariich: Can you tell me if there will be a roundabout 20 minute epic on the new record? Or will they keep it to 10-12 minutes max?
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Anyway - @ariich: Can you tell me if there will be a roundabout 20 minute epic on the new record? Or will they keep it to 10-12 minutes max?
Not my place to give away details, but for comparisons with previous albums, the distribution of song lengths is more along the lines of The Mountain and Affinity than anything else. Come to think of it, my opinion is that the overall vibe of the album is also closest to those two, but with elements of the others plus some new experimentation.
EDIT: Oh and I agree with everything else in your post, well said.
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Do you know if there's an overall concept/theme to this album or if it's purely standalone tracks?
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There's a theme for sure, as with all their albums. But no story/narrative. So more like The Mountain in that regard than the rest which all have varying degrees of narrative to them.
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(https://www.h7ken.com/thankyou/Haken_Fauna.2bc10e57.jpg)
*faints in 7/8*
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I'm guessing it's a (mechanical) nightingale he's holding there. I wonder if more objects are connected to the lyrics/titles.
The clock shows 7, it's their seventh studio album.
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I'm fairly certain all song titles are reflected on the cover :D
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I'm fairly certain all song titles are reflected on the cover :D
Titles not necessarily, but most songs are reflected. Not all though I think, there are a couple that I guess may be on the back cover instead.
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To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
I don't see that at all. I get that you are close to the band and know a lot more about them than I do, but the debut does not sound like a metal album at all. Even with the Dream Theater-isms on that album, it sounds like a rock band much more keen on prog than metal, IMO.
Maybe we define metal differently but it has always been - to the band, journalists, and vast majority of fans - a prog metal album.
EDIT: How about a translation without genre labels.
To be clear, they've always had plenty of heavy riffs and dark sections in their music and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and more focused and reliant on dark, heavy, guitar-driven riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
Well, people love their labels, but I am just saying, if I had heard the band for the first time at the end of 2010 with only the debut to consider, and without reading any reviews or anything, even with the one growling section in Streams, I wouldn't have thought that they were a metal band. That's it.
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To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
I don't see that at all. I get that you are close to the band and know a lot more about them than I do, but the debut does not sound like a metal album at all. Even with the Dream Theater-isms on that album, it sounds like a rock band much more keen on prog than metal, IMO.
Maybe we define metal differently but it has always been - to the band, journalists, and vast majority of fans - a prog metal album.
EDIT: How about a translation without genre labels.
To be clear, they've always had plenty of heavy riffs and dark sections in their music and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and more focused and reliant on dark, heavy, guitar-driven riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
Well, people love their labels, but I am just saying, if I had heard the band for the first time at the end of 2010 with only the debut to consider, and without reading any reviews or anything, even with the one growling section in Streams, I wouldn't have thought that they were a metal band. That's it.
Fair enough. It's interesting to me though. Maybe a combination of the production being generally lighter and thinner, and the music being more whimsical.
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Not my place to give away details, but for comparisons with previous albums, the distribution of song lengths is more along the lines of The Mountain and Affinity than anything else. Come to think of it, my opinion is that the overall vibe of the album is also closest to those two, but with elements of the others plus some new experimentation.
EDIT: Oh and I agree with everything else in your post, well said.
:omg:
My anticipation level just went through the roof, I couldn’t think of two better composed albums. A couple of the best ever. Can’t wait to hear this thing.
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Anyway - @ariich: Can you tell me if there will be a roundabout 20 minute epic on the new record? Or will they keep it to 10-12 minutes max?
IIRC, one of the members talked about a 12-ish minute epic. Can't remember if it was Ross or Ray.
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Anyway - @ariich: Can you tell me if there will be a roundabout 20 minute epic on the new record? Or will they keep it to 10-12 minutes max?
IIRC, one of the members talked about a 12-ish minute epic. Can't remember if it was Ross or Ray.
They’ve never released an album without a 10+ minute song, so it would be almost weird if this wasn’t the case.
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I'm fairly certain all song titles are reflected on the cover :D
Titles not necessarily, but most songs are reflected. Not all though I think, there are a couple that I guess may be on the back cover instead.
I guess Nightingale is on the album then? I kind of just assumed it was a one off single to welcome Peter back in the band and kick off thier re emergence after covid with touring.
I'm probably focusing too much on that track, but I guess I just didn't love it so kind of hoping the album isn't too strong on that style, although I don't think nor want them to shy from it. I just didn't find the song to have the typical earworms Haken often create. I also am, seemingly in the minority, a big fan of their metal style. You mentioned variety and that makes me happy though.
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The album isn't too strong on any specific style really, as I said it's rather varied.
Definitely a focus on strong choruses as well, regardless of the style of each song. I loved half of them on first listen and the rest within another listen or two.
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Back in the old days when I would make my Friday run to the record store, I would flip through the vinyl going row-by-row and many times if I saw an intriguing cover, I bought the album without even hearing a note. I found many treasures that way. This Haken cover would have been an instant buy for me. One of the coolest covers I have ever seen.
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I'm fairly certain all song titles are reflected on the cover :D
Titles not necessarily, but most songs are reflected. Not all though I think, there are a couple that I guess may be on the back cover instead.
I guess Nightingale is on the album then? I kind of just assumed it was a one off single to welcome Peter back in the band and kick off thier re emergence after covid with touring.
I'm probably focusing too much on that track, but I guess I just didn't love it so kind of hoping the album isn't too strong on that style, although I don't think nor want them to shy from it. I just didn't find the song to have the typical earworms Haken often create. I also am, seemingly in the minority, a big fan of their metal style. You mentioned variety and that makes me happy though.
There will be earworms from them, because that's what I felt when I heard the snippet.
Haken are a band where it's easier to recommend an album, rather than a song, to introduce people to how they sound. Some songs do contain elements they are known for, but also, none of these songs really sound the same. The songs differ from album to album, and it's what I like about the band. The more I realized how much the songs differed from album to album, the more I can see the similarities and the "Themes" each album has, which is how each song sounds within the album as well.
This makes Virus/Vector make a ton more sense due to how the concept was told through the music, hence it being heavily leaning to a certain style and tone. Rather than the looser thematic albums of Mountain and Affinity.
I am quite excited to see what the theme for this album will be, and that album cover and name does not help my imagination much...lol. A possible theme could be since humans are in fact Animals, these animal characteristics are a part of being human. Hence the personification of the animals in this Fauna.
Am I the only one who is very fascinated in how the music will represent the themes involved? Because that is why I like this band, and why I like it is not just because they play amazing prog-metal.
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I'm fairly certain all song titles are reflected on the cover :D
Titles not necessarily, but most songs are reflected. Not all though I think, there are a couple that I guess may be on the back cover instead.
I guess Nightingale is on the album then? I kind of just assumed it was a one off single to welcome Peter back in the band and kick off thier re emergence after covid with touring.
I'm probably focusing too much on that track, but I guess I just didn't love it so kind of hoping the album isn't too strong on that style, although I don't think nor want them to shy from it. I just didn't find the song to have the typical earworms Haken often create. I also am, seemingly in the minority, a big fan of their metal style. You mentioned variety and that makes me happy though.
I only heard it once, and I thought it was odd. And I mean that in a very good way. Not what I would have expected from a first single. But I like that approach. I really can't stand it when any band tries to start off with something "easy to digest", or anything that will "appeal to the broadest audience". I've begrudgingly come to accept that this is the nature of the business, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Anytime a band gives me a left turn of some kind that challenges my expectations, I'm *immediately* on board.
That being said, I only listened to it one time only, and that was when it first came out. So at this moment, I don't remember a single thing about it. I only remember how it made me feel at the time. I've just been through the exercise of getting a new album and already being burnt out on one song while never having heard the rest, and it brings down my enjoyment of the "album experience", so I try to actively steer clear of that.
The short version is that Nightingale struck me as being very different, which is exactly what I was hoping for after the last two albums being a bit too similar to each other.
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To be clear, they've always been a metal band and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and very focused on guitar-driven metal/riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
I don't see that at all. I get that you are close to the band and know a lot more about them than I do, but the debut does not sound like a metal album at all. Even with the Dream Theater-isms on that album, it sounds like a rock band much more keen on prog than metal, IMO.
Maybe we define metal differently but it has always been - to the band, journalists, and vast majority of fans - a prog metal album.
EDIT: How about a translation without genre labels.
To be clear, they've always had plenty of heavy riffs and dark sections in their music and that isn't changing. But Vector and Virus were narrower in scope and tone than usual, and more focused and reliant on dark, heavy, guitar-driven riffs, which is not the case on Fauna.
Well, people love their labels, but I am just saying, if I had heard the band for the first time at the end of 2010 with only the debut to consider, and without reading any reviews or anything, even with the one growling section in Streams, I wouldn't have thought that they were a metal band. That's it.
Fair enough. It's interesting to me though. Maybe a combination of the production being generally lighter and thinner, and the music being more whimsical.
All good! I try not to get too hung up on labels. Must be a part of getting older. :lol :lol
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(https://i.imgur.com/rZ0tfSH.jpg)
The Alphabet Of Me (Single, December 9)
Very Blade Runner inspired artwork.
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Very Blade Runner inspired artwork.
A good observation. :tup
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Another WOW on the artwork!
First listen on the 9th will be with headphones. Can't wait.
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Wow indeed! That is some cool.artwork
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+1 on the love of the new artwork
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+1 on the love of the new artwork
+ 2
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+1 on the love of the new artwork
+ 2
+ 3
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Is there a preorder going on yet? Did I miss it? Can’t find it on their FB page.
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Is there a preorder going on yet? Did I miss it? Can’t find it on their FB page.
I imagine pre-orders will accompany the full album announcement, which I think will probably be around the time the next single is released.
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https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/haken/fauna/
why is it sometimes possible to rate unreleased albums and sometimes not? ban these two people ffs
Hey Ariich, Tone_Zone from RYM wants you banned. :biggrin:
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Hey Ariich, Tone_Zone from RYM wants you banned. :biggrin:
Yeah I agree with the guy. This is bollocks. :biggrin:
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:lol
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:rollin
I have commented in my defense, but yeah I do actually agree with him about locking albums until release.
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:rollin
I have commented in my defense, but yeah I do actually agree with him about locking albums until release.
IIRC, when The Astonishing came out, there were some reviews on there that were clearly written prematurely as it were. Nothing has changed it seems.
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This is the drawback to reviews at those online sites now. So many of them are kneejerk reaction reviews, both positive and negative, and I feel like you really have to live with an album for a bit before giving a good and fair review.
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This is the drawback to reviews at those online sites now. So many of them are kneejerk reaction reviews, both positive and negative, and I feel like you really have to live with an album for a bit before giving a good and fair review.
:tup
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This is the drawback to reviews at those online sites now. So many of them are kneejerk reaction reviews, both positive and negative, and I feel like you really have to live with an album for a bit before giving a good and fair review.
:tup
So much this!
I have a 5 spin minimum, but to truly digest a new album can take me several weeks and dozens of spins before I can form any real and clear opinions. Any “first impressions” are always tainted by several possibilities. “New car smell” is one. “Shock” can be another.
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I have a 5 spin minimum, but to truly digest a new album can take me several weeks and dozens of spins before I can form any real and clear opinions. Any “first impressions” are always tainted by several possibilities. “New car smell” is one. “Shock” can be another.
Very true. :tup :tup
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In this instance however, I'm sure that ariich had enough time to let the album sink in before he posted that score ;)
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In this instance however, I'm sure that ariich had enough time to let the album sink in before he posted that score ;)
I feel confident in saying that I've had enough time with and listens to it to form a pretty conclusive opinion. :lol I'm up to 50 listens on my PC alone, which doesn't include listens on my phone when out and about which I'd guess would be another 10 or 20.
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So... this album is excellent or you are trying really hard to like it! :biggrin:
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Short snippet
https://fb.watch/heYgQzPOox/?mibextid=qC1gEa
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Short snippet
https://fb.watch/heYgQzPOox/?mibextid=qC1gEa
Ooooooooooo! I really REALLY liked that!!!
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9/12/2022? So this has been released already?
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Oh you europeans and your dates! :biggrin:
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Oh you europeans and your dates! :biggrin:
Actually, the rest of the world and our dates :biggrin:
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Oh you europeans and your dates! :biggrin:
To go on that tangent...As a European that now lives in the US, I'm still having trouble with mm/dd/yyyy vs. dd/mm/yyyy :biggrin: Never quite understood the rationale of mm/dd instead of dd/mm...I mean, I get doing yyyy/mm/dd (especially if one wants to sort stuff by date and such), but why mm/dd/yyyy?
Actually, the rest of the world and our dates :biggrin:
Precisely :biggrin:
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Oh you europeans and your dates! :biggrin:
Actually, the rest of the world and our dates :biggrin:
:lol whatever! Take your metric system too
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Marc pulling a :getoffmylawn: moment. :lol
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Oh you europeans and your dates! :biggrin:
To go on that tangent...As a European that now lives in the US, I'm still having trouble with mm/dd/yyyy vs. dd/mm/yyyy :biggrin: Never quite understood the rationale of mm/dd instead of dd/mm...I mean, I get doing yyyy/mm/dd (especially if one wants to sort stuff by date and such), but why mm/dd/yyyy?
Because we do it how you say it. We say that today is "December 6th, 2022", so we write it 12/06/2022. That's why your way makes no sense to US. To say it the way you write it, we would have to say that today is "The 6th of December, 2022" which is not how we would normally say it except maybe at some kind of formal function or announcement.
That's all it is.
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Oh you europeans and your dates! :biggrin:
To go on that tangent...As a European that now lives in the US, I'm still having trouble with mm/dd/yyyy vs. dd/mm/yyyy :biggrin: Never quite understood the rationale of mm/dd instead of dd/mm...I mean, I get doing yyyy/mm/dd (especially if one wants to sort stuff by date and such), but why mm/dd/yyyy?
Because we do it how you say it. We say that today is "December 6th, 2022", so we write it 12/06/2022. That's why your way makes no sense to US. To say it the way you write it, we would have to say that today is "The 6th of December, 2022" which is not how we would normally say it except maybe at some kind of formal function or announcement.
That's all it is.
No, I know, and it makes sense if you look at it that way, for sure.
I have these conversations with my wife often (although not as often as those about measurement systems) and she often tells me she can't take it anymore :biggrin: But since I'm at it, I will just add there is no reasonable circumstance where the US measurement system makes more sense than the metric system, other than being born using it :biggrin:
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I will just add there is no reasonable circumstance where the US measurement system makes more sense than the metric system, other than being born using it :biggrin:
Oh, I agree with that wholeheartedly.
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https://theoatmeal.com/pl/senior_year/science
This settles the metric/imperial system discussion once and for all.
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https://theoatmeal.com/pl/senior_year/science
This settles the metric/imperial system discussion once and for all.
This I agree with, and I’m American.
The date debate, I stand firmly with mm/dd/yyy
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https://theoatmeal.com/pl/senior_year/science
This settles the metric/imperial system discussion once and for all.
:lol
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It will turn Friday in New Zealand soon. Gentlemen, prepare your VPNs.
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Already past midnight here, so I just gave it a listen. Quite different than what I expected from the snippets, but still very good. Need more listens...
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8BpMBcwN8c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8BpMBcwN8c)
Definitely a bit different, Ross's vocals on the first verse and the outro. Honestly thought the song was pretty good and very diverse. If that's a good representation of the album, I'm very intrigued.
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Already past midnight here, so I just gave it a listen. Quite different than what I expected from the snippets, but still very good. Need more listens...
After a few listens, damn these guys have the Midas touch, this is good. If this is harbinger of direction album has taken, I’m on board.
Between this and Nightengale I probably like the former cause I’m used to it, but love both. Cant wait for this album
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Just the weirdness has me hooked right away. And the fact that both of the first two singles are SO different from anything on V/V just re-enforces the viewpoint that those albums only sounded alike because they were born out of the same artistic vision and are meant to be viewed as a “double album”. Obviously this new album something completely different and continues the pattern of them reinventing themselves with every new project.
I love this band so much.
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Ooh that was nice. I got more of an Affinity feel from this song, than the last two albums. And that's a good thing.
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well, it's mildly interesting at least. ross sounds /really/ uncomfortable with those faster cadences in the first half of the song though, did not care for that verse
i'm probably gonna check out this album no matter what happens regardless, but my expectations are tempered, is all i'll say :lol really did not like virus much and haven't really /loved/ a haken album since the mountain, and this doesn't seem thaaaat far off affinity/vector/virus so
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Looks like this will be the track list:
1. Taurus
2. Nightingale
3. The Alphabet Of Me
4. Sempiternal Beings
5. Beneath The White Rainbow
6. Island In The Clouds
7. Lovebite
8. Elephants Never Forget
9. Eyes Of Ebony
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NICE!
Intro and other parts are almost pop electronica but interesting and enjoyable. Main riff is badass and signature Haken. Production is superb! Props to the band, they are on a roll. Great song!
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well, it's mildly interesting at least. ross sounds /really/ uncomfortable with those faster cadences in the first half of the song though, did not care for that verse
i'm probably gonna check out this album no matter what happens regardless, but my expectations are tempered, is all i'll say :lol really did not like virus much and haven't really /loved/ a haken album since the mountain, and this doesn't seem thaaaat far off affinity/vector/virus so
Bemused by the suggestion that this sounds close to Vector/Virus. :lol Affinity, definitely.
I'm not sure what you'll think of Fauna. I know you loved The Mountain and didn't much care for Affinity. For me the album is closest to a mix of the two, plus hints of the other albums and some new ideas thrown in as well. E.g. Alphabet has the synthy poppy vibe of Affinity (and another song on the album has something similar although in a different way), but then some songs have more of a jazzy influence than anything they've done since The Mountain. So there's a decent chance you'll like it more than the last three albums, but I honestly just am not sure.
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Looks like this will be the track list:
1. Taurus
2. Nightingale
3. The Alphabet Of Me
4. Sempiternal Beings
5. Beneath The White Rainbow
6. Island In The Clouds
7. Lovebite
8. Elephants Never Forget
9. Eyes Of Ebony
Ok whenever Haken is about to release a new album, I become the super excited 16 year old me again who has to analyze and speculate about every detail that is known about the new release. So here's some nerd speculation.
I wonder if Taurus is an intro and Nightingale will be the first "proper" song of the album, like Clear/The Good Doctor, Affinity.exe/Initiate, Premonition/Nocturnal Conspiracy and Path/Atlas Stone or if this album doesn't have an intro and just goes right in with the first real song, like Point Of No Return and Prosthetic. Except for Virus, which was more of a sequel to Vector, every Haken album has an intro, and I would love an instrumental intro again, after the more "normal" beginning of Virus.
I usually don't listen to singles but I heard Nightingale twice because I thought it was a standalone single. I would actually love Taurus to be a 10 min monster like the first song on their debut as I'm not sure Nightingale would be the perfect first proper song on an album. But what am I talking about, it's Haken, so it's gonna be awesome anyway.
Also, Apple Music shows that the album will be 62 minutes long. With The Alphabet Of Me being 5:33 and Nightingale being 7:31 minutes long, this leaves 49 minutes spread across 7 songs. That's 7 minutes per song on average. Also, EMP lists the 2LP set track listing, where the first 4 songs take LP 1 and the latter 5 songs take LP 2, indicating a tendency of the first 4 songs being a little longer than the latter 5. So I think either track 1 or 4 might be a 10 min+ track. Again, just speculation. I think there will be another 10 minute track, which might be placed towards the end, so maybe it's Elephants. Lovebite might be the ballad/slower song of the album.
While writing this post, I found this press release:
If you’re talking about modern progressive rock and don’t bring up Haken, you’re doing it wrong. Since the south English sextet started jamming together in 2004, they’ve been one of their genre’s most loyal yet, simultaneously, adventurous forces. And how do you honour such an eclectic, unpredictable career? You make Fauna: Haken’s most genre-busting and conceptually fascinating album to date. “The premise of the album when we started writing it was that every song would have an animal assigned to it,” explains singer and co-founder Ross Jennings. “They all have something related to the animal kingdom that we could write about, but they also connect to the human world. Each track has layers, and some of them are more obvious than others.”
Musically, Fauna represents Haken at their most diverse. Taurus commences the album with its scraping heavy metal chords, as polyrhythmic as they are jagged. However, Ross’s melodic croon and the triumphant chorus are true Haken. Eyes Of Ebony is pure math rock, delicate in its start-stop clean guitar picking and chiming cymbals, while Island In The Clouds flaunts its bouncing bassline. Eighteen years deep, they’re still evolving and keeping their fans on their toes. Is there any truer definition of what making progressive rock means than that?
This actually suggests that Taurus is not an intro, but does have vocals and a chorus ;) Still, I wonder if it has an instrumental introduction, like Point Of No Return.
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@Fritzinger: the track runtimes are already public
https://musicbrainz.org/release/15342b5b-96fa-4763-aeb6-5a7ec6d8587e
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So Elephants Never Forget is the longest track, with 11:07.
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Niice, never heard of this website, looks like a great website to look things like this up!
Anyway, looks like their keeping their lengths of the last albums of around 7 minutes per song.
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The Alphabet of Me official video:
https://youtu.be/LQJ-e75ZSj8
We're extremely excited to share our new single "The Alphabet of Me" - taken from our upcoming album "Fauna”, to be released on March 3rd 2023.
Pre-order Fauna here - https://haken.lnk.to/FaunaID
https://youtu.be/LQJ-e75ZSj8
#h7ken #thealphabetofme #hakenfauna #insideoutmusic
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Vocalist Ross Jennings comments: “When composing and presenting initial song sketches, we very much had an “anything goes” mentality, and whilst sounding atypically Haken, it was a piece that was all exciting us to explore and integrate into our song canon.
Where the lyrics are concerned, I leant heavily on one of my favourite writers Philip K Dick, for inspiration. Keeping our loose concept of spirit animals in mind, I re-read ‘Do androids dream of electric sheep?’ (Which would later be adapted into the 1982 film ’Blade Runner’) knowing symbolically that animals played a key role in the story. This, along with revisiting both movies from the Blade Runner franchise, opened up some deeper philosophical topics about the nature of identity which have served as a backbone for the lyrical content”
‘Fauna’ sees the band exploring new ideas conceptually as Ross continues. “The premise of the album when we started writing it was that every song would have an animal assigned to it. They all have something related to the animal kingdom that we could write about, but they also connect to the human world. Each track has layers, and some of them are more obvious than others.”
“It reminds me of 'The Mountain',” adds guitarist and fellow founder Richard Henshall. “There, we had the idea of not really a narrative-based album, but more the concept of climbing a mountain and overcoming the obstacles along the way. Then we took that and thought about how it could relate to our everyday lives. All of Fauna’s animals relate to us, personally.”
‘Fauna’ also marks the return of keyboard player Peter Jones, whose sounds can be heard permeating the entire album. “What Pete’s brought sonically to the band has played a massive role in why we do have a lot of new sounds on this record,” says Ross. “It’s always a new dynamic when there’s a change in personnel, and this is a fresh and reviving one. It’s certainly helped proximity-wise, with Pete being in the country: Pete and Ray [Hearne, Haken’s drummer] would be at Rich’s place and they’d just start jamming. That’s really key to how the songs start.”
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Ordered the 2CD Mediabook from Burning Shed, as usual. The video for the new single is nice, I quite liked that song! Cannot wait for the whole album, which releases not long after my birthday, so Happy Birthday to me! :lol
-Marc.
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Definitely an "A" for creativity and effort, but.................... :justjen
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Just had a fun thought... what if their next album after Fauna is titled Flora? It'd be another fun Vector/Virus situation and Fauna and Flora would be a fun duology.
-Marc.
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The Alphabet of Me official video:
https://youtu.be/LQJ-e75ZSj8
OK, that is a very cool song and definitely has me interested in this album.
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I am quite excited to see what the theme for this album will be, and that album cover and name does not help my imagination much...lol. A possible theme could be since humans are in fact Animals, these animal characteristics are a part of being human. Hence the personification of the animals in this Fauna.
Am I the only one who is very fascinated in how the music will represent the themes involved? Because that is why I like this band, and why I like it is not just because they play amazing prog-metal.
I wasn't that far off about the album theme... :metal :metal :metal
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Just had a fun thought... what if their next album after Fauna is titled Flora? It'd be another fun Vector/Virus situation and Fauna and Flora would be a fun duology.
-Marc.
That be weird but really cool :lol
I just want them to make a Restoration II at some point.
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Just had a fun thought... what if their next album after Fauna is titled Flora? It'd be another fun Vector/Virus situation and Fauna and Flora would be a fun duology.
-Marc.
Meh. My #1 draw with Haken is how different they are album to album. I had been really worried that Vector and Virus were so similar in feel and I was hoping they weren’t going to start repeating themselves. But I gave it a pass because it became obvious that they were supposed to be taken together as a single project. But now that they’ve done that, I’m not sure I’d want to see them reuse the same idea again.
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That new song has a modern (2010's) pop music vibe/sound to it that I do not enjoy. I can't pinpoint exactly which songs it reminds me off. Don't get me wrong, this song as a whole is fresh and an interesting combination, but as with many things Haken, it is not for me.
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Oof, I did not like that song at all. I listened earlier and again just now, and neither listen did anything for me. I put this band into the "try before you buy" box after the last two albums, and between Nightingale and this new song, they sound like a band whose good creative ideas have totally dried up. What a bummer.
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Oof, I did not like that song at all. I listened earlier and again just now, and neither listen did anything for me. I put this band into the "try before you buy" box after the last two albums, and between Nightingale and this new song, they sound like a band whose good creative ideas have totally dried up. What a bummer.
Notwithstanding the fact that I obviously don't agree, I also find generalisations like the bolded hard to get my head around. But then I do realise that you've always been pretty picky with Haken's music - from memory you're rarely keen on their singles, and even the albums you now hold in high regard took a while for you to come round on.
For the album as a whole, it's hard to say who will like what. I think fans who, like me, enjoy the different sides of Haken's music should generally like it a lot and many will (I hope) love it. Those who like some aspects of their sound but not all, I would think will at least like some of the songs because of how varied the album is, but may not find much/all of it to their tastes depending on what specifically they do and don't like.
That new song has a modern (2010's) pop music vibe/sound to it that I do not enjoy.
I find this description quite funny because I'd say the only 2010s influence in there isn't pop at all, but indie in the form of Everything Everything. The strong pop sound in the intro is more Craig David (early 2000s), and the outro sounds more like Sting.
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I'm loving The Alphabet of Me...
Right from the intro, I knew this was going to be different. The keys here remind me of the same key patch used in the Fitz and The Tantrums song Get Right Back, I even think some of the chords are the same too. :lol
When the bass and drums entered, I thought of the rhythm in the chorus of A Cell Divides. I love that song and am glad they made an entire song off of a similar rhythm pattern and style. I also like that Connor is using a similar bass tone as well, it's deep and gritty.
The atmosphere, key patches, guitars, and rhythm during "a room with a view...retire from being used" are amazing.
I like the ending as well too, especially that trumpet.
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Good for Haken. This sounds fresh and unique and while they explored some of these electronic elements on the previous albums, it sounds like they're taking it to a new level. I thoroughly enjoyed that, it's like pop music from another dimension.
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What I like the most is the trumpet guy at the end. Some said it was Diego Tejeida in disguise.
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Sounds VERY fresh and clean to me. I love the intro and outro.
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Oof, I did not like that song at all. I listened earlier and again just now, and neither listen did anything for me. I put this band into the "try before you buy" box after the last two albums, and between Nightingale and this new song, they sound like a band whose good creative ideas have totally dried up. What a bummer.
Notwithstanding the fact that I obviously don't agree, I also find generalisations like the bolded hard to get my head around. But then I do realise that you've always been pretty picky with Haken's music - from memory you're rarely keen on their singles, and even the albums you now hold in high regard took a while for you to come round on.
I don't think picky is the right word. It took me a while to really come around to liking Ross' voice, and even today there are still moments and certain notes he hits (from those albums I now love) that make me wince a little, but the music was always to my liking in general, which is why I kept giving them chances, and they finally broke through. I still don't love Ross' voice, even though he has some moments I really like, so it can be hard for songs of theirs to break through if the music doesn't really kick ass, and that could be why their singles are usually misses for me; a single usually has to have a great hook, and I am just not sure he has the voice to deliver a great hook.
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Oof, I did not like that song at all. I listened earlier and again just now, and neither listen did anything for me. I put this band into the "try before you buy" box after the last two albums, and between Nightingale and this new song, they sound like a band whose good creative ideas have totally dried up. What a bummer.
Notwithstanding the fact that I obviously don't agree, I also find generalisations like the bolded hard to get my head around. But then I do realise that you've always been pretty picky with Haken's music - from memory you're rarely keen on their singles, and even the albums you now hold in high regard took a while for you to come round on.
I don't think picky is the right word. It took me a while to really come around to liking Ross' voice, and even today there are still moments and certain notes he hits (from those albums I now love) that make me wince a little, but the music was always to my liking in general, which is why I kept giving them chances, and they finally broke through. I still don't love Ross' voice, even though he has some moments I really like, so it can be hard for songs of theirs to break through if the music doesn't really kick ass, and that could be why their singles are usually misses for me; a single usually has to have a great hook, and I am just not sure he has the voice to deliver a great hook.
Yeah I totally get that Ross's voice isn't for everyone. As we all know here, it's always been the same with JLB too.
In terms of Fauna, I mean I like every song a lot and love Alphabet, but on the whole I think the songs most fans will consider strongest probably won't be singles. Which is pretty similar to most of their albums I suppose!
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Which is your current favourite song off Fauna, Rich?
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Which is your current favourite song off Fauna, Rich?
Nightingale! It's the only track I've heard so far
:neverusethis:
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:riskybiz:
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Oof, I did not like that song at all. I listened earlier and again just now, and neither listen did anything for me. I put this band into the "try before you buy" box after the last two albums, and between Nightingale and this new song, they sound like a band whose good creative ideas have totally dried up. What a bummer.
Notwithstanding the fact that I obviously don't agree, I also find generalisations like the bolded hard to get my head around. But then I do realise that you've always been pretty picky with Haken's music - from memory you're rarely keen on their singles, and even the albums you now hold in high regard took a while for you to come round on.
For the album as a whole, it's hard to say who will like what. I think fans who, like me, enjoy the different sides of Haken's music should generally like it a lot and many will (I hope) love it. Those who like some aspects of their sound but not all, I would think will at least like some of the songs because of how varied the album is, but may not find much/all of it to their tastes depending on what specifically they do and don't like.
That new song has a modern (2010's) pop music vibe/sound to it that I do not enjoy.
I find this description quite funny because I'd say the only 2010s influence in there isn't pop at all, but indie in the form of Everything Everything. The strong pop sound in the intro is more Craig David (early 2000s), and the outro sounds more like Sting.
It sounds very poppy to my ears, with the key sounds and the oh oohs reminding me very much of songs here on the radio. That said, it is entirely possible pop music on the radio here is different.
For the record, pop music is not at all lesser to me and the song as a whole is clearly prog. It is not more straightforward like, say, The Mars Volta or Leprous recently (both which I love a lot).
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Oh yeah no doubt there's a big pop influence, and as you say it's not a bad thing. I just think the pop influence is more retro, whereas the indie side of it is the more modern part.
Which is your current favourite song off Fauna, Rich?
Tricky one. Honestly I think it's all really great, and I like different things about each song. For example, White Rainbow wouldn't be my favourite overall, but it has probably my favourite chorus. I love Alphabet for the pop prog stylings. Island in the Clouds is kind of Porcupine Tree mixed with Host and has some incredible moments. Sempiternal Beings is just epic. Eyes of Ebony has really cool modern fusion stylings (Tigran-esque) mixed with some incredibly emotive stuff. It's all just so good.
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With Nightingale, I had some complaints with how disjointed it was and how complex for the sake of complexity it seemed at times. Was still excited that it was pretty fresh compared to the Virus/Vector sound. The new song however, now I'm where I should be when it comes to excitement for a new Haken album.
The Alphabet of Me is just a fresh, but it breathes so well. So many nice little parts from everyone easily picked out and enjoyed, with overall strong hooks and melodies. I ended up ordering the picture disc of the new album.
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I really liked The Alphabet of Me.
And since I also really liked Nightingale, that bodes well for the new album.
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It wasn't what I expected and it challenged me a bit as a listener on the my first listen, and that's a good thing.
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If I waited until summer (when we’ve all had a few months to digest Fauna) how many do you think would participate in a Haken top 40?
Even though they would only have 58 songs total by that point, I still think it would be fun. (If it were me doing it, the demo would not be considered. Just the 7 studio albums and the EP. And Messiah Complex would be counted as one track)
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I'd participate. :tup
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Yeah, me too.
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Likewise.
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Ah yes, another one for me to run. :P
I'm down. :biggrin:
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Ah yes, another one for me to run. :P
I think jammin said he would run this one.
I'd be down to participate.
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Ah yes, another one for me to run. :P
I think jammin said he would run this one.
I'd be down to participate.
I said “*IF* I ran it.” :angel:
I think it might be fun, and summer is when I’d have the most free time anyway, but if Kev was already percolating the idea and he was itching to do it, then I would never step in on that. (I’m not a super competitive guy. I just love seeing other people be happy.)
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I’m down.
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I'm in
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North America tour dates announced.
https://twitter.com/Haken_Official/status/1602709947430707200?s=19
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Boston here I come!
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Would be nice if they updated their website with links. No idea where that NYC show is or where to get tickets. I know it's not on sale yet, but I'd like to know these things when announced.
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Philly and NYC are stops without question. Nashville is highly likely as it's a cheap fly in/out and I'd love to see a tour opener with no spoilers.
Looking at possibilities past that, will see what happens.
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It's either El Paso, Denver, or Phoenix for me.
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Dammit, going to Charlotte not Raleigh.
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SEATTLE ON A SATURDAY!!!!!!
:panicattack:
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If I waited until summer (when we’ve all had a few months to digest Fauna) how many do you think would participate in a Haken top 40?
Even though they would only have 58 songs total by that point, I still think it would be fun. (If it were me doing it, the demo would not be considered. Just the 7 studio albums and the EP. And Messiah Complex would be counted as one track)
I would certainly participate in this.
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SEATTLE ON A SATURDAY!!!!!!
:panicattack:
Old man excitement. We old farts hate weekday shows now. Lol
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I just realized...
Helloween is the day before Haken in Denver. So, I might just drive-in/fly the day of Helloween, stay to see Haken, then leave the next day. :metal :metal
I think that works out quite nicely...
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Boston here I come!
The Paradise is a strange place to book this, no?
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Boston here I come!
The Paradise is a strange place to book this, no?
Why would you say that Tim? Haken is not filling a 2,000 seat arena. I've seen some awesome bands there.
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Boston here I come!
The Paradise is a strange place to book this, no?
Why do you think so? I've been there once before, if I recall, it's a small GA pit club venue which seems normal for a Haken headline show.
lol beat by the king
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Not idea about that venue, but when I saw them a few years ago here in NC, they played a TINY place.
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Boston here I come!
The Paradise is a strange place to book this, no?
Why would you say that Tim? Haken is not filling a 2,000 seat arena. I've seen some awesome bands there.
Has it changed in 30 years? The last time I was there was 1994.
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Boston here I come!
The Paradise is a strange place to book this, no?
Why would you say that Tim? Haken is not filling a 2,000 seat arena. I've seen some awesome bands there.
Has it changed in 30 years? The last time I was there was 1994.
I haven't been there since 2009. It was redone a little bit back then but I couldn't tell you.
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I'd participate. :tup
me2
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Would be nice if they updated their website with links. No idea where that NYC show is or where to get tickets. I know it's not on sale yet, but I'd like to know these things when announced.
It is on Bleecker street. Tickets available Friday through the venue' website. I think I'll go to Philly at the TLA instead. That place doesn't excite me, but since no Keswick, no choice. I'm NOT going to the Village for a show!
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Would be nice if they updated their website with links. No idea where that NYC show is or where to get tickets. I know it's not on sale yet, but I'd like to know these things when announced.
It is on Bleecker street. Tickets available Friday through the venue' website. I think I'll go to Philly at the TLA instead. That place doesn't excite me, but since no Keswick, no choice. I'm NOT going to the Village for a show!
Ah thanks, I saw Unleash the Archers at this venue. Small GA spot, I didn't hate it.
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Bummed there's no St. Louis date. They've stopped in here a couple times and there's always been a great crowd....plus....the full play of Affinity and that tour they had going was cancelled in St. Louis one week before it was set to go due to Covid. Was hoping they'd throw a return date in there for us :'(
The Nashville show is on a Wednesday night so that'll be tough to get to with the kiddos.
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No Richmond this time. I’d love to see them again but I’m fed up with driving to DC for shows. Oh well
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No Richmond this time. I’d love to see them again but I’m fed up with driving to DC for shows. Oh well
Speaking of DC, it's on a Friday night, which might be doable for me, but May is a particularly busy time of year for me at work, so I'm not sure that I can. If tickets aren't too expensive at the door, I may make a last-minute decision to go see them, but we will see.
-Marc.
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I will be interested where they play in Nashville. They played the exit inn last time, but they just closed that venue along with the Cannery. Would be cool if they played the Ryman or War Memorial. I saw the opening band Arch Echo last spring with Dream Theatre.
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I saw the opening band Arch Echo last spring with Dream Theatre.
Same. They were OK, I do wish they toured with someone else though. At least this won't be coheadline though so a full fledged Haken set.
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I saw the opening band Arch Echo last spring with Dream Theatre.
Same. They were OK, I do wish they toured with someone else though. At least this won't be coheadline though so a full fledged Haken set.
I enjoy Arch Echo, so this is nice for me. I hope they play Measure of a Life though since I couldn't attend one of their headline shows where they played their ep Story I in it's entirety.
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Ah yes, another one for me to run. :P
I think jammin said he would run this one.
I'd be down to participate.
I said “*IF* I ran it.” :angel:
I think it might be fun, and summer is when I’d have the most free time anyway, but if Kev was already percolating the idea and he was itching to do it, then I would never step in on that. (I’m not a super competitive guy. I just love seeing other people be happy.)
Oops, my bad as well. Haken is not one I had considered doing, but I'd be cool with it if enough people were interested. However, if you are wanting to take the ball and run with that one, I'd be fine with it. :tup :tup
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Let’s reconvene the idea in June, and shoot for a July-August countdown. :tup
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I saw the opening band Arch Echo last spring with Dream Theatre.
Same. They were OK, I do wish they toured with someone else though. At least this won't be coheadline though so a full fledged Haken set.
I enjoy Arch Echo, so this is nice for me. I hope they play Measure of a Life though since I couldn't attend one of their headline shows where they played their ep Story I in it's entirety.
Arch Echo is like the ultimate prog metal opener, I liked their AVFTTOTW performance* and wish them well, no problem seeing seeing them again.
Chicago is end of tour, hoping band has last date burst of energy… Really liked venue they had with SX, let’s see if this other one lives up.
*drummer was best frontman on tour, and really put headliners to shame.
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No posts in a month in the Haken thread? Wow! Anyways, it looks like their next single will be "Taurus". There's a sneak-peek of the new single if you pre-save it.
T A U R U S ♉ Pre-save now to get a sneak peek of our new single! https://forms.sonymusicfans.com/cam.../haken_taurus_presave/
(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/325369204_481605253932613_3385271178993052957_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=Fk1meiaFnmIAX8pI9s4&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAbEBkkKuLEDBnIuVKplpWMTinyWBR2lLstksLoQ5KxlA&oe=63C51C49)
-Marc.
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Here's the direct lnk to the sneak-peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3_VE60LtJs
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Cool. Surprisingly br00tal.
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I like br00tal album openers.
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I really like this bit, I love the heavy side of Haken :metal
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I haven't listened to any of the new material. I really dig all of the artwork, though. Whoever's coming up with these is really knocking 'em out of the park.
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Haken goes Gojira riffing
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Haken goes Gojira riffing
Yep, this song definitely has some Gojira-inspired riffs in it.
The song overall isn't as br00tal as the clip makes out though, in fact that's probably the sludgiest, heaviest bit of the song which is actually very balanced and melodic.
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I haven't listened to any of the new material. I really dig all of the artwork, though. Whoever's coming up with these is really knocking 'em out of the park.
It's Dan Goldsworthy, who also did the artwork for Charlie Griffiths' solo album. He's great.
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I haven't listened to any of the new material. I really dig all of the artwork, though. Whoever's coming up with these is really knocking 'em out of the park.
Yeah, this album's artwork is great.
I haven't heard the snippet, I will wait for the full song.
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I haven't listened to any of the new material. I really dig all of the artwork, though. Whoever's coming up with these is really knocking 'em out of the park.
Same. Concerning the tour, still no venue for the Nashville show. Really want to see this show.
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Taurus will be released on the 18th (in two days) according to their socials.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cneoa6NqvDs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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I am in the hunt for a reviewer for this one.
Instant favs:
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Elephants Never Forget
:metal
@ariich
Is it OK posting what I think what the songs are about? Or I need to reserve that for when the album is released?
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I am in the hunt for a reviewer for this one.
Instant favs:
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Elephants Never Forget
:metal
@ariich
Is it OK posting what I think what the songs are about? Or I need to reserve that for when the album is released?
Ooooh very nice. I'd love to write one but I haven't written a proper review of an album in awhile, and I'm also not sure if/when I'd have the time to properly digest it AND write a review, but kudos to whoever gets to do it! Fauna is easily one of my most anticipated albums of 2023!
-Marc.
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I am in the hunt for a reviewer for this one.
Instant favs:
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Elephants Never Forget
:metal
@ariich
Is it OK posting what I think what the songs are about? Or I need to reserve that for when the album is released?
If there's a press embargo then I'd avoid details for now (but absolutely fine to give general impressions like favourite songs). But if there's no specific embargo date then I'd say you have a review copy so go for it.
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I am in the hunt for a reviewer for this one.
Instant favs:
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Elephants Never Forget
:metal
@ariich
Is it OK posting what I think what the songs are about? Or I need to reserve that for when the album is released?
If there's a press embargo then I'd avoid details for now (but absolutely fine to give general impressions like favourite songs). But if there's no specific embargo date then I'd say you have a review copy so go for it.
I just want to know why on my legit press copy Ross Jennings keeps yelling "Crucify" through the first song that's supposed to be about some animal.
^^^If you get this joke, congrats on also being old.
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:rollin I was not around for that joke, but I know it well enough
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I've had a review copy since summer where the singer talks a lot about fish with legs. Isn't Haken supposed to be about mermaids?
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Those new silhouette pics for the new video is 🔥
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I am in the hunt for a reviewer for this one.
Instant favs:
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Elephants Never Forget
:metal
@ariich
Is it OK posting what I think what the songs are about? Or I need to reserve that for when the album is released?
If there's a press embargo then I'd avoid details for now (but absolutely fine to give general impressions like favourite songs). But if there's no specific embargo date then I'd say you have a review copy so go for it.
How about THIS :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: :omg: because right now, that's all I can do to say what I think of this album! :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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Yeah these guys can do no wrong, Taurus might be my least favorite of the singles but still… so great.
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It's OK. Maybe after repeat listens and in context of the full album it will click.
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For what it's worth, Taurus took quite a lot of listens to grow on me (the only song on the album for which that's the case) and I still think it's the least interesting song on the album, although I do like it a lot now. I see as a bit like Initiate - an intro to the album that's very rhythmic but otherwise pretty safe.
So I'm glad some people are loving it on first listen, but I also totally relate to those who are underwhelmed.
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Today, the band are pleased to release “Taurus” the 3rd single from the album.
You can watch the video, produced by Crystal Spotlight, here:
https://youtu.be/4FQBK4CFWbI
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For what it's worth, Taurus took quite a lot of listens to grow on me (the only song on the album for which that's the case) and I still think it's the least interesting song on the album, although I do like it a lot now. I see as a bit like Initiate - an intro to the album that's very rhythmic but otherwise pretty safe.
So I'm glad some people are loving it on first listen, but I also totally relate to those who are underwhelmed.
The Initiate comparison is apt, I definitely listened to it with the expectation that it’s the opener which for the last few albums have been the most straightforward/immediate songs.
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Hmmm, I thought that guitar intro was cool, but the song itself didn't really connect with me on the first couple listens.
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Hmmm, I thought that guitar intro was cool, but the song itself didn't really connect with me on the first couple listens.
Same here. I'm sure it will do better in the album context.
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I like it as a single. The vocal delivery actually breaks some new ground, Ross never sounded so Tool-ey to me. The music is a nice recap of Haken in a nutshell.
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I really liked Taurus.
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The venue for the Nashville show will be the Exit/inn, the same venue the last time they were in Nashville with Leprous. This venue was recently sold and then vandalized shortly after the sale. Basically the place was gutted and needed a remodel anyhow.
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Six spins later and it's still not moving the dial. Don't love it.
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Six spins later and it's still not moving the dial. Don't love it.
I find the idea of listening to a single over and over a bit odd. I'd suggest waiting until the album, and then giving that repeat listens.
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Not sure what's odd about it. I love the band. I'm anxious for the album but the singles are all I have so I dive in. I do the same for every highly anticipated album and every band I love.
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Not sure what's odd about it. I love the band. I'm anxious for the album but the singles are all I have so I dive in. I do the same for every highly anticipated album and every band I love.
I stopped listening to singles because if I didn't like one or two, then I would dismiss the complete album and turn it off once I got to the singles that I hadn't liked in the actual album. Weird behavior...lol
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Not sure what's odd about it. I love the band. I'm anxious for the album but the singles are all I have so I dive in. I do the same for every highly anticipated album and every band I love.
Yeah I completely realise you're far from the only one who does it. Maybe it's because I'm very much an album listener, but when I know singles really well, I find it a more awkward experience trying to get into the album when it comes out. So with all bands, I might check out the singles once (or sometimes not at all) but otherwise wait for the album.
Plus, I often find that a lot of songs work better as part of the album than on their own.
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Six spins later and it's still not moving the dial. Don't love it.
I find the idea of listening to a single over and over a bit odd. I'd suggest waiting until the album, and then giving that repeat listens.
Not sure it's odd. Sounds like someone trying to enjoy a song that they don't initially like but since they like the band, they are giving it more shots. But I actually agree. I listened a couple times and it didn't click. I'll just wait for the album now before giving more listens.
But it also goes for the songs I like. Alphabet of Me was pretty good, I gave it a couple more listens, but it's shelved now until the album comes out. I don't want to over play it either.
Having said all that, I'm going to lower my expectations a bit. All three songs are really different and offer something unique, but all three songs are maybe a bit too jazzy and proggy I guess (maybe a weird comment for a band like Haken, I know). I found only one of the three had the melodic elements that I enjoy in Haken. And when that's missing, it's a lot harder for me to enjoy the over the top prog elements. I'm just going to have to wait until the album releases, but I have a feeling this won't be my album of the year like Virus was.
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I'm an album guy too. Always and forever.
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Not sure what's odd about it. I love the band. I'm anxious for the album but the singles are all I have so I dive in. I do the same for every highly anticipated album and every band I love.
I stopped listening to singles because if I didn't like one or two, then I would dismiss the complete album and turn it off once I got to the singles that I hadn't liked in the actual album. Weird behavior...lol
This has been my mind-set for the last several years as well. I may listen to one or two of an album's singles once or twice, but after that, I try to forget about them until album release. Usually it's less than four months from the first single so it's not that long of a wait. I'd much rather be surprised by the whole album as a musical statement than a piece of it plucked out by the label for release as a single, especially if it's edited (as with Riverside's latest album's singles). A lot of rock, metal, and prog music tend to be written and arranged with the album in mind, so I'd rather absorb the music with that complete statement intact.
-Marc.
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Taurus is one ,if not the weakest track on the album but I like it. The album is absolutely incredible. When I listen to the first few albums compared to where they are now they keep getting heavier but still Haken with a dose of Vola. The way Haken are trending they will be what Novena are.
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Taurus is one ,if not the weakest track on the album but I like it. The album is absolutely incredible. When I listen to the first few albums compared to where they are now they keep getting heavier but still Haken with a dose of Vola. The way Haken are trending they will be what Novena are.
I haven't listened to "Taurus" yet but considering how some are saying it is their weakest single of the album, would you compare this to the way "Invisible Monster" was for DT's AVFTTOTW, a song which many consider to be the weakest of the album, but was still released as a single? I wonder if this is a trend in prog metal albums now - release one of the weakest songs as a single so you save the best for the full album release? :lol
-Marc.
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Taurus is one ,if not the weakest track on the album but I like it. The album is absolutely incredible. When I listen to the first few albums compared to where they are now they keep getting heavier but still Haken with a dose of Vola. The way Haken are trending they will be what Novena are.
I haven't listened to "Taurus" yet but considering how some are saying it is their weakest single of the album, would you compare this to the way "Invisible Monster" was for DT's AVFTTOTW, a song which many consider to be the weakest of the album, but was still released as a single? I wonder if this is a trend in prog metal albums now - release one of the weakest songs as a single so you save the best for the full album release? :lol
-Marc.
This isn't new though. I think it just comes down to prog fans find the more straight forward tracks to be the least interesting and the music business thinks those tracks are best for the average listener to try and engage further with the band. It's hard to disagree with both sides. Having said that, I actually enjoyed Invisible Monster and I find Taurus to not be quite so straight forward although it is a shorter track.
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Taurus isn't that straightforward but, Gojira-style riff aside, it's a pretty safe song for Haken. That makes it a good single, but is also why some fans (though far from all, some people are loving it) don't find it that exciting.
Personally, while I like the chorus, I think it's the least engaging one on the album and there's not enough else in the song to elevate it above anything else on the album. But this is in the context of me finding the album amazing.
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I just realized that with the release of "Taurus", the album's first three tracks are available to listen, so maybe I'll spin all three back-to-back to have a semi-album experience. That still leaves six more songs to discover in six weeks!
-Marc.
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On Reddit some people had asked what I thought of the album, so seeing as it's not that far until release now and promo copies of the album have been sent out, I replied with a sort of mini review which I thought I'd replicate (replicate, replicate) here. Feel free to ask other questions if you have them, DTF is my online home so I don't mind being a bit more open here!
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Ah what the hell, it's not all that long until release now. I'll give a few impressions. Keep in mind I can't claim to be wholly unbiased due to my personal connection to the band, but I don't think it has a strong bearing on how much I love their music.
Overall, it's among my favourite Haken albums. I don't yet know if it'll top The Mountain which is incredibly special, but I'm confident it's pipped Vector/Virus and Affinity (and indeed the others). I'd say it's their most varied album, but it works because it still all sounds like Haken, if that makes sense. It's very intricate rhythmically, but it's not super technical or anything. Or rather, it's not super any-one-thing. There's heavy stuff and jazz-influenced stuff and pop-influence stuff and quirky proggy stuff and emotional stuff. It's a very balanced album. It reminds me most of The Mountain and Affinity, but has elements of their other albums too, as well as some new stuff.
And just to tease a bit, a few thoughts on vibes I get from each song (non-exhaustive, a mix of Haken and non-Haken, and sometimes it's the song as a whole, others it's just specific parts):
1. Taurus - Initiate, Gojira
2. Nightingale - Mountain, Visions (album), Leprous
3. The Alphabet Of Me - Red Giant, Everything Everything
4. Sempiternal Beings - Mountain, Vector/Virus
5. Beneath The White Rainbow - Mountain, Tigran Hamasyan
6. Islands In The Clouds - Porcupine Tree, Host
7. Lovebite - Earthrise, Visions (album)
8. Elephants Never Forget - Devin Townsend, Gentle Giant, Rammstein, Visions (song)
9. Eyes Of Ebony - Affinity, Tigran Hamasyan
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Do you know if another single is planned before release?
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I do know.
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Can you hammer a six-inch spike through a board with your penis?
Not right now Rich : A Haken fan gotta have his standards.
OK. I can't wait for the album.
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Fauna popped up on my Amazon Prime for pre-sale yesterday for the first time.
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Can you hammer a six-inch spike through a board with your penis?
Not right now Rich : A Haken fan gotta have his standards.
OK. I can't wait for the album.
REAL GENIUS!!! :rollin :rollin :rollin
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Fauna popped up on my Amazon Prime for pre-sale yesterday for the first time.
Funny how that works, I have ordered my copy roughly a month ago on Amazon Germany.
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Rich is trolling us, and I love it :-*
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I do know.
I assumed no, but socials are suggesting there is, nice! Cool artwork again.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKu19pM0v3/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ= (https://www.instagram.com/p/CoKu19pM0v3/?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=)
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Yup, and it was just confirmed, Lovebite looks to be a Vday single.
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And at 3:49, it looks to be the shortest song on the album. Is it also their shortest pre-release single as well?
-Marc.
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I think I will keep from listening to the single actually. It's pretty close to the album release - and it will be their 4th pre-release single. That's almost half the album.
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I think I will keep from listening to the single actually. It's pretty close to the album release - and it will be their 4th pre-release single. That's almost half the album.
Actually it's only just one third of the album's runtime, because other that the early single of Nightingale (which is why there are 4 this time), the rest are all the short songs.
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I think I will keep from listening to the single actually. It's pretty close to the album release - and it will be their 4th pre-release single. That's almost half the album.
Actually it's only just one third of the album's runtime, because other that the early single of Nightingale (which is why there are 4 this time), the rest are all the short songs.
That's true, I didn't think about the runtime. Just the number of tracks on the album vs the singles.
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I think I will keep from listening to the single actually. It's pretty close to the album release - and it will be their 4th pre-release single. That's almost half the album.
Actually it's only just one third of the album's runtime, because other that the early single of Nightingale (which is why there are 4 this time), the rest are all the short songs.
That's true, I didn't think about the runtime. Just the number of tracks on the album vs the singles.
Yeah for sure. I think if the songs they planned to release as singles were longer and took up more of the album, they might well have only gone for two more singles in the 3-month promo period instead of the usual three (which is basically industry standard now). But because they were short, they figured they'd just go with the default as most of the album will still be unheard. Compared to the last two albums, as a proportion of the runtime these four singles only take up slightly more (35%) than the three Virus singles did (33%), and less than the three Vector singles (37%).
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Did anyone else get a mail saying that their order has been shipped ???
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Connor's video for the new single his hilarious.
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Did anyone else get a mail saying that their order has been shipped ???
Where did you order from?
I ordered at Inside Out shop EU, no shipping confirmation yet.
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Unless it's from Dream Theater or the single itself just literally blows my mind, I normally listen to singles once, on release day, and that's it until the album comes out.
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Well, Lovebite is one of my favorites from the new album, so if you're on the fence, make it one of the ones you listen to.
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Did anyone else get a mail saying that their order has been shipped ???
Where did you order from?
I ordered at Inside Out shop EU, no shipping confirmation yet.
I ordered at IO EU as well. I also got a tracking number for UPS. There must be some mistake. Well, let's see what happens :lol
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Same for me. Received a tracking number but the parcel hasn't been scanned at a UPS facility yet. Let's hope for the best.
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Does anyone know if the vinyls contain the album on CD as well? InsideOut Music used to always to this, but I can see no mention of it on the website.
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Same for me. Received a tracking number but the parcel hasn't been scanned at a UPS facility yet. Let's hope for the best.
Here’s a cool thought. Imagine if the label and band decided to release it a month earlier? I know release dates are surrounded by promotion and marketing but how exciting would that be?
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An interview with Ross:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=garVrwQ_kww
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Same for me. Received a tracking number but the parcel hasn't been scanned at a UPS facility yet. Let's hope for the best.
Here’s a cool thought. Imagine if the label and band decided to release it a month earlier? I know release dates are surrounded by promotion and marketing but how exciting would that be?
That would be exciting ;) But I think InsideOut is way too conservative for a move like that. They strictly follow the same promotional cycle for most of their releases. Well, actually Fauna is an exception, because Nightingale was released even before the promotion of the album.
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Another interview with Ross, albeit with an interviewer I do not care for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyMZlv0rVhU
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Another interview with Ross, albeit with an interviewer I do not care for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyMZlv0rVhU
Yeah, screw that guy :metal
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Very insightful interview
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Very insightful interview
Thank ye. :D
I would have loved to talk more, and I made it seem like I was respecting Ross's interview schedule, but truth be told things that day got scrambled and rearranged so that the interview happened 1 hour later than originally planned, and I had to get back to work ASAP.
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Another interview with Ross, albeit with an interviewer I do not care for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyMZlv0rVhU
This goon reporter again?! :lol
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Check out this incredible acapella cover of Cockroach King by Hellscore! 🤯
https://youtu.be/wWejg1PKD4s
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https://open.spotify.com/track/5eF04x4p4bLw6rpaNcMX8n?si=55I3v7SJRJG5LrVP9J_laQ
So good this one!
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Had my one spin of "Lovebite" and really liked! Really looking forward to the whole album now! Seems so far away from release day!
-Marc.
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I am liking Lovebite a lot.
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Very catchy song :tup
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This is the first single that I’ve really liked on the first listen, which I did not expect at all.
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It has a lot of nuance that you can focus on or choose to ignore, but works equally well either way. Perfect prog single.
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Pretty good song on first listen :yarr
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Here's the official video:
Progressive rockers HAKEN are set to release their seventh studio album ‘Fauna’ on the 3rd March 2023, the group’s most genre-busting and conceptually fascinating album to date.
Today, the band celebrate Valentine’s Day with the launch of their latest single ‘Lovebite’.
Watch the video now here: https://youtu.be/MjqRKeTOTk8
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That description Ross mentioned of Lovebite sounding like a Toto song with Cannibal Corpse lyrics is perfect. It works great for the Black Widow metaphor.
The video is great too, nice and simple, and I also like the artwork in the video.
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Quickest like of the four singles, sounds huge compared to the relative lo-fi-ness of Nightingale and Alphabet of Me. These three feel like wins already, at least on creativity. Taurus good too though reminiscent of what we got with Virus.
Starting to believe in Fauna…
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The Alphabet Of Me is my favourite of the singles. I'm not really feeling Lovebite, but I'm sure it will grow on me after more listens (the Cannibal Corpse lyrics and artwork aren't winning me over either).
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Since i've had the album for a while now, if i can share my opinion.
Feels like a breath of fresh air for the band. For me, seems like my favorite album of theirs since the Mountain.
Very proggy, heavy when needed, crazy at times, it really is what "traditional" prog metal should be in 2023.
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The only one I've heard so far is The Alphabet of me and I thought it was pretty great. I'm skipping the remaining singles, I'm not a fan of hearing the entire album before I hear the entire album. :lol
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The only one I've heard so far is The Alphabet of me and I thought it was pretty great. I'm skipping the remaining singles, I'm not a fan of hearing the entire album before I hear the entire album. :lol
I hate that all IO bands (have to?) release 3 songs as singles. And in this case, Nightingale was already out there. Releasing 4 out of 9 songs as singles is a bit much.
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The only one I've heard so far is The Alphabet of me and I thought it was pretty great. I'm skipping the remaining singles, I'm not a fan of hearing the entire album before I hear the entire album. :lol
I hate that all IO bands (have to?) release 3 songs as singles. And in this case, Nightingale was already out there. Releasing 4 out of 9 songs as singles is a bit much.
For me, even three is too much. I'm alright with just one; or perhaps one in advance and the second one a week before the album drops.
I was already familiar with Nightingale so I listened to The Alphabet of Me (liked it) and skipped Taurus and Lovebite. It's three weeks until the album, they'll fly by in no time.
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Yeah I'm with you guys. 4 songs is too much. Other than Nightingale since it's been out for awhile and I've seen it performed live a couple times already, I haven't listened to the other singles much at all to try and keep it fresh. It's hard to completely avoid though.
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Drip feeding music is how money is made in the business nowadays. I'm glad that record companies still allow bands to record albums at all.
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I’ve heard Nightingale twice, The Alphabet of Me once, and I’ve kept my distance from the others.
I liked what I heard, but it’s been long enough now that I don’t remember them anymore and I want to keep it that way.
“I’m saving myself.” ;D :angel:
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Yeah the band did consider only doing 2 more singles as Nightingale was already out. Ultimately though, the rest of the singles would be the shortest ones and so added together the 4 songs would still only take up about a third of the album's runtime, comparable with their previous two albums. So they didn't feel it was an issue to stick with the usual IO promo approach.
The other benefit of the extra single is providing a good demonstration of the variety on the album. I understand the rationale for wanting only one or two singles and I agree that's better for albums that are narrower in style, but in this case I think it could have been pretty misleading.
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Does the band even have much say in this?
Drip feeding music is how money is made in the business nowadays. I'm glad that record companies still allow bands to record albums at all.
Because I kind of agree with this, based on how the industry is. I'd like to keep getting full albums, but the single releases do seem to be the way the industry is heading.
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New review posted by the Haken FB page - https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/haken-fauna/
-Marc.
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Does the band even have much say in this?
Yeah, not total control but they definitely had a say. I even indirectly had a say as Pete asked for my view on the order of release for the 3 singles.
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New review posted by the Haken FB page - https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/haken-fauna/
-Marc.
Yeah saw that. Good review, not just that it's positive (which obviously I'm pleased about) but that it's very accurate and insightful with its analysis.
Now that the embargo is lifted and reviews are coming out, I'm entirely unrestricted on what I can say about the album. Might post a more detailed review if I get the time.
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New review posted by the Haken FB page - https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/haken-fauna/
-Marc.
Yeah saw that. Good review, not just that it's positive (which obviously I'm pleased about) but that it's very accurate and insightful with its analysis.
Now that the embargo is lifted and reviews are coming out, I'm entirely unrestricted on what I can say about the album. Might post a more detailed review if I get the time.
I know Kris. Slept over my house with Nick after a Bent Knee/Thank You Scientists show. Last saw him and his wife at Morsefest last year.
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Does the band even have much say in this?
Yeah, not total control but they definitely had a say. I even indirectly had a say as Pete asked for my view on the order of release for the 3 singles.
MAD WITH POWER
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:lol
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
Interesting. The same reviewer also gave Riverside's ID.Entity a 9/10, and last year's Closure/Continuation by Porcupine Tree a 10/10. Perhaps Haken just hasn't developed in a way that aligns with their musical interests anymore.
-Marc.
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
This review completely lost me on this point:
Maybe the rest of the album was more like the Haken I liked in the past.
Maybe I’m an outlier music lover, but the reason I love Haken is *because* nothing they do sounds like their past.
If this was The Mountain Part 3, I would probably think it was OK, but at this point they would be just another “passing band” and then just faded away because they kept repeating themselves.
People who think along the same lines as this reviewer are the same as people who just listen to classic rock radio to listen to the same 100 songs over and over and over and over again.
TLDR - that “negative” review made me want it even more.
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Yeah, I have no problem with anyone not liking the new album, but I do have issues with that review. Even ignoring the fact that it's just quite poorly written and essentially comes down to the guy not liking complex music or heavy riffs, it contains several things that don't make sense or are outright incorrect.
Particular examples include describing any heavy riffs as "djent", eg in White Rainbow which has precisely zero djent in it (but is still a pretty crazy song that I'm sure not everyone will love), and suggesting Sempiternal Beings is really similar to Nightingale when the two have almost nothing in common.
Again no problem if someone dislikes the album, but a review should give readers an idea of what to expect and that one is quite misleading.
EDIT: Interesting about that reviewer loving the new Riverside and PT albums. Definitely sounds like he has a particular brand of prog he likes, and just doesn't like the fact that Haken doesn't fit that (not that it ever did, although interestingly enough Island in the Clouds is the most PT Haken has ever sounded).
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The fact the person didn't give the album a rating at the end renders the review meaningless to me. Incomplete? If you listened to the whole album and wrote a review, what's incompletely to give it a rating? And yeah, it's poorly written.
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EDIT: Interesting about that reviewer loving the new Riverside and PT albums. Definitely sounds like he has a particular brand of prog he likes, and just doesn't like the fact that Haken doesn't fit that (not that it ever did, although interestingly enough Island in the Clouds is the most PT Haken has ever sounded).
Or...maybe he just doesn't think the album is well written or that good? ;)
Not everyone has to have their music in a certain box to think it's good, ya know. :P
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EDIT: Interesting about that reviewer loving the new Riverside and PT albums. Definitely sounds like he has a particular brand of prog he likes, and just doesn't like the fact that Haken doesn't fit that (not that it ever did, although interestingly enough Island in the Clouds is the most PT Haken has ever sounded).
Or...maybe he just doesn't think the album is well written or that good? ;)
Well yes, evidently that's what he thought. I was interested in what it is about his tastes that might lead to him thinking that.
Not everyone has to have their music in a certain box to think it's good, ya know. :P
Indeed, you don't need to tell me that as someone who has among the broadest range of musical interests/tastes on the forum. :P
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Maybe his tastes are good music.
:P :P (kidding!)
I can't say I am excited about this album (I have not checked out the last couple released songs), but I will try before I buy and see what happens. I'd love to be surprised.
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I LOVE Fauna, and am wayyyyyyyyy closer to "sonicperspectives" than "progplanet"
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EDIT: Interesting about that reviewer loving the new Riverside and PT albums. Definitely sounds like he has a particular brand of prog he likes, and just doesn't like the fact that Haken doesn't fit that (not that it ever did, although interestingly enough Island in the Clouds is the most PT Haken has ever sounded).
Or...maybe he just doesn't think the album is well written or that good? ;)
Or maybe he thinks the singles were put out in the wrong order? ;D
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Bottom line is the new album is not the same Haken I fell in love with. That said, its extremely well done and I love it. I completely understand people not liking it if you're a fan of the first 2, even first 4 albums. They evolved. Still very catchy and progressive with a modern vibe infused with Vola.
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I like the end question on the Sonic Perspectives review: "Just as Vector had a Virus, will Fauna have a Flora"?
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I like the end question on the Sonic Perspectives review: "Just as Vector had a Virus, will Fauna have a Flora"?
They've no plans to do that. Whereas they always planned a sequel when they released Vector.
Who knows, it's possible. But I can't see the theme working so well for plants. Or imagine part 3, Fungi. :lol
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EDIT: Interesting about that reviewer loving the new Riverside and PT albums. Definitely sounds like he has a particular brand of prog he likes, and just doesn't like the fact that Haken doesn't fit that (not that it ever did, although interestingly enough Island in the Clouds is the most PT Haken has ever sounded).
Or...maybe he just doesn't think the album is well written or that good? ;)
Or maybe he thinks the singles were put out in the wrong order? ;D
Cheeky bugger. :lol
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I like the end question on the Sonic Perspectives review: "Just as Vector had a Virus, will Fauna have a Flora"?
With we take the flora concept more like in the sense of nature, environment, and if the Fauna's themes are more related to animals/individuals questions, it would be cool a Flora album dealing with nature/society, with more wider questions in scope. Just an (very rough :D) idea.
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More than a sequel to Fauna, I really want a Restoration 2 :-\
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Or imagine part 3, Fungi. :lol
It's just an album of Infected Mushroom covers
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Or imagine part 3, Fungi. :lol
It's just an album of Infected Mushroom covers
I mean, I would buy that.
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Ray posted on his stories that he got a Fauna artwork kit for the upcoming tour. Those will look amazing onstage :tup
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
The words "this will go down well with fans that just like complex riffs with great vocals. I prefer giving a song a chance." made me roll my eyes. Just sounds so... snobbish. Jesus, not all of us can be such masters at listening to music like you. We peasants just prefer complex riffs.
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@DTwwbwMP here's your review of the album
https://lotsofmuzik.com/haken-fauna-album-review-by-micheal-radu/
:metal
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The review is a little light on descriptions in favour of hyperbolic praise for my tastes, but I'm of course glad he likes the album so much, and the descriptions that are there are accurate at least!
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https://proghurst.co.uk/2023/02/haken-fauna-review/
Circus music...
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@DTwwbwMP here's your review of the album
https://lotsofmuzik.com/haken-fauna-album-review-by-micheal-radu/
:metal
The band shared your review on FB
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https://proghurst.co.uk/2023/02/haken-fauna-review/
Circus music...
Not really circus music, no. That's a little misleading. But it's quirky and at times more like the theatrics of Visions than the circus music of Celestial Elixir.
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I personally think “calliope music” is more accurate and sounds a bit more distinguished, but to each their own.
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@DTwwbwMP here's your review of the album
https://lotsofmuzik.com/haken-fauna-album-review-by-micheal-radu/
:metal
The band shared your review on FB
:tup
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More than a sequel to Fauna, I really want a Restoration 2 :-\
You should check out this cover of "Snow":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjb2IARYOh8
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More than a sequel to Fauna, I really want a Restoration 2 :-\
You should check out this cover of "Snow":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjb2IARYOh8
That was amazing :tup
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Excited to see what their new setlist is going to be today. I'm hoping they add at least one of the Restoration tracks, since those were originally written when Pete was with them the first time.
Here's the setlist, for those wondering: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/haken/2023/gruenspan-hamburg-germany-3ba8187.html :tup
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(https://i.ibb.co/MnxRxjR/Captura-de-pantalla-2023-02-22-a-la-s-07-42-16.png)
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Excited to see what their new setlist is going to be today. I'm hoping they add at least one of the Restoration tracks, since those were originally written when Pete was with them the first time.
Here's the setlist, for those wondering: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/haken/2023/gruenspan-hamburg-germany-3ba8187.html :tup
Ouch. If I went to a show and it for the most part featured songs from my least favorite album by the band, I wouldn't be super thrilled. But that's just me.
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I love the setlist as it's mostly songs I've not seen live before, plus two of my absolute favourites.
They were always likely to focus a fair bit on Virus as they haven't toured it in Europe yet (damn COVID) and Fauna isn't out hey. Won't be the case for the May north America tour, and I hope they'll do a proper Fauna tour in Europe later on top although at least we're getting some of the singles this time.
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That outro song :lol
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Ok guess I won't be reading in this thread until after Sunday :)
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I don't love the setlist, but that's probably because I saw the US tour last year. So what ariich said makes sense to me. I do hope they don't drop Messiah Complex for the US leg though.
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If this was The Mountain Part 3, I would probably think it was OK, but at this point they would be just another “passing band” and then just faded away because they kept repeating themselves.
*ahem* DREAM THEATER *ahem*
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Seeing them March 5th, just checked out the setlist and yeah, it was always going to be a mix of these songs. Happy tho, cause the new ones are a blast, and the Virus material is gonna be really fun in a live setting. Still dying to see some pre-Mountain material soon.
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Still dying to see some pre-Mountain material soon.
I don't think they're planning to do this anytime soon, considering they haven't played most of them in a long time and now they have a new album to promote, and they still haven't done the Vector + Virus show(s) they wanted.
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As long as that Affinity song stays for their US leg I will be happy.
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
This review completely lost me on this point:
Maybe the rest of the album was more like the Haken I liked in the past.
Maybe I’m an outlier music lover, but the reason I love Haken is *because* nothing they do sounds like their past.
If this was The Mountain Part 3, I would probably think it was OK, but at this point they would be just another “passing band” and then just faded away because they kept repeating themselves.
People who think along the same lines as this reviewer are the same as people who just listen to classic rock radio to listen to the same 100 songs over and over and over and over again.
TLDR - that “negative” review made me want it even more.
I don't think this necessarily holds true to be honest.
Look at Arjen Lucassen, Nightwish, Kamelot and the likes, the discourse here and online is that their recent releases have been very much in line with past material (for most releases I'd agree to a large extent). But doing so they have been more successful in recent times than in the past in varying ways (say, post 2010-2015, which is late in their careers). I actually count Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree in this category as well. He/they gave us a PT record and it was a big success.
I don't really disagree with you though, but to me it is only a factor and it also heavily depends on the quality of the music and the enthusiasm/passion of the performances (studio and live). I am not against artists changing their sound. There are those where I really dislike it (In Flames) and some where I enjoy it very much (Sonata Arctica, Leprous, Opeth).
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
This review completely lost me on this point:
Maybe the rest of the album was more like the Haken I liked in the past.
Maybe I’m an outlier music lover, but the reason I love Haken is *because* nothing they do sounds like their past.
If this was The Mountain Part 3, I would probably think it was OK, but at this point they would be just another “passing band” and then just faded away because they kept repeating themselves.
People who think along the same lines as this reviewer are the same as people who just listen to classic rock radio to listen to the same 100 songs over and over and over and over again.
TLDR - that “negative” review made me want it even more.
I don't think this necessarily holds true to be honest.
Look at Arjen Lucassen, Nightwish, Kamelot and the likes, the discourse here and online is that their recent releases have been very much in line with past material (for most releases I'd agree to a large extent). But doing so they have been more successful in recent times than in the past in varying ways (say, post 2010-2015, which is late in their careers). I actually count Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree in this category as well. He/they gave us a PT record and it was a big success.
I don't really disagree with you though, but to me it is only a factor and it also heavily depends on the quality of the music and the enthusiasm/passion of the performances (studio and live). I am not against artists changing their sound. There are those where I really dislike it (In Flames) and some where I enjoy it very much (Sonata Arctica, Leprous, Opeth).
To me, it depends entirely on what people get out of the music. People desire certain aspects of their music. I call myself a music fan, rather than a fan of a specific genre, because I enjoy any type of music out there. I would love for any band to make any style of music they please, regardless of whether it's an unpopular genre or style.
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I caved and looked. The swapping of the cliche Affinity song was long overdue and fantastic.
And although I generally always want to see stuff live I haven't seen a bunch before, the track from The Mountain is my favorite live performance of theirs, so I can never complain about that.
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That setlist seems really short.
I am seeing them in May. I’m torn about the current setlist. I too, would rather see a bit more Fauna…but I would hate to lose MC.
If they just had the current setlist and added 2 more Fauna songs (especially the mini epic that I’ve heard so many good things about) that would be awesome.
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That setlist seems really short.
I am seeing them in May. I’m torn about the current setlist. I too, would rather see a bit more Fauna…but I would hate to lose MC.
If they just had the current setlist and added 2 more Fauna songs (especially the mini epic that I’ve heard so many good things about) that would be awesome.
The Euro leg is coheadline tour I think? The US dates are not as far as I know.
And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
This review completely lost me on this point:
Maybe the rest of the album was more like the Haken I liked in the past.
Maybe I’m an outlier music lover, but the reason I love Haken is *because* nothing they do sounds like their past.
If this was The Mountain Part 3, I would probably think it was OK, but at this point they would be just another “passing band” and then just faded away because they kept repeating themselves.
People who think along the same lines as this reviewer are the same as people who just listen to classic rock radio to listen to the same 100 songs over and over and over and over again.
TLDR - that “negative” review made me want it even more.
I don't think this necessarily holds true to be honest.
Look at Arjen Lucassen, Nightwish, Kamelot and the likes, the discourse here and online is that their recent releases have been very much in line with past material (for most releases I'd agree to a large extent). But doing so they have been more successful in recent times than in the past in varying ways (say, post 2010-2015, which is late in their careers). I actually count Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree in this category as well. He/they gave us a PT record and it was a big success.
I don't really disagree with you though, but to me it is only a factor and it also heavily depends on the quality of the music and the enthusiasm/passion of the performances (studio and live). I am not against artists changing their sound. There are those where I really dislike it (In Flames) and some where I enjoy it very much (Sonata Arctica, Leprous, Opeth).
To me, it depends entirely on what people get out of the music. People desire certain aspects of their music. I call myself a music fan, rather than a fan of a specific genre, because I enjoy any type of music out there. I would love for any band to make any style of music they please, regardless of whether it's an unpopular genre or style.
I think one thing to consider is the prog genre often requires change because the fans appreciate that. If you look outside the genre, that's not really normal. It actually is often times despised to see bands make changes to their sound from the fan base. So it's actually no surprise that bands that stick to what they do best do find success from doing the "same thing" over and over.
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That setlist seems really short.
They co-headline with BTBAM.
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The studio versions of the current setlist add up to around 75 minutes, which should roughly translate to around a 90 minute set. That's about what I'd expect for the last billing on a co-headline tour.
The north America May tour is solo headline with only one support act, so I would expect sets to be more like 105 minutes, maybe pushing towards 2 hours.
Also for May, it will be very much a Fauna tour. I would expect less Virus (because they already toured it last year when out with Symphony X) and more non-single Fauna.
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I'm just hoping that on the main Fauna tour, we finally get a new live album recorded with a good mix of Vector/Virus/Fauna material. Although, I wouldn't mind waiting for "Flora" to come out and then they can do a live album with a mix of all four albums' material, and title the live album VFX (The Vector/Virus and Fauna/Flora X-perience :lol ).
-Marc.
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I very much doubt that the next album will be called Flora. :lol
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I'd still love a full Vector/Virus live recording.
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I'm just hoping that on the main Fauna tour, we finally get a new live album recorded with a good mix of Vector/Virus/Fauna material.
This.
I'd still love a full Vector/Virus live recording.
This works too.
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And a less positive review:
https://progressivemusicplanet.com/2023/02/13/haken-fauna/
This review completely lost me on this point:
Maybe the rest of the album was more like the Haken I liked in the past.
Maybe I’m an outlier music lover, but the reason I love Haken is *because* nothing they do sounds like their past.
If this was The Mountain Part 3, I would probably think it was OK, but at this point they would be just another “passing band” and then just faded away because they kept repeating themselves.
People who think along the same lines as this reviewer are the same as people who just listen to classic rock radio to listen to the same 100 songs over and over and over and over again.
TLDR - that “negative” review made me want it even more.
I don't think this necessarily holds true to be honest.
Look at Arjen Lucassen, Nightwish, Kamelot and the likes, the discourse here and online is that their recent releases have been very much in line with past material (for most releases I'd agree to a large extent). But doing so they have been more successful in recent times than in the past in varying ways (say, post 2010-2015, which is late in their careers). I actually count Steven Wilson/Porcupine Tree in this category as well. He/they gave us a PT record and it was a big success.
I don't really disagree with you though, but to me it is only a factor and it also heavily depends on the quality of the music and the enthusiasm/passion of the performances (studio and live). I am not against artists changing their sound. There are those where I really dislike it (In Flames) and some where I enjoy it very much (Sonata Arctica, Leprous, Opeth).
To me, it depends entirely on what people get out of the music. People desire certain aspects of their music. I call myself a music fan, rather than a fan of a specific genre, because I enjoy any type of music out there. I would love for any band to make any style of music they please, regardless of whether it's an unpopular genre or style.
I think one thing to consider is the prog genre often requires change because the fans appreciate that. If you look outside the genre, that's not really normal. It actually is often times despised to see bands make changes to their sound from the fan base. So it's actually no surprise that bands that stick to what they do best do find success from doing the "same thing" over and over.
Yup, and you just have to look at those bands setlists, always containing the same exact songs on every tour with a couple of others sprinkled in. Then you get Iron Maiden wanting to play their new songs, only to resort to playing the tried and true classics American Maiden fans desire from the band. But then again, I love when the genres blend in unexpected ways, such as Country Hip-Hop, or Black Metal Reggae (now this is an oxymoronic genre blend). And honestly, that's where music is at now.
I have grown to appreciate how a band wants an album to sound, more so than expecting what I want to hear from the band. This is how I appreciate Haken making Virus/Vector and do not really have a problem with it's sound and style.
From what I have heard of Fauna so far, I can hear a blend of all their previous styles and hints of previous things they have done. Such as The Alphabet Of Me giving me Host and Veil vibes with the use of the electronic drums and supporting ambience.
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To those of you familiar with my countdown threads, I was considering doing a Haken one here after the Metallica one is over. Could be a good time to do it, with the new album coming out soon. I'd likely shoot for a top 25. Anyone down for that?
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I’m down
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Pretty sure I walked past Ross at the DT show in London yesterday.
Conversely, he's probably saying to his mates right now, "Pretty sure I walked right past Doctor Action at the DT show last night." ...
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To those of you familiar with my countdown threads, I was considering doing a Haken one here after the Metallica one is over. Could be a good time to do it, with the new album coming out soon. I'd likely shoot for a top 25. Anyone down for that?
I was actually toying with the idea of doing that myself, but I don’t want to intrude. I *really really* want a Haken countdown, but I was hoping to wait until June/July, include the Fauna tracks, and make it a top 50.
Oh…and Messiah Complex has to be 1 track. ;D
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Oh…and Messiah Complex has to be 1 track. ;D
Well yeah. That way, Vector and Virus mirror each other with 7 songs each. :P
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Pretty sure I walked past Ross at the DT show in London yesterday.
Conversely, he's probably saying to his mates right now, "Pretty sure I walked right past Doctor Action at the DT show last night." ...
:lol
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I won't say what very limited info I was given about the N. American set specifics (which you can likely very easily guess at), but can at least confirm that it WILL be a longer set due to them being solo headliners.
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I won't say what very limited info I was given about the N. American set specifics (which you can likely very easily guess at), but can at least confirm that it WILL be a longer set due to them being solo headliners.
This make me ;D
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To those of you familiar with my countdown threads, I was considering doing a Haken one here after the Metallica one is over. Could be a good time to do it, with the new album coming out soon. I'd likely shoot for a top 25. Anyone down for that?
I was actually toying with the idea of doing that myself, but I don’t want to intrude. I *really really* want a Haken countdown, but I was hoping to wait until June/July, include the Fauna tracks, and make it a top 50.
Oh…and Messiah Complex has to be 1 track. ;D
If you want to do it this summer and include the new songs, I will step aside for that one and let you run with the Haken ball. :tup :tup
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To those of you familiar with my countdown threads, I was considering doing a Haken one here after the Metallica one is over. Could be a good time to do it, with the new album coming out soon. I'd likely shoot for a top 25. Anyone down for that?
I was actually toying with the idea of doing that myself, but I don’t want to intrude. I *really really* want a Haken countdown, but I was hoping to wait until June/July, include the Fauna tracks, and make it a top 50.
Oh…and Messiah Complex has to be 1 track. ;D
If you want to do it this summer and include the new songs, I will step aside for that one and let you run with the Haken ball. :tup :tup
Thanks Kev! You’re the best! ;D
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I won't say what very limited info I was given about the N. American set specifics (which you can likely very easily guess at), but can at least confirm that it WILL be a longer set due to them being solo headliners.
Good to hear, their current set looks great and anything more is a bonus.
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Pretty sure I walked past Ross at the DT show in London yesterday.
Conversely, he's probably saying to his mates right now, "Pretty sure I walked right past Doctor Action at the DT show last night." ...
Seems pretty unlikely see as Haken are currently in Germany on tour. :P
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Pretty sure I walked past Ross at the DT show in London yesterday.
Conversely, he's probably saying to his mates right now, "Pretty sure I walked right past Doctor Action at the DT show last night." ...
Seems pretty unlikely see as Haken are currently in Germany on tour. :P
Oh. :lol
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Pretty sure I walked past Ross at the DT show in London yesterday.
Conversely, he's probably saying to his mates right now, "Pretty sure I walked right past Doctor Action at the DT show last night." ...
Seems pretty unlikely see as Haken are currently in Germany on tour. :P
Oh. :lol
No, it was Ross, he told me. :lol
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Pretty sure I walked past Ross at the DT show in London yesterday.
Conversely, he's probably saying to his mates right now, "Pretty sure I walked right past Doctor Action at the DT show last night." ...
Seems pretty unlikely see as Haken are currently in Germany on tour. :P
Oh. :lol
No, it was Ross, he told me. :lol
:rollin
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The guys just posted a hilarious picture on Facebook. And the hilarity is heightened by a post by Angel Vivaldi. :lol :lol
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Also for May, it will be very much a Fauna tour. I would expect less Virus (because they already toured it last year when out with Symphony X) and more non-single Fauna.
If that's the case, I am expecting Messiah Complex to stay, while maybe keeping Prosthetic/Invasion/Carousel. I am coming up with a plausible set at the moment with the current songs released, and sort of based around the current European set.
Since it'll be a Fauna tour, I am expecting mostly all of the album to be played with one or two songs being left off. I can wait a week to hear and see how they might fit into a set.
There is one song I do want to hear them play live, but It's a song that they won't likely play anytime soon, that song is Deathless.
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I'd love to see Deathless as well, and even more of Visions, but yeah, I dont expect that to happen.
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I'd love to see Deathless as well, and even more of Visions, but yeah, I dont expect that to happen.
Oh man that would rule! Deathless is a beautiful song. If they only played Celestial Elixir, Deathless, and Visions I would be happy. Nearly 50 minutes in only 3 songs. :smiley:
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I've seen Visions (the song) but the rest of the album is what I'd love to see. Sadly the time they did the full album at Progpower was the year I didn't go. I just feel like they won't be going back to this any time soon as their catalog of music grows.
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They played Deathless when I saw them in 2016. Can confirm it’s great live.
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Really good podcast interview with Pete here, including some stuff about his approach to music and the impact on Fauna: https://pod.link/1087245703/episode/c6808a44bfebbb66b0eeb863581caf1b
I've spoken to Pete quite a bit about this stuff but the interviewer asked some really interesting questions and even I learned things I didn't already know.
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A new album in two days and this thread had fallen to the middle of page 2? For shame, Haken fans. :lol :lol
Anyway, Aquarius has gotten a few fresh listens from me this week (it's the next review a friend and I are doing offline), and it is a reminder of how good Haken was back when it felt like the melody was what mattered the most. I honestly feel like the debut and The Mountain are 1a and 1b when it comes to what is their best.
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I’m already seriously ticked :censored :censored :censored.
I preordered through Music Glue on December 10th and got a confirmation Email.
They are based in the UK, and currently their website says that’s it’s “processed” (not shipped…just processed) and that it’s due to arrive on March 2nd and not to contact them until after it hasn’t arrived by that date.
I’m kinda thinking I’m not going to get it for a long time if they haven’t even shipped it yet. :censored :censored :censored
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A new album in two days and this thread had fallen to the middle of page 2? For shame, Haken fans. :lol :lol
Anyway, Aquarius has gotten a few fresh listens from me this week (it's the next review a friend and I are doing offline), and it is a reminder of how good Haken was back when it felt like the melody was what mattered the most. I honestly feel like the debut and The Mountain are 1a and 1b when it comes to what is their best.
I've been trying to binge the discography this week in the run-up to the new album, currently spinning The Mountain (literally, btw if anyone has any leads on an affordable copy of Vector on vinyl, that's all I'm missing).
My takeaway from Aquarius honestly was that while I was blown away by it when it came out, this band has evolved so much that it was a little tough to go back. The vocal melodies were really strong, but I felt like a lot of what was happening instrumentally was a bit bland during vocal sections (lots of held chords, clean arpeggios, standard prog rock cliches, etc). During instrumental breaks, things naturally got more interesting, but it felt like instruments and vocals were sometimes in conflict with each other. It made me really appreciate the medley they put together for the album as there are fragments I like, but I struggled to find a track that I would like to hear in its entirety at a concert. Celestial Elixir is a huge standout, though.
Back before The Mountain came out, I saw Aquarius and Visions as pretty interchangeable, if anything I probably listened to Aquarius a bit more. Now in retrospect, I actually hear quite a bit more distance between the two albums than I appreciated back in the day. Visions feels a lot more arranged, a bit more coherent, the metal elements are a little more refined. I still think vocals and music don't quite fit together as naturally as on the later albums, but it's moving in the right direction. The title track, Insomnia, Shapeshifter, Nocturnal Conspiracy are all tracks I would love to hear live (I actually did get the title track live, but I wouldn't mind if they brought it back).
The Mountain could very well be my favorite album of all time. They really went all out on this one and it still feels fresh a decade later. Curious how I'll handle the next few albums as none of them immediately grabbed me, but there are a lot of things about their current direction that I really enjoy. Pumped for Fauna!
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I’m already seriously ticked :censored :censored :censored.
I preordered through Music Glue on December 10th and got a confirmation Email.
They are based in the UK, and currently their website says that’s it’s “processed” (not shipped…just processed) and that it’s due to arrive on March 2nd and not to contact them until after it hasn’t arrived by that date.
I’m kinda thinking I’m not going to get it for a long time if they haven’t even shipped it yet. :censored :censored :censored
Same. Ordered 12/13. Saw on Haken subreddit that UK and Canadian orders have gotten shipment confirmations. Maybe it’s a US specific annoyance.
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I’m already seriously ticked :censored :censored :censored.
I preordered through Music Glue on December 10th and got a confirmation Email.
They are based in the UK, and currently their website says that’s it’s “processed” (not shipped…just processed) and that it’s due to arrive on March 2nd and not to contact them until after it hasn’t arrived by that date.
I’m kinda thinking I’m not going to get it for a long time if they haven’t even shipped it yet. :censored :censored :censored
Same. Ordered 12/13. Saw on Haken subreddit that UK and Canadian orders have gotten shipment confirmations. Maybe it’s a US specific annoyance.
I ordered mine from Burning Shed and haven't gotten any updates on it. Meanwhile, they sent out my Porcupine Tree Deadwing Deluxe artbook earlier this week and it's on its way, but shipping from the UK to the US has been awfully slow this year so far. Honestly, I probably won't get my copy of Fauna]/i] for a few weeks. At least it'll be streaming, I hope!
-Marc.
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I love Aquarius! In fact, I find it quite a bit more unique and original than Visions. I don’t mean that in a bad way though. If anyone was going to make a perfect homage to SFAM, it might as well be Haken. They did a fantastic job of it. I absolutely love the album as a beautiful tribute to one of the greatest progressive metal albums of all time.
But The Mountain was truly when Haken found Haken. It went through the stratosphere for me. It actually beats SFAM and currently sits just below Hemispheres as my all time favorite album.
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If I had known how bad shipping was from the UK at the time, I would have never done it.
I ordered IQs new live album right about the same time, and Royal Mail completely lost track of it at the beginning of January. I thought it was just completely gone. I was about to contact IQHQ and tell them that it was lost in the mail after not having heard a word for six weeks. But then suddenly it magically turned up in LA last Thursday, and then arrived at my doorstep on Monday.
Still though, it took almost 8 weeks from order to arrival to get here.
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Same. Ordered 12/13. Saw on Haken subreddit that UK and Canadian orders have gotten shipment confirmations. Maybe it’s a US specific annoyance.
InsideOut EU also dropped the ball on this one. My preorder didn't ship until yesterday. No chance that it will arrive on time.
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Same. Ordered 12/13. Saw on Haken subreddit that UK and Canadian orders have gotten shipment confirmations. Maybe it’s a US specific annoyance.
InsideOut EU also dropped the ball on this one. My preorder didn't ship until yesterday. No chance that it will arrive on time.
Oh man me7, I'm so sorry, I just saw that you wrote me a PM like forever ago :-[
Yes same for me. Weirdly, the shipment was announced (labe created) at UPS over a month (!) ago but nothing happened since then until it was actually shipped yesterday.
It ships from Germany and I'm in Vienna however so I think I'll get it by Monday.
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I feel like this happens so frequently when pre-ordering directly from labels or their main distributors, which is why I never do it. Do people do it because of the special versions/bundles that are available through that route?
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Rich, did you get your copy directly from Pete? And how far in advance did you get yours?
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Rich, did you get your copy directly from Pete? And how far in advance did you get yours?
He sent it to me digitally very soon after the album was mastered, so I've obviously been in an incredibly fortunate position.
He has a physical copy for me but I'm not going to see him for ages so I'll be way behind the rest of you on that! :lol
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A new album in two days and this thread had fallen to the middle of page 2? For shame, Haken fans. :lol :lol
Anyway, Aquarius has gotten a few fresh listens from me this week (it's the next review a friend and I are doing offline), and it is a reminder of how good Haken was back when it felt like the melody was what mattered the most. I honestly feel like the debut and The Mountain are 1a and 1b when it comes to what is their best.
I've been trying to binge the discography this week in the run-up to the new album, currently spinning The Mountain (literally, btw if anyone has any leads on an affordable copy of Vector on vinyl, that's all I'm missing).
My takeaway from Aquarius honestly was that while I was blown away by it when it came out, this band has evolved so much that it was a little tough to go back. The vocal melodies were really strong, but I felt like a lot of what was happening instrumentally was a bit bland during vocal sections (lots of held chords, clean arpeggios, standard prog rock cliches, etc). During instrumental breaks, things naturally got more interesting, but it felt like instruments and vocals were sometimes in conflict with each other. It made me really appreciate the medley they put together for the album as there are fragments I like, but I struggled to find a track that I would like to hear in its entirety at a concert. Celestial Elixir is a huge standout, though.
Back before The Mountain came out, I saw Aquarius and Visions as pretty interchangeable, if anything I probably listened to Aquarius a bit more. Now in retrospect, I actually hear quite a bit more distance between the two albums than I appreciated back in the day. Visions feels a lot more arranged, a bit more coherent, the metal elements are a little more refined. I still think vocals and music don't quite fit together as naturally as on the later albums, but it's moving in the right direction. The title track, Insomnia, Shapeshifter, Nocturnal Conspiracy are all tracks I would love to hear live (I actually did get the title track live, but I wouldn't mind if they brought it back).
The Mountain could very well be my favorite album of all time. They really went all out on this one and it still feels fresh a decade later. Curious how I'll handle the next few albums as none of them immediately grabbed me, but there are a lot of things about their current direction that I really enjoy. Pumped for Fauna!
I am not a musician, but I will take the bolded over their current "let's see how rhythmic changes we can accomplish in under a minute" approach or the general feeling of needing to send out a search party to find the memorable melodies in their most recent material. Not saying it's not melodic, just that it's not ones I find memorable. On albums like Aquarius and The Mountain, the melodies just spill out of the speakers non-stop. I have used this analogy with DT before, and I think it applies with Haken as well: to me, the technical part of the band is the icing on the cake, not the actual cake. And it feels like Haken has let the technical part of the band become the cake, with the melodies the icing, and far too often, we are getting cupcakes where little to no icing was applied. I gave Messiah Complex another try this week and it actually annoyed me, to where I muttered to myself, "What the hell happened to this band?" I also listened to a couple of the new songs again last night, and sitting here this morning, I remember nothing about either of them. Bands change, I get it, but their approach now is just not for me. I will still give the new album several tries, but I am not optimistic. I will keep an open mind, however. :D
I love Aquarius! In fact, I find it quite a bit more unique and original than Visions. I don’t mean that in a bad way though. If anyone was going to make a perfect homage to SFAM, it might as well be Haken. They did a fantastic job of it. I absolutely love the album as a beautiful tribute to one of the greatest progressive metal albums of all time.
But The Mountain was truly when Haken found Haken. It went through the stratosphere for me. It actually beats SFAM and currently sits just below Hemispheres as my all time favorite album.
I never thought of Visions as a homage to Scenes. Interesting. I think Visions is certainly the least best of the first four albums, which makes it, for me, their 4th best album overall, but I do love the dirt and grit of the album.
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Not saying it's not melodic, just that it's not ones I find memorable. On albums like Aquarius and The Mountain, the melodies just spill out of the speakers non-stop.
I'm not commenting on whether Fauna will be for you - I hope you'll like it but completely accept you may not be keen. But on this specific point, especially with bands like Haken whose music is intricate, it's very easy to say this about music that we've heard a lot over a long period of time. As I recall, it took quite a while to win you over to Haken's early work back in the day.
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Not saying it's not melodic, just that it's not ones I find memorable. On albums like Aquarius and The Mountain, the melodies just spill out of the speakers non-stop.
I'm not commenting on whether Fauna will be for you - I hope you'll like it but completely accept you may not be keen. But on this specific point, especially with bands like Haken whose music is intricate, it's very easy to say this about music that we've heard a lot over a long period of time. As I recall, it took quite a while to win you over to Haken's early work back in the day.
True, but that was mostly because of Ross' voice, which was a hair in the soup for me for quite a while. I kept listening, though, because of how good the music was and how strong the overall melodies were.
I still can't say I love Ross' voice overall, but he has a lot of moments I enjoy now.
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Not saying it's not melodic, just that it's not ones I find memorable. On albums like Aquarius and The Mountain, the melodies just spill out of the speakers non-stop.
I'm not commenting on whether Fauna will be for you - I hope you'll like it but completely accept you may not be keen. But on this specific point, especially with bands like Haken whose music is intricate, it's very easy to say this about music that we've heard a lot over a long period of time. As I recall, it took quite a while to win you over to Haken's early work back in the day.
True, but that was mostly because of Ross' voice, which was a hair in the soup for me for quite a while. I kept listening, though, because of how good the music was and how strong the overall melodies were.
I still can't say I love Ross' voice overall, but he has a lot of moments I enjoy now.
Actually you didn't think the vocal melodies were good either, but yes you generally thought the music was good.
To quote the Kev of almost exactly 9 years ago: "Musically, yeah, they are good, but the vocals and vocal melodies leave a lot to be desired."
See:
Same here. I tried to give The Mountain a whirl again the other day, but about five tracks in, I was like, okay, enough of this, and I switched over to something much better (see: most of what I own already). Musically, yeah, they are good, but the vocals and vocal melodies leave a lot to be desired. And that Cockroach King song is still one of the worst things I've ever heard (as far as vocal melodies go).
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Wow, diving back nine years to attempt a gotcha moment! Impressive :lol :lol
Yep, that is what I said, and that is what I thought. Not sure how that is in contrast with what I said just now. When I said, "I kept listening, though, because of how good the music was and how strong the overall melodies were," do not assume I meant vocal melodies when talking about how strong I thought the overall melodies were (although I am sure I was bit all over the place back then when trying to get into them due to how different my reactions were from listen to listen due to the nature of the vocals). The music was good (see: the playing) and the overall melodies were good (see: the music). The playing and the musical melodies are not the same, as I would submit a fair amount of their newer music is very strong when it comes to playing, but lacking, for me, in the musical melodies category. As always, YMMV. :)
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It's a fine line for me...the noodling or ever more so, the quirkiness aspect to music can often times be a real turn-off for me. Cockroach King is an example of a song that I can't connect with on any level.
I am and will always be in the minority on this but The Mountain is my least favorite of theirs. Loved the last two. The new songs seem to have elements of that quirkiness at times so it will be interesting to see how I connect with the new one.
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Interesting discussion regarding Aquarius...
I too revisited the catalog this week, and while I've always held Aquarius in high regard, it was typically my least played album—not unlike DT's WDADU.
But this week, once the final notes of "Celestial Elixir" faded off, I decided to just listen to the whole thing again. And then a third time.
Man, I LOVE this album now. So much so that I'd probably rank it 2nd, right behind The Mountain.
Yes, it's a little all over the place, and yes, the band is very raw and young, but holy hell are there a ton of melodies in these songs. In fact, I think Ross sounds soooooo much more natural on this than he does for the majority of the Virus/Vector albums.
I think that, while it's certainly heavy, Aquarius is largely informed by classic prog, and there isn't a hint of Djent to be heard (a genre I have no use for).
As for Fauna, I've listened to the four singles multiple times, and as I type this, I still can't remember a single melody from any of the songs. In fact, the two 'simpler' songs feel more inspired by something like 21 Pilots, which is not a good thing in my book.
I will definitely give the new album a fair shake, but having already heard 40% off it, the fact that I have little to no desire to listen to these 4 tracks again is not a good sign.
I hope (and sorta expect) to be proven wrong, but my big takeaway from this week is a brilliant reevaluation of Haken's debut. :metal
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Wow, diving back nine years to attempt a gotcha moment! Impressive :lol :lol
Can you tell I work in audit? :lol To be clear though, it wasn't intended as a gotcha but was more a check on my own memory.
Yep, that is what I said, and that is what I thought. Not sure how that is in contrast with what I said just now. When I said, "I kept listening, though, because of how good the music was and how strong the overall melodies were," do not assume I meant vocal melodies when talking about how strong I thought the overall melodies were (although I am sure I was bit all over the place back then when trying to get into them due to how different my reactions were from listen to listen due to the nature of the vocals). The music was good (see: the playing) and the overall melodies were good (see: the music). The playing and the musical melodies are not the same, as I would submit a fair amount of their newer music is very strong when it comes to playing, but lacking, for me, in the musical melodies category. As always, YMMV. :)
Fair enough, I guess I just see music's melodies (except when harsh vocals are used) as being heavily - though not wholly, I accept - driven by the vocal melodies. I was just pointing out that those vocal melodies took you quite a long time to come around on - and by the way you're far from alone in that. But it's possible you and I define slightly some of these terms slightly differently - for example, if I think the playing is good/skilled, I would talk about the performance rather than the music, and if I refer to the music I'd be talking about the composition (notes, riffs, chords etc.) regardless of performance.
EDIT: And for completeness, I think of "melody" as the focal line that sits on top of the rest of the music, which is usually in the form of a vocal line or instrumental lead line.
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I think that, while it's certainly heavy, Aquarius is largely informed by classic prog, and there isn't a hint of Djent to be heard (a genre I have no use for).
I consider "Drowning in the Flood" to be rather djenty...
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I think that, while it's certainly heavy, Aquarius is largely informed by classic prog, and there isn't a hint of Djent to be heard (a genre I have no use for).
I consider "Drowning in the Flood" to be rather djenty...
Definitely. And Blind from the demo as well (plus moments in a couple of other songs on there).
It's always been a feature in their guitar style. A bit more so from The Mountain onwards, and especially on Vector/Virus which was the style they were going for on those two.
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I hope (and sorta expect) to be proven wrong, but my big takeaway from this week is a brilliant reevaluation of Haken's debut. :metal
Hell yeah! :tup :tup I honestly think it is one of the best debut albums any rock band has ever done.
Wow, diving back nine years to attempt a gotcha moment! Impressive :lol :lol
Can you tell I work in audit? :lol To be clear though, it wasn't intended as a gotcha but was more a check on my own memory.
All good, sir. :tup :tup
Fair enough, I guess I just see music's melodies (except when harsh vocals are used) as being heavily - though not wholly, I accept - driven by the vocal melodies. I was just pointing out that those vocal melodies took you quite a long time to come around on - and by the way you're far from alone in that. But it's possible you and I define slightly some of these terms slightly differently - for example, if I think the playing is good/skilled, I would talk about the performance rather than the music, and if I refer to the music I'd be talking about the composition (notes, riffs, chords etc.) regardless of performance.
EDIT: And for completeness, I think of "melody" as the focal line that sits on top of the rest of the music, which is usually in the form of a vocal line or instrumental lead line.
All noted. What I noticed about this band, and I still notice it, is how solo-happy they aren't, at least relative to a band like Dream Theater, the band they seemed to get compared to a bit. Haken rarely sees one guy go off with an extended solo. They might have an extended instrumental section with a bunch of little solos in there, all pretty short, which gives a nice feeling of it being a full band instrumental section rater than DT's "okay, here is the long guitar solo, and now here is the long keyboard solo" method. And to be clear, I prefer Dream Theater to Haken by a pretty wide margin overall, but that approach is really what I liked about Haken's music in the earlier days. It just feels like too often now, they are content to just riff away and move from breakneck rhythm to another to demonstrate how in synch they are as a band. Impressive as hell musically, without a doubt, but feels more like a sporting event than a song at times.
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What I noticed about this band, and I still notice it, is how solo-happy they aren't, at least relative to a band like Dream Theater, the band they seemed to get compared to a bit. Haken rarely sees one guy go off with an extended solo. They might have an extended instrumental section with a bunch of little solos in there, all pretty short, which gives a nice feeling of it being a full band instrumental section rater than DT's "okay, here is the long guitar solo, and now here is the long keyboard solo" method. And to be clear, I prefer Dream Theater to Haken by a pretty wide margin overall, but that approach is really what I liked about Haken's music in the earlier days. It just feels like too often now, they are content to just riff away and move from breakneck rhythm to another to demonstrate how in synch they are as a band. Impressive as hell musically, without a doubt, but feels more like a sporting event than a song at times.
Some really interesting observations. So, I can assure you that the suggestions at the end of your post are not at all the intention of the band. They're very focused on composition. To an extent they always have been, but actually more so from The Mountain onwards. Aquarius and the demo - for all their strengths - had quite a few songs that sort of ran from idea to idea without them putting much thought into it. Now, that doesn't mean that what the band finds compositionally interesting/coherent is the same as all fans, and of course they have always thrown in curveballs or sudden shifts (the trad jazz in Celestial Elixir being a top example) not all of which will work for everyone. So I'm not in any way suggesting you're wrong in how you feel/interpret the newer music, I'm only talking about the intention and priorities of the band.
You're spot on about solos though - the first two albums and the demo had more in the way of typically "wanky" prog solo sections, though as you say probably less indulgently than some bands like DT. But again since The Mountain it's not something they've been massively interested in. Linking to the other point about their compositional approach, they tend to focus more on composed lead lines rather than solos, so when they do include more traditional solos (rarely on keys, occasionally on guitar) it's because they think it's what serves the song best.
Again I'm only talking about the band's intentions and interests, no comment on how listeners should respond or interpret the music.
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Oh man me7, I'm so sorry, I just saw that you wrote me a PM like forever ago :-[
Yes same for me. Weirdly, the shipment was announced (labe created) at UPS over a month (!) ago but nothing happened since then until it was actually shipped yesterday.
It ships from Germany and I'm in Vienna however so I think I'll get it by Monday.
No need to apologize :tup
I feel like this happens so frequently when pre-ordering directly from labels or their main distributors, which is why I never do it. Do people do it because of the special versions/bundles that are available through that route?
I like to order as close to the source as possible, in the hope that this way more of my money reaches the actual creators of the content, rather than managers of companies in between. But sadly, they don't seem to appreciate it.
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I think that, while it's certainly heavy, Aquarius is largely informed by classic prog, and there isn't a hint of Djent to be heard (a genre I have no use for).
I consider "Drowning in the Flood" to be rather djenty...
Maybe, but not to my ears :D
Listen, the album is far from flawless (those growls ???), but considering how low I initially rated it, my point was more to underscore my newfound appreciation, not to dissect the album.
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I feel like this happens so frequently when pre-ordering directly from labels or their main distributors, which is why I never do it. Do people do it because of the special versions/bundles that are available through that route?
I like to order as close to the source as possible, in the hope that this way more of my money reaches the actual creators of the content, rather than managers of companies in between. But sadly, they don't seem to appreciate it.
I can ask Pete but I honestly don't know if it makes much or any difference to them. The impression I've had is that a sale is a sale, and first-week sales are essentially a key performance measure for artists on major or major-ish labels.
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By the way, total aside but I am absolutely delighted by how overwhelmingly (if not quite unanimously) positive the critical response to Fauna has been. I hope it ends up being not too far off that with the fans too.
When I first heard the album, I liked it but didn't really have a clue what fans would think, and at the time Pete said the band also didn't have a clue :lol. After maybe 5 listens, I adored it and concluded that while obviously not everyone would like it (the band's fanbase is too varied now for any of their albums to be unanimously popular), on the whole it would probably go down well. So far the reviews have been more glowing that I'd expected, I suppose we'll see where the fanbase ends up.
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I can ask Pete but I honestly don't know if it makes much or any difference to them.
I'm really curious to know that.
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By the way, total aside but I am absolutely delighted by how overwhelmingly (if not quite unanimously) positive the critical response to Fauna has been. I hope it ends up being not too far off that with the fans too.
When I first heard the album, I liked it but didn't really have a clue what fans would think, and at the time Pete said the band also didn't have a clue :lol. After maybe 5 listens, I adored it and concluded that while obviously not everyone would like it (the band's fanbase is too varied now for any of their albums to be unanimously popular), on the whole it would probably go down well. So far the reviews have been more glowing that I'd expected, I suppose we'll see where the fanbase ends up.
How would you rank the album at this point?
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I *just* got my shipping confirmation email from Burning Shed. Here's hoping I receive in a couple of weeks!
As to the previous question about why people pre-order, part of it for me is to just ensure I'll get a copy at some point. With streaming and downloads usually available on the day of release, I can still listen to an album if I want, as I'm not usually a stickler for listening to my CD version for the first listen. And yeah, another thing is getting pre-order bonuses, and usually in the case with Burning Shed orders, they come with signed postcards. For Haken, I've gotten them for Affinity and and Virus, and one should be coming with Fauna.
-Marc.
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By the way, total aside but I am absolutely delighted by how overwhelmingly (if not quite unanimously) positive the critical response to Fauna has been. I hope it ends up being not too far off that with the fans too.
When I first heard the album, I liked it but didn't really have a clue what fans would think, and at the time Pete said the band also didn't have a clue :lol. After maybe 5 listens, I adored it and concluded that while obviously not everyone would like it (the band's fanbase is too varied now for any of their albums to be unanimously popular), on the whole it would probably go down well. So far the reviews have been more glowing that I'd expected, I suppose we'll see where the fanbase ends up.
How would you rank the album at this point?
It's tussling with The Mountain to be my favourite. Those are definitely my two favourites, but I can't decide between them. I find both magnificent in slightly different (as well as some similar) ways.
As to the previous question about why people pre-order, part of it for me is to just ensure I'll get a copy at some point. With streaming and downloads usually available on the day of release, I can still listen to an album if I want, as I'm not usually a stickler for listening to my CD version for the first listen. And yeah, another thing is getting pre-order bonuses, and usually in the case with Burning Shed orders, they come with signed postcards. For Haken, I've gotten them for Affinity and and Virus, and one should be coming with Fauna.
-Marc.
Yeah the bonuses makes sense, and if you don't mind about getting it on day 1 because you're happy for initial listens to be on streaming or download, then I get it. I know some people want their first listen to be with the physical product - the booklet, the lyrics and so on - so if you also want the bonuses from pre-ordering direct from the label rather than somewhere more reliable, that must be quite a frustrating tension.
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I have to pick up some scans for my dad so I'll stop by the local record store and pick it up. Funny thing is, my truck doesn't have a CD player so I'll have to stream it even though I'll have my hard copy with me.
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What I noticed about this band, and I still notice it, is how solo-happy they aren't, at least relative to a band like Dream Theater, the band they seemed to get compared to a bit. Haken rarely sees one guy go off with an extended solo. They might have an extended instrumental section with a bunch of little solos in there, all pretty short, which gives a nice feeling of it being a full band instrumental section rater than DT's "okay, here is the long guitar solo, and now here is the long keyboard solo" method. And to be clear, I prefer Dream Theater to Haken by a pretty wide margin overall, but that approach is really what I liked about Haken's music in the earlier days. It just feels like too often now, they are content to just riff away and move from breakneck rhythm to another to demonstrate how in synch they are as a band. Impressive as hell musically, without a doubt, but feels more like a sporting event than a song at times.
Some really interesting observations. So, I can assure you that the suggestions at the end of your post are not at all the intention of the band. They're very focused on composition. To an extent they always have been, but actually more so from The Mountain onwards. Aquarius and the demo - for all their strengths - had quite a few songs that sort of ran from idea to idea without them putting much thought into it. Now, that doesn't mean that what the band finds compositionally interesting/coherent is the same as all fans, and of course they have always thrown in curveballs or sudden shifts (the trad jazz in Celestial Elixir being a top example) not all of which will work for everyone. So I'm not in any way suggesting you're wrong in how you feel/interpret the newer music, I'm only talking about the intention and priorities of the band.
You're spot on about solos though - the first two albums and the demo had more in the way of typically "wanky" prog solo sections, though as you say probably less indulgently than some bands like DT. But again since The Mountain it's not something they've been massively interested in. Linking to the other point about their compositional approach, they tend to focus more on composed lead lines rather than solos, so when they do include more traditional solos (rarely on keys, occasionally on guitar) it's because they think it's what serves the song best.
Again I'm only talking about the band's intentions and interests, no comment on how listeners should respond or interpret the music.
No, no, I get what you are saying, but I think, similar to DT did at times in the 2000s, they have gotten better at playing their instruments and can't help themselves but to show their stuff, even when the intention going in is still to write songs. By no means do I think they go in and think, "Let's just play crazy stuff and call it a song."
By the way, total aside but I am absolutely delighted by how overwhelmingly (if not quite unanimously) positive the critical response to Fauna has been. I hope it ends up being not too far off that with the fans too.
When I first heard the album, I liked it but didn't really have a clue what fans would think, and at the time Pete said the band also didn't have a clue :lol. After maybe 5 listens, I adored it and concluded that while obviously not everyone would like it (the band's fanbase is too varied now for any of their albums to be unanimously popular), on the whole it would probably go down well. So far the reviews have been more glowing that I'd expected, I suppose we'll see where the fanbase ends up.
Well, not trying to be negative again here (I swear!), but I am not sure how much faith we can put in reviews anymore. Most prog sites have certain artists that get great reviews every time no matter what. For example, as much as I love Neal Morse's music, there are sites where almost everything he releases gets a great review, and you are telling me everything he does is 4 1/2 or 5 stars out of 5?? With such easy access to musicians now for interviews, reviewers don't want to lose access, and negative reviews could piss off musicians and make them not want to do future interviews with you, so it is in their best interests to write super positive reviews. Not saying people don't like the albums they review, but it is hard to trust most of them nowadays. One of the biggest prog sites has a guy who works for Radiant Records (Neal's company) who has literally written reviews for Neal's records. I mean, seriously?
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Oh yeah for sure there are definitely sites like that. Some of the reviews, while I like them in terms of positivity and accurate descriptions, come across as someone who was always likely to love it. And I've never put much truck in individual reviews anyway, because taste is so subjective. So I always knew there'd be reviews like that, but I was expecting more of a mixed picture than we've had so far. Almost no negative reviews, and even sites/podcasts etc. that have been lukewarm on recent Haken albums are incredibly positive (for example I saw one video review from two guys who at the time rated Virus 4 stars and 3.5 stars, and they both gave Fauna 5 stars). Like I say it's not about individual opinions, but the balance of opinion so far that has pleasantly surprised me.
No, no, I get what you are saying, but I think, similar to DT did at times in the 2000s, they have gotten better at playing their instruments and can't help themselves but to show their stuff, even when the intention going in is still to write songs. By no means do I think they go in and think, "Let's just play crazy stuff and call it a song."
Hmm, I definitely see that with DT, but not sure it applies that much to Haken, or at least not quite in the way you've described it. Ross's vocals and Ray's drumming have definitely improved over the years. Maybe Charlie has got a little tighter, but Hen's guitar skills were always ludicrous, and I don't think the lineup changes on bass and keys have resulted in a material change in technical proficiency. So I don't think it's so much a case of "hey we can do this now so let's show off a bit" as I think for the most part they always could have played this stuff on a technical level - I think it's more a case of 1. finding it more exciting and dynamic to try new things and push themselves a bit, and 2. having more confidence to do so.
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Really enjoying this album so far. The standouts of the rest of the tracks are Sempiternal Beings and Eyes of Ebony, the latter of which really gets me choked up. Can't wait to hear some of these songs live.
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No, no, I get what you are saying, but I think, similar to DT did at times in the 2000s, they have gotten better at playing their instruments and can't help themselves but to show their stuff, even when the intention going in is still to write songs. By no means do I think they go in and think, "Let's just play crazy stuff and call it a song."
Hmm, I definitely see that with DT, but not sure it applies that much to Haken, or at least not quite in the way you've described it. Ross's vocals and Ray's drumming have definitely improved over the years. Maybe Charlie has got a little tighter, but Hen's guitar skills were always ludicrous, and I don't think the lineup changes on bass and keys have resulted in a material change in technical proficiency. So I don't think it's so much a case of "hey we can do this now so let's show off a bit" as I think for the most part they always could have played this stuff on a technical level - I think it's more a case of 1. finding it more exciting and dynamic to try new things and push themselves a bit, and 2. having more confidence to do so.
Fair points. They definitely all had mad skills from the start. :tup :tup
I'd be lying if I said Diego's departure wasn't a big loss for this fan. Just listening to a lot of their first four albums this week was a reminder that he really was the secret sauce.
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It’s a bit ironic to me that Diego seemed (and this is 90% speculation) like he was feeling crowded out over the last two albums and now Fauna seems to highlight keyboards quite a bit from what little I’ve heard.
Not sure if that was always planned or if they are just trying to highlight their new (old) member.
I also realize that there were some personal viewpoint issues (in which Diego really came across as an ass, unfortunately) that were probably insurmountable, but…
I just hope Peter makes his presence known. And it sounds like he does.
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Listening to Vector currently and I'm hearing things quite a bit differently. This album is extremely melodic, and I feel like the keys really mix well with everything else. This one has definitely aged really well for me.
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Elephants Never Forget is one beast of a song, a juggernaut.
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I'd be lying if I said Diego's departure wasn't a big loss for this fan. Just listening to a lot of their first four albums this week was a reminder that he really was the secret sauce.
On Affinity, definitely. Regardless of what I think of the guy, his sound design on that album was superb and makes it what it is. The first three albums though were almost entirely written by Hen, and to my knowledge there wasn't such a focus (from any of them) on sound design until The Mountain when it was a team effort. But what Diego did on Affinity was pretty special.
It’s a bit ironic to me that Diego seemed (and this is 90% speculation) like he was feeling crowded out over the last two albums and now Fauna seems to highlight keyboards quite a bit from what little I’ve heard.
Not sure if that was always planned or if they are just trying to highlight their new (old) member.
I also realize that there were some personal viewpoint issues (in which Diego really came across as an ass, unfortunately) that were probably insurmountable, but…
It's not my place to go into specifics (not least because I don't want to accidentally say something I shouldn't, but also because I've only heard it second hand so there's scope for bias), but I will just reiterate what I've said before - that from early on in his time in the band, at least as far back as the Visions tour, I was hearing of issues with Diego just not pulling his weight or acting like he's part of a group. I've not seen or heard any indication that he was crowded out of the process at any point - Haken is a very collaborative band, so while he was a member of the band he will have been given the opportunity to contribute as much as anyone else.
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Ariich, the only thing I was basing that on was his public bitching about the mix on Vector during which he posted his version of…I think it was Clear???… which seemed to be more about him.
The post (and the alternate mix) was pulled down rather quickly IIRC. You are closer to the situation than I am. I’m not fishing for details nor do I claim perfect memory, so I welcome correction if I’m wrong. I just thought I remembered him being rather upset with the mix on Vector and in particular, the fact that he seemed to be not as prominent on the album. (And subsequently, the sequel that followed)
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Listening to Vector currently and I'm hearing things quite a bit differently. This album is extremely melodic, and I feel like the keys really mix well with everything else. This one has definitely aged really well for me.
On the other hand, I can hear what Kev is talking about on Virus. I think I can safely call this Haken's weakest effort, just not a lot there grabbing me and the (relative) lack of keyboards really sticks out. Lots of riffs, not a lot beyond that. A lot of the melodies that grab my ears are callbacks, especially on Messiah Complex.
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Ariich, the only thing I was basing that on was his public bitching about the mix on Vector during which he posted his version of…I think it was Clear???… which seemed to be more about him.
The post (and the alternate mix) was pulled down rather quickly IIRC. You are closer to the situation than I am. I’m not fishing for details nor do I claim perfect memory, so I welcome correction if I’m wrong. I just thought I remembered him being rather upset with the mix on Vector and in particular, the fact that he seemed to be not as prominent on the album. (And subsequently, the sequel that followed)
Some of that was fan speculation. He didn't do any actual bitching (although it definitely came across passive aggressive from what I recall), and it wasn't about the mix. Indeed the keys are mixed pretty prominently on Vector. There was a different arrangement of Clear that he'd worked on, and yeah he put that up online saying something like "here's what Clear would have sounded like if different choices had been made". It wasn't actually that different to the final product, to be honest (which, as far as I know, he also came up with).
I don't actually know anything about that specific track, so I couldn't give anything away anyway. But my reaction to it was very much back to my point about being part of a group. When you're in a collaborative band, it's about balancing the interests and opinions of the group.
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We all come to Haken from different perspectives…
Beneath the White Rainbow
Other songs are good, but this time that’s the one.
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Gonna take some time to digest. I'll be riding a wave of beautiful, ear pleasing melody and then, BAM, the wave crashes into a quirky, almost de-tuned sounding section-there for a creative reason I can't yet determine-and then BAM, my surf board is atop another melodic wave with such cool riffs. The juxtapositions are sometimes jarring. If nothing else it's one hell of a ride...just not sure how all the quirkiness will settle in. Fantastic production and an award for best artwork...ever?
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On my fourth listen, this album is just fantastic. Truly their most eclectic and intense work, technically and emotionally too, Eyes of Ebony is incredible on that standpoint. So far, that one and Sempiternal Beings take the cake, but Beneath the White Rainbow is up there too... wtf is that middle section?!?!
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Sempiternal Beings and Eyes of Ebony can't be praised enough. The only song I'm not fully convinced by early on is Elephants never forget, it feels somewhat long without feeling epic, maybe it will grow on me. Impressive album nonetheless.
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The production/mix is excellent, I must point that out.
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Sempiternal Beings and Eyes of Ebony can't be praised enough. The only song I'm not fully convinced by early on is Elephants never forget, it feels somewhat long without feeling epic, maybe it will grow on me. Impressive album nonetheless.
It does take a few listens. It's quite quirky and eclectic.
The production/mix is excellent, I must point that out.
Yes!
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I would not mind at all if they played every song from this live.
I am enjoying Sempiternal Beings, Island In The Clouds, and Beneath The White Rainbow the most. Eyes of Ebony and Elephants Never Forget are up there as well, and I like how at certain parts of both songs it sounds heavy as if something big is walking around. Eyes of Ebony is interesting, it was not what I expected it to be musically, but I love it.
Fauna is going to end up being my 2nd favorite Haken album the more I listen to it. To me, the album itself is a Fauna of everything I like about Haken, the rhythms, the melodies, the vocal harmonies, and those sort of uplifting, atmospheric moments.
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Snagged the digital download before my travels today so should have plenty of time to give listens.
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
Wow, now I need this :o
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Wow, amazing album, hard to surpass The Mountain and Affinity to me, but it's really excellent. This album manages to be cohesive and everywhere at once. The sequence from Nightgale to Elephants Never Forget is truly impressive, being Elephants my favorite off the album. Cool to notice that Island in the Clouds is indeed a perfect blend of Porcupine Tree and Haken. I also hear a bit of Pain of Salvation at the beggining of Beneath the White Rainbow (after the intro). Great start for Pete, the keyboards are really present, diverses and creating great atmospheres for the songs. My only tiny criticism - just a personal taste, in fact - I wish Haken would go back for a bit more guitar and keyboard solos like in The Mountain and Affinity.
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Man Haken doesn’t miss do they? What a fucking album.
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Very cool album. Feels like a classic on first listen. Not to say I absolutely love every song, but something about the vibe feels like a prog classic in a way Haken hasn't felt since The Mountain.
Standouts are probably The Alphabet of Me, Sempiternal Beings, and Island In the Clouds.
Elephants is really cool, but a bit too silly for me personally, at least in the beginning.
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Ariich, thank you for the clarification. I guess it wasn’t quite what I thought. I still think the incident (and other public comments he made) made him look like a total prat. But that’s neither here nor there.
Sounds like the album is awesome. Kinda wish I could hear it. Thanks Music Glue! >:(
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Elephants is really cool, but a bit too silly for me personally, at least in the beginning.
That section made me chuckle at the first listen, it's sooo Gentle Giant :lol
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Island in the Clouds is the song I always wanted Porcupine Tree to make.
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Only had the chance for one listen so far this morning but I am really digging it. Like any other good prog band.....this will take a few listens to really appreciate but I like what I'm hearing.
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After one listen, the thing that struck me was how well-balanced and melodic the album is. Not being hyperbolic or anything, but I was just really pleased with it.
Early standouts (other than the single releases) for me were Sempiternal Beings, Elephants Never Forget, and Eyes of Ebony.
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It felt like a very complex, multi-layered album on my first couple listens, but it's now starting to feel like one of their most enjoyable albums. I definitely get the comparisons with The Mountain in scope and ambition. I also like this approach much more than what they did on Vector and, especially, Virus.
All the non single tracks really stand out to me in a very good way, specially Sempiternal Beings and Elephants Never Forget, I think. My only two complaints would be that weird "megaphone" section ??? and:
My only tiny criticism - just a personal taste, in fact - I wish Haken would go back for a bit more guitar and keyboard solos like in The Mountain and Affinity.
This. I was hoping for at least one keyboard solo here to see how Pete's lead tone and style have evolved since the demo era. I was also shocked by how little guitar solos there seemed to be overall, but I get that they're not that kind of band anymore.
Other than that, this is most likely going to end up being one of my favorites from them :tup
... and Virus still lives at the very bottom of their catalog :lol
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Didn't even notice a lack of solos. I like it more that way though, soloing has always been my least favorite part of music, at least in prog where it typically just devolves into note-sallads.
Island in the Clouds is the song I always wanted Porcupine Tree to make.
Lol, yeah I thought of PT/SW too.
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In the middle of my first listen right now. This album is wild.
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Well, I am happy to report that I just got a notification that my order has been shipped. My expected arrival day is Tuesday at 9 PM. Still a little irritated, but I was actually expecting worse so I guess I will just bite my tongue and live with it.
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Must have listened to the album 5 times in a row on my flight thus morning. While I was mostly sleeping, but I definitely enjoyed it, quite a bit more than expected since I lowered my expectations being so so on two of the singles. (Taurus and Nightingale)
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In the middle of my first listen right now. This album is wild.
What does this mean in the context of this band's discography? Is any Haken release not "wild"? ;D
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Listened to the album this morning and I enjoyed it, there were some really great melodies there. I think my issue with this album is the same as with the other Haken albums and that's Ross. He shines on tracks like Lovebite but when the vocal style gets quirky like the start of Elephants or The Alphabet Of Me its like nails on a chalkboard. Ill give it a few more spins before seeing them in a couple of months.
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I really struggle with Ross in Haken. But his solo album? He sounds right at home. The question of his voice didn't come up for me once on his own material. (Which I happen to think is better than any Haken album but that's another discussion for another day!)
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I'm on my first spin of the album and at least two of the songs really hit right for me. The others I think will take more time to digest but that's pretty standard for me. The Alphabet of Me and Sempiternal Beings garnered hearts on first listen on Spotify.
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The chorus of Sempiternal Beings is amazing. 4 measures of 15/16 while the cymbal keeps quarter notes for 15 beats, and the vocals line up on the last 4 with the line, "no one's keeping time". It's so clever and so much fun.
It should be, "Raymond's keeping time!" :lol
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Wow! Killer album. I want a few more listens to make up my mind fully... the first track didn't hook me on the first spin. But every other track was just stellar. I even liked Elephants Never Forget which started out a bit strange.
It does not sound like early Haken, but it also doesn't sound like the most recent albums - it's an evolution of those.
Really digging it so far.
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Gave it a preliminary spin while prepping this morning, surprised I didn't cut my fingers I was rocking out so hard. Very solid first impression, can't wait to get home and savor it on my good headphones.
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Didn't even notice a lack of solos. I like it more that way though, soloing has always been my least favorite part of music, at least in prog where it typically just devolves into note-sallads.
Totally agree. Soloing sometimes feels like an easy way to extend a song while it seems way more difficult to write an interesting 10 minute song without a solo. Exceptions apply of course if your name is Petrucci or something like that.
First spin of Taurus right now. Easily their best since Virus.
Love it. Sounds like they found the right balance between the last four albums.
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
This Japanese store has 45 second samples for each track: https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-6506
The bonus track sounds like it's a Pete/Nested Shapes instrumental version of Eyes of Ebony.
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In the middle of my first listen right now. This album is wild.
What does this mean in the context of this band's discography? Is any Haken release not "wild"? ;D
moneky
(https://i.ibb.co/b64nTHt/2-C594-F10-D860-4720-8222-9-A084-B0-BFCDE.jpg) (https://ibb.co/TwQ56Ky)
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About the solos in this album, the quick solos on Elephants are keyboard solos or only the second or none of them? :D
It's hard to distinguish them!
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Great picture!! :D :D
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
Is this the first time that a Japanese edition of a Haken album includes an exclusive studio track that isn't an edit/demo/instrumental/alternate mix/acoustic version?
You can hear a sample here - https://web-cache.chocomaru.com/sp5/jplayer_ssl.html?G_655&d%7C%7F20k%7Fb51&EJ66341001&76&nrrvu%3C%29%29qqq%28hciqoha%28ei%28lv%29vtibser%29UOEV+0360%29rtgem9%60tikYebl%3B7&7011%3E14005
-Marc.
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
This Japanese store has 45 second samples for each track: https://www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/SICP-6506
The bonus track sounds like it's a Pete/Nested Shapes instrumental version of Eyes of Ebony.
Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
Is this the first time that a Japanese edition of a Haken album includes an exclusive studio track that isn't an edit/demo/instrumental/alternate mix/acoustic version?
You can hear a sample here - https://web-cache.chocomaru.com/sp5/jplayer_ssl.html?G_655&d%7C%7F20k%7Fb51&EJ66341001&76&nrrvu%3C%29%29qqq%28hciqoha%28ei%28lv%29vtibser%29UOEV+0360%29rtgem9%60tikYebl%3B7&7011%3E14005
-Marc.
(https://i.imgflip.com/30rum6.png)
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Elephants Never Forget is one beast of a song, a juggernaut.
Absolutely! I love the album completely but Elephants is epic!
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
Is this the first time that a Japanese edition of a Haken album includes an exclusive studio track that isn't an edit/demo/instrumental/alternate mix/acoustic version?
You can hear a sample here - https://web-cache.chocomaru.com/sp5/jplayer_ssl.html?G_655&d%7C%7F20k%7Fb51&EJ66341001&76&nrrvu%3C%29%29qqq%28hciqoha%28ei%28lv%29vtibser%29UOEV+0360%29rtgem9%60tikYebl%3B7&7011%3E14005
-Marc.
Interesting theory.
If only someone else would post with a more accurate one.
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I may or may not have shelled out like $20 for a Japanese copy of Virus just so I could have that bonus track with Courtney
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Apparently the Japanese edition has a bonus track, 'The Last Lullaby'.
Is this the first time that a Japanese edition of a Haken album includes an exclusive studio track that isn't an edit/demo/instrumental/alternate mix/acoustic version?
You can hear a sample here - https://web-cache.chocomaru.com/sp5/jplayer_ssl.html?G_655&d%7C%7F20k%7Fb51&EJ66341001&76&nrrvu%3C%29%29qqq%28hciqoha%28ei%28lv%29vtibser%29UOEV+0360%29rtgem9%60tikYebl%3B7&7011%3E14005
-Marc.
Interesting theory.
If only someone else would post with a more accurate one.
:lol :-\ :'(
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:lol Sorry, but you set it up perfectly. :biggrin:
Anyway basically yes, you're spot on.
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:lol Sorry, but you set it up perfectly. :biggrin:
Anyway basically yes, you're spot on.
I'll definitely have to order the Japanese release then, if only for the bonus track. What's funny is CDJapan orders usually arrive to my doorstep within 3 days of shipment, so if I order it today, I will probably get it in before my Burning Shed/UK order. :lol
-Marc.
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If you like Pete's Nested Shapes electronic stuff then you'll probably dig it. I love the sound of it - he did a great job as always - although it does sort of finish quite quickly.
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All of these positive reviews are giving me hope. :)
Gonna try to tackle the album later this evening.
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I listened to two albums I hadn't heard before yesterday; Antimai by the Dear Hunter and Fauna by Haken. Unfortunately for Haken, I got home when Lovebite started, so I haven;t heard the last three tracks (and will still do that), but my initial impression wasn't too positive on the Haken. Listening to TDH and Haken back-to-back maybe didn;t help and it feels weird saying this honestly, but the album didn't do much for me so far. In fact for the first time in Haken's discography I actually couldn't follow what they were doing when the umpteenth out-of-nowhere section in a song suddenly showed up. I can remember virtually nothing from my first listen, except that 'it' was disjointed, which honestly saddens me a little bit and also provokes me to listen to the whole thing (including the last three tracks) again.
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I got through one listen last night.
Haken's material historically rarely connects with me right away for whatever reason, so I will not pass judgment after one listen. I will say that the first half was a major blur and it felt like work to keep listening, but the second half seemed to be a bit better; I definitely heard some potential in some of those songs near the end.
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You definitely wouldn't be alone in preferring the album after the first few songs Kev. Not sure how much it's affected by the first 3 songs being singles, but I'm seeing a common (but by no means unanimous) opinion that track 4 onwards is what a lot of people are liking most.
Then again I can also see some aspects of tracks 5 (Beneath the White Rainbow) and 8 (Elephants Never Forget) not really being your thing, especially the Gentle Giant verses in Elephants given your previous comments about them and Cockroach King!
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What is a bit worrisome is they seem to love that cold metal sound now. The Mountain and Affinity had some slamming metal moments, but those albums still sounded very warm. I am just not sure I like this cold and distant metal sound of these newer albums. There just seemed to be a lot of moments where they were slamming away with heavy riffing and it just felt tedious. It could just be the case again where the band has moved to an area that doesn't interest me a lot. Again, this is all just my take after one listen, and I will definitely keep at it. I may just skip the first few songs this time around to see if that helps. I can already tell The Alphabet in Me is a song I am fine never hearing again.
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What is a bit worrisome is they seem to love that cold metal sound now. The Mountain and Affinity had some slamming metal moments, but those albums still sounded very warm. I am just now sure I like this cold and distant metal sound of these newer albums. There just seemed to be a lot of moments where they were slamming away with heavy riffing and it just felt tedious. It could just be the case again where the band has moved to an area that doesn't interest me a lot. Again, this is all just my take after one listen, and I will definitely keep at it. I may just skip the first few songs this time around to see if that helps. I can already tell The Alphabet in Me is a song I am fine never hearing again.
Yeah, I had the same feeling the first ten times I heard “Alphabet.”
At this point, I’ve made my peace with the fact that “The Mountain” was merely a moment in time for this band. Fauna, not unlike the last 3 albums, has 3 or 4 songs I will routinely return for, but will rarely garner a listen from start to finish (largely because of songs like “Alphabet”)
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I listened to two albums I hadn't heard before yesterday; Antimai by the Dear Hunter and Fauna by Haken. Unfortunately for Haken, I got home when Lovebite started, so I haven;t heard the last three tracks (and will still do that), but my initial impression wasn't too positive on the Haken. Listening to TDH and Haken back-to-back maybe didn;t help and it feels weird saying this honestly, but the album didn't do much for me so far. In fact for the first time in Haken's discography I actually couldn't follow what they were doing when the umpteenth out-of-nowhere section in a song suddenly showed up. I can remember virtually nothing from my first listen, except that 'it' was disjointed, which honestly saddens me a little bit and also provokes me to listen to the whole thing (including the last three tracks) again.
I hope you talk about your thought in the TDH thread; I can't talk enough about Antimai. It's hard to compare the two because TDH has such a stronger more conventional tonal structure, but at the same time, both of the albums feel very theatrical and experimental relative to their artists. I tend to struggle with more atonal sections, so a lot of sections on Fauna are taking a bit to sink in with me, but I think I'm getting there. Haken's albums tend to take more effort for me to parse. Also it's fun to see similarities like how Casey and Haken both decided to go for the tropical shirt type of vibe for performing.
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What is a bit worrisome is they seem to love that cold metal sound now. The Mountain and Affinity had some slamming metal moments, but those albums still sounded very warm. I am just now sure I like this cold and distant metal sound of these newer albums. There just seemed to be a lot of moments where they were slamming away with heavy riffing and it just felt tedious. It could just be the case again where the band has moved to an area that doesn't interest me a lot. Again, this is all just my take after one listen, and I will definitely keep at it. I may just skip the first few songs this time around to see if that helps. I can already tell The Alphabet in Me is a song I am fine never hearing again.
Yeah, I had the same feeling the first ten times I heard “Alphabet.”
At this point, I’ve made my peace with the fact that “The Mountain” was merely a moment in time for this band. Fauna, not unlike the last 3 albums, has 3 or 4 songs I will routinely return for, but will rarely garner a listen from start to finish (largely because of songs like “Alphabet”)
Rhythmically, is where Haken has changed most, becoming more complex and there is no going back to The Mountain/Affinity era, regardless of the quality and diversity of the most current works.
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Count me in the camp that's not digging the new album or general direction of Haken. The new album is a slog and not memorable at all. Affinity had the perfect blend of the old and new Haken sound. They've gone way to far to the pretentious complex rhythm direction and have sacrificed melody. Oh well.
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Kind of presumptuous to call it pretentious. It seems to me they are only doing what they have the most fun with.
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Pretentious? Poppycock!
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I do like the new album for what it is but they are definitely a different band now. I agree with Kev that’s it’s cold but it does have moments of classic Haken. Virus was definitely the turning point. Honestly I could see myself losing interest in them if this is where the band is trending. The more I listen the more I’m not digging it and I actually loved it my first few spins. Revisiting the older albums isn’t helping the new one at all. I need to sit with it a little more and see.
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Anyone else notice the thing Haken does where after the second chorus or bridge/development section, there's the quiet section followed by the finale modified chorus? I know that sounds like normal song structure, but Nightingale, Taurus, and Sempiternal Beings all do it in almost exactly the same way to where they could probably be easily interchanged. Not a criticism. Just something I noticed. I feel like I remember it happening in Falling Back to Earth as well, and I'm sure it happens in other songs too.
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Name me a band 6 to 7 albums in, that sound the same as earlier in their career,
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At this point, I’ve made my peace with the fact that “The Mountain” was merely a moment in time for this band. Fauna, not unlike the last 3 albums, has 3 or 4 songs I will routinely return for, but will rarely garner a listen from start to finish (largely because of songs like “Alphabet”)
Agreed. Going into my Haken listens this week, I had it on the brain that The Mountain and Aquarius were the band's 1a and 1b (I think I even said that the other day in this thread; our thread auditor can confirm :P), but listening to The Mountain this week, I think it is their best album by a pretty comfortable margin. I still am just as big a fan of Aquarius, but The Mountain is a whole other level. Heck, I even like Coachroach King now (although the GG harmonies are still not my favorite part)!!
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Name me a band 6 to 7 albums in, that sound the same as earlier in their career,
Dream Theater
Don’t get me wrong, they’ve had some mild sound and influence shifting over the years. But, think of just the JLB era for a sec. IAW is not terribly stylistically different than 8V. Which is why I don’t often listen to them much anymore. They do one thing, and they do it really well. And there are minor tweaks in an attempt to keep things feeling a bit fresh.
That’s why what Haken is doing is far more interesting to my ears. If you take the V/V albums as a single project, NOTHING they’ve done sounds like anything else they’ve done. That’s literally my favorite thing about Haken. I can listen to 7 albums and get 6 completely different bands.
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Yes, and all 6 of these directions are masterfully executed. There is lots of 80s retro music but Affinity stands apart as an unique experience.
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With all due respect, jammindude, even with cheating :P and calling Virus and Vector the same album, that is a major stretch to suggest that every Haken album sounds nothing like the others. I have still only listened to the new album once, but I was like, "Yep, sounds like newer Haken," on just about every song. Not saying they are AC/DC, but they have a particular sound and style that is theirs that is all over the last four albums (at the very least).
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Dream Theater has most definitely changed over time.
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In my mind IaW and 8vm sound wildly different, but maybe that's just me. Also many sections in Sempiternal Beings sound straight out of The Mountain, and An Elephant Never Forgets sounds straight out of Aquarius. But at the same time, their sound has evolved, and they are always trying new things.
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This album is going to take a few more listens to digest. Will be interesting which songs and how many they play from the new album on the North American tour. I will be at the first show in Nashville.
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I hear nothing ‘atonal’ on this album at all.
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With all due respect, jammindude, even with cheating :P and calling Virus and Vector the same album, that is a major stretch to suggest that every Haken album sounds nothing like the others. I have still only listened to the new album once, but I was like, "Yep, sounds like newer Haken," on just about every song. Not saying they are AC/DC, but they have a particular sound and style that is theirs that is all over the last four albums (at the very least).
I never said same album, but they do feel like the same artistic project. One being a direct conceptual sequel to the other.
Like Automata 1 & 2 by BTBAM. Separate albums, same project.
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With all due respect, jammindude, even with cheating :P and calling Virus and Vector the same album, that is a major stretch to suggest that every Haken album sounds nothing like the others. I have still only listened to the new album once, but I was like, "Yep, sounds like newer Haken," on just about every song. Not saying they are AC/DC, but they have a particular sound and style that is theirs that is all over the last four albums (at the very least).
I never said same album, but they do feel like the same artistic project. One being a direct conceptual sequel to the other.
Like Automata 1 & 2 by BTBAM. Separate albums, same project.
Semantics aside :P, my main point still stands. :)
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Name me a band 6 to 7 albums in, that sound the same as earlier in their career,
I can't but that's not a bad thing as musicians evolve, but saying that Haken isn't the same band is not a bad thing, sorry if it came off that way, that said, I just personally prefer their older style which does not make the new album bad by any means. They are one of the most talented bands in the genre.
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I hear nothing ‘atonal’ on this album at all.
I'm probably using the term incorrectly, but I'm just referring to all the sections with lots of wholetone scales and odd intervals that make the key a bit ambiguous.
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Over-all thoughts so far - my favorite album since Affinity, and possibly contender for 3rd fave of their whole discography (behind Visions and Affinity). Every track is full of great rhythms and melodies, some of which have been earworms for me. The only part I actively dislike is the "fast screaming through a filter" part of "Beneath The White Rainbow", which just sound like someone dying over a subway announcer speaker. Without a lyric booklet in hand, it's really hard to tell what they're saying in this part. It could be related to the theme of the song, but I haven't listened to it enough yet to parse that. Either way, it's the only part of the album that is grating to my ears. Everything else sounds great to me, even the Gentle Giant and Queen inspired sounds of "Elephants Never Forget", which is suitably epic, and the come-down-closer of "Eyes Of Ebony" is just beautiful. I love the last three tracks and their order as well. Great way to close the album with those three. I really like the first three tracks as well. The middle three are still trying to click with me, but I enjoy them for the most part so far.
If I had to grade this one, I'd say it's currently a 8 or 8.5 out of 10 for me, and it's slowly growing on me with each listen. Leading up to the release, I had been bingeing their previous albums and just really vibed with their first three, which are just SOOOO melodic it's insane. Then of course Affinity has been a favorite ever since it came out for me, and it was their first new album after I became a fan, so it holds a special place for me. My re-listens to Vector/Virus with fresh ears have really helped as I think I like them a bit more now than when they came out. They're not as high up as their first four for me, but they've improved over time.
-Marc.
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I really like the album so far. Like others have said, I’m leaning towards the non-single tracks being the better half but that probably is because I’ve listened to the other 4 to death.
The new songs definitely feel disjointed at times but I felt like that about The Alien when that came out, which feels like a campfire song compared to the madness in this album. It will probably take a few more listens and it’ll start to click.
There’s just a couple of things I would’ve changed, those being the weird Mickey Mouse vocals in Beneath the White Rainbow, the solos in Island in the Clouds and Sempiternal Beings (which feel really out of place to me) and the heavier sections in Eyes of Ebony. The softer parts of that track are so good, especially when you know the context of the lyrics, and the heavier parts seem a bit out of place in that track.
On a side note, one of the complaints I kept hearing is of a lack of hooks and memorable melodies, which I thought was strange when the album is full of great choruses, especially Elephants Never Forget and Beneath the White Rainbow. I’ve gotten goosebumps every time so far when it gets to the chorus in those two.
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Disliking the heavy parts in Eyes of Ebony should be declared a criminal offense. They successfully release so much tension that the weird rhythms of the choruses build up.
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Disliking the heavy parts in Eyes of Ebony should be declared a criminal offense. They successfully release so much tension that the weird rhythms of the choruses build up.
Also they're not exactly heavy. Very Tigran-inspired jazz-rock. But I think I know what TM means - those bits are not as soft. But I agree with you, the song is perfectly crafted.
With all due respect, jammindude, even with cheating :P and calling Virus and Vector the same album, that is a major stretch to suggest that every Haken album sounds nothing like the others. I have still only listened to the new album once, but I was like, "Yep, sounds like newer Haken," on just about every song. Not saying they are AC/DC, but they have a particular sound and style that is theirs that is all over the last four albums (at the very least).
Kev is going to have a heart attack, but I'm going to pretty much agree with him on this one in the sense that I think all their albums absolutely sound like Haken. There's something about the way they craft vocal melodies especially - a sense of epic melancholy - that has been pervasive in their music starting with the demo right through to Fauna.
However, I do also agree with jammindude that they take a different approach and focus with each album that means each is distinct. The bit I don't agree with Kev on is that Fauna simply sounds like "new Haken". Taking all their albums as a reference point, Virus and Fauna have very little in common other than features that are common in all their albums (except maaaaybe the first two, where those features were present but not all to the same extent).
But it's the marrying of these two things that is why I love Haken so much. The features of their music that are ever-present - big choruses, epic melancholy, rhythmic intricacy and dynamism - and, crucially, the way they deliver those things, are things that just hit the right spot for me. That base level of quality combined with the excitement of each album (taking V/V as a two-parter) having a distinct focus and identity is exactly the sort of thing that I love about music.
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Just to say that I LOVE that section of Beneath The White Rainbow with those weird vocals, it has a really cool groove and is very unexpected.
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Got my first listen down and I am not feeling it at all.
I'm going to channel TAC here and say that I am really having a hard time finding the rhythm or memorable riffs on this. It's just a lot of dissonance with Ross singing over it. What came to mind is what I call the reverse John Arch. Ross has some nice melodies he is singing but the music is off somewhere else.
Hoping this to be a grower but for now, this is firmly at the bottom of their discography for me.
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Got my first listen down and I am not feeling it at all.
I'm going to channel TAC here and say that I am really having a hard time finding the rhythm or memorable riffs on this. It's just a lot of dissonance with Ross singing over it. What came to mind is what I call the reverse John Arch. Ross has some nice melodies he is singing but the music is off somewhere else.
Hoping this to be a grower but for now, this is firmly at the bottom of their discography for me.
My wife would echo that same sentiment but on a serious note this album is having the opposite effect. My first few spins I connected with it but since then its losing steam for me. I'll stick with it a bit more and then post my final thoughts.
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I've got 3 spins under my belt. Still not sure about it as a total front-to-back piece of work. There are brilliant emotional parts that really hit hard while other sections seem un-musical and kind of pull you too far from the melodies. After a few more spins I will have a better feel for it. Maybe it will be great and maybe it will end up near the bottom of their discography. Still uncertain.
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I'm not the biggest Haken fan, but listen to their tracks here and there.
With that said, I thought the album was alright, some good material sprinkled throughout but nothing that made me want to listen to it again.
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Both Pete and Ross have said in different interviews thay they wrote more stuff than what ended up being used for the album. Ross even said they cut at least one fully finished song from the final album (he said at Prog Report). I'm intrigued to know if they plan to release the song(s) sometime in the future as another EP or as part of their next album, but we just got a new album, so it won't be anytime soon I guess :lol
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I'm not understanding the thought this is different. Sounds like Haken to me. Yeah, not exactly the same and certainly not the same style of Virus/Vector but still VERY much Haken. I guess at least some of that comes down to Ross's vocals, but really, just the whole jazzy and super proggy elements. It's 100% a Haken album to me and I'm enjoying it.
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Both Pete and Ross have said in different interviews thay they wrote more stuff than what ended up being used for the album. Ross even said they cut at least one fully finished song from the final album (he said at Prog Report). I'm intrigued to know if they plan to release the song(s) sometime in the future as another EP or as part of their next album, but we just got a new album, so it won't be anytime soon I guess :lol
Could that be the Japanese bonus track mentioned earlier?
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I'm 6 "listen throughs"..It's Haken, but sheesh, I just feel they are moving towards sounding like machines with the lack of human feel....It's fucking fantastic musicianship, incredible production and crazy timing and everything I love except human"feel". I LOVED Vector and Virus, and of course The Mountain but they need some air in their sound, the bass guitar tone is so mechanical and sounds like it could be played with keys and the guitars are like "dude...bend a note"....I don't know, I love these guys but I'm just not feeling this one yet.
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Kev is going to have a heart attack, but I'm going to pretty much agree with him on this one in the sense that I think all their albums absolutely sound like Haken. There's something about the way they craft vocal melodies especially - a sense of epic melancholy - that has been pervasive in their music starting with the demo right through to Fauna.
However, I do also agree with jammindude that they take a different approach and focus with each album that means each is distinct. The bit I don't agree with Kev on is that Fauna simply sounds like "new Haken". Taking all their albums as a reference point, Virus and Fauna have very little in common other than features that are common in all their albums (except maaaaybe the first two, where those features were present but not all to the same extent).
But it's the marrying of these two things that is why I love Haken so much. The features of their music that are ever-present - big choruses, epic melancholy, rhythmic intricacy and dynamism - and, crucially, the way they deliver those things, are things that just hit the right spot for me. That base level of quality combined with the excitement of each album (taking V/V as a two-parter) having a distinct focus and identity is exactly the sort of thing that I love about music.
(https://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExMTU1Y2IzZWE5NzNkOWRkZGUxOGEzMmU4MTJmOWUxMjJkYWI3N2ExMCZjdD1n/oLfFPxGAjyctG/giphy.gif)
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Just came back here to say that "Eyes Of Ebony" is such a perfect album closer for this album. That chorus is just SO GOOD, and I can't help but sing-along when it gets to "the gates of Valhalla" - the rhythmic placement of those syllables is just simply amazing. Such a good song.
-Marc.
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Curious to check this album out this week. Didn't really get on the Haken train initially when they started out, thought their debut and Visions felt a bit like "trying to be classic DT but not as great" (it's been a long time so maybe this doesn't hold up) but I did check out Virus and Vector in the last month out of curiosity. They seem to have gone in a bit of a djent influenced direction and it sounds maybe a bit more 'mechanical' than I remember from their early days. Some talented musicians and you can tell they know how to play their instruments but I feel like it's maybe lacking a bit in the songwriting department. I would probably rate both Virus and Vector 7/10 which isn't a bad rating by any means, I think they do what they do pretty well, just something lacking to really elevate it and make it stand out, to me at least.
But I'm willing to concede that my general lack of interest in the 'straight edge prog metal with clean vocals' area probably makes it harder for a band like Haken to break through the barrier as well. If I was still hugely into DT for example I think I would like Haken a lot more because they seem to have picked up the prog metal torch when DT dropped it and out of all the bands that sorta fit in this 'subgenre' of prog, Haken seems to be doing a pretty well job representing. A lot of other prog bands I like more use harsh vocals to add some spice in the mix and I know that's not for everyone.
Curious to check out Fauna though.
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I know I will be in the minority, but I like Vector/Virus much more than the new album. Maybe I will like the songs better live.
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I know I will be in the minority, but I like Vector/Virus much more than the new album. Maybe I will like the songs better live.
Agree
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There’s just a couple of things I would’ve changed, those being the weird Mickey Mouse vocals in Beneath the White Rainbow, the solos in Island in the Clouds and Sempiternal Beings (which feel really out of place to me) and the heavier sections in Eyes of Ebony. The softer parts of that track are so good, especially when you know the context of the lyrics, and the heavier parts seem a bit out of place in that track.
You mean the ones at 4:34 that I find kind of grating? Well now that I've read this, I can't NOT think of Mickey Mouse screaming them through a megaphone, and it's gone from annoying and grating to hilariously comedic. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. :rollin
-Marc.
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Hmm... have to say, this is a really good album. I'm actually finding Ross okay on this release.
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Hmm... have to say, this is a really good album. I'm actually finding Ross okay on this release.
+1
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I know I will be in the minority, but I like Vector/Virus much more than the new album. Maybe I will like the songs better live.
My early thoughts are that Fauna is better than Virus (low bar to clear, for me), but not better than Vector. I am not a big fan of Vector, but at least it does have Puzzle Box and Host, both of which are pretty great. I am not hearing anything on the new album I like as much as either of those two songs, but time will tell.
For my money, the three last albums are all miles below the surface of the first four. YMMV.
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Two listens in, a few of random thoughts...
For context, I had only listened to Nightingale and Taurus once, and skipped the pre-releases of The Alphabet of Me and Lovebite. For now, I do echo the sentiment expressed here that the album appears to gain some momentum in the second half. Also, my appreciation of Fauna already had a pretty giant leap from the first to the second run, so that's promising :)
Lots of cool moments and ideas all over, and a plenty to unpack, obviously. My favorite Haken is Affinity, and I find the melodies in Lovebite the most Affinity-esque, so it's not surprising I enjoyed that tune so much. It's also the shortest and (relatively) most straightforward song so, again, not too surprising. The vocal melodies (not so much the sound) seem to have somewhat of a synthwave influence too, and I love that.
The current favorite is probably Elephants Never Forget - not because it's the "epic", by the way. It's just that it's a fantastic combo of early and "modern" Haken to my ears (I know, it's kind of funny to think of the band that way...it's not like they've been around forever) and the chorus melody is one of the moments in the record that struck me the most. Also beautiful reprise at the end of the song too. In fact, if there is one thing I kept thinking as I listened, is I wished there were more of these types of moments/melodies. Like the last minute or so of Island in the Clouds, especially when the rhythm changes to a straight beat. Fantastic stuff. Affinity had a TON of that.
Anyway, obviously early to say where it will land in my rankings. Just looking at their more recent output: of the Vector/Virus combo, I prefer the latter by some margin (I like Vector, but it is probably my least favorite of theirs, while I though Virus had a little more "color" to it, despite being obviously cut from the same, or similar, cloth)...I think Fauna has the potential to be above both, but it will depend on how the melodies and songs will reveal themselves over repeated listens.
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Album ranking time. (With vague ratings to show the margins between them)
1. The Mountain 5/5
2. Affinity 5/5
3. Fauna 4/5
4. Aquarius 4/5
5. Vector 3/5
6. Visions 3/5
7. Virus 2/5
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I know I will be in the minority, but I like Vector/Virus much more than the new album. Maybe I will like the songs better live.
My early thoughts are that Fauna is better than Virus (low bar to clear, for me), but not better than Vector. I am not a big fan of Vector, but at least it does have Puzzle Box and Host, both of which are pretty great. I am not hearing anything on the new album I like as much as either of those two songs, but time will tell.
For my money, the three last albums are all miles below the surface of the first four. YMMV.
I feel similarly at this point, except that I do think Vector is pretty good overall. A step down from the previous albums, but I definitely prefer it to Virus and Fauna.
Still plenty of time for Fauna to grow on me though.
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I’ve always felt in the minority and the fact that I thought the Virus was a big improvement over Vector
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I’ve always felt in the minority and the fact that I thought the Virus was a big improvement over Vector
Virus is so much better IMO. You are not alone. I would say Virus contends for my favorite Haken album. I need more listens to Fauna, but right now, it's probably in the bottom half of albums, maybe closer to the bottom. That's not to say I dislike it, it's just that I like the others more.
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I'm loving the album more with every listen. Never gonna beat my #1(Affinity), but it's better than Vector and Virus combined.
Still debating on going to that DC show in May. I put together a playlist of a setlist I'd love to see.
Taurus
Invasion
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Darkest Light
Canary Yellow
Sempiternal Beings
Falling Back to Earth (10th anniversary of The Mountain)
Lovebite
Nil by Mouth (to give Ross a break)
As Death Embraces (to give the rest of the band a break. except Pete. you're just gonna have to hold it, bud)
Elephants Never Forget
Messiah Complex
Bound By Gravity (Having seen one the only two live performances of this song, it's magical live)
107 minutes
On an unrelated note, someone is selling a copy of the Enter the 5th Dimension demo on Discogs for $900. I'm sure it's rare, but that seems excessive. :lol
https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/4075958?ev=rb
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Someone with the band would mail them out for almost nothing. I seem to recall they sent me two.
I would have to go back and listen to recall exactly where, but I seem to remember there is a very slight digital “glitch” somewhere. It was in both copies, so I have to assume it was from the original. But I was never 100% sure about that.
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I’ve always felt in the minority and the fact that I thought the Virus was a big improvement over Vector
Definitely not in the minority, it's a common view balancing out those that prefer Vector. Indeed, they have an identical average rating on RYM (not that that's the be all and end all, but as an indicator).
On an unrelated note, someone is selling a copy of the Enter the 5th Dimension demo on Discogs for $900. I'm sure it's rare, but that seems excessive. :lol
https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/4075958?ev=rb
The "official" release was just a homemade CD-R (printed, so it looked ok) with a home-printed insert. Anyone who buys that is an idiot. :lol
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I'm not sure how informative the RYM metric is when the rating range across the discography is .15 (in other words, each album has a pretty similar rating). Visions and The Mountain also have identical ratings as well but I doubt the fanbase is evenly split that way on those two albums.
I would definitely be curious about what the split between Virus and Vector is. When I listened to the two back to back, I was pretty struck by how dissimilar they really were. Other than conceptual links, each album really has its own identity and I would say Virus is a little bit more off the beaten path for them than the other albums. Much heavier, much more guitar-centric, a little bit more direct.
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I'm not sure how informative the RYM metric is when the rating range across the discography is .15 (in other words, each album has a pretty similar rating). Visions and The Mountain also have identical ratings as well but I doubt the fanbase is evenly split that way on those two albums.
I would definitely be curious about what the split between Virus and Vector is. When I listened to the two back to back, I was pretty struck by how dissimilar they really were. Other than conceptual links, each album really has its own identity and I would say Virus is a little bit more off the beaten path for them than the other albums. Much heavier, much more guitar-centric, a little bit more direct.
For sure and I did caveat my post as it only being an indication that neither is hugely more popular than the other. Obviously people rating their albums on RYM has overlap with, but is not the same as, Haken's main fanbase. For example on your Visions vs Mountain comparison, the latter has nearly twice as many ratings. It was their breakthrough (and to this day overall most acclaimed) album and so likely garnered extra ratings from people who checked it out and decided not to explore Haken further.
But yes I do find it remarkable how close all their average ratings are to each other (demo aside). I see that as demonstrating 1. how consistent they are in terms of general quality, and 2. how for every fan who much prefers one subset of albums to another, there's another who feels the other way round. It's the same on sputnikmusic.
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The final chorus of Eyes of Ebony with the additional flourishes is just incredible.
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I'm not sure how informative the RYM metric is when the rating range across the discography is .15 (in other words, each album has a pretty similar rating). Visions and The Mountain also have identical ratings as well but I doubt the fanbase is evenly split that way on those two albums.
I would definitely be curious about what the split between Virus and Vector is. When I listened to the two back to back, I was pretty struck by how dissimilar they really were. Other than conceptual links, each album really has its own identity and I would say Virus is a little bit more off the beaten path for them than the other albums. Much heavier, much more guitar-centric, a little bit more direct.
For sure and I did caveat my post as it only being an indication that neither is hugely more popular than the other. Obviously people rating their albums on RYM has overlap with, but is not the same as, Haken's main fanbase. For example on your Visions vs Mountain comparison, the latter has nearly twice as many ratings. It was their breakthrough (and to this day overall most acclaimed) album and so likely garnered extra ratings from people who checked it out and decided not to explore Haken further.
But yes I do find it remarkable how close all their average ratings are to each other (demo aside). I see that as demonstrating 1. how consistent they are in terms of general quality, and 2. how for every fan who much prefers one subset of albums to another, there's another who feels the other way round. It's the same on sputnikmusic.
??? ??? ???
While everyone isn't hardcore music fans like most of us here, I cannot imagine hearing an album by a band that I like so much that I take the time to write a review for it online and then not exploring the band further.
I think it is really is as simple as The Mountain is their best album. :tup :tup
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I’ve always felt in the minority and the fact that I thought the Virus was a big improvement over Vector
As I said above, I'm with you on that one...
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For me, Virus was a small improvement over Vector, but I love both.
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I slightly prefer Vector over Virus though, it has a few more songs that I like. That three song stretch of The Good Doctor -> Puzzle Box -> Veil is pretty nice.
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I slightly prefer Vector over Virus though, it has a few more songs that I like. That three song stretch of The Good Doctor -> Puzzle Box -> Veil is pretty nice.
That's their best stretch of songs in my opinion. Truly spectacular. :hefdaddy
I'm still processing the new album, there's so much to digest. It truly is a complex record with subtle melodies, so it will take a while, but it's an intriguing listen so far.
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I'm not sure how informative the RYM metric is when the rating range across the discography is .15 (in other words, each album has a pretty similar rating). Visions and The Mountain also have identical ratings as well but I doubt the fanbase is evenly split that way on those two albums.
I would definitely be curious about what the split between Virus and Vector is. When I listened to the two back to back, I was pretty struck by how dissimilar they really were. Other than conceptual links, each album really has its own identity and I would say Virus is a little bit more off the beaten path for them than the other albums. Much heavier, much more guitar-centric, a little bit more direct.
For sure and I did caveat my post as it only being an indication that neither is hugely more popular than the other. Obviously people rating their albums on RYM has overlap with, but is not the same as, Haken's main fanbase. For example on your Visions vs Mountain comparison, the latter has nearly twice as many ratings. It was their breakthrough (and to this day overall most acclaimed) album and so likely garnered extra ratings from people who checked it out and decided not to explore Haken further.
But yes I do find it remarkable how close all their average ratings are to each other (demo aside). I see that as demonstrating 1. how consistent they are in terms of general quality, and 2. how for every fan who much prefers one subset of albums to another, there's another who feels the other way round. It's the same on sputnikmusic.
??? ??? ???
While everyone isn't hardcore music fans like most of us here, I cannot imagine hearing an album by a band that I like so much that I take the time to write a review for it online and then not exploring the band further.
I think it is really is as simple as The Mountain is their best album. :tup :tup
Oh yes I agree, I probably wasn't clear but I meant the other way round. Of those people who only checked out The Mountain but didn't explore further because it wasn't for them, they'll likely have rated it lower and therefore brought the average down, which will have happened less to their other albums which are less likely to have been checked out ad-hoc like that.
Obviously if someone checked it out, liked it and gave it a high rating, it would be bizarre if they didn't then explore at least some other Haken albums.
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Oh yes I agree, I probably wasn't clear but I meant the other way round. Of those people who only checked out The Mountain but didn't explore further because it wasn't for them, they'll likely have rated it lower and therefore brought the average down, which will have happened less to their other albums which are less likely to have been checked out ad-hoc like that.
Obviously if someone checked it out, liked it and gave it a high rating, it would be bizarre if they didn't then explore at least some other Haken albums.
Gotcha, that makes sense. :tup :tup
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Mixed bag for me after 2.5 listens. I really love the first few songs, and then it really just starts to drag and sound pretty boring to me. Some of the zanier stuff toward the end does pique my interest though.
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Someone with the band would mail them out for almost nothing. I seem to recall they sent me two.
I would have to go back and listen to recall exactly where, but I seem to remember there is a very slight digital “glitch” somewhere. It was in both copies, so I have to assume it was from the original. But I was never 100% sure about that.
Hmmm? I have an original, so I will listen closely today and let you know.
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There’s just a couple of things I would’ve changed, those being the weird Mickey Mouse vocals in Beneath the White Rainbow, the solos in Island in the Clouds and Sempiternal Beings (which feel really out of place to me) and the heavier sections in Eyes of Ebony. The softer parts of that track are so good, especially when you know the context of the lyrics, and the heavier parts seem a bit out of place in that track.
You mean the ones at 4:34 that I find kind of grating? Well now that I've read this, I can't NOT think of Mickey Mouse screaming them through a megaphone, and it's gone from annoying and grating to hilariously comedic. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. :rollin
-Marc.
Came to post this too. What the fuck were they thinking here, that section is the most annoying Ross has ever sounded in the history of the band. :lol
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Yeah I’m not digging that section either. I’m considering splicing out that section and replacing it with the section from the Instrumental version.
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Hey, the band needed their own ANTR Mike Portnoy verse after all this time. Except I still prefer that by comparison. :lol
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There’s just a couple of things I would’ve changed, those being the weird Mickey Mouse vocals in Beneath the White Rainbow, the solos in Island in the Clouds and Sempiternal Beings (which feel really out of place to me) and the heavier sections in Eyes of Ebony. The softer parts of that track are so good, especially when you know the context of the lyrics, and the heavier parts seem a bit out of place in that track.
You mean the ones at 4:34 that I find kind of grating? Well now that I've read this, I can't NOT think of Mickey Mouse screaming them through a megaphone, and it's gone from annoying and grating to hilariously comedic. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. :rollin
-Marc.
Came to post this too. What the fuck were they thinking here, that section is the most annoying Ross has ever sounded in the history of the band. :lol
The power of Psychedelics.
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I don't love that bit, but I don't hate it either, and I adore the rest of the song so much that it doesn't really bother me.
Oddly enough, some fans absolutely LOVE that bit. Tastes!
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I too prefer Virus over Vector. As for Fauna, really digging it so far but way too early for me to rank it. There's a lot going on, which makes it a challenging listen, but that's exactly what I enjoy in Prog/Prog Metal, so I think that bodes well for Fauna long term for me.
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I really appreciate that section because it's so different. It's not usually my cup of tea, but when in Rome... I can rock out to it, regardless.
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I'm not a fan of ross' megaphone
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I don't love that bit, but I don't hate it either, and I adore the rest of the song so much that it doesn't really bother me.
Oddly enough, some fans absolutely LOVE that bit. Tastes!
Like I said, I'm between the ones that love it! I saw some comparing it with MP vocals on ANTR, but I think it's more like MP vocals on The Test That Stumped Them All (also very cool in my book).
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Island In The Clouds
Sempiternal Beings
Elephants Never Forget
Lovebite
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath The White Rainbow
Nightingale
Eyes of Ebony
Taurus
The more I listen to this album, the more I am enjoying it's concept. I don't understand how people say this album isn't melodic because this album has some catchy vocal melodies and rhythms. These melodies and rhythms are why those songs are where they are in my as-of-now rankings. Just because Taurus is at the bottom does not mean I do not like the song.
I am one that does enjoy the distorted vocal section of Beneath The White Rainbow. They remind me of the distorted vocals in The Dark Eternal Night. But, I like how they used in this song, and it adds a different characteristic to the entire tone of the song. There's just enough of his main vocals cutting through the distortion that makes Ross's high notes here sound neat to me.
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Oddly enough, some fans absolutely LOVE that bit.
I have yet to see any amount of these fans. :lol
I think that section isn't just the worst part of the album, it literally jumps and out screams, "look at me, I'm terrible"! And it's a classic case of if I focus on the music underneath, I can dig it, but I know I'll just never enjoy the section because of the vocals.
But enough of the negativity, lots to love as well. Lovebite and The Alphabet of Me remain my favorites. First two tracks are enjoyable enough, but after that there is great stuff in everything. Really looking forward to seeing how some of the stuff comes across live.
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Only listened to Fauna 4 times and I already like it more than most of their other albums. Fantastic album.
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Good News: They fixed Beneath the White Rainbow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVVIoM1I98I
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^ that’s fantastic haha
I don’t mind the part at all - fox barks are *bizarre* so that’s my in-song-theme explanation for it.
I do mind the intro though, it’s the same as the outro and must be some reasoning about each end of the rainbow being the same… but’s it’s just needless thumping (this appears unfortunately in Sempiternal and Ebony too). Regardless, still my initial favorite off a really good album.
Count me as Vector > Virus
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I am not a big fan of Haken but enjoy trying to understand them ::) Virus was at part something I liked and Vector was so so. This feels like a better version of those albums but also seem to have the same issues. I only listened 1 time so can't say too much really but have some initial impressions.
The album is quite dense to me and there's honestly so little breathing room I most likely need 10 spins to even begin understanding how it all connects. And that's kind of a thing I miss with Haken. DT (granted being a much easier listen) at least put in these easy to grasp beauty moments in their music, like Barstool Warrior solo section where you can just sit back and breathe. I guess Haken isn't much about having those moments but just feel the flow of the albums and songs would gain from it. But that's also my taste so maybe for big fans that's the opposite of what makes Haken good? 🤷♂️
Anyway there's a lot of wacky stuff as always. Maybe sometimes wacky for the sake of being wacky? It's strange that they do these weird cool things I would love to hear DT do more and they just doesn't hit as hard as I feel they should. Maybe because my brain is stressed out trying to keep up with all that's happening. But damn do I miss just great melody sections being in the front now and then. Or just building up a melody with some kind of climax. I do however understand this is my personal taste trying to fit Haken into something they most likely aren't.
I am not sure if this is a correct analysis but I think the mix that tends to be a bit on the dense side instead of dynamic. Maybe it's just because the instrumentation is dense but having a bit more dynamic would help moments stand out more.
Anyway The Alphabet of Me however stands out clearly on the first listen and I like it. Quite funny how that feels like the most accessible song here and for most other bands that would be the complex song ;D I think there's a lot of more stuff I like but I can't say what song is what still. Jaja, have to spin it a bit more :D
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I can't get the Lovebite chorus out of my head (listened to it on my walk to work today). That can be said about a few others too on the album.
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The vocal melody and phrasing of the megaphone section remids me comically of DTs "Beyond this Life". "Has a violent struggle taken place..." and so on.
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The album is quite dense to me and there's honestly so little breathing room I most likely need 10 spins to even begin understanding how it all connects. And that's kind of a thing I miss with Haken. DT (granted being a much easier listen) at least put in these easy to grasp beauty moments in their music, like Barstool Warrior solo section where you can just sit back and breathe. I guess Haken isn't much about having those moments but just feel the flow of the albums and songs would gain from it. But that's also my taste so maybe for big fans that's the opposite of what makes Haken good? 🤷♂️
Might be a taste thing (e.g. interest in and tolerance for rhythmic intricacy) but I think there's plenty of breathing space on Fauna. Almost every song has a more ambient, delicate stretch (sometimes quite short e.g. 30 seconds, sometimes a minute or two). And the closer Eyes of Ebony is mostly very pretty and emotional, just interspersed with a jazzy section and a couple of big choruses.
But damn do I miss just great melody sections being in the front now and then. Or just building up a melody with some kind of climax. I do however understand this is my personal taste trying to fit Haken into something they most likely aren't.
Hmm, again might be a taste thing, and/or might be helped by a few more listens, but there's a real focus on big melodic choruses on this album.
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The vocal melody and phrasing of the megaphone section remids me comically of DTs "Beyond this Life". "Has a violent struggle taken place..." and so on.
Oh good shout, I never made that connection (in something like 90 listens :lol) but it's incredibly similar, just with a vocal effect on it (and syncopated jazz piano underneath it).
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The album is quite dense to me and there's honestly so little breathing room I most likely need 10 spins to even begin understanding how it all connects. And that's kind of a thing I miss with Haken. DT (granted being a much easier listen) at least put in these easy to grasp beauty moments in their music, like Barstool Warrior solo section where you can just sit back and breathe. I guess Haken isn't much about having those moments but just feel the flow of the albums and songs would gain from it. But that's also my taste so maybe for big fans that's the opposite of what makes Haken good? 🤷♂️
Might be a taste thing (e.g. interest in and tolerance for rhythmic intricacy) but I think there's plenty of breathing space on Fauna. Almost every song has a more ambient, delicate stretch (sometimes quite short e.g. 30 seconds, sometimes a minute or two). And the closer Eyes of Ebony is mostly very pretty and emotional, just interspersed with a jazzy section and a couple of big choruses.
But damn do I miss just great melody sections being in the front now and then. Or just building up a melody with some kind of climax. I do however understand this is my personal taste trying to fit Haken into something they most likely aren't.
Hmm, again might be a taste thing, and/or might be helped by a few more listens, but there's a real focus on big melodic choruses on this album.
Yes I think really it's just what I am used to in combination with my expectations. Somehow I expect them to sound a bit like DT but they don't haha. I really really hope my brain would just "get it" some day ;D I really do. BTBAM took some time and when it clicked it was never an issue listening to the new stuff etc. Haken is an unusual combination of things, which is fantastic, just that my brain has a hard time grooving it. DT feels like mainstream pop in comparison ;D At the same time Haken does tons of stuff I want from a progressive metal band. They play with structure and in general has a dynamic interesting nature to their compositions.
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Interesting that so many people dislike that megaphone part. In a DT forum!
Has no one heard the parallels to minute 4:01 of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rhxFcAVYmI ?
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Interesting that so many people dislike that megaphone part. In a DT forum!
Has no one heard the parallels to minute 4:01 of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rhxFcAVYmI ?
Other than the high pitch, single-note vocal line, no? JLB's vocals aren't processed or filtered and are presented clean in "Beyond This Life", and he's easier to understand here. Ross' vocals in "Beneath The White Rainbow" are hard to parse because it sounds like it was put through several filters and effects. I'm still mixed on it, and hopefully once I begin to understand the lyrical content of the song more, those verses may make more sense to me.
-Marc.
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Liking Fauna a lot so far. Taurus is a nice heavy opener, but boy does it get melodic over the course of this album. I’m loving Elephants Never Forget!
My album rankings so far would go
Affinity
Virus
Mountain
Fauna
Visions
Vector
Aquarius
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Interesting that so many people dislike that megaphone part. In a DT forum!
Has no one heard the parallels to minute 4:01 of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rhxFcAVYmI ?
Yes, four posts above yours ;D
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I really appreciate that section because it's so different. It's not usually my cup of tea, but when in Rome... I can rock out to it, regardless.
Agreed with this. I like unpredictable, risky Haken over "down the middle prog metal" Haken. That is why Aquarius is, by far, still my favorite Haken record. Fauna brings some of that magic back for me, but there's just not enough of it (at least after 2 listens).
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Interesting that so many people dislike that megaphone part. In a DT forum!
Has no one heard the parallels to minute 4:01 of this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rhxFcAVYmI ?
Yes, four posts above yours ;D
Ah man, didn't see that... anyway that was my initial thought when I heard it the first time.
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Ah man, didn't see that... anyway that was my initial thought when I heard it the first time.
Same here :D
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I haven’t heard the part everybody’s talking about yet (my wife just verified that my CD has arrived but I’m still at work) but considering that BTL is my #3 all time DT song, this bodes well.
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Don't get your hopes up. That section kind of annoys me as well. I wasn't even sure what I was listening to. :lol
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I replaced that section of the song with the instrumental version last night. Problem solved ;D
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I was listening to the album this evening, and finally after 90+ listens I actually actively enjoyed that section (rather than tolerating it). That's definitely a new record. :lol
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Ninety listens? You know what they say about putting your hand on the stovetop... :lol
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Ninety listens? You know what they say about putting your hand on the stovetop... :lol
:lol Just because I adore the album doesn't mean I have to adore every second of it.
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Haken was my favorite or 2nd favorite band during the Aquarius - Visions - The Mountain period.
I have a bit lost interest in the band from Affinity onwards, but Fauna is impressive to me and made me enthusiast about the band again.
If I had to describe with one word Vector/Virus I would say "heavy", for Fauna I would say "eclectic" or "experimental".
I don't see that much similarity with Vector/Virus as just another Haken album with their new modern sound, because Fauna really tries to incorporate lots of different influences and it's so much inspired
It feels like listening to Bilateral by Leprous a decade after, which at that time I felt as very innovative and inspired in the prog metal genre.
I feel that Fauna similarly to that album has a distinctive unifying sound, but at the same time every song has a strong identity and tries to explore a different style and direction on every song, sometimes taking more risks than in the recent past (Alphabet of Me, Beneath The White Rainbow and Elephants Never Forget above all).
I don't remember any wasted second or uninspired moment in Fauna, as I can say also for other early Haken albums I love as Aquarius, but in Fauna I can recognize also a higher level of maturity, both technical and in songwriting.
I think it is not exaggerating to say that it can be at the top of the ranking of their albums to me. For sure I have more emotional attachment to The Mountain and Aquarius, but this new one feels too much well done to not put it above those.
I can't do song rankings yet, I am just at this listen. I just know that Taurus is my least favorite, but it's not a bad song, just a normal one among more interesting ones. Maybe Alphabet of Me second to last, but I appreciate it a lot more in the context of album as it sticks out nicely from the prog metal style of most of the album.
The rest of the songs have all chance to be 1st, it's too early to tell.
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I replaced that section of the song with the instrumental version last night. Problem solved ;D
:lol :lol :lol
I guess the deluxe version has its uses. I might be able to replace that section with the instrumental portion. Give me the exact start time and end time and I'll try to work some magic.
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I replaced that section of the song with the instrumental version last night. Problem solved ;D
:lol :lol :lol
I guess the deluxe version has its uses. I might be able to replace that section with the instrumental portion. Give me the exact start time and end time and I'll try to work some magic.
4:35-5:26
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I wouldn't mind that section so much if you could actually make out what he's saying. Without the lyrics in front of you, he just sounds like a pissed off mosquito.
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I wouldn't mind that section so much if you could actually make out what he's saying. Without the lyrics in front of you, he just sounds like a pissed off mosquito.
My plan is to make the section instrumental.
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Just got it in the mail today. FINALLY!
Loaded it onto my FLAC player after dinner, and I’ll hear it for the first time on my morning commute tomorrow.
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I wouldn't mind that section so much if you could actually make out what he's saying. Without the lyrics in front of you, he just sounds like a pissed off mosquito.
Overall this album has been harder to pick up on lyrics, I feel because there’s a ton going on in the mix (esp in the choruses) and lots of vocal effects. But I’m usually looking up their lyrics anyway for the background choruses.
Ross is awesome on Fauna, what a performance on Elephants Never Forget. Hope to get that one live.
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Yeah I’m not digging that section either. I’m considering splicing out that section and replacing it with the section from the Instrumental version.
Did you do this seamlessly? I need the instrumental version WAV file as I do not have the deluxe version. Can you possibly send it to me so I can attempt it.
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I mean, I don't love that section either, but the rest of the album is smokin'.
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I mean, I don't love that section either, but the rest of the album is smokin'.
Yeah, one poor section does not change my view on the album as whole. It's still pretty damn good as a whole.
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I'm apparently in the minority here, but the 'mickey mouse' section sounds great to my ears.
Truthfully, I would never have thought to dwell on it save for the conversation here (and elsewhere on the interwebs), but I think it adds some nice punch to the song.
As others have mentioned, the phone-filter/megaphone eq used on Ross' vocals is hardly a novelty, and has been employed by a slew of artists over the years on various recordings.
Either way, if chopping and pasting the song makes someone happier with it, more power to them.
All the cutting and pasting in the world can't save "Alphabet of Me" for me, so I opt to just skip it whenever it arrives and move right on to the next banger :metal
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No need to chop up Alphabet of Me, it’s great the way it is :angel:
After a couple more listens, I think I prefer Nightingale as the opening track.
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Here’s my first attempt at ranking all the songs. Feel free to disagree :lol
1. The Alphabet of Me
2. Lovebite
3. Taurus
4. Beneath the White Rainbow
5. Sempiternal Beings
6. Elephants Never Forget
7. Nightingale
8. Island in the Clouds
9. Eyes of Ebony
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9. Eyes of Ebony
:'(
I find that song so emotional and a wonderful tribute to Hen's father who passed away.
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9. Eyes of Ebony
:'(
I find that song so emotional and a wonderful tribute to Hen's father who passed away.
It's become one of my favorite songs on the album. Actually, the last three songs are probably my top three on the album, followed by "The Alphabet Of Me" and "Sempiternal Beings" in the middle, with the rest all about equal. This album just ends so strongly from "Lovebite" onwards. Haken really know how to close out an album!
-Marc.
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Updated rankings:
1) Virus
2) Aquarius
3) Vector
4) Affinity
5) Fauna
6) The Mountain
7) Visions
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I've been avoiding listening to Eyes of Ebony, because every time I do, I cry like a baby. :lol
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Anybody in the US come across the Fauna vinyl in record stores? I don't mind ordering online but I was hoping to support a local shop as well, but not sure if there was going to be a wide release in the US on vinyl.
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9. Eyes of Ebony
:'(
I find that song so emotional and a wonderful tribute to Hen's father who passed away.
It's become one of my favorite songs on the album. Actually, the last three songs are probably my top three on the album, followed by "The Alphabet Of Me" and "Sempiternal Beings" in the middle, with the rest all about equal. This album just ends so strongly from "Lovebite" onwards. Haken really know how to close out an album!
-Marc.
Agreed. The whole album is good but the last two songs are incredible IMO. What a way to end the album!!
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Ok I think Fauna has become my favorite Haken album. I just absolutely love every song and I discover new things I love on every listen. I also think I like it more than most of DT’s albums.
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Folks, this is what happens when you smoke crack.
Updated rankings:
1) Virus
2) Aquarius
3) Vector
4) Affinity
5) Fauna
6) The Mountain
7) Visions
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Folks, this is what happens when you smoke crack.
Updated rankings:
1) Virus
2) Aquarius
3) Vector
4) Affinity
5) Fauna
6) The Mountain
7) Visions
:rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin
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So I ordered the Japanese version of Fauna from CDJapan last Friday, and it shipped from Japan yesterday. Thanks to DHL, it's at my doorstep today, so I can't wait to get that when I get home. Definitely beats still waiting for my copy from Burning Shed, plus I get a bonus track!
-Marc.
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Someone with the band would mail them out for almost nothing. I seem to recall they sent me two.
I would have to go back and listen to recall exactly where, but I seem to remember there is a very slight digital “glitch” somewhere. It was in both copies, so I have to assume it was from the original. But I was never 100% sure about that.
I went through the demo and track 4, Sleeping Thoughts Wake at the 6:28 spot it glitches but I'm thinking it was on purpose because if you listen at the 6:24 spot it has this weird effect that leads into it... Check it out and let me know what you think.
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I listened to Aquarius earlier for the first time in a long time, and I realized what modern Haken is missing:
Banjo
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Someone with the band would mail them out for almost nothing. I seem to recall they sent me two.
I would have to go back and listen to recall exactly where, but I seem to remember there is a very slight digital “glitch” somewhere. It was in both copies, so I have to assume it was from the original. But I was never 100% sure about that.
I went through the demo and track 4, Sleeping Thoughts Wake at the 6:28 spot it glitches but I'm thinking it was on purpose because if you listen at the 6:24 spot it has this weird effect that leads into it... Check it out and let me know what you think.
I wondered that myself the first couple of times I heard it, but it doesn’t seem to fit the song in some ways either. I’m glad it’s not just my copies, but I wish the band or someone close (paging Mr Ariich) would either confirm or deny it.
Re: Fauna - Heard one spin on the trip to work today.
Huh. Not sure what to think yet. Although that’s probably a good sign. When any band throws that big a curve ball at me, I usually end up loving it. While it is extremely different from the last two albums, one thing it shares in common is a more “staccato” type of delivery. Very percussive. I suppose that’s the “djent” sound everyone talks about. But I usually associate that term with a guitar sound and I’m hearing that “hammering” type of stuff in the rhythm section and the vocals as well. So it’s kind of across the board. Completely gone are the soundscape paintings that would build slowly like the first two full minutes of Aquarium. I’m not saying that’s good or bad necessarily. I mean, if they did that for 7 albums in a row, I’d be complaining about that too. It’s just very different and I can get why there might be a contingent of fans who miss that.
More thoughts will come after more spins. It was literally just once through. Not enough to have an opinion yet.
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Completely gone are the soundscape paintings that would build slowly like the first two full minutes of Aquarium.
Definitely not completely gone, but those moments may not have stood out on first listen.
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Someone with the band would mail them out for almost nothing. I seem to recall they sent me two.
I would have to go back and listen to recall exactly where, but I seem to remember there is a very slight digital “glitch” somewhere. It was in both copies, so I have to assume it was from the original. But I was never 100% sure about that.
I went through the demo and track 4, Sleeping Thoughts Wake at the 6:28 spot it glitches but I'm thinking it was on purpose because if you listen at the 6:24 spot it has this weird effect that leads into it... Check it out and let me know what you think.
I wondered that myself the first couple of times I heard it, but it doesn’t seem to fit the song in some ways either. I’m glad it’s not just my copies, but I wish the band or someone close (paging Mr Ariich) would either confirm or deny it.
Re: Fauna - Heard one spin on the trip to work today.
Huh. Not sure what to think yet. Although that’s probably a good sign. When any band throws that big a curve ball at me, I usually end up loving it. While it is extremely different from the last two albums, one thing it shares in common is a more “staccato” type of delivery. Very percussive. I suppose that’s the “djent” sound everyone talks about. But I usually associate that term with a guitar sound and I’m hearing that “hammering” type of stuff in the rhythm section and the vocals as well. So it’s kind of across the board. Completely gone are the soundscape paintings that would build slowly like the first two full minutes of Aquarium. I’m not saying that’s good or bad necessarily. I mean, if they did that for 7 albums in a row, I’d be complaining about that too. It’s just very different and I can get why there might be a contingent of fans who miss that.
More thoughts will come after more spins. It was literally just once through. Not enough to have an opinion yet.
Yeah I mostly agree with you sentiment here. My mind just keeps thinking djent when I listen and while that's cool and all I just miss some soundscape painting, like you nicely describe it. It's here and there but often over in seconds. But just something that goes out of the constant staccato feeling and gives room for something else. Vector and Virus had similar problem for me but I think this album is overall a stronger output so far.
Jaja, will keep spinning this and hopefully wrap my head around it more and more 😁
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Folks, this is what happens when you smoke crack.
Updated rankings:
1) Virus
2) Aquarius
3) Vector
4) Affinity
5) Fauna
6) The Mountain
7) Visions
Haha. Yeah, my tastes can be quite different than others. The Mountain never connected with me.
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So, I did a little digging and here is a post from a while back when I was first digging into Haken:
Alright, after spending a couple of weeks listening to nothing but Haken, I humbily submit my 'prisoner-of-the-moment' rankings:
1. The Mountain — A conceptual masterpiece that resonates with me on multiple levels.
2. Virus — A tight, technical assault that reminds me of DT's 'Train of Thought'
3. Affinity — An incredibly diverse set of songs; just wish I liked the epic more :-\
4. Visions — Definitely the most DT-esque offering. Stellar songs occasionally bogged down by derivative sections.
5. Vector — Obviously cut from the same cloth as Virus. Love the production, but the record feels incomplete.
6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
It's also worth mentioning that the E.P. contains what I feel is the band's best epic.
So, after a dozen or so listens, I decided to run back through the catalog this week and reflect on how my thoughts have evolved.
First and foremost, I still consider "Crystalized" the band's best epic, and not unlike DT, think it elevates the Restoration EP to essential listening.
Along with that, this is how I would rank their catalog today, a week or so after the release of Fauna:
1. The Mountain — Each and every listen only reaffirms that this is one of the best albums I've ever heard.
2. Aquarius — From last to 'almost' first, I seriously am in awe of how 'fully formed' Haken was from the onset.
3. Fauna — Yep, even "Alphabet..." is beginning to grow on me...unlike everything else below, there isn't a glaring flaw here, and the album is 'nearly' a perfect listen from cover to cover.
4. Vector — Not a huge fan of "Nil by Mouth," which essentially leaves me with 5 stellar tracks...it's a damn good collection of songs, but I wish this was a bit more fleshed out. I sincerely think that had the band opted to compile the best moments from this and Virus into a single album, the project would be in contention for their best work.
5. Visions — It's everything I love about Aquarius with better production. Unfortunately, I find the majority of the record's front half to be a bit unmemorable (the title track is genius though).
6. Virus—See my comments about Vector...I love the opening salvo, but 'epic' is easily my least favorite 'long' by Haken. It's, well, I suppose 'it's a mess' pretty much sums up my thoughts.
7. Affinity — Another huge surprise here...I initially considered this to be near peak-Haken, but repeated listens have not been kind. Honestly, I think I like the idea of Affinity way more than the execution. "1985" and "The Architect" are borderline slogs and other than a few moments here and there, I find the songs really lack the memorable melodies that seem to permeate their other releases. That all said, I do enjoy the 'vibe,' especially on the back half.
So, yeah, Fauna is a great addition—well done, lads!
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Folks, this is what happens when you smoke crack.
Updated rankings:
1) Virus
2) Aquarius
3) Vector
4) Affinity
5) Fauna
6) The Mountain
7) Visions
Haha. Yeah, my tastes can be quite different than others. The Mountain never connected with me.
I was with you for quite awhile, thinking The Mountain was a bit overrated (not bad, just put on a pedestal) but I came around and really do think it's a great album. I won't rate it as my favorite Haken album, but it's not at the bottom either.
If I had to do rankings (and I think Fauna is too early for me to really rank)...
Virus
Visions
The Mountain
Affinity
Fauna
Vector
(I still, after all these years, have not listened to Aquarius to rank it)
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
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Speaking of which, have they ever played Streams live? Maybe in the very early days perhaps.
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Speaking of which, have they ever played Streams live? Maybe in the very early days perhaps.
They have!
https://youtu.be/hGTlg5ERxRY
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Speaking of which, have they ever played Streams live? Maybe in the very early days perhaps.
They have!
https://youtu.be/hGTlg5ERxRY
Cool, thanks!
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After a few listens, this is how I personally stand:
1. Affinity
2. Fauna
3. Visions
4. The Mountain
5. Vector
6. Aquarius
7. Virus
As for the songs:
1. Sempiternal Beings
2. Eyes of Ebony
3. Beneath the White Rainbow
4. The Alphabet of Me
5. Elephants Never Forget
6. Nightingale
7. Island in the Clouds
8. Lovebite
9. Taurus
Let's say Taurus is at least a 7.5, to put things in perspective. Outstanding! Their best physical release too, with that Goldsworthy goodness.
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I listened to Aquarius earlier for the first time in a long time, and I realized what modern Haken is missing:
Banjo
Clearly
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
I viewed it as just effect as well. I'm pretty sure Ross wasn't trying to channel his inner Cannibal Corpse.
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
I don't care what it may or may not be intended to be within the context of the story.
In real life, it's an attempt at a death growl, and it just doesn't go with Haken, and really diminishes that album for me. Just completely out of place.
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
In the album’s defense, the quote attributed to me was from my initial post (where I also ranked the album dead last in their catalog). I’ve since come to love and appreciate the album, even the 15 or so seconds of growling.
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
I don't care what it may or may not be intended to be within the context of the story.
In real life, it's an attempt at a death growl, and it just doesn't go with Haken, and really diminishes that album for me. Just completely out of place.
Exactly. I've never tried to understand the stories of any of their concept albums. Regardless of intention, or their place within that story, they just sound silly.
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I agree that the story of Aquarius is fairly silly (it makes The Astonishing look like Shakespeare), but the death growls are barely even used, so I cannot imagine letting them affect my enjoyment of the album as a whole.
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I agree that the story of Aquarius is fairly silly (it makes The Astonishing look like Shakespeare), but the death growls are barely even used, so I cannot imagine letting them affect my enjoyment of the album as a whole.
Yeah, the growls only show up briefly on two songs. I think they sound silly and out-of-place too, but is that really enough to make an impact on the album as a whole?
The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
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The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
I don't agree. I would submit that the absence of songs like that is what the band is missing lately. Songs that are allowed to breathe.
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The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
I don't agree. I would submit that the absence of songs like that is what the band is missing lately. Songs that are allowed to breathe.
Or songs like The Architect that have the best of both worlds. :)
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The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
I don't agree. I would submit that the absence of songs like that is what the band is missing lately. Songs that are allowed to breathe.
Or songs like The Architect that have the best of both worlds. :)
Nah the middle section of The Architect is probably the worst offender when it comes to drawing something out too long.
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Hard disagree. Love the middle of the Architect
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The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
I don't agree. I would submit that the absence of songs like that is what the band is missing lately. Songs that are allowed to breathe.
Or songs like The Architect that have the best of both worlds. :)
Nah the middle section of The Architect is probably the worst offender when it comes to drawing something out too long.
It's okay Ariich, you can keep saying this every time the song comes up, it doesn't make it any less horribly incorrect. :heart
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I like The Architect quite a bit, and I do like the middle section, but the ending is a bit underwhelming. Basically, the best part of the song is the first minute.
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I'm just glad they brought back the circus music. :)
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I'm just glad they brought back the circus music. :)
I prefer the term “Calliope music” but I agree. ;D
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The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
I don't agree. I would submit that the absence of songs like that is what the band is missing lately. Songs that are allowed to breathe.
Or songs like The Architect that have the best of both worlds. :)
Nah the middle section of The Architect is probably the worst offender when it comes to drawing something out too long.
Agreed. Everything before the middle section is gold and then the song completely loses me.
I actually like Aquarium and Nocturnal Conspiracy way more than The Architect. I do wish the band did more of that (I haven't heard Fauna yet though).
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Updated rankings you say...
1. The Mountain
2a. Virus
2b. Aquarius
4a. Vector
4b. Affinity
6. Fauna
7. Visions
Keep in mind, even with those bottom two, still really like them. With the new album there just isn't as much that I LOVE and that truly pulls me back to the album. I put it on and enjoy it a lot, but outside of my two favorite tracks, just don't have that "oh damn this is some pretty essential Haken" vibes as of yet.
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I've never been a huge Haken fan, just got into them recently, but WOW Fauna is awesome. I love all of the weird off-time stuff and the creativity with the sounds. That keyboard(?) sound in the verses of Elephants cracks me up.
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I agree that the story of Aquarius is fairly silly (it makes The Astonishing look like Shakespeare), but the death growls are barely even used, so I cannot imagine letting them affect my enjoyment of the album as a whole.
Yeah, the growls only show up briefly on two songs. I think they sound silly and out-of-place too, but is that really enough to make an impact on the album as a whole?
The biggest problem I have with Aquarius is the title track. Obviously it's important to the narrative, but god damn is that song so drawn out and boring as hell. I'm glad the band has largely ditched the slow, gloomy 10 minute songs after that and Nocturnal Conspiracy - they don't really align with the band's strengths in my opinion.
Absolutely not. Aquarius is a total masterpiece.
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Aquarius is awesome, but it definitely sounds the furthest from what we’ve come to know and love as Haken’s sound. Visions, while still not quite there yet, I think is closer to The Mountain in style than it is to Aquarius. I think Haken themselves recognize how different their first two albums are as well considering how little representation either album has in their recent sets.
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Aquarius is awesome, but it definitely sounds the furthest from what we’ve come to know and love as Haken’s sound. Visions, while still not quite there yet, I think is closer to The Mountain in style than it is to Aquarius. I think Haken themselves recognize how different their first two albums are as well considering how little representation either album has in their recent sets.
Like Images&Words is to DT for me Aquarius is to Haken. The first demos are what hooked me initially and I still love them.
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Like Images&Words is to DT for me Aquarius is to Haken.
True that.
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Aquarius is awesome, but it definitely sounds the furthest from what we’ve come to know and love as Haken’s sound. Visions, while still not quite there yet, I think is closer to The Mountain in style than it is to Aquarius. I think Haken themselves recognize how different their first two albums are as well considering how little representation either album has in their recent sets.
Speak for yourself.
I think this thread alone shows that quite a few of us loved their earlier sound more than the current one.
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I'm definitely in the camp that prefers their work from the Mountain onwards. I almost never go back to the first two.
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Truly I am a huge fan of all 7 (with Vector being “the least of the best”). I honestly cannot think of any progressive rock band with a more consistently top quality output. Except for maybe IQ.
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Truly I am a huge fan of all 7 (with Vector being “the least of the best”). I honestly cannot think of any progressive rock band with a more consistently top quality output. Except for maybe IQ.
Good call with IQ. By the way, I checked the Haken demo "glitch" on their official Bandcamp page and it is there as well. So I personally think its intentional but it is possible its a recording glitch but I doubt it.
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Truly I am a huge fan of all 7 (with Vector being “the least of the best”). I honestly cannot think of any progressive rock band with a more consistently top quality output. Except for maybe IQ.
Good call with IQ. By the way, I checked the Haken demo "glitch" on their official Bandcamp page and it is there as well. So I personally think its intentional but it is possible its a recording glitch but I doubt it.
Well, at least we know that, if it is a mistake, it is straight from the original.
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Truly I am a huge fan of all 7 (with Vector being “the least of the best”). I honestly cannot think of any progressive rock band with a more consistently top quality output. Except for maybe IQ.
Good call with IQ. By the way, I checked the Haken demo "glitch" on their official Bandcamp page and it is there as well. So I personally think its intentional but it is possible its a recording glitch but I doubt it.
At least Haken consistently tours. I have a hard time digging into bands like IQ who just never tour. I very much appreciate that Haken tour the US a lot.
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Truly I am a huge fan of all 7 (with Vector being “the least of the best”). I honestly cannot think of any progressive rock band with a more consistently top quality output. Except for maybe IQ.
Good call with IQ. By the way, I checked the Haken demo "glitch" on their official Bandcamp page and it is there as well. So I personally think its intentional but it is possible its a recording glitch but I doubt it.
At least Haken consistently tours. I have a hard time digging into bands like IQ who just never tour. I very much appreciate that Haken tour the US a lot.
AFAIK they were touring Europe every album cycle fairly regularly until COVID happened. They just don’t leave Europe.
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It still blows that we were a week away from getting the Haken show here in STL where they were gonna play all of Affinity...and then the COVID shutdown happened.
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Truly I am a huge fan of all 7 (with Vector being “the least of the best”). I honestly cannot think of any progressive rock band with a more consistently top quality output. Except for maybe IQ.
Good call with IQ. By the way, I checked the Haken demo "glitch" on their official Bandcamp page and it is there as well. So I personally think its intentional but it is possible its a recording glitch but I doubt it.
At least Haken consistently tours. I have a hard time digging into bands like IQ who just never tour. I very much appreciate that Haken tour the US a lot.
AFAIK they were touring Europe every album cycle fairly regularly until COVID happened. They just don’t leave Europe.
Ah yeah, doesn't really change things for me though. I did catch them with a bunch of other DTFers a few years ago in NJ though. I enjoy them, but I just don't have the time to invest in bands that my chances of seeing live are so slim. My mentality the last few years has been to invest my listening time to the bands that will come to my town. There's just too much music out there and I put a high value on live performances.
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It still blows that we were a week away from getting the Haken show here in STL where they were gonna play all of Affinity...and then the COVID shutdown happened.
That was a Top 5 concert for me. Seeing the live debut of Bound By Gravity was magical.
It does suck that those shows had to be cancelled. Hopefully they get another chance to do a tour like that in the near future.
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It still blows that we were a week away from getting the Haken show here in STL where they were gonna play all of Affinity...and then the COVID shutdown happened.
That was a Top 5 concert for me. Seeing the live debut of Bound By Gravity was magical.
It does suck that those shows had to be cancelled. Hopefully they get another chance to do a tour like that in the near future.
Not only do I have the unused ticket, about 18-24 months later promoter gave refunds. Stand up act IMO as by that point everything had been written off. This was probably early 2022.
I know they played one or two of the Affinity shows, hope they do them again. I’d travel for Lapse and Bound By Gravity.
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It still blows that we were a week away from getting the Haken show here in STL where they were gonna play all of Affinity...and then the COVID shutdown happened.
Yeah, I was super bummed that my STL trip for that show got cancelled. I did end up using the flight credit for that to catch DT and Leprous the same weekend in Austin last year, so that was a silver lining.
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It still blows that we were a week away from getting the Haken show here in STL where they were gonna play all of Affinity...and then the COVID shutdown happened.
That was a Top 5 concert for me. Seeing the live debut of Bound By Gravity was magical.
It does suck that those shows had to be cancelled. Hopefully they get another chance to do a tour like that in the near future.
They really need to play Bound By Gravity at least. It's really unfortunate that song only got played a couple times.
If they play it for their headline set I would be ecstatic. But, I doubt they will play it.
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I'd guess (without knowing anything about their NA tour set) that Eyes of Ebony would be more likely, which is quite similar.
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I'd guess (without knowing anything about their NA tour set) that Eyes of Ebony would be more likely, which is quite similar.
I would love that song in the set. I would actually like if they played all of the album songs.
How many new song you think they'll play? Will it just be the usual singles, or would they incorporate more songs?
I think they'll leave out 2-3 songs, and play the rest. Which I also think they'll play all the singles. I do wish they would play the others and leave out one or two of the released singles. That's one thing I don't like about releasing a lot of singles, is that it likely cements them in the setlist for the upcoming tour.
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They have already played Nightingale in NA, so I could see them leaving that off. As for the rest of the singles, I'm not sure. I'd expect at least two of them, but they'll definitely want to play a decent number of the non-singles too.
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I'm enjoying the album overall. It's much more wacky and all over the place in comparison to what I'm used to hearing from the guys. There isn't that much metal going on, but I don't mind that. Fauna is more like old Haken, but not as instant and not as melodic. That was a really wild listen.
I especially like Sempiternal beings, Elephants never forget, Taurus and The Alphabet of me.
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Excellent interview with Pete:
https://www.rocking.gr/interviews/haken/41289
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It still blows that we were a week away from getting the Haken show here in STL where they were gonna play all of Affinity...and then the COVID shutdown happened.
Yeah, I was super bummed that my STL trip for that show got cancelled. I did end up using the flight credit for that to catch DT and Leprous the same weekend in Austin last year, so that was a silver lining.
Nice! :tup :tup
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I'm hoping we get both Elephants and Ebony in NA, but I'm thinking it'll probably only be one of the two.
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Excellent interview with Pete:
https://www.rocking.gr/interviews/haken/41289
He mentions plans for another Europeal tour leg with more Fauna focus :metal
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While I think we'll certainly get more Fauna material in North America, there is one other hopeful and not unrealistic change that would make a world of difference for me.
Drop Prosthetic, already played in NA, move Taurus to the starting spot which will make sense as it'll be a proper Fauna tour at that time, and then put Canary Yellow in the middle of the set somewhere.
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Reposting my wish for the NA tour setlist
Still debating on going to that DC show in May. I put together a playlist of a setlist I'd love to see.
Taurus
Invasion
The Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Darkest Light
Canary Yellow
Sempiternal Beings
Falling Back to Earth
Lovebite
Nil by Mouth
As Death Embraces
Elephants Never Forget
Messiah Complex
Bound By Gravity
107 minutes
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3rd spin today and it’s really starting to sink in.
Man, this album is REALLY good. Not hearing the “weak front half” thing that people have hinted at. This is just a straight top to bottom banger.
Kinda see what people are talking about with the megaphone thing, but I think it works.
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3rd spin today and it’s really starting to sink in.
Man, this album is REALLY good. Not hearing the “weak front half” thing that people have hinted at. This is just a straight top to bottom banger.
Yesssssssssssss! I thought you'd dig it.
And yeah I don't find the first half weak at all but I can see how some people who either found the singles less interesting or played them to death already might feel that way.
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There’s just a couple of things I would’ve changed, those being the weird Mickey Mouse vocals in Beneath the White Rainbow, the solos in Island in the Clouds and Sempiternal Beings (which feel really out of place to me) and the heavier sections in Eyes of Ebony. The softer parts of that track are so good, especially when you know the context of the lyrics, and the heavier parts seem a bit out of place in that track.
Just a quick note that I’ve changed my mind about every one of these complaints. ;D
Even the Mickey Mouse vocals don’t annoy me that much anymore. It’s a really great album.
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Tempted to pick up the last copy CDJapan has for that bonus track but I calculated the shipping prices and that's a no from me. :lol
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Tempted to pick up the last copy CDJapan has for that bonus track but I calculated the shipping prices and that's a no from me. :lol
I spent roughly $36 on it, and it arrived in less than 36 hours from leaving Japan. The bonus track, "The Last Lullaby", is a beautiful coda that plays off themes and melodies from "Eyes Of Ebony". It sounds like watching the credits of a film, or if the band closes a set with "Eyes Of Ebony", then this track would be their post-concert music to play over the house speakers as the band walks off stage.
Definitely not a necessary track but just a bit of sweet icing on an already delicious Haken Cake(n).
-Marc.
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If you like The Last Lullaby and haven't already then you should check out Pete's Nested Shapes stuff.
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Tempted to pick up the last copy CDJapan has for that bonus track but I calculated the shipping prices and that's a no from me. :lol
Can anyone who has heard the bonus track let us know how it is?
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Just listening for the first time now and I noticed in the booklet that it says "lyrics written by Haken." Does the band typically not say which band member wrote the lyrics? I'm don't recall what it says in past booklets. Just curious.
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I don't have a feeling that the front half is weak, especially because Taurus, Alphabet and Sempiternal beings are five out of five songs in my book. The album is kind of average in the middle, though, it only picks up with Elephants. But even the three songs that I find so-and-so aren't necessarily bad.
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Just listening for the first time now and I noticed in the booklet that it says "lyrics written by Haken." Does the band typically not say which band member wrote the lyrics? I'm don't recall what it says in past booklets. Just curious.
They do that for both the music and the lyrics, because it's a collaborative effort. For each song, one or more people will compose the initial music but then they all work on the ideas and arrangements together. Same then goes for the lyrics, one or more of them will initially pen some lyrics but the others will then contribute and critique.
So in terms of knowing who wrote what, it basically comes down to what they've said in interviews or online and that knowledge being passed down. :lol
EDIT: Incidentally I have a pretty clear idea from Pete of who the main musical contributors were to each song, and I think I know who did most of the lyrics too.
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3rd spin today and it’s really starting to sink in.
Man, this album is REALLY good. Not hearing the “weak front half” thing that people have hinted at. This is just a straight top to bottom banger.
Yesssssssssssss! I thought you'd dig it.
And yeah I don't find the first half weak at all but I can see how some people who either found the singles less interesting or played them to death already might feel that way.
The first half is definitely not weak. It's just that the second half is stronger!
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I don't have a feeling that the front half is week, especially because Taurus, Alphabet and Sempiternal beings are five out of five songs in my book. The album is kind of average in the middle, though, it only picks up with Elephants. But even the three songs that I find so-and-so aren't necessarily bad.
I feel the same way. As a whole, it's a great album, but I'm still trying to latch onto "Beneath The White Rainbow" and "Island In The Clouds". They're good but they just haven't filly clicked with me yet. Everything before and after those songs I really gel with and grove to, top-tier Haken for rhe most part.
Tempted to pick up the last copy CDJapan has for that bonus track but I calculated the shipping prices and that's a no from me. :lol
Can anyone who has heard the bonus track let us know how it is?
Tempted to pick up the last copy CDJapan has for that bonus track but I calculated the shipping prices and that's a no from me. :lol
I spent roughly $36 on it, and it arrived in less than 36 hours from leaving Japan. The bonus track, "The Last Lullaby", is a beautiful coda that plays off themes and melodies from "Eyes Of Ebony". It sounds like watching the credits of a film, or if the band closes a set with "Eyes Of Ebony", then this track would be their post-concert music to play over the house speakers as the band walks off stage.
Definitely not a necessary track but just a bit of sweet icing on an already delicious Haken Cake(n).
-Marc.
It's also 3:14 long, and is instrumental. It's mostly piano and keyboard with some programmed drums and percussion to start, but then it sounds like real drums near the end, along with some distant vocals from the end of "Eyes Of Ebony".
-Marc.
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Island in the Clouds took awhile to appreciate, clicked for me when I just focused on the overall soundscape, lots of little flourishes mixed in. Song sounds the most similar to Virus I think, esp. The Strain and Canary Yellow.
Beneath the White Rainbow I was hooked on first listen.
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Island in the Clouds sounds mostly like a mix of Porcupine Tree and Host.
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I don’t really know what Porcupine Tree sounds like, never could get into… I think Canary Yellow is similar to Host so definitely see that comparison.
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Just watched "Love, thy name be Sorrow" today, will start a second attempt tomorrow to make sense of the lyrics of "Beneath the white Rainbow" :D
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Not even through my 1st spin yet. I'm thinking this will take me a while.
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Not even through my 1st spin yet. I'm thinking this will take me a while.
It's dense and there's a lot going on so takes awhile to absorb. But once it clicks, it clicks! Excellent album!!
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There is a lot to digest with this one. Last three tracks are pretty damn good though. Overall, it feels like glitch-prog. There's so much syncopation and metric modulation going on that it's a relief when they drop into any actual grooves. Can't imagine what their click tracks are like to get those precise hits on a lot of these songs! Like, we get it, you guys are more complex than DT! ;). Honestly though, I'm digging it more with each listen.
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I am really loving the "Dogs of war..." Section in Island In The Clouds. And also the chorus of Eyes of Ebony.
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Count as one of the fans who lost interest with Vector (although they brought it back a bit with Virus). I prefer they're more melodic stuff, and less of the heavier technical side.
I listened to all the singles multiple times on the run up to release and none of them particularly grabbed me. However, after spinning the album 4 times in the last week, I will say that Lovebite has become my favourite song. On the whole I quite like the album and feel it's on the cusp of starting to 'click'. I'm not sure it'll top anything that came out before Vector/Virus, but I really love their earlier stuff.
Quick ranking...
1. The Mountain
2. Affinity
3. Visions
4. Aquarius
5. Fauna
6. Virus
7. Vector
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Are it’s not exactly the same, but that sort of “bendy” string riff at the beginning of BTWR reminds me a little bit of the main riff of Flame to the Moth by POS.
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Another comparison observation. And for the record, I don’t mean anything disparaging about any of these remarks. To me, it’s like swirling wine in the glass and then giving thoughts about the bouquet. “I’m picking up hints of cigar box“
But the bridge of Nightingale reminds me of the ending of The Watchmaker by Steven Wilson
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Initially I did not like the album that much, but after several more spins, really liking the album. I did figure out my music sounds so much better on my phone versus my rather old ipod. Hoping they play Sempiternal Beings on the North American tour.
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The bridge in Lovebite reminds me of Ross’s solo album. Not a complaint, I loved that album.
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The bridge in Lovebite reminds me of Ross’s solo album. Not a complaint, I loved that album.
For me, that album was better than anything Haken have done.
Perhaps until this album. I have to say, Fauna is magnificent.
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The final chorus of Eyes of Ebony reminds me a lot of the finale to Carousel, both among my favourite sections on their respective albums.
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Speaking of which, have they ever played Streams live? Maybe in the very early days perhaps.
I’ve seen it at least twice!
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After lots of listens I think this is a plus-plus album, their first truly eclectic set of songs ever really. Personal favorite is Beneath the White Rainbow but best/most distinct from their other works is definitely Eyes of Ebony. Only drawback is the mix on a few tracks drowns the singer out. Lovebite and Elephants Never Forget feature Ross prominently and I wish the rest of album did too.
1a Affinity 1b The Mountain
2a Vector 2b Fauna 2c Aquarius
3a Visions 3b Virus
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After a lot more spins I think the album is finally growing on me. I must say The Alphabet of Me is the clear favorite for me and wish the other songs follow it more in style and composition. There's a bit of Leprous in there and quite dynamic sound overall. Maybe less shugga shugga and more modern in a way. Impressive single tbh.
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
In the album’s defense, the quote attributed to me was from my initial post (where I also ranked the album dead last in their catalog). I’ve since come to love and appreciate the album, even the 15 or so seconds of growling.
I was listening to Affinity the other day and forgot about the vocals at 10:46 of "The Architect" and wondered if there's been one short portion on each album where the band tries some unique vocals? Obviously on Fauna there's the "screaming Mickey through a megaphone" vocals of "Beneath The White Rainbow", and the death growls on Aquarius. I need to go back and listen to their other albums and see if there are others that I'm just not remembering at the moment.
Do these vocal "experiments" bother many folks, even if they're very short and only appear briefly on their respective albums? At this point in my relationship with Fauna, I've come to tolerate BTWR's high-screaming vocal verses, and that part in the middle of "The Architect" never really bothered me, same with the growls on Aquarius.
EDIT - Also, unrelated to the topic of varying vocals, I made this collage of all the artwork used for Haken's albums and singles, and Roine Stolt (Pale Rider on Facebook) commented saying "Aquarium still their best ...." I mean, it's good, and I could see why The Flower King would like it most, but I still feel like Haken have improved bit by bit with each record, and I like that they aren't repeating themselves (too much). I also love how their artwork has evolved and changed over time. I do miss the logo they used between Affinity-Vector-Virus though. Hopefully the new font for their logo sticks around for a couple more albums, it looks pretty good IMO.
(https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/330583956_518474547122198_1851077566837783231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=ui-OpyCq5ZgAX96GZJr&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCvo-J2GdnswKg0uZ4FCoxrF3_VeYn1NXAD--9MplgIRg&oe=6413A2C0)
-Marc.
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Count as one of the fans who lost interest with Vector (although they brought it back a bit with Virus). I prefer they're more melodic stuff, and less of the heavier technical side.
I listened to all the singles multiple times on the run up to release and none of them particularly grabbed me. However, after spinning the album 4 times in the last week, I will say that Lovebite has become my favourite song. On the whole I quite like the album and feel it's on the cusp of starting to 'click'. I'm not sure it'll top anything that came out before Vector/Virus, but I really love their earlier stuff.
Quick ranking...
1. The Mountain
2. Affinity
3. Visions
4. Aquarius
5. Fauna
6. Virus
7. Vector
This would probably be close to my ranking in no particular order album-wise, but 1st four releases vs the last three. It just seems to me that they've gone in a different direction following Affinity with a few similarities mixed in. These last three releases really aren't grabbing me as much and I'm finding it difficult to put in the effort. Especially since I haven't been listening to much of anything lately.
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I think Roine might enjoy Elephants Never Forget
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I think Roine might enjoy Elephants Never Forget
That song is definitely the most Aquarius-like the band has sounded since their debut.
-Marc.
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On the topic of artwork, my favorite is probably Restoration. That is a lovely cover.
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Finally got around to making a setlist....I chose 2 hrs.
Nightingale
The Alphabet of Me
Taurus
Invasion
Lovebite
The Endless Knot
Sempiternal Beings
Because It's There
Earthrise
Island In The Clouds
A Cell Divides
Elephants Never Forget
Messiah Complex (only because they haven't really gotten to tour for Virus)
Eyes of Ebony
Atlas Stone
Bound By Gravity
I just couldn't leave out these Fauna songs, although I did omit Beneath The White Rainbow, even though I didn't really want to. But with Messiah Complex being a likely candidate for this upcoming headlining tour, I just had to add it. Without Messiah Complex, I would've added BTWR, and also Deathless.
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I think Roine might enjoy Elephants Never Forget
Brutal.
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?
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I'm sorry if it's been posted already, but the Prog Report did an Ultimate Haken album thing with Ross and Charlie a few weeks ago.
https://youtu.be/894NnS31VlM
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I'm hearing a lot of Native Construct in Elephants Never Forget.
The more I listen to the album, the better it gets.
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I remember reading a comment by Roine that sounded like "this band started out interesting, but now they just sound like every other metal band" - I'm not sure if that was during Vector's or Virus's promotional cycle. I was tempted to start an argument with him, but then I thought I don't want to argue with Roine Stolt and risk that things might become weird :lol
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I remember reading a comment by Roine that sounded like "this band started out interesting, but now they just sound like every other metal band" - I'm not sure if that was during Vector's or Virus's promotional cycle. I was tempted to start an argument with him, but then I thought I don't want to argue with Roine Stolt and risk that things might become weird :lol
That's funny coming from a guy who keeps putting out the same record over and over again.
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I remember reading a comment by Roine that sounded like "this band started out interesting, but now they just sound like every other metal band" - I'm not sure if that was during Vector's or Virus's promotional cycle. I was tempted to start an argument with him, but then I thought I don't want to argue with Roine Stolt and risk that things might become weird :lol
That's funny coming from a guy who keeps putting out the same record over and over again.
Not to mention (as the as pointed out by others earlier in this thread) that the first two albums, while absolutely amazing, were the least “original” of their entire catalog. The Mountain, to me, was when they truly found their own individual and original sound.
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I remember reading a comment by Roine that sounded like "this band started out interesting, but now they just sound like every other metal band" - I'm not sure if that was during Vector's or Virus's promotional cycle. I was tempted to start an argument with him, but then I thought I don't want to argue with Roine Stolt and risk that things might become weird :lol
That's funny coming from a guy who keeps putting out the same record over and over again.
Not to mention (as the as pointed out by others earlier in this thread) that the first two albums, while absolutely amazing, were the least “original” of their entire catalog. The Mountain, to me, was when they truly found their own individual and original sound.
I think he just likes the whacky, circus-music aspects of Aquarius, and the more melodic nature of the album probably relates most to his own musical tastes and upbringing, and certainly his own style of composition. I've never thought Roine was much of a metal guy, and has probably shied away from playing that kind of music, despite having some heavy moments in many of his bands. I think back to the Transatlantic Bridge Across Forever bonus disc where the guys are jamming in the studio and start playing a multi-genre cover of The Beatles' "And I Love Her", where Roine *kills* it at improvising the Santana section, but kind of flubs his way through the Metal version of the song.
Interestingly, I wonder what Haken would sound like today they had become more proggy and less metal after their first two albums. I imagine they'd sound like a slightly-heavier version of The Flower Kings mixed with Transatlantic and maybe IQ (with the emphasis on keyboards and less so on guitar riffs and complex rhythms).
-Marc.
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I remember reading a comment by Roine that sounded like "this band started out interesting, but now they just sound like every other metal band" - I'm not sure if that was during Vector's or Virus's promotional cycle. I was tempted to start an argument with him, but then I thought I don't want to argue with Roine Stolt and risk that things might become weird :lol
That's funny coming from a guy who keeps putting out the same record over and over again.
Eh, with all due respect, while the Flower Kings (his main band) always swim in the symphonic prog pool, there is no way you are listening to them enough to really know them if you think their records are the same thing over and over and over.
That aside, Roine is not really a metal guy, so it's not surprising that he would tilt much more towards their material that was more balanced rather than the metal-heavy newer albums.
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
In the album’s defense, the quote attributed to me was from my initial post (where I also ranked the album dead last in their catalog). I’ve since come to love and appreciate the album, even the 15 or so seconds of growling.
I was listening to Affinity the other day and forgot about the vocals at 10:46 of "The Architect" and wondered if there's been one short portion on each album where the band tries some unique vocals? Obviously on Fauna there's the "screaming Mickey through a megaphone" vocals of "Beneath The White Rainbow", and the death growls on Aquarius. I need to go back and listen to their other albums and see if there are others that I'm just not remembering at the moment.
Do these vocal "experiments" bother many folks, even if they're very short and only appear briefly on their respective albums? At this point in my relationship with Fauna, I've come to tolerate BTWR's high-screaming vocal verses, and that part in the middle of "The Architect" never really bothered me, same with the growls on Aquarius.
-Marc.
For me? Yes. Not every vocal experiment bothers me but a lot of them are misses. In the context of Fauna I just find that the experimental vocals pull me out of the music. It's fine if it's something new I wasn't expecting and I warm up to it on subsequent listens but I've given Fauna about 10 spins and really what I really want is an instrumental mix of the album.
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Eh, with all due respect, while the Flower Kings (his main band) always swim in the symphonic prog pool, there is no way you are listening to them enough to really know them if you think their records are the same thing over and over and over.
I agree. And indeed I would broaden it out as that point equally applies to Roine's comments about Haken too. When someone is not particularly interested in or familiar with a style, then it's easy for them to write music off as "it all sounds the same".
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6. Aquarious — Love the epic, but boy am I happy they decided to drop the death growls after this record.
This, my god, this. I don’t mind death growls, but Ross’s attempts at them were just laughable and totally out of place.
This baffles me. Because I never even viewed them as “death growls”. It’s a concept album and I always thought that it was the mermaids father speaking and that he was supposed to sound that way because he was like a “merman beast” like thing. So it’s like I’m watching a Disney movie and this repulsive swamp creature crawls into the scene with seaweed dripping off his body, and when he goes to speak his dialogue, that’s just what he sounds like.
Which in turn, makes it sound totally IN place.
In the album’s defense, the quote attributed to me was from my initial post (where I also ranked the album dead last in their catalog). I’ve since come to love and appreciate the album, even the 15 or so seconds of growling.
I was listening to Affinity the other day and forgot about the vocals at 10:46 of "The Architect" and wondered if there's been one short portion on each album where the band tries some unique vocals? Obviously on Fauna there's the "screaming Mickey through a megaphone" vocals of "Beneath The White Rainbow", and the death growls on Aquarius. I need to go back and listen to their other albums and see if there are others that I'm just not remembering at the moment.
Do these vocal "experiments" bother many folks, even if they're very short and only appear briefly on their respective albums? At this point in my relationship with Fauna, I've come to tolerate BTWR's high-screaming vocal verses, and that part in the middle of "The Architect" never really bothered me, same with the growls on Aquarius.
-Marc.
For me? Yes. Not every vocal experiment bothers me but a lot of them are misses. In the context of Fauna I just find that the experimental vocals pull me out of the music. It's fine if it's something new I wasn't expecting and I warm up to it on subsequent listens but I've given Fauna about 10 spins and really what I really want is an instrumental mix of the album.
What vocals do you see as experimental on Fauna? The only one that stands out to me is the megaphone section in White Rainbow. There's also some quirky vocals in Elephants (theatrical stuff and Gentle Giant stuff), but they've done those a few times before like in Visions and Cockroach King.
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I think the vocals in Taurus and Alphabet also cover new ground for Haken
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I think the vocals in Taurus and Alphabet also cover new ground for Haken
Well, I'll give you Alphabet for the Everything Everything style first verse, which I agree is pretty new for them. But I don't hear anything in Taurus that Ross hasn't done a few times before.
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Taurus has a somewhat Tool-esque vocal delivery in the bridge before the last chorus. I can't think of a song where Ross like this before.
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Taurus has a somewhat Tool-esque vocal delivery in the bridge before the last chorus. I can't think of a song where Ross like this before.
He's been doing that operatic-ish baritone thing forever. Like, literally since the first few minutes of the first song on the first demo (Blind). :lol
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That section is very "Queenish" to me.
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Eh, with all due respect, while the Flower Kings (his main band) always swim in the symphonic prog pool, there is no way you are listening to them enough to really know them if you think their records are the same thing over and over and over.
I agree. And indeed I would broaden it out as that point equally applies to Roine's comments about Haken too. When someone is not particularly interested in or familiar with a style, then it's easy for them to write music off as "it all sounds the same".
Agreed. I knew some years ago who didn't like Rush at all, and one criticism they all always threw out was, "Their music all sounds the same." :facepalm: :facepalm: Right, because 2112 and Mystic Rhythms are like the same song. :lol :lol :lol
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As someone who has enjoyed the last 3 albums (gave all 3 of them 7/10) I can sorta see where Roine is coming from to some extent. There's an added djent influence/vibe on the last few albums that wasn't there earlier in their career. Whether it's there because the band wanted to take their sound there or because it's a pretty popular trend among newer prog metal bands is up for debate of course, but some of those songs made me go "Yeah they're kinda trying to be Periphery a bit here".
But I think in general a pretty common problem with most prog bands is the challenge of sounding unique and not 'like everyone else' and in that aspect I'm not sure Haken are doing much worse than most other bands. It's a genre I love that hasn't had much innovation in recent years in my opinion so as a result you get a lot of bands that either sound similar or sound like something that has been done before.
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As someone who has enjoyed the last 3 albums (gave all 3 of them 7/10) I can sorta see where Roine is coming from to some extent. There's an added djent influence/vibe on the last few albums that wasn't there earlier in their career. Whether it's there because the band wanted to take their sound there or because it's a pretty popular trend among newer prog metal bands is up for debate of course, but some of those songs made me go "Yeah they're kinda trying to be Periphery a bit here".
But I think in general a pretty common problem with most prog bands is the challenge of sounding unique and not 'like everyone else' and in that aspect I'm not sure Haken are doing much worse than most other bands. It's a genre I love that hasn't had much innovation in recent years in my opinion so as a result you get a lot of bands that either sound similar or sound like something that has been done before.
They do play 8 string guitars now as well. Hard to differentiate when the 8th string itself is utilized in a more rhythmic way, where it's become the basis of what popularized the 8 string guitar. Especially when it has distortion.
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As someone who has enjoyed the last 3 albums (gave all 3 of them 7/10) I can sorta see where Roine is coming from to some extent. There's an added djent influence/vibe on the last few albums that wasn't there earlier in their career. Whether it's there because the band wanted to take their sound there or because it's a pretty popular trend among newer prog metal bands is up for debate of course, but some of those songs made me go "Yeah they're kinda trying to be Periphery a bit here".
Well, I wouldn't call it "added" because it's always been in the mix of their music, right back to the demo. But it did become a more prominent part of their guitar style from The Mountain onwards, and even more so on Vector and Virus because of the style of those albums. Also, the tighter production and 8-string guitars probably add to that sound as well.
And I don't know how much it matters, but I know for a fact that the band doesn't chase what's popular or trendy. Even with djenty stylings being more prominent after their first two albums, that was more a feature of it being interesting to them and (as I said) having the production to do it convincingly.
I was reflecting again on our discussion about Roine's comments and also comments that other people have made about certain styles etc, and I think what's interesting is that I think all the Haken members have really broad tastes and interests in music. Not all the same as each other in terms of the things they really love, but they're all really open to essentially any style. And when one or more of them gets into a style, it naturally follows that the sound starts to seep into their music to varying degrees. When they're writing and arranging the songs, there will be particular segments or transitions that they just don't think work, but to my knowledge that's not been a case of "it's a style I don't like" but rather whether it works as part of that song or album.
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As someone who has enjoyed the last 3 albums (gave all 3 of them 7/10) I can sorta see where Roine is coming from to some extent. There's an added djent influence/vibe on the last few albums that wasn't there earlier in their career. Whether it's there because the band wanted to take their sound there or because it's a pretty popular trend among newer prog metal bands is up for debate of course, but some of those songs made me go "Yeah they're kinda trying to be Periphery a bit here".
Well, I wouldn't call it "added" because it's always been in the mix of their music, right back to the demo. But it did become a more prominent part of their guitar style from The Mountain onwards, and even more so on Vector and Virus because of the style of those albums. Also, the tighter production and 8-string guitars probably add to that sound as well.
And I don't know how much it matters, but I know for a fact that the band doesn't chase what's popular or trendy. Even with djenty stylings being more prominent after their first two albums, that was more a feature of it being interesting to them and (as I said) having the production to do it convincingly.
I was reflecting again on our discussion about Roine's comments and also comments that other people have made about certain styles etc, and I think what's interesting is that I think all the Haken members have really broad tastes and interests in music. Not all the same as each other in terms of the things they really love, but they're all really open to essentially any style. And when one or more of them gets into a style, it naturally follows that the sound starts to seep into their music to varying degrees. When they're writing and arranging the songs, there will be particular segments or transitions that they just don't think work, but to my knowledge that's not been a case of "it's a style I don't like" but rather whether it works as part of that song or album.
Yeah those are fair points. I feel like early Haken was maybe a bit more classic prog, those first 2 albums have some proper epic length songs on them and those albums felt very inspired by 'classic prog', but then the last few I would say both have mostly shorter songs in comparison but also feel more like they fit in with the modern prog scene. I think it's cool when a band evolves but could be the band evolved in a way that wasn't for Roine. :P
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Taurus has a somewhat Tool-esque vocal delivery in the bridge before the last chorus. I can't think of a song where Ross like this before.
That section actually reminded me of System of a Down when I first heard it!
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Yeah those are fair points. I feel like early Haken was maybe a bit more classic prog, those first 2 albums have some proper epic length songs on them and those albums felt very inspired by 'classic prog', but then the last few I would say both have mostly shorter songs in comparison but also feel more like they fit in with the modern prog scene. I think it's cool when a band evolves but could be the band evolved in a way that wasn't for Roine. :P
Yeah for sure, which is fair enough of course. I do think it's a shame though when people (professional musicians but also anyone else really) feel the need to hyperbolise or generalise instead of just saying "it's not for me".
I would say the first two albums are most clearly influenced by 90s Dream Theater, with some other bits thrown in. Those other bits include some classic prog for sure, but I don't think it's ever been a dominant part of their sound (unless we now count DT as "classic prog"!). Also, even though the next two albums were distinctly more modern sounding (those djenty stylings getting more prominent etc), I guess The Mountain also had some 70s influences and Affinity had 80s, so those probably also gave some classic flair to those albums too.
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Plus, I like a band influenced by the times as they continue their long careers. Rush is a great example. From adding keyboards to shorter songs, to dry vocals, to a slightly grungier sounds ect.
A band with longevity, never sits still sonically.
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Plus, I like a band influenced by the times as they continue their long careers. Rush is a great example. From adding keyboards to shorter songs, to dry vocals, to a slightly grungier sounds ect.
A band with longevity, never sits still sonically.
I think you always get a few of those like AC/DC where it becomes a joke "they keep making the same album" and the band is even on board with it themselves. :lol But I think for the most part, the bands that fade away or decline are the bands that get worse. You can stick to your lane if you want and work within a limited sound, but if you deliver good albums, people will be happy. Similarly you can expand your sound and try new things and if the result is good people will like it. :P
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Definitely with AC/DC but some bands are lucky enough to experiment, make the music they want, and still be loved by fans.
I remember having a conversation with Rich & Charlie where we talked about the different styles of music they loved. From Toto to Meshuggah. So ot definitely shows in their music.
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The Elephants Never Forget Track by Track was released today. I have to say, the topic is one fascinating thing to write a song about. You can tell Charlie was really passionate about writing it. I would say it came out amazing.
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The more I listen to this record, the more I like it. In a fair and just world, Lovebite would be a massive hit single. Had to hit repeat a few times on my way into work. The o-way-oh's are catchy as hell!
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The Elephants Never Forget Track by Track was released today. I have to say, the topic is one fascinating thing to write a song about. You can tell Charlie was really passionate about writing it. I would say it came out amazing.
Charlie's so funny - he always sounds so humble and awkward, but you can tell when behind that he's really into something. I think he did a cracking job with that song. It's in the lower half of the album for me just because of how amazing I find most of the songs, but it's still great and the lyrics especially are very evocative.
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Magenta vinyl just arrived today, nice😊
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Eh, with all due respect, while the Flower Kings (his main band) always swim in the symphonic prog pool, there is no way you are listening to them enough to really know them if you think their records are the same thing over and over and over.
I agree. And indeed I would broaden it out as that point equally applies to Roine's comments about Haken too. When someone is not particularly interested in or familiar with a style, then it's easy for them to write music off as "it all sounds the same".
Agreed. I knew some years ago who didn't like Rush at all, and one criticism they all always threw out was, "Their music all sounds the same." :facepalm: :facepalm: Right, because 2112 and Mystic Rhythms are like the same song. :lol :lol :lol
I used to get that excuse from people all the time years ago. A very lazy and unengaged response. They were obviously confusing style with composition and arrangement. My response to them was, "yes, all their songs definitely sound like Rush. Who else are they supposed to sound like?" :lol
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The Elephants Never Forget Track by Track was released today. I have to say, the topic is one fascinating thing to write a song about. You can tell Charlie was really passionate about writing it. I would say it came out amazing.
It is amazing and for me it's the stand out track on the album at this point. :tup
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Ok, this album is REALLY starting to click with me. I’m still wrapping my head around Elephants, but at this point I think I can safely say that this is going to end up tied with Affinity for my #2 spot.
Maybe it’s just “new car smell” but WOW is this a fantastic album!!
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Sempiternal Beings has really grown on me and is one of my favorites from the album now. Eyes Of Ebony is still my favorite, but very song on this album is good IMO.
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Still really liking the album, although I noticed that I often start at Alphabet, skipping the first two tracks. Not that they're necissarily bad (although there's something about Nightingale I find difficult to get into), I just find them the least interesting of the bunch.
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This album hasn't grabbed me by the balls yet (hopefully there's still time), but I will say I'm loving Lovebite followed by Elephants Never Forget.
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Still really liking the album, although I noticed that I often start at Alphabet, skipping the first two tracks. Not that they're necissarily bad (although there's something about Nightingale I find difficult to get into), I just find them the least interesting of the bunch.
Nightingale comes across as “Haken writes a Haken song” (not a bad thing at all - I’d suggest this one to anybody that’s never heard them… it’s a cool tune that isn’t too long) which was probably their goal since it was a standalone single showcasing Pete’s return. But it’s missing a defining part/tone relative to the rest of Fauna for sure. I can see hearing it as a prelude to the rest of what’s to come, and skipping it on repeat plays.
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I think the first two songs work as a perfect “bridge” to the rest of Fauna. Something a bit familiar to ease you into the rest of the album.
I think the entire album flows perfectly. Every spin gets better. Eyes of Ebony hit me really hard yesterday. Just an incredible song.
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I mean this in a good and entertaining way, but Nightingale is almost self parody :metal
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I did start from Alphabet a handful times on earlier listens because I found Taurus by far the least interesting song on the album, and while I loved Nightingale I knew it so well already.
I liked it when Doug Helvering described Nightingale as "the most Haken that Haken has ever Hakened". :lol
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I liked it when Doug Helvering described Nightingale as "the most Haken that Haken has ever Hakened". :lol
fwiw we had a listening party for Fauna the Saturday after it came out on Doug's patreon Discord and when Elephants ended Doug was like "OK that may actually be the most Haken that Haken's ever Hakened" :lol
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I've listened to Fauna three times so far, and I'm having a hard time getting into this one compared to any of their other albums. That being said, though, I think whenever I finally do get into it, I'm gonna enjoy it a whole lot. There's lots of creative stuff on this album, though, so despite this one not immediately hooking me like all their other albums, I'm still quite impressed so far.
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It's really taking me awhile to unpack everything this album has to offer. That being said it hits me as one of their most unique and complex efforts. My ONLY negative so far is that it seems to be lacking an incredibly strong song (hit). On most Haken albums there's a song or two that really hook me. This album really doesn't. The positive though is the majority of the songs are very strong with no weak filler tracks. For me it's a very enjoyable album, complex and multi layered in every song.
On a side note..
A primordial giant at the gates of Valhalla......... :metal :metal :metal
What and EPIC chorus!
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It's really taking me awhile to unpack everything this album has to offer. That being said it hits me as one of their most unique and complex efforts. My ONLY negative so far is that it seems to be lacking an incredibly strong song (hit). On most Haken albums there's a song or two that really hook me. This album really doesn't. The positive though is the majority of the songs are very strong with no weak filler tracks. For me it's a very enjoyable album, complex and multi layered in every song.
I agree 100% on that. I'd say Alphabet of Me or Sempiternal Beings are my favorites, but still far from the likes of Invasion, Messiah Complex, Veil, Host, Falling Back To Earth, Visions, Celestial Elixir, Crystallized...
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It's really taking me awhile to unpack everything this album has to offer. That being said it hits me as one of their most unique and complex efforts. My ONLY negative so far is that it seems to be lacking an incredibly strong song (hit). On most Haken albums there's a song or two that really hook me. This album really doesn't. The positive though is the majority of the songs are very strong with no weak filler tracks. For me it's a very enjoyable album, complex and multi layered in every song.
I agree 100% on that. I'd say Alphabet of Me or Sempiternal Beings are my favorites, but still far from the likes of Invasion, Messiah Complex, Veil, Host, Falling Back To Earth, Visions, Celestial Elixir, Crystallized...
Yeah, after a bunch of listens, I think this is probably why I rank the album lower than the rest. Just no top Haken tracks on it for me.
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It's really taking me awhile to unpack everything this album has to offer. That being said it hits me as one of their most unique and complex efforts. My ONLY negative so far is that it seems to be lacking an incredibly strong song (hit). On most Haken albums there's a song or two that really hook me. This album really doesn't. The positive though is the majority of the songs are very strong with no weak filler tracks. For me it's a very enjoyable album, complex and multi layered in every song.
I agree 100% on that. I'd say Alphabet of Me or Sempiternal Beings are my favorites, but still far from the likes of Invasion, Messiah Complex, Veil, Host, Falling Back To Earth, Visions, Celestial Elixir, Crystallized...
Yeah, after a bunch of listens, I think this is probably why I rank the album lower than the rest. Just no top Haken tracks on it for me.
Same for me and it's a similar story to Virus sadly.
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It's really taking me awhile to unpack everything this album has to offer. That being said it hits me as one of their most unique and complex efforts. My ONLY negative so far is that it seems to be lacking an incredibly strong song (hit). On most Haken albums there's a song or two that really hook me. This album really doesn't. The positive though is the majority of the songs are very strong with no weak filler tracks. For me it's a very enjoyable album, complex and multi layered in every song.
I agree 100% on that. I'd say Alphabet of Me or Sempiternal Beings are my favorites, but still far from the likes of Invasion, Messiah Complex, Veil, Host, Falling Back To Earth, Visions, Celestial Elixir, Crystallized...
Yeah, after a bunch of listens, I think this is probably why I rank the album lower than the rest. Just no top Haken tracks on it for me.
Same for me and it's a similar story to Virus sadly.
Eye's of Ebony is that song for me from Fauna. Very good song IMO.
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As is Island in the Clouds. And Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the white Rainbow. And Nightingale. And...
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I just think the whole record is the bee’s knees
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As is Island in the Clouds. And Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the white Rainbow. And Nightingale. And...
Yes I agree all those songs are strong too and I'm really enjoying this album as a whole (no weak songs IMO). But if I had to pick one standout track, it would be Eye's of Ebony.
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As is Island in the Clouds. And Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the white Rainbow. And Nightingale. And...
Yes I agree all those songs are strong too and I'm really enjoying this album as a whole (no weak songs IMO). But if I had to pick one standout track, it would be Eye's of Ebony.
To me the album has three clear tiers, and I don't have strong opinions within those tiers
Top:
Alphabet of Me, Lovebite
Middle:
Everything else
Bottom:
Taurus, Nightengale
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As is Island in the Clouds. And Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the white Rainbow. And Nightingale. And...
Yes I agree all those songs are strong too and I'm really enjoying this album as a whole (no weak songs IMO). But if I had to pick one standout track, it would be Eye's of Ebony.
To me the album has three clear tiers, and I don't have strong opinions within those tiers
Top:
Alphabet of Me, Lovebite
Middle:
Everything else
Bottom:
Taurus, Nightengale
I would agree that Nightingale is my least favorite song on the album.
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As is Island in the Clouds. And Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the white Rainbow. And Nightingale. And...
Yes I agree all those songs are strong too and I'm really enjoying this album as a whole (no weak songs IMO). But if I had to pick one standout track, it would be Eye's of Ebony.
To me the album has three clear tiers, and I don't have strong opinions within those tiers
Top:
Alphabet of Me, Lovebite
Middle:
Everything else
Bottom:
Taurus, Nightengale
I might put Lovebite with the middle, but otherwise agree. I think Alphabet of Me has become my favorite song on the album and the middle pack are all good songs with the two bottom being songs I'm not too into.
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My tiers:
Top:
Sempiternal Beings, Beneath the White Rainbow, Eyes of Ebony
Upper middle:
Nightingale, Alphabet of Me, Island in the Clouds
Lower middle:
Lovebite. Elephants Never Forget
Bottom:
Taurus
It's all relative though. I like Taurus and love the rest.
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Why is Taurus so unpopular? I don't mind it. I think it's pretty good actually.
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Why is Taurus so unpopular? I don't mind it. I think it's pretty good actually.
No idea. I love it. The chorus is excellent.
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I love Taurus. If I had to pick out a weak point in the album for me personally, it would be Lovebite. And even that is perfect because the “least best” musical idea is also the shortest.
Right now I’d say
Eyes of Ebony
Sempiternal Beings
Nightingale
Elephants Never Forget
Taurus
Beneath the White Rainbow
Island in the Clouds
Alphabet of Me
Lovebite
But there is no song here I don’t like. And I’m sure this list will still shift around a bit the more I spin it.
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List of Haken Songs and Their Tunings
Fauna
Nightingale
Guitar: E B E A D G B E (8-String, Drop E)
Bass: A E A D G C (6-String, Drop A)
I think it's time to update this post ;D
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Totally forgot I made that :lol
Any guitar people or friends of the band wanna lend a hand there?
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Why is Taurus so unpopular? I don't mind it. I think it's pretty good actually.
Is it unpopular? I'm not seeing anyone disliking it here.
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Maybe I'm wrong, but since its release, I've seen it at the bottom of mostly everyone's lists.
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This album wasn't good enough for me to even make a list. :P :P
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I like Fauna. I've been a fan of Haken since Affinity (easily in my all-genre 2010's top 5), going backwards I loved The Mountain and some older songs (Crystalized....). Vector was a bit too "metal" for my tastes (I love some extreme bands, but I prefer Haken - or DT - when the hard-rock/Rush influences are proeminent) but the quality was still high. Virus was a step down even if the highs were very good in my book : Invasion, Carousel, Canary Yellow...
I wasn't very warm at first with the singles, but in the context of the abum, it flows very well. I regret two things : I'm a guitar solo lover, I miss it compared to the Affinity period. And the bass sound is too much processed, synthetic for my taste.
Affinity is such a good disc... It mixes classic prog-metal with some mainstream influences (I hear bits of Anathema, Porcupine Tree-Steven Wilson, of course Rush and DT), with 80's synth-era soundscapes, the songs have multiple connections (Initiate - The Architect - Bound By Gravity, 1985 - Endless Knot) both lyrically and musically, it reminds me a lot of Images and Words / Awake.
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Top:
Elephants Never Forget, Beneath the White Rainbow, Lovebite, Taurus
middle:
Island in the Clouds, Sempiternal Beings, Eyes of Ebony
Bottom:
Nightingale, Alphabet of Me
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Maybe I'm wrong, but since its release, I've seen it at the bottom of mostly everyone's lists.
Something has to be on the bottom. I really enjoy Taurus, and I think it is a great opener. It sets this mood for the album and I like how it instantly starts.
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Only through my 3rd spin. Something's starting to happen. :hat
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I love Taurus. If I had to pick out a weak point in the album for me personally, it would be Lovebite. And even that is perfect because the “least best” musical idea is also the shortest.
Right now I’d say
Eyes of Ebony
Sempiternal Beings
Nightingale
Elephants Never Forget
Taurus
Beneath the White Rainbow
Island in the Clouds
Alphabet of Me
Lovebite
But there is no song here I don’t like. And I’m sure this list will still shift around a bit the more I spin it.
I too love Taurus. My rankings right now would be this -
Eyes of Ebony
Sempiternal Beings
Elephants Never Forget
Island in the Clouds
Taurus
Alphabet of Me
Beneath the White Rainbow
Lovebite
Nightingale
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I've taken a bit of a break from Fauna lately, but in my drives/commutes around town and to/from work, I've been spinning Haken's discography in chronological order, and right now I'm in the middle of The Mountain.
I think if I had to rank the songs on Fauna right now, as I recall my feelings on them, it might be like:
Eyes of Ebony
Elephants Never Forget
Lovebite
Sempiternal Beings
Alphabet Of Me
Island In The Clouds
Nightingale
Taurus
Beneath The White Rainbow
The Last Lullaby
I may come back later this month once I get around to this album again in my listenings and see how my feelings on each song have changed, if at all.
-Marc.
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I'm a little surprised by how far Nightingale has fallen for a lot of people. That song rocks. It's not my favorite on the album, but a lot of people have it at or near the bottom.
*shrugs*
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I'm a little surprised by how far Nightingale has fallen for a lot of people. That song rocks. It's not my favorite on the album, but a lot of people have it at or near the bottom.
*shrugs*
I was kind of 'meh' on Nightingale and Alphabet of Me PRIOR to hearing them in context with the rest of the album. I now REALLY dig them. Honestly, This album might be top 3 for me. It's really a perfectly refined effort from every member of the band. I can't get enough of it.
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I disliked Nightingale until I heard it live. Now it's near the top for me; it completely changed my experience of the song.
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I really like the first few tracks (am I hearing some nu jazz influence?) but after that it just feels like the same Haken I'm bored of (i.e., everything they've done post-Visions).
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My ranking of Fauna so far. All of these songs are at least good, I'm starting to enjoy this a lot.
1. The Alphabet of Me
2. Eyes of Ebony
3. Elephants Never Forget
4. Beneath the White Rainbow
5. Island in the Clouds
6. Taurus
7. Nightingale
8. Lovebite
9. Sempiternal Beings
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I really like the first few tracks (am I hearing some nu jazz influence?) but after that it just feels like the same Haken I'm bored of (i.e., everything they've done post-Visions).
This just does not compute for me at all. The reason I like it is *because* it feels so different (to me) than their other material.
I no longer partake, but I’m flashing back to those THC musings like, “have you ever wondered if the way you see red…is the same way everyone else sees red? Dude…like maybe everyone is seeing a totally different color that we’re all just calling the same thing even though we’re all seeing it differently… whooooaaaaa”
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The chorus vocals in 'Sempiternal Beings' and 'Beneath the White Rainbow' are simply amazing. From the lyrics to the 'way' Ross sings them.....I can't get enough of them.
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Saw them live yesterday and the new songs (Taurus, The Alphabet of Me, Lovebite) worked really well especially Taurus already being one of my favorites on the album. One of their more powerful songs. It makes me very happy to see them growing as a band and playing bigger venues with each album.
Great to finally see the Virus songs live. For me Carousel and Invasion are among their better songs and Messiah Complex also makes more sense to me after seeing it live.
The combination with Between the Buried And Me worked better then expected. Fantastic show by BTBAM as well with so much more energy compared to the last time I saw them.
Final thought: replacing Diego with Pete probably saves them some transportation costs on the equipment considering the ever expanding instruments Diego was using compared to the more traditional gear Pete is using.
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It makes me very happy to see them growing as a band and playing bigger venues with each album.
Glad you had fun, and I wanted to bring this up because based on the pictures I've seen when they end their set, it looks like they are playing much bigger crowds than before. For that, I am happy for the band.
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It makes me very happy to see them growing as a band and playing bigger venues with each album.
Glad you had fun, and I wanted to bring this up because based on the pictures I've seen when they end their set, it looks like they are playing much bigger crowds than before. For that, I am happy for the band.
This was a 3.000 venue. They didn't use full capacity but I estimate an attendance around 1.200 at least
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Shepherd's Bush Empire is 2,000 capacity and they've sold more than 75%. Should be a great gig on Sunday!
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Shepherd's Bush Empire is 2,000 capacity and they've sold more than 75%. Should be a great gig on Sunday!
Have fun!
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Shepherd's Bush Empire is 2,000 capacity and they've sold more than 75%. Should be a great gig on Sunday!
Don’t know why I’m quoting this to ask you this…….but…..will Haken or have they ever recorded a live DVD? Feels like they’re missing out on making some $$$ there
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Shepherd's Bush Empire is 2,000 capacity and they've sold more than 75%. Should be a great gig on Sunday!
Don’t know why I’m quoting this to ask you this…….but…..will Haken or have they ever recorded a live DVD? Feels like they’re missing out on making some $$$ there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-1VE
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Shepherd's Bush Empire is 2,000 capacity and they've sold more than 75%. Should be a great gig on Sunday!
Don’t know why I’m quoting this to ask you this…….but…..will Haken or have they ever recorded a live DVD? Feels like they’re missing out on making some $$$ there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-1VE
This is a great live set. I even went out of my way to buy the L+1VE vinyl just to get those four ProgPower USA performances on CD. I really should watch that concert again sometime soon!
I'm hoping they record (either audio and/or video) on their tours this year so we can get some V/VI/F songs on a live release!
-Marc.
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Shepherd's Bush Empire is 2,000 capacity and they've sold more than 75%. Should be a great gig on Sunday!
Don’t know why I’m quoting this to ask you this…….but…..will Haken or have they ever recorded a live DVD? Feels like they’re missing out on making some $$$ there
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L-1VE
Cool. :tup I thought there was only audio available for this.
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The DVD isn't the greatest concert video, but the performance and audio are still solid. The DVD also includes the Progpower set which does kind of make it worth the purchase even if I just stated the main show (and even the Progpower set) aren't the best from a visual perspective of a recorded concert. I'm also just bummed that you can't see me in the Progpower video :lol
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The DVD isn't the greatest concert video, but the performance and audio are still solid. The DVD also includes the Progpower set which does kind of make it worth the purchase even if I just stated the main show (and even the Progpower set) aren't the best from a visual perspective of a recorded concert. I'm also just bummed that you can't see me in the Progpower video :lol
You CAN see me in the ProgPower set. :D
Based on the fact that it's kinda... better in every way, I really think they should have had the ProgPower set as the main live release and then added in stuff from the other show.
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I stumbled upon this quiz - 'Can you name all of the songs by Haken (2023)?'. You have 12 minutes.
https://www.sporcle.com/games/benlewin25/haken
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Fun, I did it in about half the time although 2 minutes of that was trying to remember what the hell the movements of Messiah Complex are and in what order they go! :lol
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I've got everything except Messiah Complex II and III. I thought I knew them, then I clicked 'give up' five minutes in and no way in hell I would've remembered those two.
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After even more listens, I think I've got a solid ranking for Fauna.
(A+ Tier)
1. Eyes of Ebony
(A Tier)
2. Elephants Never Forget
3. The Alphabet of Me
4. Nightingale
5. Beneath the White Rainbow
6. Island in the Clouds
7. Taurus
(B Tier)
8. Sempiternal Beings
9. Lovebite
As far as album rankings go... Fauna doesn't reach the highs that other Haken albums get to, but it is very consistently enjoyable. The Mountain is my #1 Haken album, but after that I'm unsure of how to even rank the rest. They're all so great in their own ways: Affinity and Fauna are what I'd consider the band's most creative and unique works; Aquarius and Vector have many of my favorite instrumental sections from the band; and while Visions and Virus are relatively inconsistent, they also have my two favorite Haken songs (Visions and Messiah Complex). I am impressed with how strong of a discography Haken's built up for seven albums (and an EP I need to hear more of).
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I stumbled upon this quiz - 'Can you name all of the songs by Haken (2023)?'. You have 12 minutes.
https://www.sporcle.com/games/benlewin25/haken
That was fun. Got 53/63.
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Last night was pretty great! Haken sure are tight live, I must say that Ray truly is a monster of a drummer, but then again, they all are monster musicians! Nice seeing so much of Virus being represented being they weren't able to tour it on release, it's one of my favorite of theirs. However it would be nice with more Fauna material, but I guess there will come a time for that as well :coolio
Fantastic show nonetheless, amazing band really! And they're just getting more locked in each time I see them. Peter was GREAT on the keys as well! BTBAM also delivered, gotta check them out more!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/AlpIT6LcA4kFsahFt7GXUy3IG26dEbT3HDyiwyAAxIZfIgfsrCIfvmHa0kVLbZbq3iuJcF0zjUoEAEwY9fBltHi_ZeU9xOPRW18xh2cS6BWP_XLyUMse4RxwzgxdQ8srS-hHKipBE6e3gn-kkIuKI2_V1Qso25ULTo1AstiCmS8MJ1RxiekMXr1_7ar6fyw2rB23VG0ylnJn0u_M1xGv3cBG2klyUQAibnaWJkR8Lc7hNLatHRVnNtGvGqlkZJYK7lzvzKQruFTllHOJrLjJUBSKzat0HF9cupc0qqHzue-LKxS5sF5d01O0vbU9wcz1PTYMQUidsxbn6vgc89-4zbOCXSmFMBGs96WrxTG3A7gWaJt-txKbmZeLf8OW18XcRG688Jr0g1g93HlsNA_IGDfwW8yxPzCn5wYaOIWofvtI9fF_mVBR3WkAl7E4maDWWuv4K_NaTtr3xrKrapBZLeEgdcx6CpVsXiQRalipuzmEofjnvWgveQ0gxHFYvAja8q9NxnnAdjcbhGap7mi79GInGGpk3lbeQ7dLMCXkJgsJ96krjh4rvQCgh9diUeBb9l-jsVC3vRBGVv1s-t2PrM84-9s-q7Bl_RIVbYpcvPTEjmbegPms59M6JO8KhR_svPt8Agr24jXYfiTxrciazYYihaFCmFIzaUvJS6yXDRVWfZeDvv3PFAvdiad63Jl82QUO2k4Kq4DoGVZkrqvFOIGsPYzsbdTAvbc2ynzPF4EbHYfMnaNj4M_CnHRIXfTX4sEdlepFBMq-kwpp6G6vhC9dHshjEqzcriWmvPW8Fs2c5UUM2FOrxeUtSXsBPCm3yGuko00MfWjFnpPD2R2-bDKRaBaqozfoQXqAa0oOhKm-xPHwyPTPnK_orFUxNAQDTcoLsY1JKBvP5jReSqsddYc4LZoqN2RcQ32NVvhxNdbeoRlL=w1292-h969-s-no?authuser=0)
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I stumbled upon this quiz - 'Can you name all of the songs by Haken (2023)?'. You have 12 minutes.
https://www.sporcle.com/games/benlewin25/haken
That was fun. Got 53/63.
Got 100%.
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This video is pure gold.
Gold.
https://youtu.be/vSamK9zyIi8
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:rollin
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This video is pure gold.
Gold.
https://youtu.be/vSamK9zyIi8
The dancing cockroach took me out. The pink elephants part finished me off.
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:lol :metal
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That's amazing. :lol
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:lol
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Honestly...That is me. :loser: :lol
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I'm mentally and physically exhausted just thinking about this, but I've bought my tickets for the tour...
Montreal, Quebec City, Boston, Philly, and NYC. Who all will I see?
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Me, me, me!!
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I expect to hit up the NYC show, but I've got a business trip floating over my head and it worries me that I won't be able to see some of the May shows I have on my calendar so I haven't bought a ticket yet :( I'm still tentatively planning on going though. I've got 5 May concerts between 8th and 27th that I'd like to see but have held back on purchasing.
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Me, me, me!!
Figured as much! I'll likely make my way towards Philly after the Boston show, but if you and Lisa want to do something the evening before the Boston show on May 8 let me know! :D
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I expect to hit up the NYC show, but I've got a business trip floating over my head and it worries me that I won't be able to see some of the May shows I have on my calendar so I haven't bought a ticket yet :( I'm still tentatively planning on going though. I've got 5 May concerts between 8th and 27th that I'd like to see but have held back on purchasing.
Assumed you'd be doing that one as well, hopefully it all works out!
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Me, me, me!!
Figured as much! I'll likely make my way towards Philly after the Boston show, but if you and Lisa want to do something the evening before the Boston show on May 8 let me know! :D
Once Lisa's schedule is out, I'll let you know.
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Sadly, this will be my first time passing up an opportunity to see the lads in Philly. Show is at the Theater Of Living Arts (crappy venue) on a work night with no one to go with. That area of Philly, South Street, used to be cool but its getting quite dangerous and not the best place to go solo.
I'm digging the new album and hopefully they will be back around before too long.
Enjoy the shows!
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Sadly, this will be my first time passing up an opportunity to see the lads in Philly. Show is at the Theater Of Living Arts (crappy venue) on a work night with no one to go with. That area of Philly, South Street, used to be cool but its getting quite dangerous and not the best place to go solo.
I'm digging the new album and hopefully they will be back around before too long.
Enjoy the shows!
I didn't hate that venue when I saw Devin Townsend with Haken there in 2020, but I do agree that the South St. area is not the best place to be these days at night. I do plan on going to a show there soon though.
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Sadly, this will be my first time passing up an opportunity to see the lads in Philly. Show is at the Theater Of Living Arts (crappy venue) on a work night with no one to go with. That area of Philly, South Street, used to be cool but its getting quite dangerous and not the best place to go solo.
I'm digging the new album and hopefully they will be back around before too long.
Enjoy the shows!
When it comes to safety and things of that nature, I have a hard time tracking and making judgment calls on that, but I will say as a destination, South St. used to be amazing.
I'd go down from shows in the 2005-2010 range and there were cool record shops everywhere. We'd go down at like 2 in the afternoon and spend hours walking around and browsing before going to an actual show.
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Yeah...not like that anymore, which is a shame.
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I think I've had enough listens to attempt a serious ranking of the songs on Fauna:
A-tier:
everything except "Elephants never forget"
B-tier:
Elephants never forget
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Initially had this as 4th out of 7 of their LPs, but have just forgotten it since and it has sunk hard. Plus-plus songs might be Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the White Rainbow, but they sound noisy/unfinished and don’t hold up to the best songs from any previous album. Very frustrating (as a loyal listener (.001% per spotify)) Someone upthread described it as glitch-prog, and that’s apt. Lots of cut/copy/paste to my ears. Glitchy. A couple nice riffs and melodies, but where did the song and album composition go? Lots of interesting song parts here, just missing… songs. Will probably revise after seeing them played live in a few weeks. In ranked order:
Nightingale - predictably perfect
Lovebite - almost as good as Lapse, an in-between track that’s a gem
Beneath the White Rainbow - nearly great, but that intro it’s like toddlers throwing a random fit wth, actively ruins things
Alphabet of Me - cool expansion of their sound, hope they keep up this style on future albums
Eyes of Ebony - love the Telephone Tel Aviv and Pearl Jam influences here, very cool
Elephants Never Forget - most fun song, bet this one plays best live
Sempiternal Beings - best vibe, chorus, and solo on the album but overall sounds like an early demo. Too noisy and random should’ve been much better. Let Ross sing the chorus, don’t need extra jam session material to beef things up
Taurus - good song but is intro limited
Island in the Clouds - no complaints but not my jam
Affinity
The Mountain
Vector
Aquarius
Visions
Virus
Fauna
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The band members takes a Haken quiz. How well do YOU know Haken?
https://youtu.be/pyMGMMMOWSs
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Nightingale has grown on me immensely. If it's not a Top 10 Haken song, it's very close.
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I enjoy it more sandwiched between Taurus and Alphabet then I did on it's own.
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Nightingale has grown on me immensely. If it's not a Top 10 Haken song, it's very close.
Agreed, haven’t thought through top 10 but Nightingale would be closest.
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Maybe it's a case of Haken fans not participating, but I am a bit surprised at the lack of support they have gotten in the countdown threads I have done. Ross Jennings got barely any support in the favorite singers thread, and in the current favorite guitarists countdown, neither from Haken has been listed on anyone's top 25 list. That surprises me.
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With the guitarists specifically, I think it's tougher when you don't really have a clean sense of who plays/writes what. People are more likely to say that they like the guitar work in Haken versus they like Charlie's guitar parts.
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With the guitarists specifically, I think it's tougher when you don't really have a clean sense of who plays/writes what. People are more likely to say that they like the guitar work in Haken versus they like Charlie's guitar parts.
Well said. As far as vocalists are concerned I never cared for Ross and I get the impression he can be pretty divisive
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Yeah that's an interesting observation, and I'd agree with Nick on the whole. Haken's music is obviously intricate and often technically complex, but it's not about flashy playing.
That said I'd definitely have Hen in my top 25. Both are very talented but Hen's playing is superb and more distinctive.
Not really thought about singers. I love Ross but not sure if I'd have him in my all-time top 25.
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I have no clue where I'd rank Ross, but hearing him more clearly in his more natural style on stuff like Troika and his solo album has definitely put him higher up now than where he otherwise might be.
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Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.
And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists. I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them. Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live. I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know. I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).
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I have no clue where I'd rank Ross, but hearing him more clearly in his more natural style on stuff like Troika and his solo album has definitely put him higher up now than where he otherwise might be.
Funny enough I don't care for Ross and I really don't like Neal Morse as a singer but they really killed it on that Troika album.
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I'd say Hen has a more distinctive personal style vs Charlie who is more of a "conventional" shredder/technical player.
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I get that about the guitarists, but I guess I figured enough Haken aficionados would know who plays what and when.
As for Ross, I have never hidden the love/dislike relationship I have with his voice, so he had no chance of making my top 25 singers.
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Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.
And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists. I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them. Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live. I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know. I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).
Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.
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I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At this point, they are probably my number three all-time favorite band. (Although they are duking it out with IQ) But I don’t know if I would consider any one individual member to be in my top five or six all time of anything.
And Kev, I’m really glad that you didn’t do a Haken countdown right away, but I’m starting to feel like with everything that’s going on with my granddaughter I’m just going to be too busy to do one myself. I do hope that you will consider doing one in the near future and including the new songs. And PLEASE do a top 50. I do feel like you can get enough support around here to warrant it.
Personally, I think Haken countdown might be the most difficult one yet for me. The pain that some of you mentioned in this thread trying to choose a top 10 is going to be me trying to come up with a top 20 for the Haken thread.
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I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Absolutely! Missed the vocalists countdown but there's no way Ross would've made it in mine; and I've got none of Haken guitarists in the guitar countdown also. Btw I need to submit it tomorrow and I've only got 21/25. Maybe I'll just add the Haken guys. :lol
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I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At this point, they are probably my number three all-time favorite band. (Although they are duking it out with IQ) But I don’t know if I would consider any one individual member to be in my top five or six all time of anything.
And Kev, I’m really glad that you didn’t do a Haken countdown right away, but I’m starting to feel like with everything that’s going on with my granddaughter I’m just going to be too busy to do one myself. I do hope that you will consider doing one in the near future and including the new songs. And PLEASE do a top 50. I do feel like you can get enough support around here to warrant it.
Personally, I think Haken countdown might be the most difficult one yet for me. The pain that some of you mentioned in this thread trying to choose a top 10 is going to be me trying to come up with a top 20 for the Haken thread.
I cannot promise I will do the Haken one any time soon. I am finishing the Queen one tomorrow and then will do the guitar one, but I have no more planned at this time. I think I am burned out a bit on doing them, plus it feels like the more prog-driven ones have less interest, and those are the ones I'd want to keep at (vs the more metal ones). Of course, I say that now, and then I will wake up one day and get an idea for a new one, so stay tuned! :lol
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I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At this point, they are probably my number three all-time favorite band. (Although they are duking it out with IQ) But I don’t know if I would consider any one individual member to be in my top five or six all time of anything.
And Kev, I’m really glad that you didn’t do a Haken countdown right away, but I’m starting to feel like with everything that’s going on with my granddaughter I’m just going to be too busy to do one myself. I do hope that you will consider doing one in the near future and including the new songs. And PLEASE do a top 50. I do feel like you can get enough support around here to warrant it.
Personally, I think Haken countdown might be the most difficult one yet for me. The pain that some of you mentioned in this thread trying to choose a top 10 is going to be me trying to come up with a top 20 for the Haken thread.
I cannot promise I will do the Haken one any time soon. I am finishing the Queen one tomorrow and then will do the guitar one, but I have no more planned at this time. I think I am burned out a bit on doing them. Of course, I say that now, and then I will wake up one day and get an idea for a new one, so stay tuned! :lol
Ok. Well I’m leaving it there for now. But if it gets to be July and my circumstances have calmed down (significantly down) and I find a pocket of time, and no one’s done it yet, I might change my mind. But for now, it just sounds overwhelming.
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Ok. Well I’m leaving it there for now. But if it gets to be July and my circumstances have calmed down (significantly down) and I find a pocket of time, and no one’s done it yet, I might change my mind. But for now, it just sounds overwhelming.
I get it, sir. I hope things improve soon! No need in giving yourself unneeded stress.
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I think Richard Henshall has contributed a lot more to the prog genre than he gets credit for. He should be up there with Tosin Absasi and the other heavy hitters. He gets less recognition IMO because he's really gone for substance over flashy style on the last few albums. There aren't even many solos on Fauna, but the guitar arrangements are so captivating and unlike anything else around right now.
Btw I'm loving Fauna. It might be my second favorite Haken after The Mountain. They knocked it out of the park! Favorite tracks are Lovebite, Alphabet of Me, Elephants Never Forget. Also feel like Ross took a big step up on this album, surprised to see such a mixed reaction to the vocals.
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Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.
And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists. I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them. Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live. I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know. I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).
Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.
I bought Hen’s solo album and really enjoy especially when I want to chill out. I need to listen to Charlie’s solo album some more.
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Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.
And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists. I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them. Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live. I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know. I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).
Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.
Wow, I didn't know about this and it is very good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=truq83RHW2k
Vocals aren't his strong suit, but the riffs are very strong and the solos are out of this world.
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I think Richard Henshall has contributed a lot more to the prog genre than he gets credit for. He should be up there with Tosin Absasi and the other heavy hitters. He gets less recognition IMO because he's really gone for substance over flashy style on the last few albums. There aren't even many solos on Fauna, but the guitar arrangements are so captivating and unlike anything else around right now.
This.
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I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
Absolutely! Missed the vocalists countdown but there's no way Ross would've made it in mine; and I've got none of Haken guitarists in the guitar countdown also. Btw I need to submit it tomorrow and I've only got 21/25. Maybe I'll just add the Haken guys. :lol
I'd agree with this as well, and all the other posts really about Haken's guitarists and Ross. I didn't participate in either the singer or guitarist threads (lack of time), but I don't think they'd have made my top 25. I would say though if I did a top 25 drummers list, Ray would easliy make that. His drumming, on the 3 albums in particular, has been insanely impressive!!
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This video is pure gold.
Gold.
https://youtu.be/vSamK9zyIi8
DT version of this video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9N040fuHkyo
The ending made me laugh :lol
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Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.
And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists. I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them. Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live. I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know. I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).
Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.
This, this this.
Hen's solo album took a while to get into because of the way Hen uses his vocals. But this album is just insane. The rhythmic ideas and the whole band are just crazy good. Interestingly, I don't hear a lot of metal on that album. It's very fusiony/jazzy.
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I'm on the fence about going to the Orlando show. It's a 3 hour drive each way. I'll wait and see what the setlist looks like next week and I'm sure there will be plenty of tix available. Last year in Orlando with Symphony X the place was NOT crowded. Anyone else hitting shows this leg?
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I'll be at the Orlando show :metal.
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I will be at the Nashville show this Wednesday. Kind of sucks going by myself. My wife is not in to most of my music choices. If Def Leopard comes back to Nashville, we will be there together.
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I will be at the Nashville show this Wednesday. Kind of sucks going by myself. My wife is not in to most of my music choices. If Def Leopard comes back to Nashville, we will be there together.
Nice enjoy the opening show, from what I’ve gathered on their socials will be a fresh setlist. For me wife is out but older kids are in, closing show of this leg in Chicago.
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I will be at the Nashville show this Wednesday. Kind of sucks going by myself. My wife is not in to most of my music choices. If Def Leopard comes back to Nashville, we will be there together.
My wife doesn't like 95% of the music I listen to so I'm used to going solo. I don't really mind it though, I usually chat it up with people I meet at the show.
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Was mega stoked for the Chicago gig, thinking it was on the 23rd of June. Checked again, it's actually on the 3rd and I'll be playing back-to-back sets at a venue a 5 minute walk from theirs haha. Fml.
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My wife doesn't like 95% of the music I listen to
Same. That's why I had kids (whom you've met, and who ask about you from time to time).
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I will be at the Nashville show this Wednesday. Kind of sucks going by myself. My wife is not in to most of my music choices. If Def Leopard comes back to Nashville, we will be there together.
My wife doesn't like 95% of the music I listen to so I'm used to going solo. I don't really mind it though, I usually chat it up with people I meet at the show.
Mine either, but she's a trooper! She's been to 3 DT and a Nightwish show with me. I feel pretty dang lucky. That being said.... she's out on Haken shows.. :lol
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Well, tour opens tomorrow in Nashville. I'm going to be avoiding the setlist if possible, but shocked to have seen one early song teased on Facebook. That said, it's one I'll never complain about seeing.
Depart on Thursday night towards Montreal. :D
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See you on your roadtrip!
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See you on your roadtrip!
Yaaas. You still need to let me know if we're doing anything on my day off!
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I'll call you this week.
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I will more than likely end up looking at the setlist. Regardless of what they play, I'm just glad I get to see a headlining Haken show.
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Beneath the white rainbow is starting to grow on me quite a bit. The initially off-putting uneasiness about it is now kind of cool to me, and I have no idea how the chorus didn't click until now. Even the screaming megaphone section is not that bad anymore. :lol
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Beneath the white rainbow is starting to grow on me quite a bit. The initially off-putting uneasiness about it is now kind of cool to me, and I have no idea how the chorus didn't click until now. Even the screaming megaphone section is not that bad anymore. :lol
The chorus is definitely in my top 5 Haken choruses (not that I've specifically compiled that list, although I should try), it's so ridiculously great.
I think fans are going to really like the NA setlist. Nick, I'm not sure this thread will be able to completely avoid spoilers until your first show...
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And I would never expect it to, go ahead and post whatever spoilers you want! I just won't be checking it once that first show starts.
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I am really hoping they leave the endless knot in the set tonight.
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So, since they've been mentioning it being The Mountain's 10th anniversary, how many songs can we expect from this album...
It would be neat to hear them open the set with The Path going into Atlas Stone. But, I am expecting Cockroach King for sure, Falling Back to Earth or In Memoriam, maybe Pareidolia or Because It's There. I would be quite surprised to see As Death Embraces or Somebody (I would love this).
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With all the stuff they've been teasing for their set already, I don't expect them to give too much space for TM, but you never know.
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I almost never do standing room shows anymore, so I'm very interested in the setlist, which will determine whether I make an exception here. Someone post it as soon as you have it! :)
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Arch Echo was good opening, but I had already seen them with DT last spring.
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Arch Echo was good opening, but I had already seen them with DT last spring.
How long was their set?
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About 40 minutes.
Love the matching album art shirts by Haken.
So far 2 songs from Fauna, 2 from the mountain and 1 from affinity
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Mini mosh pit for the affinity song. 2 more from Fauna and another from the mountain and 1 from aquarius
Encore from virus and another mini mosh pit.
Great show and the drummer is a beast.
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If what Setlist.fm says is true, then I am very excited for that set. I personally was not expecting that Affinity song, and It's one I was really hoping they would play.
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If what Setlist.fm says is true, then I am very excited for that set. I personally was not expecting that Affinity song, and It's one I was really hoping they would play.
Confirmed that setlist.fm is correct.
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I did the math in my head so it might be give or take a minute or so. But I count the studio versions of that setlist to be about 101 1/2 minutes of music. With audience interactions and the like, it’s probably an hour and 45 minute set.
Not bad.
I’m a bit shocked at how many longer pieces in the set there are. And even more shocked by the absence of one particular Fauna song!
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I would love to see that set list. :tup
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Sick setlist
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Great setlist. I'm a little bit surprised (and bummed) they're not playing Alphabet of Me, but I also can't complain about anything they did include :metal
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Great setlist. I'm a little bit surprised (and bummed) they're not playing Alphabet of Me, but I also can't complain about anything they did include :metal
My thoughts exactly.
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What merch did they have?
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Wow what a surprising set list! I’ve seen them 3 times since 2018 and yet I’ve only seen one of the songs on that set live before. Outside of the songs teased on IG, I did not expect any of those other changes. Not a huge fan of the Aquarius song, but I’m stoked to see the rest for sure!
For those that attended last night- Setlist.fm says one song was abridged; what part was taken out?
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For those that attended last night- Setlist.fm says one song was abridged; what part was taken out?
Apparently, the middle section :o
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For those that attended last night- Setlist.fm says one song was abridged; what part was taken out?
Apparently, the middle section :o
Now I'm disappointed because it's abridged and not the whole song.
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For those that attended last night- Setlist.fm says one song was abridged; what part was taken out?
Apparently, the middle section :o
On The Architect, the middle section, was a lot shorter live, which worked better live in my opinion. The crowd was really in to this song.
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On The Architect, the middle section, was a lot shorter live, which worked better live in my opinion. The crowd was really in to this song.
Did Ariich pull some strings to get that to happen? :neverusethis:
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Not a huge fan of the Aquarius song, but I’m stoked to see the rest for sure!
That's the best part of the setlist for me :biggrin:
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On The Architect, the middle section, was a lot shorter live, which worked better live in my opinion. The crowd was really in to this song.
Did Ariich pull some strings to get that to happen? :neverusethis:
:rollin
I didn't, but when Pete told me they were skipping past the boring meandering (my words, not his!) and going straight to the keyboard solo where it starts building back up, I was delighted!
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For those that attended last night- Setlist.fm says one song was abridged; what part was taken out?
Apparently, the middle section :o
On The Architect, the middle section, was a lot shorter live, which worked better live in my opinion. The crowd was really in to this song.
That’s exactly what I was hoping for. Don’t love that part and I think shortening it will be an improvement when playing it live. Awesome!
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I'm not reading any comments, just scrolled to the bottom quick to tell you guys that I am continually, out of such force of habit, clicking on this thread every time there is a new post and then immediately realizing my mistake and hitting the back button.
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On The Architect, the middle section, was a lot shorter live, which worked better live in my opinion. The crowd was really in to this song.
Did Ariich pull some strings to get that to happen? :neverusethis:
:rollin
I didn't, but when Pete told me they were skipping past the boring meandering (my words, not his!) and going straight to the keyboard solo where it starts building back up, I was delighted!
:lol
I know what part you mean.
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Not a huge fan of the Aquarius song, but I’m stoked to see the rest for sure!
That's the best part of the setlist for me :biggrin:
Last night musically it was good, but the vocals seemed off.
Concerning the encore from Virus, it was a great song for the encore. It kicked ass and the crowd loved it.
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Were they selling any signed vinyl? I’m plannig to do the VIP but if they are not selling the Fauna signed vinyl, then I’ll take my copy to get it signed.
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Are they selling the awesome Hawaiian button up shirts?
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Haken posted the merch table on Facebook
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On The Architect, the middle section, was a lot shorter live, which worked better live in my opinion. The crowd was really in to this song.
Did Ariich pull some strings to get that to happen? :neverusethis:
:rollin
I didn't, but when Pete told me they were skipping past the boring meandering (my words, not his!) and going straight to the keyboard solo where it starts building back up, I was delighted!
That’s my favorite part of the song. :(
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I'll try for a better post tomorrow, but my initial reaction was this was my favorite Haken show so far. That's out of 32.
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I'll try for a better post tomorrow, but my initial reaction was this was my favorite Haken show so far. That's out of 32.
:heart
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I'll try for a better post tomorrow, but my initial reaction was this was my favorite Haken show so far. That's out of 32.
You're making it tough on me! I was leaning a hair to the "Not going" side of the fence. Now I'm squarley back on the fence. The setlist is a mixed bag for me and I was hoping as headliners they would play a little longer than 90ish mins. 6 hours total driving is a lot for my sorry ass. :lol
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Tuesday night with the Queen & Nick, he boyfriend. Lol. Can't wait!
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Copypasta from FB
Alright, now with some sleep and a shower (shout out to Irving's very nice accommodations), a proper recap of last night's show.
While the set had the advantage of being a lot longer than I've seen in some time for Haken, it still exceeded expectations and was probably my favorite Haken show thus far after being 30+ deep at this point.
The set had a couple of big surprises, some absolute favorites of mine, and really made some changes from recent tours to be very fresh. Sound was great and all the guys were on fire.
And Arch Echo was quite the way to kick things off, they brought unreal energy and showmanship to their set. You inject a little bit of that into Haken's show (for folks other than Ross who is often left to carry that end of things) and you've pretty much hit perfection for them.
Who knows when I'll be seeing such a magnificent show again. Wait, I do, it's onto breakfast and then the rest of the way to Quebec City!
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It just dawned on me that Lovebite is the perfect thematic companion piece for Angra's Black Widow's Web ;D
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As far as short and poppy songs are concerned I always thought Earthrise, which I love, lost a step live. Not the case with Lovebite.
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As far as short and poppy songs are concerned I always thought Earthrise, which I love, lost a step live. Not the case with Lovebite.
I slightly prefer Earthrise as a song, but I agree. Lovebite was fantastic live. In fact, the whole set in Europe was so great and better than it looked on paper.
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One hell of a show last night. Always awesome hanging with Nick.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8cCPJKjw/20230509-210035.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/k6kdLyNt)
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Having returned to Fauna this week for couple of fresh spins, I have to say, this album is beyond satisfying (and a huge step-up for me compared to Vector and Virus).
At this point, it's still somewhere in the middle of the pack, but I can confidently say that it's had more staying power with me than anything they've released since The Mountain.
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Having returned to Fauna this week for couple of fresh spins, I have to say, this album is beyond satisfying (and a huge step-up for me compared to Vector and Virus).
At this point, it's still somewhere in the middle of the pack, but I can confidently say that it's had more staying power with me than anything they've released since The Mountain.
I must say, after giving a bit of a break and returning to Fauna, I agree, it's better than I initially gave credit although I always thought it was good, but it did come off better after the break.
Tonight is my turn to see the band in NYC :metal :metal
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Having returned to Fauna this week for couple of fresh spins, I have to say, this album is beyond satisfying (and a huge step-up for me compared to Vector and Virus).
At this point, it's still somewhere in the middle of the pack, but I can confidently say that it's had more staying power with me than anything they've released since The Mountain.
I must say, after giving a bit of a break and returning to Fauna, I agree, it's better than I initially gave credit although I always thought it was good, but it did come off better after the break.
Tonight is my turn to see the band in NYC :metal :metal
I too recently revisited Fauna and also agree it's quite good and I REALLY love Eyes of Ebony. I'd also say middle of the pack, definitely below The Mountain and Affinity, but quite good nevertheless.
Looking forward to your report from tonight's show.
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I saw them in Boston and while Haken was incredible, I thought Arch Echo had a bit more of a stage presence and command. Great band, and I was entertained throughout their entire set. For Haken, the Fauna songs worked really well live and one of them was the highlight of the entire show (along with the Virus song I wasn't a huge fan of on record but blew me away live). Great crowd too, these guys deserve it
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I saw them in Boston and while Haken was incredible, I thought Arch Echo had a bit more of a stage presence and command. Great band, and I was entertained throughout their entire set. For Haken, the Fauna songs worked really well live and one of them was the highlight of the entire show (along with the Virus song I wasn't a huge fan of on record but blew me away live). Great crowd too, these guys deserve it
I'm curious if Arch Echo does a better show this year than they did opening for DT last year. I didn't dislike them and they are obviously talented, but I didn't find their stage presence or their show to be anything special to stick out to me. (I saw them twice, once from the last row, once from the front row).
What's interesting (and off topic) is that a lot of this instrumental progressive music is getting kind of popular. I saw Polyphia sell out a 2k venue a couple months ago. Intervals is opening for a sold out Spiritbox tour. And then JP had a successful solo run through the US. It would be cool if Arch Echo caught on and from the exposure gained some popularity.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
yep. There was no real discernable delineation between songs. Sonically sounded great.....but it was just one long song in my ears.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
yep. There was no real discernable delineation between songs. Sonically sounded great.....but it was just one long song in my ears.
Yeah, I'm with you, but for me, I feel a lot of this music ends up like that in the live setting unless you already know the songs. I think it's part of being an instrumental band. Even Polyphia who has a wide range of sound and style, some of those songs do still end up sounding similar when it's just not stop guitar shredding and djenting after 30 minutes or so of it.
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They were excellent but I do agree with Gary and Hef.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
yep. There was no real discernable delineation between songs. Sonically sounded great.....but it was just one long song in my ears.
Yeah, I'm with you, but for me, I feel a lot of this music ends up like that in the live setting unless you already know the songs. I think it's part of being an instrumental band. Even Polyphia who has a wide range of sound and style, some of those songs do still end up sounding similar when it's just not stop guitar shredding and djenting after 30 minutes or so of it.
I've felt this way about 'Animals as Leaders' also. Which is why I've tried several times to really get into them....but...always just fade out. Fantastic music but I feel like I've only heard one of thier songs when I know I've listened to dozens.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
I agree that instrumental music starts to sound the same, but the energy of their performance and showmanship made it exciting to watch as opposed to Haken who's songs are incredible but there's a lot of just standing there which cuts some of the energy down a bit.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
I agree that instrumental music starts to sound the same, but the energy of their performance and showmanship made it exciting to watch as opposed to Haken who's songs are incredible but there's a lot of just standing there which cuts some of the energy down a bit.
I totally understand that. Not a huge line at the venue to get in right now, arch echo goes on in 70 minutes.
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Concert was fun last night...
Not a huge fan of the shape of the venue. Stage is in the corner, you have to push through to get around the corner to see the stage... the lighting was horrible, the stage was like a foot high so it's hard to see the band playing if you aren't right up front (you can basically only see their heads from the back). But there is a bit of a charm to a small place like that. It is fairly intimate with no barrier between the band and fans. I thought the sound was great (for both bands). Nice people working the venue. Kind of sucked that the show didn't start until 8:30pm. Felt like that could have been pushed up an hour or at least 30 minutes. I didn't get home until almost 1:30am :(
Anyway, Arch Echo was fine. I'm not sure I get that they are more energetic than Haken? They have one guitarist who was pretty active on stage, but just kept reminding me of a cheap version of Tim Henson. Not that he was bad, he was really good in terms of playing and stage presence, but he literally stole his look (minus the tattoos). I thought they were overall decent. Some fun moments, but nothing really special. The crowd seemed into them though, for the most part. It actually felt like the place was most packed for them too. Unless people just pushed up for Haken, the venue back was PACKED for the second half of Arch Echos set and it never felt that packed for Haken.
Haken came on around 9:45 and ended around 11:15pm. I had gone out for a smoke between bands so when I got back in, I was stuck in the back wtihout much of a view. Therefore, I got pretty poor quality video for my standards. Oh well, I had fun and wasn't jam packed around the corner. The setlist was the same for this tour, but we got treated with some sort of drum issue near the end of Taurus to start the show that lead to them performing the end of the song again! I love stuff like that. So cool how they did the whole song and then just said lets do that ending again :lol I thought the abridged version of The Architect was perfect. Kind of like the "get to the point" version of the song, maybe better than the original. I eventually moved to the side of the stage and realized that was a WAY better spot because after a few people left, I ended up about 3 feet away from Richard. So in some ways, for me, the show really started with Elephants Never Forget. Which was awesome live. But for the people who say Haken are kind of stiff on stage, I agree other than Ross. Ross was VERY active on stage. Harder to see from the back, but up close, he was interacting with the band, moving around, interacting with the fans. He was honestly the highlight of the show for me. He sounded good and was energetic. We also made tons of eye contact too. Richard basically was playing with his eyes shut it seemed and had zero interaction with us right next to him. Pete looked wayyy too serious on stage :lol I yelled for Connor during Elephants when it was the heavy bass part and got a smile out of him. Celestial Elixir was pretty incredible live. First time I've got to see it. I thought the crowd was mostly dead for Haken, from the back, but up close, you could see the front row (many of which were females) absolutely going wild for Haken. I still kind of felt the crowd overall was a bit dead, but at least up front I got to feel that energy in the room. For me, Messiah Complex was the highlight of the night. Absolutely incredible way to end the show. I've had the song stuck in my head since leaving.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fv5jiP3XoAAo9eH?format=jpg&name=large)
I can share more when I go through my stuff tonight or something, but the only song I recorded was Lovebite and my video is pretty bad so watch at your own risk since I was still in the back for this. My clips from up close are WAY better, but I haven't gone through and posted any of them yet.
Haken - Lovebite LIVE @ Le Poisson Rouge New York City NY 5/11/2023 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRBatHnBqks)
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Dude, get off the stage! :) :) :)
Kidding; great shot there. You get some really good photos, man. You've got it down to a science. For every one good one I get, I have 8 or 10 of shit.
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Dude, get off the stage! :) :) :)
Kidding; great shot there. You get some really good photos, man. You've got it down to a science. For every one good one I get, I have 8 or 10 of shit.
I actually think my photos SUCK. My phone camera is not good. My gf has the exact same phone and her pictures come out sooo much better. I definitely got some sick vids from up close though. Maybe tonight I can share some more.
Funny enough Stads, I overheard someone next to me compare the venue to Toads Place. I've never been, but I know you've mentioned it many times before.
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When I saw Arch Echo open for DT, I thought they were clearly excellent musicians, but it felt like they played the same song 5 times, instead of playing 5 different songs, if you get what I mean.
I agree that instrumental music starts to sound the same, but the energy of their performance and showmanship made it exciting to watch as opposed to Haken who's songs are incredible but there's a lot of just standing there which cuts some of the energy down a bit.
Well, I didn't say that instrumental music starts to sound the same. I LOVE instrumental music. I was talking about Arch Echo in particular.
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Alright, I'm home from my personal little Fauna expedition, so let's recap.
Ended up doing Montreal, Quebec City, Boston, and Philadelphia. The morning after Philly (you know the night sleeping in my own bed), I woke up, stretched, and I shit you not managed to pull a muscle in my neck. Day and a half later I'm still using IcyHot and sore. So I ended up staying home and skipping the NYC show last night.
Arch Echo: Perfect openers. I missed them at the DT show I went to because I showed up late, but man, did they bring it. Often too loud, but still with good sound every night. They were incredibly intense in their stage performance. An amazing job being technical but not at the cost of showmanship. As with most instrumental music, I doubt I'd be into 90 minutes, but if they keeping hopping on tours as openers I'd be thrilled about it. Got a drumstick from them in Philly as a souvenir.
Haken: The setlist is fantastic. Would I make changes, sure, but within reason this was an incredible set, completely changed from the last tour, with some awesome surprises. Really the only thing I'd like different (again, within reason) is for Ray to have brought the drum pads for them to keep the bit of The Architect they cut and then change out Atlas Stone for Alphabet of Me. The material they were presenting was *really* strong, there was no notable lulls. That being said Haken has one issue they need to hopefully address as they continue to grow and expand. They basically play the set start to finish with 2-3 canned one liners from Ross in certain spots. The material kicks ass, and that's great, but some story-telling or personalization (which they could have learned form Russell Allen on the SX tour), or general interaction (see Arch Echo among others) would go a long way in their live shows. Full credit to Ross who has, like Atlas, carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has developed as both of a singer and frontman in his professional career to an incredible degree, but it should be a full band effort. Haken, who I love dearly, remain my #1 case of how NOT to perform with a backing track. For so much of the show 5 guys are up there, in their own little world, playing to a track as if they're at home practicing by themselves. Move around, look at each other, play with the audience, etc. Or, alternatively, if they are pretty well set in their ways, as I think they are, as they move up it's time to look into a proper video production in lieu of that last bit.
When it comes to backing vocals, big discussion to be had, as so much has changed in this department post-pandemic. Firstly, Pete has been amazing in this department and helped round things out, big plus there. They have definitely added some assistance to the backing track on some backing vocals, but instead of letting that take over it seems to have given everyone confidence. The actual voices are much higher in the mix than they have been previously, and all together the backing vocals are the most improved aspect of Haken's live performance over the past few years. I do feel however Pete is shorted in the mix when it comes to his keyboards, consistently night after night, which is the downside to the current mix. I had several people comment over several nights that the keyboards were hard to hear, and I certainly agree. As a whole I think this tour is the best the band has sounded live, so can't complain with the overall direction. Even more impressive considering they are working with a new sound guy for this tour.
Random shoutout to the Corona Theater in Montreal, where I saw Haken as well as Coheed & Cambria the night prior, well laid out venue, great sound, friendly and helpful staff... really loved that place.
For how great the staff was there, the opposite can be said for the TLA in Philly.
Highlights outside of the actual shows: Some amazing vegan food in Boston and Philly. For people that live in a big city their whole life, never take for granted how amazing your food options are day in and day out compared to elsewhere. Irving 24 truck stops, amazing facilities (showers) and setups.
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For how great the staff was there, the opposite can be said for the TLA in Philly.
I went to TLA last weekend for the first time since we were at that Haken/Devin Townsend show in 2020. Boy did a lot change in that area, for the worse.
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The entire show from Corona Theatre - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrrSlxFo8pA
I liked a lot this version of The Architect, it really works live.
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Here's my full video from the show last week, I'd recommend skipping to the 22:00 mark for my close up shots as the rest of my video is pretty poor quality IMO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X5V-yunzKc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X5V-yunzKc)
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
:rollin That venue has ~700 capacity apparently, but I can't see how more than 500 could fit in there. I don't think there's anything bad about headlining for 500 people, but there's certainly room to grow. I think I liked when they played Highline Ballroom (500 capacity) before, but Gramercy Theatre (500 capacity) or Irving Plaza (1k capacity) would be solid spots for them next time around. I was just happy for them to have the place pretty full for a headline show. I do think they are growing in popularity and maybe opening for Devin Townsend before the pandemic helped. Opening for DT on the next dream sonic maybe?
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
:rollin That venue has ~700 capacity apparently, but I can't see how more than 500 could fit in there. I don't think there's anything bad about headlining for 500 people, but there's certainly room to grow. I think I liked when they played Highline Ballroom (500 capacity) before, but Gramercy Theatre (500 capacity) or Irving Plaza (1k capacity) would be solid spots for them next time around. I was just happy for them to have the place pretty full for a headline show. I do think they are growing in popularity and maybe opening for Devin Townsend before the pandemic helped. Opening for DT on the next dream sonic maybe?
Have Haken and Thank You Scientist as the openers for the next DreamSonic tour and I’ll go to every damn show.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
:rollin That venue has ~700 capacity apparently, but I can't see how more than 500 could fit in there. I don't think there's anything bad about headlining for 500 people, but there's certainly room to grow. I think I liked when they played Highline Ballroom (500 capacity) before, but Gramercy Theatre (500 capacity) or Irving Plaza (1k capacity) would be solid spots for them next time around. I was just happy for them to have the place pretty full for a headline show. I do think they are growing in popularity and maybe opening for Devin Townsend before the pandemic helped. Opening for DT on the next dream sonic maybe?
Have Haken and Thank You Scientist as the openers for the next DreamSonic tour and I’ll go to every damn show.
That would be an incredible line up
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
:rollin That venue has ~700 capacity apparently, but I can't see how more than 500 could fit in there. I don't think there's anything bad about headlining for 500 people, but there's certainly room to grow. I think I liked when they played Highline Ballroom (500 capacity) before, but Gramercy Theatre (500 capacity) or Irving Plaza (1k capacity) would be solid spots for them next time around. I was just happy for them to have the place pretty full for a headline show. I do think they are growing in popularity and maybe opening for Devin Townsend before the pandemic helped. Opening for DT on the next dream sonic maybe?
Have Haken and Thank You Scientist as the openers for the next DreamSonic tour and I’ll go to every damn show.
:metal :metal :metal
Now this really needs to happen.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
This was part of why it was so exciting see Haken headline the Shepherd's Bush Empire which was almost, though not quite, sold out (2,000 capacity). Such a great venue and a great show, and to be among that many people really into and singing along with every song was special.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
LOL seriously? I'm a big Transatlantic fan, and in my opinion they've written some of the greatest Prog songs ever, so it's sad to imagine they only played to 50 people!
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
LOL seriously? I'm a big Transatlantic fan, and in my opinion they've written some of the greatest Prog songs ever, so it's sad to imagine they only played to 50 people!
I also saw Symphony X with Devin Townsend in Albuquerque, NM at The Launchapd (I believe) and no more than 50 people where there. This was back in 2002 when they were touring with The Odyssey and they played the full set. I didn't know Devin's music at that time and it was just a very weird set.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
LOL seriously? I'm a big Transatlantic fan, and in my opinion they've written some of the greatest Prog songs ever, so it's sad to imagine they only played to 50 people!
I also saw Symphony X with Devin Townsend in Albuquerque, NM at The Launchapd (I believe) and no more than 50 people where there. This was back in 2002 when they were touring with The Odyssey and they played the full set. I didn't know Devin's music at that time and it was just a very weird set.
I saw Leprous last year to maybe 50 people. It was weird.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
LOL seriously? I'm a big Transatlantic fan, and in my opinion they've written some of the greatest Prog songs ever, so it's sad to imagine they only played to 50 people!
I also saw Symphony X with Devin Townsend in Albuquerque, NM at The Launchapd (I believe) and no more than 50 people where there. This was back in 2002 when they were touring with The Odyssey and they played the full set. I didn't know Devin's music at that time and it was just a very weird set.
Man, I was 12 at that time. :lol
Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
LOL seriously? I'm a big Transatlantic fan, and in my opinion they've written some of the greatest Prog songs ever, so it's sad to imagine they only played to 50 people!
I also saw Symphony X with Devin Townsend in Albuquerque, NM at The Launchapd (I believe) and no more than 50 people where there. This was back in 2002 when they were touring with The Odyssey and they played the full set. I didn't know Devin's music at that time and it was just a very weird set.
I saw Leprous last year to maybe 50 people. It was weird.
I saw Leprous at The Launchpad and I don't even remember how many people were there, but I would say more than 50 were there though. I have seen that venue packed and not as packed. It was more in the middle of being more packed than not. Regardless it was a fantastic set and I enjoy seeing these bands play that venue. It's also where I saw Dark Tranquility, The Dear Hunter, and other well known bands.
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Haken were absolutely incredible in NYC on Saturday. A bigger North American prog band (*cough cough* Dream Theater *cough cough*) needs to bring them out as an opener and introduce them to a bigger audience because it’s criminal that a band as amazing as Haken is playing for basically pennies at a venue in a basement under a CVS.
Agreed.
With prog bands, it's just so difficult - nearly impossible - to break out of that middle space below Dream Theater. I saw Transatlantic on the Kaleidoscope tour in a literal conference room at a mall 30 minutes outside Seattle. It had to have held no more than 100 people, and it was only at like 50% capacity.
LOL seriously? I'm a big Transatlantic fan, and in my opinion they've written some of the greatest Prog songs ever, so it's sad to imagine they only played to 50 people!
I followed them around a bit on that tour and saw almost all of their North American shows. Most were decently attended but this one was rough. The venue was called "Everett Music Hall", and I lived like 10 minutes from Everett at the time and had never heard of such a place. I am pretty sure they had to make up a name for the conference room in was being held in. :lol To be fair, the guy that put on the show always did his best to get them into the Seattle area, whatever it took, so people could experience them live. But yeah, it was a surreal experience to see them, including Mike, performing to such an absolutely tiny crowd in a conference room in a mall in almost the middle of nowhere.
Then just days later I saw them headlining the Progressive Nation at Sea Cruise, playing to a full deck of people on the cruise ship as it sailed out of port on a beautiful Florida day. I guess bands (especially prog) have to take the highs and the lows. :D
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Then just days later I saw them headlining the Progressive Nation at Sea Cruise, playing to a full deck of people on the cruise ship as it sailed out of port on a beautiful Florida day. I guess bands (especially prog) have to take the highs and the lows. :D
While we can relate to the prog scene, it's not genre specific often. Bands just hit markets differently. I will say, it's cool to experience such difference like your example.
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Very good show last night. I actually agree with whoever said AE had more stage presence. I only caught the last two songs, but they were far better than they were with DT. Haken was solid, and the setlist is kick ass. Architect and Celestial were definitely the highlights, and Ross was the MVP for our show. Down side is that the sound was terrible. We were up very close, but we were still well in front of the PA, and there wasn't any crappy stage-fill. No reason it had to sound so bad. I suspect it was on both the band and the venue. Drums and bass were entirely too loud in the already too loud mix, and the PA was struggling to keep up. It was clipping quite a bit in the first two songs. It was honestly so bad that you had to rely on knowledge of the material to know what the hell they were playing. They were also having trouble hearing one another, it seemed. I really considered moving backwards to see if it improved, but since I'm seeing them again in a couple of weeks I was content to stay up front at the stage.
This is actually a decent representation of how bad it sounded. The difference is that I was close enough to be getting a whole lot actual drums as well as PA drums.
Https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApdXfr_EXsg
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Such a shame that some shows have had poor sound on the NA tour. Sounds like it's been a mixed bag with the full range from amazing to terrible.
The Shepherd's Bush show was among the best sounding shows I've ever been to, but in fairness the European tour had their usual sound guy who is a genius.
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My show had great sound. I should upload my 2 minute video to YouTube and then here.
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Decided at the last minute to upgrade to VIP...mainly want the early entry, but meeting the gents will be cool as well.
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Decided at the last minute to upgrade to VIP...mainly want the early entry, but meeting the gents will be cool as well.
Nice!
My show had great sound. I should upload my 2 minute video to YouTube and then here.
Yeah. I thought the sound was great in NYC. Here's a 1 minute clip of highlights from Messiah Complex right near Richard :metal https://twitter.com/Cramx3/status/1658610281335910403?t=S3WqhiFbAFoCuFrgxa4P5Q&s=19 (https://twitter.com/Cramx3/status/1658610281335910403?t=S3WqhiFbAFoCuFrgxa4P5Q&s=19)
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I caught the Orlando show on Tuesday. It was a great day overall, started with a private lesson with Rich early in the afternoon. Great to talk shop with him for an hour and he gave me some good exercises to take away and work on. Then back to the venue for the VIP session. Had a nice chat with the guys while getting my items (Aquarius vinyl and the tour poster) signed. Conner's got my name down, Ray at least remembered that I'm normally at the northeast shows. I got a spot right on the rails in front of where Rich would be later and got settled in for the night. Arch Echo are a great opening band as far as I'm concerned. Firstly, the guys are all monsters on their instruments (the drummer in particular was impressive that night), and they couple it with a strong stage presence driven by their energy, enthusiasm, and showmanship. I don't know if I could listen to a whole headliner set though, too much of the time their material is a little bit too busy for its own good. There'd be a really cool guitar or keyboard solo that I couldn't completely appreciate because of an overly syncopated background riff or a very busy drum part. The kind of slot they had on the DT tour and now this one though is perfect, they get in and get out before the songwriting issues start to drag down everything else they have going for them. They're also really nice guys, stopped by the merch stand after the show and was talking about seeing them open for Tony MacAlpine a few years back at a tiny venue in NYC. Then it was time for the Haken boys. Not much else to add about the setlist, it's absolutely killer. Vector and Virus are easily my least favorite Haken albums, so the encore wouldn't have been my first choice, but I was able to appreciate it a bit more live. The band was on point though. I will echo that the overall stage presence of the band was a little bit lacking (especially compared to what we had seen from the opener), but Ross (who sounded great) was giving it his all. The only real disappointment though was the sound mix. I could barely hear Pete the whole night, I had to really listen for the keyboard parts that I know well to be able to pick them out. Even the guitar solos were a little bit drowned out at times, the drums were pretty dominant. All in all though, a great show, bummed I only get to see them once this tour.
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Going to the show tomorrow night in San Diego, my first Haken show! Hopefully they'll be a good turn out for them and there's no sound issues like I've been reading about in some of the recent shows.
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They've just released an official live video of Lovebite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5zU4aovRrA
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12 hours... :caffeine:
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They've just released an official live video of Lovebite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5zU4aovRrA
Obviously I love the band but it's a bit cheeky calling this a "live video". :lol
It's the studio recording with a montage of video clips from their shows.
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They've just released an official live video of Lovebite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5zU4aovRrA
Obviously I love the band but it's a bit cheeky calling this a "live video". :lol
It's the studio recording with a montage of video clips from their shows.
Yeah, but I see this more and more when they label a video "Official Live" sometimes it's a legit live video and sometimes it's this. Sadly, this style of video kind of sucks. For one, it's filled with poor shots and often times off time of what they are actually playing. And two, the band is good enough live to release a proper live video of the song IMO. But I'd guess this is probably the easiest and cheapest way to make an official video for the song.
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And two, the band is good enough live to release a proper live video of the song IMO.
Oh yeah for sure, but that's a whole different project - they'd need to invest in equipment and people to record a show to a high standard. I don't doubt that they'll do another live recording at some point.
But I'd guess this is probably the easiest and cheapest way to make an official video for the song.
Well it's not just that, it's also a way to showcase - as part of the music video - shots of their live shows. I've nothing against that at all, I just think they shouldn't have called it a live video - just call it the Official Video.
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And two, the band is good enough live to release a proper live video of the song IMO.
Oh yeah for sure, but that's a whole different project - they'd need to invest in equipment and people to record a show to a high standard. I don't doubt that they'll do another live recording at some point.
But they have to invest in someone to record and edit this too. Might as well go the full way and record the audio and edit that too. I mean, yeah, it's more work for sure and money but we see bands do one off real live videos all the time. I get it though, budget is a concern. I guess I just wish if they went this route that they would do a better job at your second point.
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And two, the band is good enough live to release a proper live video of the song IMO.
Oh yeah for sure, but that's a whole different project - they'd need to invest in equipment and people to record a show to a high standard. I don't doubt that they'll do another live recording at some point.
But they have to invest in someone to record and edit this too. Might as well go the full way and record the audio and edit that too. I mean, yeah, it's more work for sure and money but we see bands do one off real live videos all the time. I get it though, budget is a concern. I guess I just wish if they went this route that they would do a better job at your second point.
I'd gladly take another Haken live album, even if it's just audio and no video :tup
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But they have to invest in someone to record and edit this too.
A video montage is much simpler than a well-mixed audio recording.
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But they have to invest in someone to record and edit this too.
A video montage is much simpler than a well-mixed audio recording.
And that's why it came out the way it did :biggrin: I'm not arguing with you, I understand your point. I'm just not interested in this music video, personally. (I'm also not a fan of my own live video of the song :lol )
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I have to say that I’m going to the Seattle show day after tomorrow, but I’ve got a lot of things going on in my life that are kind of dampening my spirits.
There’s no bad news. I think some of you are aware of what’s going on with my baby granddaughter down in Florida. The most recent news has been very good. But we just find ourselves in a bit of a scramble because there’s a possibility that my wife and I might be getting custody. It’s just a “maybe” right now, but if it happens, it will probably happen rather quickly. So we’re going through a mountain of paperwork, and interviews, and hiring a housecleaning service to do a deep clean, and investing a lot of time, money and energy to child proof the house….etc etc.
I’m just neck deep in all of it. And while a Haken show sounds like a nice escape, the idea of going to the north end of Seattle to spend the day and then try to navigate back sounds like a nightmare.
But the good news is that they got all the cancer out and she’s eating on her own!!
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Fantastic news and obviously there's more important things than a concert, but this is overall a positive
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But the good news is that they got all the cancer out and she’s eating on her own!!
Dude...that's the best news I've heard in a long while. :heart
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But the good news is that they got all the cancer out and she’s eating on her own!!
Dude...that's the best news I've heard in a long while. :heart
Great news indeed! That's all that really matters.
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Going to the show tomorrow night in San Diego, my first Haken show! Hopefully they'll be a good turn out for them and there's no sound issues like I've been reading about in some of the recent shows.
I attended my first Haken show the other night in San Diego and they were awesome! They had a decent turnout (estimating about 400 people in an approx. 500 capacity bar/club (these are guesstimates) - the point being the place seemed about 80% full or so and it was an enthusiastic crowd). The sound was good (although when we got up close on Richard's side, it was a little tough to hear Charlie's guitar), but from a bit further back, the sound was loud, clear and full with all instruments clearly audible. They all played great and Ross was excellent as well. Ray affirmed in my mind my decision to rank him quite high on my drummers list lol - the dude's a beast back there. And the setlist was kick ass! Glad to see a decent amount of material from The Mountain - and the last two "epics", were both incredible! Anyone on the fence about this tour should go with confidence - this is a great show!
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I'm first in the VIP line... Hanging around the obsessive Jmetal fans has taught me well :rollin
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Do us proud with your pic!
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Do us proud with your pic!
Gonna go generic.. Sorry..
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Just got home, and goddamn did they fucking crush it. Flawless performance and the set list absolutely slayed. Venue is probably the nicest of the smaller places in SF, so they sounded great. I was first in line, and was front and center for the show. Meet and greet was cool, all the guys were cool as hell. When I told Pete I knew his bro he was all "I think I've heard that ten times on this tour", and I said "yeah, I probably know all of them too" :lol
Anyways, epic souvenir, managed to get the Haken apron I got for Secret Santa signed...
(https://scontent-sjc3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/343317941_797739931705177_3489239858284054793_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=H3JqA8AKHt0AX9S7gPz&_nc_ht=scontent-sjc3-1.xx&oh=03_AdQRtG1DZoQhec5EW8j2TTvl3TCikyYws2xgjuoRhF7c0A&oe=6497E3AA)
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When I told Pete I knew his bro he was all "I think I've heard that ten times on this tour", and I said "yeah, I probably know all of them too" :lol
:lol
Maybe more like two thirds - there's also a bunch of people I know from the Haken fan communities.
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When I told Pete I knew his bro he was all "I think I've heard that ten times on this tour", and I said "yeah, I probably know all of them too" :lol
:lol
Maybe more like two thirds - there's also a bunch of people I know from the Haken fan communities.
Been meaning to say, I hope they're paying you some sort of digital brand manager stipend between the time here, the FB group, the subreddit, and the Discord :P
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Anyways, epic souvenir, managed to get the Haken apron I got for Secret Santa signed...
Awesome! Now that's a unique piece.
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When I told Pete I knew his bro he was all "I think I've heard that ten times on this tour", and I said "yeah, I probably know all of them too" :lol
:lol
Maybe more like two thirds - there's also a bunch of people I know from the Haken fan communities.
Is Pete actually your brother? :huh:
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Yes indeed.
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Yes indeed.
Oh, cool! Then what's his excuse for not being in your Roulette? He can still partake on tour. :lol
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:lol Well, he and I send each other and discuss music recommendations regularly. Plus he doesn't really use forums much.
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:lol Well, he and I send each other and discuss music recommendations regularly. Plus he doesn't really use forums much.
Damn, I forgot to take credit for your recent affinity for J-metal. :lol
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Guys, I’m completely freaking out right now! I wandered all over the University district looking for a decent place to eat, and finally settled on a really cool looking pizza pub. I walk in, and Charlie is sitting at the end of the bar talking to some fans. He looked right at me and said, “Where is your sweater? You’re the dude!”
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Holy shit :rollin
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(https://i.imgur.com/nfcXuP6.jpg)
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(https://i.imgur.com/nfcXuP6.jpg)
Love the Geoff Tate/Rob Halford look! Totally kickass! Are you at a Leave It To Beaver reunion?
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:rollin
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:rollin
Seriously though, I hope you were able to enjoy yourself in the midst of what you and your family are going through. :heart :metal
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What a fantastic show! Just wish they would have played a bit more from Fauna. But I wouldn’t know what to cut to make room. The set was fantastic! And Arch Echo killed it as well!
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That pic is very Dude. :hat :hat
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
In all seriousness, prepare your transit ahead of time. Taylor Swift is playing three shows in Chicago this weekend, meaning traffic will be a nightmare, so plan accordingly.
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The band killed it last night.
I was up front and center for both sets. I ended up getting a broken drumstick from Richie, and met the band at their merch booth to have it signed.
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In all seriousness, prepare your transit ahead of time. Taylor Swift is playing three shows in Chicago this weekend, meaning traffic will be a nightmare, so plan accordingly.
Thanks for the heads up. Planning it now.
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Guys, I’m completely freaking out right now! I wandered all over the University district looking for a decent place to eat, and finally settled on a really cool looking pizza pub. I walk in, and Charlie is sitting at the end of the bar talking to some fans. He looked right at me and said, “Where is your sweater? You’re the dude!”
Dude, that's awesome!! :metal
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
Don't know if I'm cool people or not, but keep an eye out for the beard and feel free to say howdy. Forewarned, I'm likely to be kind of baked.
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El Barto, awesome and mellow is the best way to meet.
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"Desperately toking on the roach of irony..." :hat
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We may be in similar altered states of consciousness...
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
Don't know if I'm cool people or not, but keep an eye out for the beard and feel free to say howdy. Forewarned, I'm likely to be kind of baked.
"likely"
"kind of"
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Wow wow what a show! For once I didn't look up the setlist, and boy was I surprised.
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Yeah going in not knowing this setlist had to be wild, just one after another after another. Show was great, good energy from Ross and the people front middle area.
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Excellent show. Much better than Dallas. Livelier crowd, and far better sound. Wasn't aware it was the last show of the tour. That's always cool.
Looking into the venue before I rolled out I was expecting a real shithole. I was pleasantly surprised. Nice place.
Apparently Hearn was live-streaming the show from behind his kit. Not sure where, though.
When I told Pete I knew his bro he was all "I think I've heard that ten times on this tour", and I said "yeah, I probably know all of them too" :lol
:lol
Maybe more like two thirds - there's also a bunch of people I know from the Haken fan communities.
I told him I was online friends with drummer's brother, which really confused him. Made me laugh, though.
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I think he records himself to put on Social media afterwards. I may be wrong though.
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I think he records himself to put on Social media afterwards. I may be wrong though.
He was streaming it because the guy in front of me had it up on his phone. Interesting way to see a show.
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Cool. I've never seen the live streams before but seen his videos after certain shows.
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He live streams them on Instagram, he did it for the SF show as well, and they're available in his account archive
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Well, I tried again several times this weekend, and Fauna just isn't doing it for me. Lovebite is a nice little earworm, and the chorus of Elephants Never Forget is still nice, but the rest just isn't for me. I don't think it's a bad album by any means, but I just think the focus is on a style that doesn't do a lot for me. Almost every song feels like (not saying they did it this way, just what it feels like) they came up with some riffing and a thousand rhythm shifts and then said to Ross, "Okay, write some melodies over that," and he did the best he could, but it can't be easy writing melodies over music that is so herky-jerky, for lack of a better term. It probably didn't help that my listens this weekend coincided with several listens as well of Affinity, making the difference in overall quality that much more glaring, but it is what it is. At least I tried.
-
Well, I tried again several times this weekend, and Fauna just isn't doing it for me. Lovebite is a nice little earworm, and the chorus of Elephants Never Forget is still nice, but the rest just isn't for me. I don't think it's a bad album by any means, but I just think the focus is on a style that doesn't do a lot for me. Almost every song feels like (not saying they did it this way, just what it feels like) they came up with some riffing and a thousand rhythm shifts and then said to Ross, "Okay, write some melodies over that," and he did the best he could, but it can't be easy writing melodies over music that is so herky-jerky, for lack of a better term. It probably didn't help that my listens this weekend coincided with several listens as well of Affinity, making the difference in overall quality that much more glaring, but it is what it is. At least I tried.
Herky-Jerky is a good way to describe it… I’ve got Fauna last out of their albums but after just seeing them live I might move it up (around Aquarius and Visions). I think Nightingale (album) and Sempiternal Beings (live) are keepers, and the rest idk. Still need to hear Beneath the White Rainbow eventually.
While Affinity is my favorite listen, can’t lie the Mountain songs they just played live were done so well. I can definitely see why that’s their top work.
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Well, I tried again several times this weekend, and Fauna just isn't doing it for me. Lovebite is a nice little earworm, and the chorus of Elephants Never Forget is still nice, but the rest just isn't for me. I don't think it's a bad album by any means, but I just think the focus is on a style that doesn't do a lot for me. Almost every song feels like (not saying they did it this way, just what it feels like) they came up with some riffing and a thousand rhythm shifts and then said to Ross, "Okay, write some melodies over that," and he did the best he could, but it can't be easy writing melodies over music that is so herky-jerky, for lack of a better term. It probably didn't help that my listens this weekend coincided with several listens as well of Affinity, making the difference in overall quality that much more glaring, but it is what it is. At least I tried.
Kev,
I can certainly relate to what you wrote, as there have been a ton of albums/bands over the years that just don't 'click,' even though it's all there on paper.
Even worse is when it's a band that has already given you so much that resonates with you. There's a handful of DT albums that fall into this category for me, and I'm sure we all have a list a mile long.
That said, Fauna has been a pleasant surprise.
I was super lukewarm on the singles, and after spending a couple of weeks with the album, I thought it was 'middle of the pack' at best. Now, however, all these months removed, it has slowly risen up the ranks, and I dare say it might be my favorite Haken album????
I can't believe I just typed that, but I think it's true. As much as I love the Mountain and Affinity, there's something about the lyrics on this one that just resonate with me on a whole different level. I also think it's Ross' finest hour, and as a 'vocals' guy, that tends to carry the lion's share of the weight with me and records.
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Well, I tried again several times this weekend, and Fauna just isn't doing it for me. Lovebite is a nice little earworm, and the chorus of Elephants Never Forget is still nice, but the rest just isn't for me. I don't think it's a bad album by any means, but I just think the focus is on a style that doesn't do a lot for me. Almost every song feels like (not saying they did it this way, just what it feels like) they came up with some riffing and a thousand rhythm shifts and then said to Ross, "Okay, write some melodies over that," and he did the best he could, but it can't be easy writing melodies over music that is so herky-jerky, for lack of a better term. It probably didn't help that my listens this weekend coincided with several listens as well of Affinity, making the difference in overall quality that much more glaring, but it is what it is. At least I tried.
Herky-Jerky is a good way to describe it… I’ve got Fauna last out of their albums but after just seeing them live I might move it up (around Aquarius and Visions). I think Nightingale (album) and Sempiternal Beings (live) are keepers, and the rest idk. Still need to hear Beneath the White Rainbow eventually.
While Affinity is my favorite listen, can’t lie the Mountain songs they just played live were done so well. I can definitely see why that’s their top work.
Yeah, as much as I dig the first two albums, especially Aquarius, it now just feels like The Mountain and Affinity are their 1a and 1b. While their output since is a bit disappointing to me, it's not realistic to expect them, or any band/artist, to keep busting out top notch album after top notch album. Like everyone else, there are going to be hiccups. I get the sense from Fauna that they haven't forgotten how to write melodies. It just feels like they are so in love right now with their ability to play the craziest rhythms and whatnot that that is ruling the day, but my personal hope is that it's just a phase and the balance will be restored sooner rather than later.
Well, I tried again several times this weekend, and Fauna just isn't doing it for me. Lovebite is a nice little earworm, and the chorus of Elephants Never Forget is still nice, but the rest just isn't for me. I don't think it's a bad album by any means, but I just think the focus is on a style that doesn't do a lot for me. Almost every song feels like (not saying they did it this way, just what it feels like) they came up with some riffing and a thousand rhythm shifts and then said to Ross, "Okay, write some melodies over that," and he did the best he could, but it can't be easy writing melodies over music that is so herky-jerky, for lack of a better term. It probably didn't help that my listens this weekend coincided with several listens as well of Affinity, making the difference in overall quality that much more glaring, but it is what it is. At least I tried.
Kev,
I can certainly relate to what you wrote, as there have been a ton of albums/bands over the years that just don't 'click,' even though it's all there on paper.
Even worse is when it's a band that has already given you so much that resonates with you. There's a handful of DT albums that fall into this category for me, and I'm sure we all have a list a mile long.
That said, Fauna has been a pleasant surprise.
I was super lukewarm on the singles, and after spending a couple of weeks with the album, I thought it was 'middle of the pack' at best. Now, however, all these months removed, it has slowly risen up the ranks, and I dare say it might be my favorite Haken album????
I can't believe I just typed that, but I think it's true. As much as I love the Mountain and Affinity, there's something about the lyrics on this one that just resonate with me on a whole different level. I also think it's Ross' finest hour, and as a 'vocals' guy, that tends to carry the lion's share of the weight with me and records.
Glad to see that some are enjoying this, honestly. I am not wild about it, but some are, and that is the beauty of music. :hat
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
Don't know if I'm cool people or not, but keep an eye out for the beard and feel free to say howdy. Forewarned, I'm likely to be kind of baked.
Hey just wanted to say that I think I saw you, but I was too caught up in my own head to try to say hey, and now i regret it. You're definitely cool people. Hope to see you at the next one.
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
Don't know if I'm cool people or not, but keep an eye out for the beard and feel free to say howdy. Forewarned, I'm likely to be kind of baked.
Hey just wanted to say that I think I saw you, but I was too caught up in my own head to try to say hey, and now i regret it. You're definitely cool people. Hope to see you at the next one.
Think I saw you too lmao, tour shirt with Texas on back? IM tour iirc… if yes then I was guy singing out of key right behind you for last few songs, if not then we missed out on a beard showdown that I bet you would’ve won :metal
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That's a fun story. I can't wait to see them this weekend! Hopefully I can see some cool people in Chicago too.
Don't know if I'm cool people or not, but keep an eye out for the beard and feel free to say howdy. Forewarned, I'm likely to be kind of baked.
Hey just wanted to say that I think I saw you, but I was too caught up in my own head to try to say hey, and now i regret it. You're definitely cool people. Hope to see you at the next one.
Think I saw you too lmao, tour shirt with Texas on back? IM tour iirc… if yes then I was guy singing out of key right behind you for last few songs, if not then we missed out on a beard showdown that I bet you would’ve won :metal
Yep. Maiden's 2012 Maiden England Texas tour shirt. Sorry I didn't get to meet any locals. Had a great buzz working, and was feeling quite social.
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This probably already got posted (I'm seeing is from a couple months ago), but it just showed up on my feed...if so, hopefully doesn't hurt to see it again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dKx-HWuHvk
"Lovebite" guitar playthrough
It's SO cool to see how their guitar parts mesh together.
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The way Ross specifically sings the "in you" in "hydro-cosmic dreams in you" hits so freakin' hard, I don't know why. Such a weird little specific detail that I just love.
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A new song coming soon, from Haken's twitter
More new music? 😱 Yep!
"The Last Lullaby" - coming Wednesday 21st June
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fy-xVOpWwAAUHAs?format=jpg&name=900x900)
Given the continued Fauna imagery, is this like a b-side from the album?
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That's the Japanese bonus track, an alternative version of Eyesof Ebony I think.
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It's a pleasant track!
Tempted to pick up the last copy CDJapan has for that bonus track but I calculated the shipping prices and that's a no from me. :lol
I spent roughly $36 on it, and it arrived in less than 36 hours from leaving Japan. The bonus track, "The Last Lullaby", is a beautiful coda that plays off themes and melodies from "Eyes Of Ebony". It sounds like watching the credits of a film, or if the band closes a set with "Eyes Of Ebony", then this track would be their post-concert music to play over the house speakers as the band walks off stage.
Definitely not a necessary track but just a bit of sweet icing on an already delicious Haken Cake(n).
That's what I had to say about the track three months ago in this thread. Pretty good, but definitely not necessary to the overall enjoyment of the album. Very cool that the band are releasing it for everyone else though!
-Marc.
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Yeah it's basically a Nested Shapes remix of some sections from Eyes of Ebony. It's great if you like that sort of electronic music so it's fab to see them making it widely available, but I imagine many fans won't be too fussed.
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I'd rather have them finish that extra song they had for Fauna but couldn't get quite right before recording the album than this, but I'm really happy to see this released, as this is the other side of Pete's music that most Haken fans probably don't know much about.
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So am I the only one here who’s not on first name basis with the band??
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I'd rather have them finish that extra song they had for Fauna but couldn't get quite right before recording the album than this, but I'm really happy to see this released, as this is the other side of Pete's music that most Haken fans probably don't know much about.
Maybe they'll finish that song for their next studio album, a follow-up to Fauna titled Flora... :lol
I'm kidding of course, and the band have even acknowledged that, but wouldn't it be wild if they just caved to fan expectation and titled their next album Flora? Heck, I'd even wait for a new live album if it covered mostly songs from both albums just to get a cheeky live album title referring to both, something like "All The Live Things" as a pun of "live" being a live show and "live" as in living things like fauna and flora.
-Marc.
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Last I heard they don't want to do another two parter and want to do their usual thing of doing something different with the next one.
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Last I heard they don't want to do another two parter and want to do their usual thing of doing something different with the next one.
Yeah I think that's what I've heard/read in interviews, which is cool. Maybe an EP? Who knows. Either way, whatever they do next, I'm totally there. I absolutely love Fauna and am looking forward to whatever they do next!
-Marc.
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Damn they just did a show which was the same US set but with two more The Mountain songs added. That's a long concert!
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Picked this album up on vinyl after hearing like half a dozen people tell me how great it is. And... I'm glad I did.
Lesson learned: I need to stop evaluating prog rock/metal albums based on half a dozen listens at work, and need to get more invested from them up front (buy the CD, or vinyl, and play on my nice system at home).
I'm very impressed by this album, sonically speaking. And I think the songs will continue to grow as they get more familiar.
NOTE: I did notice, no FLAC download code in the vinyl slipcase. Is this a thing now? If that's the case, I'd almost rather get the CD going forward, as much as I love vinyl, having access to the FLAC is just as important to me.
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Damn they just did a show which was the same US set but with two more The Mountain songs added. That's a long concert!
Yep! In between their European festival dates, they popped off three headlining shows in eastern/northern Europe. Two in Poland, and one in Estonia. By sheer insane coincidence, I was already going to be in Estonia in late June on vacation, and when they announced a show in Tallinn (https://twitter.com/Haken_Official/status/1654101577626427394) for June 29, my jaw hit the floor. I mean, I live in Ohio, and I couldn't make the Cleveland date back in May -- but I get to see them halfway around the world? Works for me.
So, interesting show, and it's almost a month later but I'm gonna share a little report. First, the venue (Paavli Kultuurivabrik) had just opened a couple weeks prior. It's basically an event venue / cultural center built in an older industrial part of town, and man, it looked the part. Here's what the place looked like from the outside.
(https://i.imgur.com/iaQW8yc.jpg)
I got there way early and there was barely anyone else milling around. A few other fans started to show up about 30 minutes prior to doors opening -- or, ok, a big imposing metal gate opened. You know for sure you're in the right place when you see Dream Theater shirts, Tool shirts, and this one dude in a trenchcoat who looked like he was going to audition to be in My Chemical Romance or something.
(https://i.imgur.com/lKkSu7h.jpg)
Get inside and it's pretty nice, actually! Outdoor bars and sitting areas on a pleasant June evening.
(https://i.imgur.com/lOmdptp.jpg)
Didn't have any problem getting front row for the show.
(https://i.imgur.com/SeSZW4z.jpg)
And that's one thing I noticed is just how small this place was compared to where Haken's been playing recently. Given that it never completely filled up, I'd guess 200-250 people in attendance, which is probably one of the smaller crowds that Haken has played for in a while...
...but wow, was the crowd lively! I've seen Haken 8 times prior, but all in the US or on Cruise To The Edge, and I've never seen a show like this. Everyone was really into it from start to finish, and they were singing along. They knew the lyrics to the Fauna songs. They were even singing some of the instrumental sections, including from stuff like Celestial Elixir. It was really cool to be a part of that kind of crowd.
(https://i.imgur.com/GAyebAt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/OnIToKC.jpg)
As mentioned earlier, this was a long set (https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/haken/2023/paavli-kultuurivabrik-tallinn-estonia-5ba7ab00.html). It was a solid, full two hours. Everything listed here, plus Messiah Complex as the encore.
(https://i.imgur.com/zSMnDMX.jpg)
A pretty good mix, including a few of my favorites (The Architect, Atlas Stone). I haven't seen the band since Fauna was released, and I would have loved Nightingale or Alphabet, but can't complain about the songs we got. Messiah Complex was better live than I expected, too. I'm not a huge fan of Vector/Virus, but it was fun to see it live. The groove in Ectobius Rex is just massive.
This concert had one other defining thing, though -- it was hot. I know air conditioning in northern Europe isn't the same as we're used to in the US, but I simply don't think there was any at all in this place. Holy cow, it got uncomfortable in there. Ross mentioned it several times, the entire band was practically dripping in sweat, but they powered through the entire setlist with no apparent ill effects.
(https://i.imgur.com/Qm64PVv.jpg)
And then you leave the venue at 11PM, and it's still light outside because it's northern Europe so the sun just set 15 minutes ago. :D
(https://i.imgur.com/upZCfAE.jpg)
So yeah, was a pretty fun night on a fun European vacation. Haken's first-ever concert in Estonia!
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"Celestial Elixir" to close the show...in its entirety????
Color me jealous!
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That's an awesome experience, interesting venue!
"Celestial Elixir" to close the show...in its entirety????
Color me jealous!
Yeah, it was a treat for this tour. So many long songs played "I heard you guys like long songs" as Ross said in NYC (and I'm sure elsewhere on tour).
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"Celestial Elixir" to close the show...in its entirety????
Color me jealous!
Did they lead in with the full intro? Not sure why but they skipped the iconic open at my show, like dropping the needle at at 40s into the song, keys skipped 100%. Was kind of a letdown tbh given later parts (after the circus/dixie breakdown) of the song are slow going live.
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Did they lead in with the full intro? Not sure why but they skipped the iconic open at my show, like dropping the needle at at 40s into the song, keys skipped 100%. Was kind of a letdown tbh given later parts (after the circus/dixie breakdown) of the song are slow going live.
As best as I can recall, Celestial Elixir was the entire song as recorded on the album -- perhaps the very ending was slightly different for the live setting. The intro was definitely performed. Maybe you're thinking of The Architect? That was definitely abridged.
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That's an awesome experience, interesting venue!
"Celestial Elixir" to close the show...in its entirety????
Color me jealous!
Yeah, it was a treat for this tour. So many long songs played "I heard you guys like long songs" as Ross said in NYC (and I'm sure elsewhere on tour).
Yep, he said that in San Diego as well.
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Not sure if this was posted already but I always love a good drum cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIczBcQI2Ho
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Haken posted something "big" is coming up tomorrow (today) and no one is speculating? :omg:
What do you think it is? I think it could be more tour dates. Hopefully a Europe tour :metal
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They released the Virus Japanese bonus track, an acoustic version of Canary Yellow featuring Courtney from Bent Knee dueting with Ross.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_oZ6AQlwxg&pp=ygUTaGFrZW4gY2FuYXJ5IHllbGxvdw%3D%3D
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Would of loved this version in the actual album (with Courtney singing in English). Still a cool version though.
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hey all, i am an haken enjoyer as well!
when listening to their discography again recently, i decided to rank their albums, and this is what i came up with:
The Mountain
Aquarius
Fauna
Affinity
Visions
Vector
Virus
what do you think?
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hey all, i am an haken enjoyer as well!
when listening to their discography again recently, i decided to rank their albums, and this is what i came up with:
The Mountain
Aquarius
Fauna
Affinity
Visions
Vector
Virus
what do you think?
I think -
The Mountain
Affinity
Fauna
Visions
Virus
Vector
Aquarius
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hey all, i am an haken enjoyer as well!
when listening to their discography again recently, i decided to rank their albums, and this is what i came up with:
The Mountain
Aquarius
Fauna
Affinity
Visions
Vector
Virus
what do you think?
I think -
The Mountain
Affinity
Fauna
Visions
Virus
Vector
Aquarius
I think...
Visions
Affinity / Fauna
The Mountain / Aquarius
Vector / Virus
-Marc.
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Affinity
Mountain
Vector
Visions
Fauna
Virus
Aquarius
I liked Fauna a lot when it came out. Listened to it again recently for the first time in a while and I just wasn’t feeling it.
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The Mountain
Affinity
Fauna
Visions
Aquarius
Virus
Vector
-
Aquarius
Vector
The Mountain
Fauna
Visions
Affinity
Virus
The Mountain and Fauna might actually switch at some point in the future, though.
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The Mountain
Aquarius
Affinity
Fauna
Visions
Vector
Virus
-
The Mountain
Fauna
---------
Virus
Affinity
---------
Vector
Restoration
Visions
---------
Aquarius
Demo
Top 2 are pretty much neck and neck. The order of the rest feels pretty settled although there are still pretty clear tiers so I've presented them that way.
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I can only do tiers:
Affinity and The Mountain
Fauna, Aquarius, and Visions
Vector and Virus
Though Fauna is threating to at least break out into a new tier, if not join the top two.
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Visions/The Mountain/Affinity
Aquarius
Vector
Fauna
Virus
-
Affinity
Fauna
Virus
Visions
The Mountain
Aquarius
Vector
-
Affinity / The Mountain
Vector
Aquarius / Visions / Fauna / Virus
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wow, lot's of varied opionions!! thanks for the insight, y'all! :hefdaddy
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The Mountain
Visions
Fauna
Virus
Aquarius
Affinity
Vector
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The Mountain turns 10 years old today. It's still my favourite Haken album.
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Just an amazing album from start to finish! It absolutely deserves to be mentioned among the greatest Prog rock albums ever released
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I concur!
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It still feels like a fresh, new album to me. What a fast ten years.
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It still feels like a fresh, new album to me. What a fast ten years.
i agree, the musicianship on display here is absolutely top-notch. the way each instrument weaves in and out of the songs is nothing short of masterful. the guitar work is intricate and emotive, the bass lines are groovy and powerful, and the drumming is simply next level. the vocals, too, are out of this world. ross jennings' voice is incredibly versatile, going from gentle and melodic to intense and powerful in a heartbeat. his lyrics are thought-provoking and meaningful, adding an extra layer of depth to the music. each track on the mountain is a journey in itself. the way they seamlessly blend different musical styles, from progressive rock to metal to jazz fusion, is nothing short of genius. and the concept behind the album, exploring the themes of self-discovery and personal growth, adds an extra layer of depth to the music. it's one of those albums that you can listen to from start to finish and get lost in the story it tells. the production quality is also top-notch. every instrument is clear and well-balanced, and the mix allows you to hear all the intricate details in the music. it's clear that a lot of time and care went into the production of this album.
i also have to give a shoutout to the album artwork. it's stunning and captures the essence of the music perfectly.
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It still feels like a fresh, new album to me. What a fast ten years.
It’s an all-time great, easily. Pareidolia is my favorite song of theirs, but can’t deny Falling Back to Earth is one of the best ever. And that’s not mentioning Cockroach King or any others… what an album
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For anyone interested, I am starting a Haken Survivor here in the Polls & Survivors Subforum - https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=58567.0
-Marc.
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For anyone interested, I am starting a Haken Survivor here in the Polls & Survivors Subforum - https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=58567.0
-Marc.
3
I would love to participate, but every time I check out one of the 'survivor' threads, I realize that I have no idea what's going on–anyone care to explain (in layman's terms bc I'm a bit old and slow these days) how it works?
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For anyone interested, I am starting a Haken Survivor here in the Polls & Survivors Subforum - https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=58567.0 (https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=58567.0)
-Marc.
3
I would love to participate, but every time I check out one of the 'survivor' threads, I realize that I have no idea what's going on–anyone care to explain (in layman's terms bc I'm a bit old and slow these days) how it works?
Each round you vote for your least favourite song. The one with most votes gets eliminated. This continues until there's (usually) two left from that album round, those go to the finals. It depends on how the person running the survivor has set up the rules.
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Sorry for the post-on-post bump, but apparently they have a big announcement coming tomorrow.
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Guessing probably tour related!
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Do we know if they have recorded/filmed any of the shows on the Fauna tour for a possible live release?
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Do we know if they have recorded/filmed any of the shows on the Fauna tour for a possible live release?
That's where my head is at as well–a live 'anything' would be nice.
-
maybe it's a second leg of tour so i can actually see them ;D
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Hoping it's a live release from this tour.
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Hoping it's a live release from this tour.
Same. It's been three album tours since their last (and currently only) live album, and there's a lot of new material since then that I'd love to have immortalized in a live album. If so, I hope it encapsulates a majority, if not all of the songs they've played live on the Fauna tour!
-Marc.
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Guessing probably tour related!
Hoping it's a big big announcement in that case :coolio
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Hoping for a Vector/Virus live recorded with some Fauna material there.
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Guessing probably tour related!
Hoping it's a big big announcement in that case :coolio
Same
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AN EVENING WITH HAKEN 🎭
We're beyond excited to announce our first ever "An Evening with Haken" tour next year in North America! It's something we've been talking about and wanting to do for a while, and which we'll be hoping to take elsewhere too after this run. Given our growing discography it gets harder and harder each year to choose a setlist that covers everything we want and also pleases all of our fans. With the full evening to ourselves, we have the freedom to really dig deep into the back catalogue! You can expect Fauna in its entirety, and a whole lot of different Haken music old and new. So come and join us for "An Evening with Haken" in February and March 2024! 🐒
Tickets: hakenmusic.com/tour
#eveningwithhaken
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Wow, coming to Red Bank NJ! :metal
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Really really hoping they record/release a live album from these dates.
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Wow, not what I was expecting!
I guess it's time for a road trip to beautiful Asheville!
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Somerville Theater on a Friday night? Why yes please.
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A live release would be greatly appreciated
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Heck yeah.......we get a St. Louis Date!!!!!
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Closest date to me is four hours away...hmmmm
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Looks like it's Boulder for me.
I was expecting a live release, but a live release of this will be epic. I can only imagine what they'd play. Visions has to be played.
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"Fauna in its entirety!"
That's gonna amazing! Such a good album, I hope a show will be recorded for a live album!
I'm eyeing the Baltimore date!
-Marc.
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I'm jealous.
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oh wow, awesome! i'd love to check out the colorado show. anyone got presale codes? :)
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Now the question is do I see it in Red Bank and drive home or do I make a night of it in times square? The latter could be more enticing if it was a chance to meet some of you fine people.
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That Baltimore show is a maybe.
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The Februaryness of it is kind of a bummer to those of us who'd typically travel. And sadly no Wang show, where weather would be unlikely to screw things up. A month or two later I'd hit all four shows from MA to NJ, but Feb isn't something I want to gamble on. SoCal is probably my most likely option for multiple shows.
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The Februaryness of it is kind of a bummer to those of us who'd typically travel. And sadly no Wang show, where weather would be unlikely to screw things up. A month or two later I'd hit all four shows from MA to NJ, but Feb isn't something I want to gamble on. SoCal is probably my most likely option for multiple shows.
That global warming has lead to very little snow lately up here. It's a risk, but may not be as risky as one might normally think.
I'm debating if I should do BOTH NY and NJ. Palladium Times Square is almost 4 times the size of their typical NY show, so I kind of expect the curtain to be down and they don't sell the seats, maybe make it closer to a 1k capacity. The NJ show at the Vogel is a small apparently 800 person GA venue. I'd be shocked if they can pull more than 500 people out to this venue with the NYC show not that far off. I've only been to the Vogel once and wasn't crazy about it other than the newness of it (seemed nice and clean). But I think it could make for a good show to see them compared to where they played in NYC this year.
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The Februaryness of it is kind of a bummer to those of us who'd typically travel. And sadly no Wang show, where weather would be unlikely to screw things up. A month or two later I'd hit all four shows from MA to NJ, but Feb isn't something I want to gamble on. SoCal is probably my most likely option for multiple shows.
That global warming has lead to very little snow lately up here. It's a risk, but may not be as risky as one might normally think.
I'm debating if I should do BOTH NY and NJ. Palladium Times Square is almost 4 times the size of their typical NY show, so I kind of expect the curtain to be down and they don't sell the seats, maybe make it closer to a 1k capacity. The NJ show at the Vogel is a small apparently 800 person GA venue. I'd be shocked if they can pull more than 500 people out to this venue with the NYC show not that far off. I've only been to the Vogel once and wasn't crazy about it other than the newness of it (seemed nice and clean). But I think it could make for a good show to see them compared to where they played in NYC this year.
Unfortunately, planning a long venture like that makes me quite risk averse. Hell, February's not entirely safe in Texas. :lol So-Cal is pretty much the only area that I'd be confident planning ahead for, I reckon.
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Wow, not what I was expecting!
I guess it's time for a road trip to beautiful Asheville!
I missed them earlier this year when they came through but I'll try and catch the Asheville show.
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So Haken just wrapped up a whole US tour focussing on Fauna and now announce another US tour while Europe still only got a co-headliner tour with half a set for each band? Not cool.
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Surprised that Philly is being skipped, as they've had good crowds there. Will hit either/both of NYC and Red Bank.
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So Haken just wrapped up a whole US tour focussing on Fauna and now announce another US tour while Europe still only got a co-headliner tour with half a set for each band? Not cool.
Europe should happen too, don't worry. Just more complex to arrange because there are so many different countries.
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It should also be noted there is a time limit for America. To make any sense they have to do the run before or after the cruise, and need to have a ton of ducks in a row in the leadup for that.
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Visions/The Mountain/Affinity
Aquarius
Vector
Fauna
Virus
This is a ranking I can get on board with. I would rank exactly the same.
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The Februaryness of it is kind of a bummer to those of us who'd typically travel. And sadly no Wang show, where weather would be unlikely to screw things up. A month or two later I'd hit all four shows from MA to NJ, but Feb isn't something I want to gamble on. SoCal is probably my most likely option for multiple shows.
That global warming has lead to very little snow lately up here. It's a risk, but may not be as risky as one might normally think.
I'm debating if I should do BOTH NY and NJ. Palladium Times Square is almost 4 times the size of their typical NY show, so I kind of expect the curtain to be down and they don't sell the seats, maybe make it closer to a 1k capacity. The NJ show at the Vogel is a small apparently 800 person GA venue. I'd be shocked if they can pull more than 500 people out to this venue with the NYC show not that far off. I've only been to the Vogel once and wasn't crazy about it other than the newness of it (seemed nice and clean). But I think it could make for a good show to see them compared to where they played in NYC this year.
Unfortunately, planning a long venture like that makes me quite risk averse. Hell, February's not entirely safe in Texas. :lol So-Cal is pretty much the only area that I'd be confident planning ahead for, I reckon.
Yeah makes sense. Given all the crazy ways concerts can be cancelled, risk aversion for traveling to shows is important.
Now the question is do I see it in Red Bank and drive home or do I make a night of it in times square? The latter could be more enticing if it was a chance to meet some of you fine people.
Red Bank is pretty local to me. One could actually take a 80-90 minute train from NYC to Red Bank, venue is right near the station. I'm like 100% sure I'm going there. NYC is doable, but will cost more (to get there) and I'm not 100% sure I need to see this show twice since I saw them 3 times within the last two years already. So I'm going to wait closer to the date to decide I want to go to NYC as well.
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just scored a ticket to the boulder show! cost was reasonable too! super excited :metal
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I'm loving the news about Haken's extended tour dates, but I'm crossing my fingers for a European stop too! I'd absolutely love to see Fauna live – it's such an incredible album.
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I'm loving the news about Haken's extended tour dates, but I'm crossing my fingers for a European stop too! I'd absolutely love to see Fauna live – it's such an incredible album.
I don't know what the setlist plans will be but I'm confident there'll be a big European tour next year.
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Ariich, any idea on they will be adding dates to this leg? Or do you think it’s pretty much set in stone?
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I got my ticket for nyc. I'm smack dab in the middle, last row before the mixing board.
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I got my ticket for nyc. I'm smack dab in the middle, last row before the mixing board.
Oh wow, they put seats on the floor! Of all the shows I've seen at that venue, never seen seats on the floor. Interesting. They did the same with the Vogel in Red Bank, so no GA pits for these shows.
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code FAUNA is working for the bandsintown presale that's currently running. Are all venues seated? Both LA shows appear to be reserved seats at venues that are typically GA, not sure if it's an error on the ticketing side or a new strategy for Haken shows..
Decent chance I end up at both LA and Anaheim, but i guess it depends if they are actually GA or if I need to decide how much i want to spend on seats at each show
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:lol yeah, I was just guessing codes and tried FAUNA and it worked for both NYC and NJ. Scooped up front row on Richards side for NJ.
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the colorado show appears to be mostly seated with what seems like a very small standing area in the back of the seats
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LA venue isn't letting you select individual seats, just best in a section :yeahright
Really don't want to spend $85 for the best seat if the $50 seats aren't too far back, just no way to know right now :tdwn
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LA venue isn't letting you select individual seats, just best in a section :yeahright
Really don't want to spend $85 for the best seat if the $50 seats aren't too far back, just no way to know right now :tdwn
Indeed. There doesn't seem to be a seating chart. I can tell you that $85 was kicking back row A (which may or may not be the front row) and $50 was returning row E (same disclaimer). Also no way of knowing where these seats are in relation to center.
Seriously, all seated? This kind of through my afternoon into chaos.
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LA venue isn't letting you select individual seats, just best in a section :yeahright
Really don't want to spend $85 for the best seat if the $50 seats aren't too far back, just no way to know right now :tdwn
Indeed. There doesn't seem to be a seating chart. I can tell you that $85 was kicking back row A (which may or may not be the front row) and $50 was returning row E (same disclaimer). Also no way of knowing where these seats are in relation to center.
Seriously, all seated? This kind of through my afternoon into chaos.
It's disappointing because I work right up the street from the Fonda and would get a box office ticket to save on fees, but if I need to actually select a seat then I don't want to wait and let the good stuff disappear. And after dropping $$$ for two G3 shows I don't want to spend a ton just to have a close seat. Reached out to the venue for clarification but who knows what their response time will be..
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LA venue isn't letting you select individual seats, just best in a section :yeahright
Really don't want to spend $85 for the best seat if the $50 seats aren't too far back, just no way to know right now :tdwn
Indeed. There doesn't seem to be a seating chart. I can tell you that $85 was kicking back row A (which may or may not be the front row) and $50 was returning row E (same disclaimer). Also no way of knowing where these seats are in relation to center.
Seriously, all seated? This kind of through my afternoon into chaos.
It's disappointing because I work right up the street from the Fonda and would get a box office ticket to save on fees, but if I need to actually select a seat then I don't want to wait and let the good stuff disappear. And after dropping $$$ for two G3 shows I don't want to spend a ton just to have a close seat. Reached out to the venue for clarification but who knows what their response time will be..
This may or may not be the correct chart, but the seat numbers do correspond. I bought A-102 on the basis that this is correct.
(https://broadwayscene.com/seating/large/booth.jpg)
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Ariich, any idea on they will be adding dates to this leg? Or do you think it’s pretty much set in stone?
This is it for the North American leg. They're hoping to sort a European one as well.
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I was just guessing codes and tried FAUNA and it worked for both NYC and NJ. Scooped up front row for NJ.
same :tup
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I am also front row for NJ. My tentative plan is to get a place in Red Bank near the station on Saturday, train into NYC and see the show, train back out, and then stay in Red Bank overnight and be there for the Sunday show.
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Decided screw it, i'll just buy the ticket and then complain to AXS if there's a problem later :lol
A106 for LA, still might do Anaheim as well :metal
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Fauna is the presale code for the Ft Worth venue. It's GA so I don't think it matters at this show anyway. Code might work for other venues.
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Fauna is the presale code for the Ft Worth venue. It's GA so I don't think it matters at this show anyway. Code might work for other venues.
Worked for Chicago (St Charles)
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Fauna is the presale code for the Ft Worth venue. It's GA so I don't think it matters at this show anyway. Code might work for other venues.
Negative. Reserved seating on the floor and the mezz. A layer of reserved towards the back and a few 4-tops.
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Fauna is the presale code for the Ft Worth venue. It's GA so I don't think it matters at this show anyway. Code might work for other venues.
Negative. Reserved seating on the floor and the mezz. A layer of reserved towards the back and a few 4-tops.
Shit, sorry about that. A lot of good seats left. I saw GA and assumed it was the whole floor.
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Just checked the Asheville venue and it looks like it's standing room only. Going to grab a ticket!
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:baconWHATTHEHELLISTHAT!:
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Just picked up 5 tix for the February show in St. Louis.....it'll be a GMD family affair! The three boys and wife and I. Glad I popped in to check on tix because there wasn't much left....I basically had two choices where there were 5 seats together so had to grab them today.
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spinning fauna again. this record is so good :metal
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Just picked up 5 tix for the February show in St. Louis.....it'll be a GMD family affair! The three boys and wife and I. Glad I popped in to check on tix because there wasn't much left....I basically had two choices where there were 5 seats together so had to grab them today.
I'm probably going to go to that concert, but I have to wait until closer to the time to get tickets, probably try to find them on the resale market. Also gotta convince the Mrs first lol
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I married a girl that loves prog. Hit the jackpot.
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I am also front row for NJ. My tentative plan is to get a place in Red Bank near the station on Saturday, train into NYC and see the show, train back out, and then stay in Red Bank overnight and be there for the Sunday show.
Let me know when this gets closer. I live 20 minutes north of Red Bank and 60 minutes south of NYC (both accessible via train near my house albeit closer to a 75 minute train ride than 60 minute drive). Red Bank is a nice town (not sure if you've been there) so I get if you want to stay there, but might save you some money to crash on the couch.
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Just picked up 5 tix for the February show in St. Louis.....it'll be a GMD family affair! The three boys and wife and I. Glad I popped in to check on tix because there wasn't much left....I basically had two choices where there were 5 seats together so had to grab them today.
I'm probably going to go to that concert, but I have to wait until closer to the time to get tickets, probably try to find them on the resale market. Also gotta convince the Mrs first lol
Let me know if you end up going…
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I am also front row for NJ. My tentative plan is to get a place in Red Bank near the station on Saturday, train into NYC and see the show, train back out, and then stay in Red Bank overnight and be there for the Sunday show.
Let me know when this gets closer. I live 20 minutes north of Red Bank and 60 minutes south of NYC (both accessible via train near my house albeit closer to a 75 minute train ride than 60 minute drive). Red Bank is a nice town (not sure if you've been there) so I get if you want to stay there, but might save you some money to crash on the couch.
Oh man, thanks a bunch, I will definitely reach out about taking you up on that.
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List of Haken Songs and Their Tunings
Paging Metropolaris to see if he could complete the list with the songs from Fauna :hefdaddy
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"Elephants never forget" guitar playthrough:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX2woO8nK0o
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List of Haken Songs and Their Tunings
Paging Metropolaris to see if he could complete the list with the songs from Fauna :hefdaddy
Done!
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:metal :metal :metal
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Dang... no Florida show this upcoming leg. Guess I should've went last year.
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Dang... no Florida show this upcoming leg. Guess I should've went last year.
100% speculation, but their cruise contract may keep them from playing within a certain distance of the departure port.
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Here's our interview with Ross Jennings:
https://lotsofmuzik.com/ross-jennings-from-haken-discusses-the-new-album-sophomore-by-dvirgilio-morse-and-jennings-and-a-lot-more/
:metal
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He mentiones that some European "Evening with" tour dates are in the works.
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*cough*
Ariich, any idea on they will be adding dates to this leg? Or do you think it’s pretty much set in stone?
This is it for the North American leg. They're hoping to sort a European one as well.
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Happy 5th Birthday to Vector!
I remember listening to this one the week it came out, and I was laying down some faux-tile inside my newly installed outdoor shed. It was on repeat for a couple spins as that task took a whole afternoon, but it was a good time listening through it! At this point now, I kind of lump it with Virus and my appreciation for both has grown as the years have gone on.
-Marc.
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The album came out just a week or two after we had moved our workplace to another office building at the other side of town, so I'll always associate Vector with that move :lol
I prefer it over Virus, it has a few more songs that I like (The Good Doctor, Puzzle Box, and Veil).
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Vector is probably my second favorite release by the band, right after Aquarius. It's severely underrated. :metal
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I’m all-in with Vector, it’s one of their top tier, maybe a 1b just below the mountain and affinity.
Hard to believe it’s only five years old… it’s been my go to music for working out, probably listened to it more than anything else over that time.
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And happy birthday to the Restoration EP, released 9 years ago today. Crystallised is still a top track for me.
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And happy birthday to the Restoration EP, released 9 years ago today. Crystallised is still a top track for me.
Totally agree!
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I would love a Restoration II EP featuring the remaining songs from the demo reworked with the current lineup. But maybe the band is past that part of their career by now.
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I would love a Restoration II EP featuring the remaining songs from the demo reworked with the current lineup. But maybe the band is past that part of their career by now.
Here's our interview with Ross Jennings:
https://lotsofmuzik.com/ross-jennings-from-haken-discusses-the-new-album-sophomore-by-dvirgilio-morse-and-jennings-and-a-lot-more/
:metal
Here Ross said he has been telling the rest of the guys about doing it for a while, but apparently not everyone is on board yet.
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I was looking at old setlists of shows I'd been to, and was remembering Haken in Chicago in 2015. It was their first headlining show in the US, and I think it's the best concert I've ever been to. Their finale was Crystallised, then for the encore they come back out and start playing Visions. We were so spoiled back then. I'll never forget the crowd chanting "holy shit!" at the end.
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The band is available for interview, in case anyone is interested.
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Haken
X
Heavys
Coming soon
???
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huh
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huh
That's what I said when I saw the post on their FB
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earphones :\
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huh
My thoughts exactly
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Yeah Heavys are a brand of headphones designed for metal music. No idea if they do so successfully or not.
I guess this is Haken branded headphones? Cool for people who are into that sort of thing.
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I just realised that Eyes of Ebony has the lowest playcout on Spotify of all Fauna tracks :'(
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I just realised that Eyes of Ebony has the lowest playcout on Spotify of all Fauna tracks :'(
Wow, it's like people who listen to the album just kind of check out after "Elephants Never Forget". :/
-Marc.
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I just realised that Eyes of Ebony has the lowest playcout on Spotify of all Fauna tracks :'(
Song has grown on me, but it's not a favorite from the album so I'm not surprised
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One of my favorites and a great end to the album. Just like Bound by Gravity on Affinity.
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It’s a really nice song that to me is marred by going big after the first and second chorus (just put the pots and pans down next time.) The second half is exquisite, lots of Teflon Tel Aviv (laptronica) and Pearl Jam vibes with this one.
The ruined by going big happens to Sempiternal Beings (end of first verse, end of first chorus) and Beneath the White Rainbow (opening cacophony) too. Two near masterpieces IMO if not for going overboard prematurely. SB is probably their best song IMO if they could’ve held back and let Ross cook.
Nonetheless, all great additions to the catalog. Looking forward to what’s next in terms of new music.
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One of my favorites and a great end to the album. Just like Bound by Gravity on Affinity.
Yep, probably my two favorite songs of both those albums.
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Haken won a lot of awards on the 2023 Prog Report Awards.
- Artist/Band Of The Year
- Album Of The Year
- Epic Of The Year ('Elephants Never Forget')
- Album Cover Of The Year
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All of that was pretty much well deserved. They really knocked it out of the park. :tup
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LOVE all the album artwork (and music too)
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The album art is definitely top tier that I've seen, not only this year, but in awhile that I can think of.
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The album art is definitely top tier that I've seen, not only this year, but in awhile that I can think of.
Agreed
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The album art is definitely top tier that I've seen, not only this year, but in awhile that I can think of.
Agreed
Agreed
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I saw Pete on new year's day, and among other things got a sneak peak at the setlist for their upcoming Evening With and hot damn is it good.
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I saw Pete on new year's day, and among other things got a sneak peak at the setlist for their upcoming Evening With and hot damn is it good.
Just make sure he knows that them having two sets of music for the Evening With does not let them off the hook for a covers set on Cruise to the Edge :hat
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I saw Pete on new year's day, and among other things got a sneak peak at the setlist for their upcoming Evening With and hot damn is it good.
may i see it?
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No. He won't do that to them. I wouldn't either. We do know from their videos that they'll play Fauna from start to finish in one set.
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Yeah Fauna in its entirety. The rest of the set is spread across all their other albums, pretty evenly.
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Yeah Fauna in its entirety. The rest of the set is spread across all their other albums, pretty evenly.
I kind of expect some more Aquarius than usual, but good to know the spread is even. Looking forward to the show in a couple months.
I just hope the second set isn't filled with the same ole same ole usual songs... 1985, cockroach king, falling back to earth, in memoriam, the architect (basically the top 5 songs they've played according to setlist.fm). Obviously I expect them to play some of those, as they are the biggest songs, but I just hope the second set isn't exclusively those type of songs and more deep cuts. I'd love to hear more Visions songs (not the title track) personally as I've hardly heard any of the many times I've seen Haken now.
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I'm just hoping they record a new live album for this evening with tour.
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I'm just hoping they record a new live album for this evening with tour.
Might be cool, I just hope the turn outs are good. I mostly worry that with the seats and the local shows for me not being too well sold, that it may be a low energy show and not make the best for a video. NYC show for example https://www.ticketmaster.com/an-evening-with-haken-new-york-city-new-york-03-02-2024/event/00005F27D1A852A0 (https://www.ticketmaster.com/an-evening-with-haken-new-york-city-new-york-03-02-2024/event/00005F27D1A852A0) that venue is almost 4 times the size they normally play in NYC (although without GA, it's probably closer to twice the size capacity).
Would have been awesome for them to record one of the previous NYC shows that were packed 500 person GA venues that had great energy in the room.
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Definitely not a case of just playing the hits. Other than Fauna, they're not playing very much that they've played since Pete rejoined the band, which is why he's having to learn so many songs! :lol
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Awesome, Rich.
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Yeah, great to hear :metal
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Pareidolia please....please....
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When it comes to what I hope for, it's mostly to be surprised and hear new stuff, which was great on the last tour.
Specifically, from Aquarius basically anything except Drowning in the Flood or Celestial Elixir would be awesome. That said, even though I've now seen the latter plenty, I'd never complain about it.
From Visions, literally anything but Visions would be great.
The Mountain it's tough to complain about anything, but I'd love to see As Death Embraces, Because It's There, or Somebody. That said, I find those highly unlikely, and I think RJ is right that it's Pareidolia's time to return to the rotation.
Affinity is easily Endless Knot and Bound By Gravity.
Vector, The Good Doctor doesn't get nearly enough love and should return.
And Canary Yellow absolutely needs to get put in the set from Virus.
---
And I'll find out what's happening sooner than expected. Realized the Red Wings have a noon game in Detroit on the 24th of February, and Haken plays that night, so definitely making a flight out for an epic day.
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They had Pareidolia as part of their festival set last summer. Always a highlight.
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Bound By Gravity and A Cell Divides would be fantastic.
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They had Pareidolia as part of their festival set last summer. Always a highlight.
Well I haven't seen it since the Affinity tour... So for me it's definitely past due.
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In a twist, Haken will be performing the hit 1983 album Can't Slow Down by Lionel Richie in its entirety.
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I just realized the show I'm driving to LA will be the first of the tour, so unlike usual where I'll cheat and know the set, I'm actually going to be totally surprised.
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I just realized the show I'm driving to LA will be the first of the tour, so unlike usual where I'll cheat and know the set, I'm actually going to be totally surprised.
That's always fun, especially for a band where you know all the music. Sometimes when I'm seeing a band I'm not too familiar with, I'd rather it not be the first show so I can look up the setlist and listen to those songs, but for Haken, I'd love to have the surprise of the first night.
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I just realized the show I'm driving to LA will be the first of the tour, so unlike usual where I'll cheat and know the set, I'm actually going to be totally surprised.
That's always fun, especially for a band where you know all the music. Sometimes when I'm seeing a band I'm not too familiar with, I'd rather it not be the first show so I can look up the setlist and listen to those songs, but for Haken, I'd love to have the surprise of the first night.
Yeah, for most bands I'm the same way, especially on shows I know a few songs from the artists and am just hitting a show for the fun of it. As to bands I know thoroughly and am catching the first show of a tour, I've had it happen twice before... DT on ADTOE tour, and Marillion on the F.E.A.R. tour. The Marillion one was really something cause that was the first show of that album, so basically half the set was world premieres, and peeps from all over the world flew into SF for it.
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Damn.... no Florida dates. 8 hour drive to Atlanta? Don't think I have it in me. Hopefully they'll record it!
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Damn.... no Florida dates. 8 hour drive to Atlanta? Don't think I have it in me. Hopefully they'll record it!
Yeah I was on the fence about the 6 hour drive to LA, but my buddy offered to cover the tickets if I drove. He's brand spanking new to Haken, my posts from their last show was his introduction to them. He's one of my J-metal buds so I'd like to see what he thinks about a band that isn't five feet tall and cute :lol
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Yeah, the no FL dates was a bummer. I originally was flying home to do the NYC and NJ shows back to back but when Big Big Train announced two NJ shows the same weekend I pivoted a little bit :lol
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Splent and Implode, prepare the red carpet.
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Yeah I was on the fence about the 6 hour drive to LA, but my buddy offered to cover the tickets if I drove. He's brand spanking new to Haken, my posts from their last show was his introduction to them. He's one of my J-metal buds so I'd like to see what he thinks about a band that isn't five feet tall and cute :lol
That's a road trip for sure! As a kid in San Jose we used to make that drive to LA all the time. Enjoy the show Bro!!
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Splent and Implode, prepare the red carpet.
Awe yeah....
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Yeah I was on the fence about the 6 hour drive to LA, but my buddy offered to cover the tickets if I drove. He's brand spanking new to Haken, my posts from their last show was his introduction to them. He's one of my J-metal buds so I'd like to see what he thinks about a band that isn't five feet tall and cute :lol
That's a road trip for sure! As a kid in San Jose we used to make that drive to LA all the time. Enjoy the show Bro!!
It's a long drive for sure, but getting cozier with it for shows. Head down the morning of the show, then crash ya a motel on the other side of the grapevine before heading home. It's tolerable, and every show I've done it for has been totally worth it
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Mostly for Count and RJ, but AXS now has a proper seating chart for the Fonda Theater gig. We were guessing when we bought tickets. If anybody else wants to see where their seats actually are, now they can. Looks like Count and I hit home runs.
Stupidly long URL (https://tix.axs.com/2L07CQAAAADV2LD6MgAAAACW%2fv%2f%2f%2fwD%2f%2f%2f%2f%2fBXRoZW1lAP%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f/shop/search?skin=thefonda&tags=&cpch=&cpdate=&cpcn=&cpsrc=&intoff=&cid=&utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_term=&utm_content=&aff=&clickref=&promocode=&q=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&p=d069cb79-9b9a-4b70-898d-979ae69e8270&ts=1707329545&c=axs&e=154910168855290072&rt=AfterEvent&h=55a792a2af49b9fcb8cf230ad439612d)
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Mostly for Count and RJ, but AXS now has a proper seating chart for the Fonda Theater gig. We were guessing when we bought tickets. If anybody else wants to see where their seats actually are, now they can. Looks like Count and I hit home runs.
Stupidly long URL (https://tix.axs.com/2L07CQAAAADV2LD6MgAAAACW%2fv%2f%2f%2fwD%2f%2f%2f%2f%2fBXRoZW1lAP%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f%2f/shop/search?skin=thefonda&tags=&cpch=&cpdate=&cpcn=&cpsrc=&intoff=&cid=&utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_term=&utm_content=&aff=&clickref=&promocode=&q=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&p=d069cb79-9b9a-4b70-898d-979ae69e8270&ts=1707329545&c=axs&e=154910168855290072&rt=AfterEvent&h=55a792a2af49b9fcb8cf230ad439612d)
My buddy bought the tix, not sure where we are.
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They just assigned you like maybe based on when you bought the tickets? That SUCKS although it sounds like it worked out in your case.
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They just assigned you like maybe based on when you bought the tickets? That SUCKS although it sounds like it worked out in your case.
It was a "best available" thing, but unfortunately the venue doesn't have seating charts available for the floor. They're almost entirely GA or tables for gigs there, with reserved seats only in the balcony. Somewhere along the way AXS got the live view up and working.
And seriously, you don't remember a time before picking your own seat? Man, for half my life the nice lady at TM told you what you got and you either took it or stormed off in a huff. :lol
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Well I know some venues have first come first server, it's usually known. Like if I buy a VIP table seat at Sony Hall in NYC, you won't know your seat until you get there, but those seats are all fairly similiar in the same section. I can't recall on ticketmaster or AXS buying a seated ticket and not knowing the seat for the floor.
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They just assigned you like maybe based on when you bought the tickets? That SUCKS although it sounds like it worked out in your case.
It was a "best available" thing, but unfortunately the venue doesn't have seating charts available for the floor. They're almost entirely GA or tables for gigs there, with reserved seats only in the balcony. Somewhere along the way AXS got the live view up and working.
And seriously, you don't remember a time before picking your own seat? Man, for half my life the nice lady at TM told you what you got and you either took it or stormed off in a huff. :lol
Definitely remember the days of a buddy went to the TM line at Sears and we “scored” while having no idea what I was getting into…
A little worried about this tour, got nice seats but much prefer GA still. Was getting bored by middle of Elephants last tour not sure I can sit through it seated this time
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Just got my ticket for the Baltimore show. Anyone else going?
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One more day to epicness!!! Can't wait for my 2024 concert season to begin!
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One more day to epicness!!! Can't wait for my 2024 concert season to begin!
Speaking of epic do you have a lot of obscure prog? I'm looking for something you probably have!.
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I'm expecting the new setlist to be amazing and hoping for a live release from this tour at some point.
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One more day to epicness!!! Can't wait for my 2024 concert season to begin!
Speaking of epic do you have a lot of obscure prog? I'm looking for something you probably have!.
I could, or at least someone here would. What is it?
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One more day to epicness!!! Can't wait for my 2024 concert season to begin!
Speaking of epic do you have a lot of obscure prog? I'm looking for something you probably have!.
I could, or at least someone here would. What is it?
Beyond Twilight "Lurking Fantasia". CD ripp or 320.
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One more day to epicness!!! Can't wait for my 2024 concert season to begin!
Speaking of epic do you have a lot of obscure prog? I'm looking for something you probably have!.
I could, or at least someone here would. What is it?
Beyond Twilight "Lurking Fantasia". CD ripp or 320.
That I do not have
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One more day to epicness!!! Can't wait for my 2024 concert season to begin!
Speaking of epic do you have a lot of obscure prog? I'm looking for something you probably have!.
I could, or at least someone here would. What is it?
Beyond Twilight "Lurking Fantasia". CD ripp or 320.
That I do not have
It was a long shot. Its from 1999. I have shitty low quality mp3's I guess will have to do. Thanks though!
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I’m kinda wondering about the Asia/Australia Fauna expedition now. They’re back to having an opening act, so I’m hoping it won’t be a case of we lose the best songs from Fauna and the second set and get something fairly generic.
Also, Deathless for Perth!!
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I’m kinda wondering about the Asia/Australia Fauna expedition now. They’re back to having an opening act, so I’m hoping it won’t be a case of we lose the best songs from Fauna and the second set and get something fairly generic.
Also, Deathless for Perth!!
It's a first for the Asian countries, isn't it? One of the Japanese guitarist I follow was very pumped to finally be seeing them.
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Some of, definitely. Dot think they’ve done Thailand before
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Some of, definitely. Dot think they’ve done Thailand before
Definitely Thailands first time, Ive been chatting with the mother of a Thai drummer who does Haken covers, and they're beyond excited to see them. The kid actually gets remote lessons from Ray so I'm hoping they get a chance to meet
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Open with Fauna...
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Just seen the first act update on setlist.fm. Looks like this could be an interesting second half.
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Fucking ridiculously amazing show. I'm fucking stunned at what they dropped.
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PM me. Keen to hear your thoughts though obviously avoiding spoilers for the rest of the thread.
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The whole thing is on setlist fm now.
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Open with Fauna...
The second set looks amazing. Don't really care about the encore or the first set closer but I'd still go and see this show in a heartbeat.
I love their confidence in the new album. It really deserves to be played in full.
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Holy shit that set list!
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Fucking ridiculously amazing show. I'm fucking stunned at what they dropped.
Holy shit that set list!
Exactly the reactions I hoped for. :hat
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Fucking ridiculously amazing show. I'm fucking stunned at what they dropped.
Holy shit that set list!
Exactly the reactions I hoped for. :hat
It wasn't perfect, but it was a seriously bad ass setlist. There were a couple of wonderful surprises in there.
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Yeah for sure, and I'd argue that any setlist perfect for one subset of fans would be weak for another. The intention was to get a good mix of favourites and surprises and something for everyone.
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Just been checking setlist.fm. The first and only time I've seen them live, was nearly 7 years ago! The fuck?!
Also saw that it in 2018, they were adding some 'By Demons Be Driven - Pantera' when they played Nil By Mouth. I'd kinda love to see that.
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Though I'm not in love with all of those songs, I like how they managed to represent every single album. :tup
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How long do we wait until we can talk openly about what’s here and isn’t?
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It’s a good setlist, though I’m not entirely thrilled about certain songs.
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There’s a couple I’d swap out… but 10/10 on variety and quantity.
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Yeah, that's a great setlist. Can't wait for NJ :metal
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There's one song I wish they'd stop playing for a bit. I'm also really happy about one of the choices. Solid set, very long.
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What was the run time?
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Great setlist! Looking forward to the Baltimore show.
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What was the run time?
Based in the studio versions of the songs, 2h 39m.
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Really cool setlist! If was my choice, I would trade the last epic of the show for other songs from the same album, but just a matter of personal preference.
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What was the run time?
three hours-five, with a ~10 break. Started at 830 prompt and ended at 1135.
Everybody here is weighing in on the setlist, so it doesn't look like spoilers are really a problem.
Since everybody figured there'd be a break after Fauna, the first set closer was jaw dropping. Absolutely nobody saw that coming. And the second set opener was just as good. Arich is right that there is no perfect for all people, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that has heard 1985 enough times lately.
Ross was definitely the star of the show. I'll see if that holds tonight.
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Everybody here is weighing in on the setlist, so it doesn't look like spoilers are really a problem.
Since everybody figured there'd be a break after Fauna, the first set closer was jaw dropping. Absolutely nobody saw that coming. And the second set opener was just as good. Arich is right that there is no perfect for all people, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that has heard 1985 enough times lately.
Ross was definitely the star of the show. I'll see if that holds tonight.
I was happy with most of the set, definitely would've preferred Pareidolia over what they chose from The Mountain, but I get it, that's arguable their biggest song.
But yeah, that bit after Fauna...that just floored me. And they wasted no time either... They finished Eyes of Ebony (which translated really, really well to the live environment), took about ten seconds of silent time, and went right into it. I seriously was in total disbelief that they were doing it until Ross kicked in.
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All right, heard Fauna. I like what I'm hearing and going through the rest of the set before heading out to lunch and then going to the House of Blues in Anaheim. Never been to a HOB show where it wasn't all GA in any section, so I can't vouch whether or not I would have a good view. The section I would be in is one of the two sides in Magenta. If I got to stand for about 3-4 hours in a spot, I sure want to be comfortable with the sightlines. Bad sightlines and people standing on chairs getting in way of my view can be the deciding factor for me enjoying a show. It can be a huge difference maker like me enjoying DT live in 2022 supporting A View From the Top of the World more than when they came in 2019 playing SFAM in full.
(https://i.imgur.com/qlpZeqn.png)
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Nobody stood at all last night. Kind of odd, honestly. I don't know how it'll work in those balconies, but I'm expecting another fully seated show.
If you happen to find out what time the actual show starts, please pass it along. Pretty sure 6:30 is doors.
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I thought last year’s North American tour set was pretty damn flawless, and somehow they’ve managed to do it again with an entirely different set (besides the Fauna songs obviously).
I think they did a great job mixing some popular tunes like 1985 and Cockroach King (they have a cockroach wearing a crown in the tour poster art, don’t think that’s a spoiler) with some deep cuts and live debuts. They’ve played the 2 mentioned songs plenty the last few years, but they’re always fun and I think necessary tracks to include in their first Evening With set.
I think Fauna has become my favorite album of theirs, and have always been excited to see it in full. Surprised to see how they end the first set after the album, what a fun idea!
VERY surprised and excited for the non-Fauna songs their debuting. Didn’t expect them and am happy they’re doing them!
And the encore is a dream come true for me. One of my all time favorite songs, I was actually introduced to it through a roulette on here I did almost 10 years ago, and that’s what started my affinity for the band (pun very much intended :hat ). Grateful to be able to see it live in all its glory.
Seeing the Detroit show in 2 weeks, can’t wait for it!
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I think Fauna has become my favorite album of theirs, and have always been excited to see it in full. Surprised to see how they end the first set after the album, what a fun idea!
And as I said, it's crazy how they do it...zero break or rest, they just fucking go into it. So epic.
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Since everybody figured there'd be a break after Fauna, the first set closer was jaw dropping. Absolutely nobody saw that coming.
But yeah, that bit after Fauna...that just floored me. And they wasted no time either... They finished Eyes of Ebony (which translated really, really well to the live environment), took about ten seconds of silent time, and went right into it. I seriously was in total disbelief that they were doing it until Ross kicked in.
That's awesome. When I first saw the setlist I did wonder about that. :lol
Arich is right that there is no perfect for all people, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that has heard 1985 enough times lately.
I guess you've had it more in the US, having had it on their 2022 tour with SX and the one aborted one just before the pandemic too. They toured more than ever before last year though and didn't play it. Europe hasn't had it since 2019. And I expect this setlist is intended to cover the eventual European Evening With tour as well (at least very close, if not identical).
I'll tag the thread title with spoilers - good if people can avoid posting the whole setlist, but it's nice if people can discuss things more openly than having to wait over a month!
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I think after listening to these songs, I'm going to have a fun time tonight. I just need the view to be as solid as one can get for the cheap seats.
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Oh...something I forgot to mention, and EB probably didn't notice since he was in the front row. A good deal of people left after the first set. Like eight right in front of me bailed, and I noticed scattered empty seats elsewhere. I wonder if it's just they didn't realize there was a second set and were just stupid, or were doing the LA thing of bailing before the end. I really didn't mind cause it totally opened up my view, but man, they missed a good hour and a half of killer music. The band didn't mention any second set per se, they finished the epicness after Fauna, dropped the curtain and walked off. I think the intermission was 10 minutes at best.
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This thread has sparked me into listening to their discography. I've always liked Haken's musicianship but never gelled with Ross. I plan on seeing them Asheville so it'd probably help that I knew more than 2 of their albums.
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Oh...something I forgot to mention, and EB probably didn't notice since he was in the front row. A good deal of people left after the first set. Like eight right in front of me bailed, and I noticed scattered empty seats elsewhere. I wonder if it's just they didn't realize there was a second set and were just stupid, or were doing the LA thing of bailing before the end. I really didn't mind cause it totally opened up my view, but man, they missed a good hour and a half of killer music. The band didn't mention any second set per se, they finished the epicness after Fauna, dropped the curtain and walked off. I think the intermission was 10 minutes at best.
Wow, if they didn't realise and later discovered they missed half the show, I can't imagine how they'd feel about it!
Did Ross not indicate at some point the structure of the show? Even if it wasn't a "we'll be back in 10 minutes" at the end of the first set, but something earlier on?
If he didn't, I might mention this to Pete and see if they think it's worth saying it at some point.
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He didn't say anything, but seriously, if they're that stupid fuck em,
Funny thing is, I thought about moving back for a bit during the elephant thing for better soun. Really glad I didn't.
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I messaged Pete and he said they realised this might have happened and will be making it clearer. :lol
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:lol
As i said, at least it was four people in the two rows right in front of me, so I was able to see very clearly for the second half of the show, so in a sense I was grateful. :lol
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Funny thing is, I thought about moving back for a bit during the elephant thing for better soun. Really glad I didn't.
Elephant thing?
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Funny thing is, I thought about moving back for a bit during the elephant thing for better soun. Really glad I didn't.
Elephant thing?
You know what song he's talking about. Come on now.
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Funny thing is, I thought about moving back for a bit during the elephant thing for better soun. Really glad I didn't.
Elephant thing?
You know what song he's talking about. Come on now.
Legit 0 clue. Prepared to feel dumb
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Funny thing is, I thought about moving back for a bit during the elephant thing for better soun. Really glad I didn't.
Elephant thing?
You know what song he's talking about. Come on now.
Legit 0 clue. Prepared to feel dumb
I assume they're referring to E.O.E.
-Marc.
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All right. I’m inside at the HOB. They told me I can be at the balcony on either side behind the seats and that’s fine with me. Doors opened at 7PM.
(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/879112157877399553/1206436503559868457/IMG_0585.jpg?ex=65dc008c&is=65c98b8c&hm=2d12252c60e38468e763968302fc4895b5e02bd2f348b10bc170584210464194&)
Edit: very enjoyable first set. I’m surprised how involved everyone else is in the backing vocals.
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Nobody stood at all last night. Kind of odd, honestly. I don't know how it'll work in those balconies, but I'm expecting another fully seated show.
If you happen to find out what time the actual show starts, please pass it along. Pretty sure 6:30 is doors.
The bolded sucks, I’m one of those people split between want to stand (2nd row for this show) and somewhat conscientious about anyone behind… wish there was some GA. Does the band really want *everyone* seated whole show??
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Does the band really want *everyone* seated whole show??
No. They prefer playing standing shows, so those that are all seated they'll almost certainly enjoy more if people are standing up and giving it some energy.
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Interested to see if they’ll change Act 2 up at all over the course of the tour
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Well, as a person that had to stand around the same spot for the entire show, I wished I had the option to sit. Nonetheless, I had a great time. Smaller crowd than what I normally would see at the House of Blues with the seating arrangements, but it was a great quality show and most of the seats were filled and they played for around 2 hours 40 minutes. When the band wanted the crowd to give them excitement, they got it. That being said, people were sitting for most of the show, but I presume they were attentive to every little thing. Don't think this is the kind of show that needs crowds moving around and bouncing off of each other.
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I enjoyed last night more, but I think this was a slightly better show. They were tighter, the crowd was more energetic, an the sound was much, much better (HOB always has excellent sound). It was a pretty cool venue in a pretty cool neighborhood, to boot. I liked that place.
Does the band really want *everyone* seated whole show??
No. They prefer playing standing shows, so those that are all seated they'll almost certainly enjoy more if people are standing up and giving it some energy.
Then why aren't they? The places they're playing are places that are traditionally GA, so it's not like venue choices dictated the format.
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Does the band really want *everyone* seated whole show??
No. They prefer playing standing shows, so those that are all seated they'll almost certainly enjoy more if people are standing up and giving it some energy.
Then why aren't they? The places they're playing are places that are traditionally GA, so it's not like venue choices dictated the format.
My impression is that it comes from the promoters (rather than the venues themselves). I think the "Evening With" format lends itself well to a certain vibe, or that's how it's seen anyway. Most of DT's Evening With tours were all seated, after the first couple.
Seems to be particularly an American thing, although Pete thinks some of the shows this tour are hybrid. But in Europe there'll be more of a mix apparently.
This is obviously their first ever time doing Evening With - if at the end of it they feel it doesn't work as well as standing/hybrid shows then they'll hopefully express that for future tours.
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Seems to be particularly an American thing, although Pete thinks some of the shows this tour are hybrid. But in Europe there'll be more of a mix apparently.
European "Evening with" tour confirmed ;)
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Seems to be particularly an American thing, although Pete thinks some of the shows this tour are hybrid. But in Europe there'll be more of a mix apparently.
European "Evening with" tour confirmed ;)
Not confirmed yet, but sounds like progress is being made which is good. Was always the plan (which they've said publicly), I don't actually know why it's been harder to organise but I'm guessing it's the faff of having to arrange different visas etc (thanks Brexit).
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Nobody stood at all last night. Kind of odd, honestly. I don't know how it'll work in those balconies, but I'm expecting another fully seated show.
Thank god. The only time I saw Haken live properly (not incl. the Devin Townsend support) they had 2 supports acts and played a 90 minute set including encore and people were drinking and going crazy. There was constant moshing. Beer being thrown everywhere. One particularly egregious group slapped a kid in the face for dancing awkwardly and then yelled in an old fella's face until he left. Doesn't even sound real written down. One of my worst gig experiences ever. It's prog for goodness sake.
I hate that we're fully seated at DT gigs these days, but I'd take it a million times over that awful awful experience. Hoping when this show makes its way to the UK it's also seated :biggrin:
EDIT: Nothing wrong with playing 90 minutes nor having 2 support acts. Not blaming Haken at all. It was an absolutely killer set and I had a great time personally, but unfortunately the crowd was poorly behaved. Moshing is fine and fun. Pulling people into it who don't want to be and bullying people into leaving is not. Again, not the band's fault. It's entirely down to the particular audience who was there -- and I'm pretty sure that crowd came for Vola not Haken.
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Wtf, I've never seen that at a Haken show. Do you mind if I ask which one it was?
The energy at the Shepherd's Bush Empire show last year was INCREDIBLE and it simply wouldn't have been as good if it was seated.
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That experience sounds nothing like any of the 9 times I've seen Haken. Not denying you, but just seems like a real outlier type of Haken concert experience.
As for the seats thing. I had assumed it was the bands choice since as stated, these are generally GA venues. One thing I do wonder, the NYC venue for example is about 4 times bigger than what they'd normally play. I was thinking, maybe the seats are there to make less tickets available and to feel "fuller" such as taking a 2k capacity and turning it into 500. But really, was mostly thinking that the Evening With format would leave people looking for seats. But even at a nearly 3 hour concert, most people would have been standing the entire time of a 3 band concert anyway so I'm not entirely sure that was a good reason to put the seats there. Haken is a bit of a younger crowd compared to DT.
I would say, if the band doesn't want people sitting then Ross should probably comment to the crowd to "stand up". Even with my front row ticket for NJ and my normal desire to stand, I was pretty sure going into that show that I will be sitting the entire time because I was thinking for sure that's what the band wanted here.
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Hybrid is best imo, and this is a longer show so I get that seats will be nice to have in general. But they can suck the life out of a show if the front section isn’t cool with some/all people standing for the duration.
Saw the set list was the same for the second noght, looking forward to this show a ton and hope it’s a hit for the band.
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I would catch this tour if they take it to mainland Europe!
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Caught the show in Colorado last night
My review has to come in 2 parts, so I'll try to separate it out to best organize my thoughts
First, the show itself. The music, setlist, band performance, sound, etc. All great. Honestly don't really have anything bad to say about any of that. The setlist was career retrospective, and (IMHO) Haken have a few clunker albums (they all start with the letter V), so selections from those records weren't for me, but I get that they were doing a career-wide thing, other fans enjoy that music, so I won't dock any setlist picks I disagree with, especially considering how good they sounded anyway. 10/10 for the band itself's performance, the setlist, the sound quality, etc. I had a great time while I was there!
Second, the logistics and decisions the band's management made around this tour (I can only speak to Colorado show but I imagine the rest of the tour was modeled this way). Honestly I have a lot more to critique here. For starters, the band was booked in Boulder, Colorado, not Denver. Not a huge deal for me (I live in Denver but don't mind commuting up to Boulder once in a while). However, this led to a VERY NOTABLE drop in attendance. On their last show in Colorado, they did a STANDING room venue that fit about 1,200 people. I am not sure if that show was sold out, but it was definitely close enough to being full that you couldn't really tell either way. This Boulder show last night was SEATED, and only about HALF FULL (venue cap is 850). Because it was entirely seated and only half sold, it was painfully obvious looking around the crowd how small it was. Now, that's not normally something I'd complain about, because I am not fond of big crowds anyway, but in this case the band was really flexing, putting their best foot forward musically, etc. It really sucks that their management purposely picked a seated venue in an artsy college town that is not exactly known for bringing in metal crowds. I wish their management hadn't done them so dirty so they could have had a bigger show to showcase themselves at! The particular venue they played in Boulder has BOTH seated and standing only configurations and the venue was 100% seated for this show. That tells me their tour manager purposely asked for this configuration, as they could have easily done the show standing room only. At least a half sold show at standing room wouldn't have looked as spotty and barren as the smaller crowd would have likely been much closer to the stage. Someone mentioned having insider access to the band and mentioning the band prefers standing venues. That really breaks my heart to hear, especially considering THIS EXACT room they played last night could have been standing if the management had just requested it. Haken deserved better.
Overall I give the show experience an 8/10, docking points entirely on logistics and seemingly weird booking decisions that could have been completely avoided seeing as the last time the band played Colorado they were in a significantly more appropriate room for their market/crowd
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How long was the show, HS? And how long after doors did they take the stage? I'm seeing them in NYC later on, and wondering if I need to book myself a hotel. I live in the Philadelphia area so something like a 2 to 3 hour commute after a long show could be a little much especially if it goes close to midnight.
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my show was doors 7, show 8 and they were pretty prompt. all in all it was about 2.5-3 hours, i'd say
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How long was the show, HS? And how long after doors did they take the stage? I'm seeing them in NYC later on, and wondering if I need to book myself a hotel. I live in the Philadelphia area so something like a 2 to 3 hour commute after a long show could be a little much especially if it goes close to midnight.
Both of my shows started promptly on time and ended 3 hours and 5 minutes later. It's possible they tighten it up for those 5 minutes, but it was already pretty lean.
Caught the show in Colorado last night
My review has to come in 2 parts, so I'll try to separate it out to best organize my thoughts
First, the show itself. The music, setlist, band performance, sound, etc. All great. Honestly don't really have anything bad to say about any of that. The setlist was career retrospective, and (IMHO) Haken have a few clunker albums (they all start with the letter V), so selections from those records weren't for me, but I get that they were doing a career-wide thing, other fans enjoy that music, so I won't dock any setlist picks I disagree with, especially considering how good they sounded anyway. 10/10 for the band itself's performance, the setlist, the sound quality, etc. I had a great time while I was there!
Second, the logistics and decisions the band's management made around this tour (I can only speak to Colorado show but I imagine the rest of the tour was modeled this way). Honestly I have a lot more to critique here. For starters, the band was booked in Boulder, Colorado, not Denver. Not a huge deal for me (I live in Denver but don't mind commuting up to Boulder once in a while). However, this led to a VERY NOTABLE drop in attendance. On their last show in Colorado, they did a STANDING room venue that fit about 1,200 people. I am not sure if that show was sold out, but it was definitely close enough to being full that you couldn't really tell either way. This Boulder show last night was SEATED, and only about HALF FULL (venue cap is 850). Because it was entirely seated and only half sold, it was painfully obvious looking around the crowd how small it was. Now, that's not normally something I'd complain about, because I am not fond of big crowds anyway, but in this case the band was really flexing, putting their best foot forward musically, etc. It really sucks that their management purposely picked a seated venue in an artsy college town that is not exactly known for bringing in metal crowds. I wish their management hadn't done them so dirty so they could have had a bigger show to showcase themselves at! The particular venue they played in Boulder has BOTH seated and standing only configurations and the venue was 100% seated for this show. That tells me their tour manager purposely asked for this configuration, as they could have easily done the show standing room only. At least a half sold show at standing room wouldn't have looked as spotty and barren as the smaller crowd would have likely been much closer to the stage. Someone mentioned having insider access to the band and mentioning the band prefers standing venues. That really breaks my heart to hear, especially considering THIS EXACT room they played last night could have been standing if the management had just requested it. Haken deserved better.
Overall I give the show experience an 8/10, docking points entirely on logistics and seemingly weird booking decisions that could have been completely avoided seeing as the last time the band played Colorado they were in a significantly more appropriate room for their market/crowd
They're playing a venue in Ft Worth tonight, and it's the same kind of story. Friday night will help, but it's still going to cost them a fair number of people. Not only that, it's a venue that nobody's ever heard of. From what I gather there's been plenty of odd venue choices.
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To my knowledge, band management don't select individual venues, they work with local/regional promoters. And I gather a range of factors go into it - availability at a time that makes sense with the route they are taking, how much the band will make, etc. But I still take your points THS, it's a shame if some shows are not so well attended. But they had this last year as well - sure Denver was well attended but others weren't. I'm sure it's also affected by what day of the week it is and things like that. There's no exact science to it, unless you're on the scale of Metallica or Taylor Swift in which case you just pick the biggest venue possible because it'll sell out no matter what. :lol
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I was at the show last night.
Half attended is an exaggeration - a lot of people left after the first half but overall it was about what I expected for a Haken show attendance-wise. They're not a massive band, the fact they can feasibly tour the states two years in a row is impressive frankly. I don't think the attendance has anything to do with being in Boulder vs Denver (they aren't that far away from each other) but just that they're double dipping. If you saw them play last year, there are probably a lot of casual fans who don't need to see them again a year later even with a different setlist. Concert funds being finite for everybody and a lot of bands are touring heavily to make up for lost COVID time, people have to choose between concerts to see.
Haken were great BTW, I've seen them on every North America trek they've done and this was by far my favorite show. Fauna is an incredible album that deserved to be played live.
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Seeing them next Tuesday at a venue they've played twice before when in St. Louis....it's a max capacity +/-800 people. Very intimate venue with really good sound/acoustics. I've seen TNMB there twice, Sons of Apollo, Haken....it's a fun venue and it's been advertised as 'sold out' on their tour page for weeks now.
Can't wait! Me, my wife...three sons and one of our buddies are going. Looking forward to the evening with format. I remember we were a week away from seeing 'Affinity' played in full plus more songs then Covid shut everything down. Was supposed to meet EB that week also so Covid cost me that too!!!!! >:(
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I was at the show last night.
Half attended is an exaggeration - a lot of people left after the first half
WTF??????????????????? :loser: :facepalm:
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I was at the show last night.
Half attended is an exaggeration - a lot of people left after the first half
WTF??????????????????? :loser: :facepalm:
I guess some folks are either:
1) Still not getting that this is "An Evening With" tour and there are two sets with an intermission
2) Bored out of their minds and bail while they can
3) Are only there to see the first set and don't care for what they play after (if they know the set list beforhand, that is)
Either way, it's weird how this keeps happening.
-Marc.
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there was also a weather advisory and it was forecasted to be a bit sketchy last night. i left during the encore (like i said their V-album material is not for me, so i was happy to beat the rideshare spike and leave a tad early) and it ended up not being bad snow wise until after midnight, well after the show, but that could have been a factor too.
i will reiterate and agree with Mosh that Haken themselves were really top notch last night. any criticisms i have put forth today are NOT at the band, they absolutely delivered.
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I think someone asked this before, but is Ross letting the crowd know that they’ll be coming back for a second set?
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i'm less certain people are ignorant to the fact that the show isn't over and more in the camp of "some people just don't want a 3 hour dose of prog metal", but what do i know, i'm there for all of it (unless it's a V-album song)
you know what they say, "if you stay away from the V, then Haken is for thee"
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i'm less certain people are ignorant to the fact that the show isn't over and more in the camp of "some people just don't want a 3 hour dose of prog metal", but what do i know, i'm there for all of it (unless it's a V-album song)
you know what they say, "if you stay away from the V, then Haken is for thee"
Meanwhile, if there's V from Spock's Beard or Symphony X, then I'm totally all in. :lol
-Marc.
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i'm less certain people are ignorant to the fact that the show isn't over and more in the camp of "some people just don't want a 3 hour dose of prog metal", but what do i know, i'm there for all of it (unless it's a V-album song)
you know what they say, "if you stay away from the V, then Haken is for thee"
Meanwhile, if there's V from Spock's Beard or Symphony X, then I'm totally all in. :lol
-Marc.
:rollin :rollin
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I think someone asked this before, but is Ross letting the crowd know that they’ll be coming back for a second set?
Yes, it was very clear that there would be a second set.
The weather definitely could have played a part, the snow was pretty ugly on my drive home.
I don’t think there’s a lot to overthink here. American audiences are very casual and very few are actually there for the music or care on the level that we do. A 90 minute set and some drinks is enough for them to get their money’s worth.
And to be fair, the first set alone was worth price of admission. Second set for me was bonus.
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If memory serves me right, at the Anaheim show last week, show started at 8:00 (actual music was not played until 8:05, as I think they had a tape intro). Set ended at 9:25 before the break and then they were back from 9:40 to 11:05. I mean 80 minutes of solid music was fine, but I can't imagine those that have seats not sticking around for the rest of the show. I can imagine those that can only stand for the entire show thinking (fudge, about another 80 minutes to go before the show is over. Don't think I can hold on that long.) Then, you have guys like me that stood for the entire show and feeling the aftereffects for the next few days. Still a fun show to be see.
In my region of concert-going, it's a bit risky double-dipping doing a show in both LA and Anaheim back to back since the 2nd show (most likely the OC show) will have a dip in attendance. Now granted, I don't think there were other venues in the area that could accommodate having a big enough room to also include seats. It's either House of Blues or the City National Grove of Anaheim. If they wanted all GA that can hold around 400-500 people, they could have done The Observatory in Santa Ana about 30 minutes south or the smaller Parish House room at the House of Blues and that would be fine. That said doing all GA would mean promoters charging one set of prices (although they could include fastlane options) in comparison to different seating sections that promoters would think they can sell certain seats at a higher price.
Don't think I saw much (if any at all) left after the 1st set that didn't come back.
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I think the people bailing stood out for me cause it was the two rows right in front of me, 4 people each. Their loss, my gain. One dude was tall too, so I was very grateful they bailed. :lol
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Well, I've got my ticket for Saturday, March 2nd in NYC. Also booked myself a hotel room, since rates were looking pretty reasonable. If anyone is looking to meet up before the show I'll be around, let me know if you know of any type of meetups going on as well. Really enjoyed the DT fan club one that happened last year.
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Can't wait for the EU-Tour. Any indications when they are going to announce it?
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Was front row at the St. Louis show (Delmar Hall) tonight. Couple quick thoughts:
1) This show was sold out, and it looked it too -- but of course, it was seated. So it wasn't as tightly packed as a GA show would be. I know they've played Delmar Hall before, and it's been GA in the past. I'll be at the Cincinnati show tomorrow, and that one isn't anywhere near sold out.
2) Ross very clearly mentioned that the band would be returning after a short 15 minute break. :lol
3) The crowd mostly remained seated for the two main sets, with some parts of the front corners standing up for a good chunk of the show. The entire venue was on their feet for the encore.
4) I continue to struggle with the sound up front. I love the experience in the front row, but I'm sure the mix is better in the back. I've always had a rougher go with the mix near the stage with Haken than I have with most other bands.
5) Otherwise, yeah, Haken was great as always. And I was pretty happy with the setlist. And I could never near 1985 enough times. ;D
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Was front row at the St. Louis show (Delmar Hall) tonight. Couple quick thoughts:
1) This show was sold out, and it looked it too -- but of course, it was seated. So it wasn't as tightly packed as a GA show would be. I know they've played Delmar Hall before, and it's been GA in the past. I'll be at the Cincinnati show tomorrow, and that one isn't anywhere near sold out.
2) Ross very clearly mentioned that the band would be returning after a short 15 minute break. :lol
3) The crowd mostly remained seated for the two main sets, with some parts of the front corners standing up for a good chunk of the show. The entire venue was on their feet for the encore.
4) I continue to struggle with the sound up front. I love the experience in the front row, but I'm sure the mix is better in the back. I've always had a rougher go with the mix near the stage with Haken than I have with most other bands.
5) Otherwise, yeah, Haken was great as always. And I was pretty happy with the setlist. And I could never near 1985 enough times. ;D
Was there as well. I hate that it was seated. It was GA the last time I saw them there. The only benefit for me last night with it being seated was that my 13 year old got an aisle seat and was able to watch unobstructed. Seated shows suck.....my 16 year old was bummed about it and he said he wanted to stand but didn't want to upset the people behind him. But he and my other two sons were thrashing and banging away while sitting so...glad they had fun.
I was three rows in front of the sound board on the right side (looking at stage) and the sound was incredible as usual. Delmar Hall has a great sound to it and I've never 'heard' a bad show there.
Good show....they all sounded great and I'll await their next trip through
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Well, I've got my ticket for Saturday, March 2nd in NYC. Also booked myself a hotel room, since rates were looking pretty reasonable. If anyone is looking to meet up before the show I'll be around, let me know if you know of any type of meetups going on as well. Really enjoyed the DT fan club one that happened last year.
I'm on the fence for going to NYC. Going to NJ since I have my ticket and NYC is doable, just not sure I'll make it happen or not yet. Might be a game day decision.
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Well, I've got my ticket for Saturday, March 2nd in NYC. Also booked myself a hotel room, since rates were looking pretty reasonable. If anyone is looking to meet up before the show I'll be around, let me know if you know of any type of meetups going on as well. Really enjoyed the DT fan club one that happened last year.
I'm on the fence for going to NYC. Going to NJ since I have my ticket and NYC is doable, just not sure I'll make it happen or not yet. Might be a game day decision.
If you decide you want to go, lmk. I bought a ticket for the NYC show but I'm pivoting to see Big Big Train in Rutherford that night instead. I'll be at the Haken show on Sunday.
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Somewhere around the 10 minute mark of the encore song 'Visions' my wife looked at me and says "Man....encore has a whole different meaning to Prog bands....I mean, we get it this is great and all but....c'mon, it's time to go!" :lol
She was a trooper and had fun, she's been to multiple DT and TNMB shows with me and the boys and she's subjected to all of our music....she was having fun watching the kids jam out to HAKEN....but she's also a teacher and it was nearing 11:00pm and she was ready for bed!
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Somewhere around the 10 minute mark of the encore song 'Visions' my wife looked at me and says "Man....encore has a whole different meaning to Prog bands....I mean, we get it this is great and all but....c'mon, it's time to go!" :lol
She was a trooper and had fun, she's been to multiple DT and TNMB shows with me and the boys and she's subjected to all of our music....she was having fun watching the kids jam out to HAKEN....but she's also a teacher and it was nearing 11:00pm and she was ready for bed!
:lol yeah, its certainly going to get that reaction out of some people. I was just telling my gf how the last time Haken played, last year in NYC, Ross said "I heard you like long songs" and then played Elephants Never Forget, Celestial Elixir, and Messiah Complex in a row.
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Gary :lol
The Queen will love it but just run out of steam. That happens to us every 3rd day of festivals. :lol
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:lol
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Anyone going to NC or GA shows? I am thinking of making the drive to one or the other, really loved the Boulder set and kinda want to see it again.
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Home from the Cincinnati show. I enjoyed this one more than the St Louis gig, for two main reasons: a more engaged crowd (despite this concert not being sold out) and the mix was better.
The left half of the front row, including me, basically just decided to stand up for the second set. The next couple rows behind us joined in, seemingly happily. Hope I didn't block anyone's view too badly, but we were having a great time!
There was a minor snafu before the show began, and before I even got in -- the venue kinda sorta forgot to set up chairs for the front row. Thankfully they got it corrected and squeezed in a single row of 10 chairs in front of the "main" two-row left/right floor sections. Can't say I've ever seen that happen before.
Oh, and huge shout out to the younger kid absolutely jamming out to my left in Row 2 -- and to Charlie for giving him a pick at the end of set 1, and letting him play the final chords at the end of the encore. :tup
(Haven't been at Bogart's in Cincinnati since seeing Porcupine Tree there in 2010. Unfortunately there was also a University of Cincinnati basketball game tonight, so parking and traffic on the way in were a mess.)
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the St Louis gig, for two main reasons: a more engaged crowd (despite this concert not being sold out) and the mix was better.
I thought the StL crowd got more engaged as soon as Fauna was over. Started with Crystalized and continued into the second set....BUT....I will agree that it still was a more tame crowd than what it was the last time they played Delmar.
And, I've never heard a bad show at Delmar. Even this one, mix sounded awesome where we were at but as I mentioned in an earlier post....we were 3 rows in front of the soundboard. But, I saw TNMB there a few years back and sat second row and the sound was great. Bummer to hear your experience
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Anyone here seeing them tomorrow (Feb 25th) in Toronto? It would be great to catch up if you're there...
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the St Louis gig, for two main reasons: a more engaged crowd (despite this concert not being sold out) and the mix was better.
I thought the StL crowd got more engaged as soon as Fauna was over. Started with Crystalized and continued into the second set....BUT....I will agree that it still was a more tame crowd than what it was the last time they played Delmar.
And, I've never heard a bad show at Delmar. Even this one, mix sounded awesome where we were at but as I mentioned in an earlier post....we were 3 rows in front of the soundboard. But, I saw TNMB there a few years back and sat second row and the sound was great. Bummer to hear your experience
Last time they played SF we had a borderline respectable pit going in the middle of a really pumped crowd, a vast difference from the seated event. I'll always favor GA over seated shows, the rail is my second home and that only works in GA
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Finally saw two shows and can come back to this thread! Will update tomorrow about Chicago and Detroit.
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I did the meet and greet at the Toronto show and suggested them to do a spoof of Van Halen in the Hot For Teacher video. They clearly loved the idea:
(https://i.postimg.cc/qMcXc4Lg/421716055-294199336755963-1629083566254089813-n.jpg)
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:lol
Glorious!!
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I did the meet and greet at the Toronto show and suggested them to do a spoof of Van Halen in the Hot For Teacher video. They clearly loved the idea:
(https://i.postimg.cc/qMcXc4Lg/421716055-294199336755963-1629083566254089813-n.jpg)
Amazing! :lol
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love it hahaha
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https://www.sonicperspectives.com/concert-reviews/haken-february-2024/
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https://www.sonicperspectives.com/concert-reviews/haken-february-2024/
:metal
Great picture too
Well, I've got my ticket for Saturday, March 2nd in NYC. Also booked myself a hotel room, since rates were looking pretty reasonable. If anyone is looking to meet up before the show I'll be around, let me know if you know of any type of meetups going on as well. Really enjoyed the DT fan club one that happened last year.
I'm on the fence for going to NYC. Going to NJ since I have my ticket and NYC is doable, just not sure I'll make it happen or not yet. Might be a game day decision.
Looks like I'm in for NYC and NJ this weekend
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Nice! I'll be hitting up NYC. Probably be getting to Midtown pretty early to grab a few beers before the show. I've been trolling around the Discord and subreddit to see if there's any kind of fan meetups going on or anything... if not, I'll scout out some places.
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Nice! I'll be hitting up NYC. Probably be getting to Midtown pretty early to grab a few beers before the show. I've been trolling around the Discord and subreddit to see if there's any kind of fan meetups going on or anything... if not, I'll scout out some places.
I haven't personally seen anything, but I hadn't been looking. I'm going solo, not sure when I'll get into the city, but could probably get in early for some drinks if you are interested.
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Nice! I'll be hitting up NYC. Probably be getting to Midtown pretty early to grab a few beers before the show. I've been trolling around the Discord and subreddit to see if there's any kind of fan meetups going on or anything... if not, I'll scout out some places.
I haven't personally seen anything, but I hadn't been looking. I'm going solo, not sure when I'll get into the city, but could probably get in early for some drinks if you are interested.
Your inbox is full, but feel free to DM me a Discord username or number prior to tonight! I probably won't be checking the Forum once I leave.
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Wow, great show. I will have more to share, but for now, here's a few songs:
Haken - Beneath the White Rainbow LIVE @ Palladium Times Square New York City NY 3/2/2024 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmbGPH0NwHU)
Haken - Island in the Clouds LIVE @ Palladium Times Square New York City NY 3/2/2024 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my_DacSAk2k)
Haken - The Strain LIVE @ Palladium Times Square New York City NY 3/2/2024 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYPe9ZIbhxA)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHuAFAhWcAAhmU9?format=jpg&name=large)
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Looking forward to Red Bank show tonight for sure!
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Happy 1 year anniversary to the Fauna album today.
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I sort of fell off Haken after The Mountain even though I liked a lot of Affinity, but none of the stuff afterward really seemed to grab me like the older stuff did. I'm listening to Vector today though for the first time in maybe ever and I'm actually pretty into it. Maybe I just needed to let it sit for 5 years.
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I sort of fell off Haken after The Mountain even though I liked a lot of Affinity, but none of the stuff afterward really seemed to grab me like the older stuff did. I'm listening to Vector today though for the first time in maybe ever and I'm actually pretty into it. Maybe I just needed to let it sit for 5 years.
So you have an Affinity for The Mountain you fell off? :neverusethis:
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Just got home from show in Red Bank, NJ. First row in front of Richard (oh and sat right next to Marc. Really nice to meet you Cram!). As always, they were INCREDIBLE :metal! Every time I see Haken, I always leave wishing DT had an incredible frontman/vocalist like Ross :hefdaddy
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Finally saw two shows and can come back to this thread! Will update tomorrow about Chicago and Detroit.
I am fucking awful on keeping up anymore, but here I am at 2am after the Jersey show and needing to be up in 5 hours, but I am going to bang this out after constantly getting sidetracked with being incredibly busy lately.
Let me start on my overall thoughts on the setlist. Given the length it's impossible to complain. They have stuff for everyone. Keeping the majority of the set in tact, I'd make a few minor tweaks if I had some Haken god powers. Given that they played Nil more recently than Vectour, I'd have loved The Good Doctor in that spot instead. Similarly, representing Affinity, and given the Evening with tour, I think doing Endless Knot and Bound By Gravity would have been excellent instead of 1985 and Earthrise. I will say, Pete's pre-tour video spoiled Crystallised for me, but I was not expecting it at the end of Fauna. So even though I knew it was being played, that was highly exciting.
General performance wise, they continue to get tighter with the lineup, and it's amazing they are nailing this much music a night and sounding so good start to finish doing it. On one hand I think Conner and Pete together with Ray continue to be the best they have ever been backing vocal wise, but at the same time I am relatively sure they continue to put more assist on the track than previous. It helps the performance for sure, but the purist in me hates to see it. Ross continues to excel at a frontman.
As for individual shows, Chicago I was on the balcony, and will always be remembered for the crazy theater owner who came out, had certain groups stand to be applauded, and then held out a giant flag while Metallica played the anthem on the screen behind him. It was surreal and Amurica in every way. Detroit I was front row, got another fantastic meet and greet photo in which I took my traditional Conner selfie during the photo. I also let Ross borrow my Red Wings jersey that my Secret Santa got me, and he wore it for the encore for the local crowd. New Jersey tonight was my favorite performance as everyone seemed loose and were interacting a bit more, seemingly with all the material 2nd nature by now. I was also 7th row center which was a perfect spot for the light show and allowed me to appreciate that a lot more than before. I also got to do an interview with the tour photographer prior to entering, interested to see how they use that along with all the other fans they've been doing the same with.
And now onto the insane part in all this, a story I can't even believe I'm able to tell because I barely accept the reality myself. A few weeks ago Ray reached out to me to let me know Natal actually did a full kit for North America for him, meaning he had one in Europe already, and didn't necessarily want to pay to ship the extra kit back to Europe. After some back and forth on logistics, he decided he could use his vanilla kit for the remaining two shows on this tour, and after the show tonight we loaded up the amazingly beautiful Fauna kit into my "boot" (his words, not mine), and it currently sits on my kitchen table. For the first time in 8+ years I'll have an acoustic kit again (just needs some hardware and cymbals), and I'm thrilled about that. It's honestly one of the coolest things anyone has ever done for me, and I don't even know how to properly express my gratitude. And if anyone on here is seeing the last two shows and they don't see that kit, I am honestly very sorry!
And here are some photos from all this: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GEKzzhoM3sXYFJ18A
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That's amazing! Please post pics of the kit once you have it setup :metal :metal :metal
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My best friend and I had heard of Haken, but never listened to their music. When a nearby show was announced, we bought tickets without hearing a note for the sake of a fun night of prog. We spent the month of January listening to their discography in preparation for the show. I got through their entire catalogue 3 times (and Fauna 4 times) and me and my buddy were both totally blown away by their music. Long story short, the show was incredible and we are both now Haken fans. So glad we took a chance and bought tickets!
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Just got home from show in Red Bank, NJ. First row in front of Richard (oh and sat right next to Marc. Really nice to meet you Cram!). As always, they were INCREDIBLE :metal! Every time I see Haken, I always leave wishing DT had an incredible frontman/vocalist like Ross :hefdaddy
Nice to meet you as well, how funny, right next to each other in the front row. :metal
Also nice to see Nick and Bill as well last night.
Must say, the show was incredible for a second night in a row and what a different experience between the two shows. I'm still working on my NYC review so I'll hold back on sharing more words, but this was hilarious last night:
https://twitter.com/Cramx3/status/1764769627425366233 (https://twitter.com/Cramx3/status/1764769627425366233) A video clip of someone jumping on the stage when the show ended to hug the band.
Also, here's Haken - Canary Yellow LIVE @ The Vogel Red Bank NJ 3/3/2024 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZcLyRKOqHs)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHzTfnLWIAEfuDn?format=jpg&name=large)
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Post Cruise to the Edge have to work on sound dampening and, you know, cymbals, but JFC how is this happening?
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOT6Zp6MD6xlTWzMeuKJ6jZvWQT4bdrQWYZT0e93JoR_3_y5ds2CiLb1bwFfWoN5urrz-V3sZfcOEiSpr9w5oexTOITszxfEJPn7itKCrI0MZdY9dQQ=w2400)
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Post Cruise to the Edge have to work on sound dampening and, you know, cymbals, but JFC how is this happening?
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczOT6Zp6MD6xlTWzMeuKJ6jZvWQT4bdrQWYZT0e93JoR_3_y5ds2CiLb1bwFfWoN5urrz-V3sZfcOEiSpr9w5oexTOITszxfEJPn7itKCrI0MZdY9dQQ=w2400)
I like how you positioned your Haken albums in the top center of the pic. Very clever!
But also, that kit looks gorgeous.
-Marc.
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:metal :metal :metal :hefdaddy :hefdaddy :hefdaddy
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lol Nick I think we have the exact same CD shelf.
(https://i.imgur.com/melcuWK.jpeg)
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Nick, that's amazing! A real treat for such a long time supporter of the band.
@Shadow: Ooh, Expanse books. I really should read the novels, loved the show.
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lol Nick I think we have the exact same CD shelf.
(https://i.imgur.com/melcuWK.jpeg)
Well, one of the same shelves. :lol
There are several others in the room as well, including a bigger monster. I've got... too many CDs.
I like how you positioned your Haken albums in the top center of the pic. Very clever!
But also, that kit looks gorgeous.
-Marc.
You know, I wish I was that clever, but it wasn't till after I posted that I went, "oh, that worked out well".
Nick, that's amazing! A real treat for such a long time supporter of the band.
@Shadow: Ooh, Expanse books. I really should read the novels, loved the show.
A treat is an understatement for sure. What's really cool about it is this is legitimately nearly identical to the setup I would get if I was building out a new kit for myself. So it's not just a showpiece or something to adjust to, it's a kit I'll love using.
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The drum kit is sick. That's an incredible gift.
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The drum kit is sick. That's an incredible gift.
Hey cramx3 your review of the NYC show has been just published.
https://lotsofmuzik.com/an-evening-with-haken-at-the-palladium-times-square-new-york-city-show-review-by-cramx3/
:metal
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Hey cramx3 your review of the NYC show has been just published.
https://lotsofmuzik.com/an-evening-with-haken-at-the-palladium-times-square-new-york-city-show-review-by-cramx3/
:metal
:metal :metal
Great weekend seeing Haken twice. Both were cool and different experiences.
The NYC show was larger and had a lot more people standing in spots of the floor and also, including myself, a bunch of us standing and headbanging along the side of the floor, out of the way from the people seating. One guy near me was hang banging so hard, the entire night. It was actually a lot of fun to have my own space to rock out and just enjoy the show like I may normally. I literally stood the entire NYC show and had a great view since no heads were in the way.
The NJ show had a more intimate feeling, everyone sat, for basically the entire show. There were tables and candle lights on them. Just a completely different vibe from the night before. However, I was in the front row and none of that took away from my personal experience, only added to it really. I saw Charlie and Peter before the show out by their tour bus. Charlie couldn't get into the bus and a couple of us were joking with him about it as another group of people came up and then talked to him until he could finally get in. Speaking of Charlie, looks like he lost some weight.
One thing they both had in common, a basically perfect performance and great sound in both venues. The band really sounded top notch and I believe the NJ show was after a long string of consecutive days performing.
The light show was pretty solid, better than a lot of bands IMO. However, it was wayyy better from further away as up close in NJ, I hardly noticed.
This weekend was definitely the best Haken experience for my 9th and 10th time seeing them. They were just incredible.
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Nick, that's amazing! A real treat for such a long time supporter of the band.
@Shadow: Ooh, Expanse books. I really should read the novels, loved the show.
They're definitely worth reading. It's one of the rare cases where I wouldn't immediately jump to 'the book is better,' but they are really good, and are similar enough in broad strokes to the show that I think you'll definitely enjoy them, but also different enough that they're still worth reading if you've seen the show. (Drummer, for instance, only exists in the books to the extent that at one point there is a character named Drummer, but she's clearly the best part of the show)
OH this is a Haken thread. Celestial Elixir.
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That's amazing Nick. Glad we got to meet up for the show! Maybe next time I'll go to a second show.
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For the NJ show, I didn't do my typical long form youtube video. I was in the front row and mostly just soaked it all in. Didn't bring my camera either. But I did grab a few clips with my phone to make a youtube short / instagram reel type of video. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rQ0tD5wUTcQ (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rQ0tD5wUTcQ)
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I'm just here to say I adore Sempiternal Beings. Ever since Ariich (I think) sent it, it has grown more and more each month.
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For those curious, Haken’s set tonight on CTTE was all of Fauna, as was to be expected. They said their second show tomorrow will be different, so I assume it’ll be most or all of the second set from the tour.
The show tonight was scheduled for 11:30pm, and it ended up starting over an hour late at around 12:45am. So we were finishing up at almost 2.
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Second show tonight was awesome.
1. Puzzle Box
2. LotR Fellowship Theme / Titanic (My Heart Will Go On) / Earthrise
3. Cockroach King
4. Crystallized
5. Canary Yellow
6. Drowning in the Flood
7. Visions
Compared to the tour sets, they cut Nil By Mouth, 1985 and The Strain for time, but it was awesome that they pulled in Crystallized since they didn’t get to do it as an encore last night.
Has anyone else seen a show from the tour, and can you speak to whether they did the LotR / Titanic intro to Earthrise? It was a full minute or two and it was pretty cool.
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I don't think they did in Los Angeles
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They've also been doing the Jurassic Park intro to Island in the Clouds at recent shows, but they hadn't added that in yet (or the new Earthrise intro) at St. Louis or Cincinnati.
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Enjoy this short moment I recorded at the show last night. How far into the video does it take you before you realize what’s happening? :laugh:
https://youtu.be/0v86g5fHEzE?si=vtHni1gi1uOL9j6G
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Has anyone else seen a show from the tour, and can you speak to whether they did the LotR / Titanic intro to Earthrise? It was a full minute or two and it was pretty cool.
They've done it most of the tour. Some nights it got cut due to time restraints apparently
Enjoy this short moment I recorded at the show last night. How far into the video does it take you before you realize what’s happening? :laugh:
https://youtu.be/0v86g5fHEzE?si=vtHni1gi1uOL9j6G
:lol that's great
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:lol Ray did the same thing at Progressive Nation at Sea 10 years ago
https://youtu.be/SD1waw3qKSM?t=90
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Enjoy this short moment I recorded at the show last night. How far into the video does it take you before you realize what’s happening? :laugh:
https://youtu.be/0v86g5fHEzE?si=vtHni1gi1uOL9j6G
The casualness of his walk back to the stage just sells the whole thing. :lol
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Enjoy this short moment I recorded at the show last night. How far into the video does it take you before you realize what’s happening? :laugh:
https://youtu.be/0v86g5fHEzE?si=vtHni1gi1uOL9j6G
The casualness of his walk back to the stage just sells the whole thing. :lol
Was that Peter covering on drums while Ray took a dip?
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Yes. He didn’t have to play anything, but just sat there in case Ray didn’t make it back in time.
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:lol Ray did the same thing at Progressive Nation at Sea 10 years ago
https://youtu.be/SD1waw3qKSM?t=90
Oh right! I was actually there and I’d totally forgotten about that. :D
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Very strange Haken-related dream last night. Just woke up from this like 20 minutes ago
I replaced Charlie in Haken. Me and the rest of the band were about to get on a train, and I left my guitar at the station. I didn’t realize that until we got to the destination, which was Tappahannock, VA. The middle of nowhere. There’s no concert venues anyway, so I don’t know where the hell we’d be playing. I get off the train and into a car driven by my buddy Andy, and Rich is in the passenger seat. Rich is maybe 18 years old for some reason and I guess he’s also the tour manager? As we drive away I realize I left my guitar behind, and Rich starts cursing me out and he says “I had to pull some serious strings to get you this gig and now you’re trying to sabotage it.” We keep driving to the venue and I’m frantically searching Craigslist on my phone for an 8 string guitar I can buy. Rich says “forget it. You’ll do the show without the guitar.” I told him he seemed so much nicer on DTF but he didn’t hear me because he was distracted by the Northern Lights.
Then I woke up, still slightly stressed about the Haken gig I almost had to play with no guitar.
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Very strange Haken-related dream last night. Just woke up from this like 20 minutes ago
I replaced Charlie in Haken. Me and the rest of the band were about to get on a train, and I left my guitar at the station. I didn’t realize that until we got to the destination, which was Tappahannock, VA. The middle of nowhere. There’s no concert venues anyway, so I don’t know where the hell we’d be playing. I get off the train and into a car driven by my buddy Andy, and Rich is in the passenger seat. Rich is maybe 18 years old for some reason and I guess he’s also the tour manager? As we drive away I realize I left my guitar behind, and Rich starts cursing me out and he says “I had to pull some serious strings to get you this gig and now you’re trying to sabotage it.” We keep driving to the venue and I’m frantically searching Craigslist on my phone for an 8 string guitar I can buy. Rich says “forget it. You’ll do the show without the guitar.” I told him he seemed so much nicer on DTF but he didn’t hear me because he was distracted by the Northern Lights.
Then I woke up, still slightly stressed about the Haken gig I almost had to play with no guitar.
:rollin
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That's... amazing. :lol
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Wow :rollin
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Man, I just love dreams so much. :lol
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New single 'Mu' released by Hen today. I knew absolutely nothing about this, but I'm digging it a lot. It's got a David Maxim Micic vibe to my ears.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1aLjJuzdar94z9pvnG7bTv?si=ttLc4fWPQJaS0HMfPXThRw (https://open.spotify.com/track/1aLjJuzdar94z9pvnG7bTv?si=ttLc4fWPQJaS0HMfPXThRw)
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Nice. He demoed this a while ago and teased that he was working on a collection of solo EPs.
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Nice track :tup
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From their social media pages:
"Big announcement coming tomorrow..."
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:corn
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From their social media pages:
"Big announcement coming tomorrow..."
European dates perhaps? :D
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Might finally be the EU/UK tour.
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Might finally be the EU/UK tour.
Make my day
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(https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/438059142_959980568830791_7040495173205128233_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=qt-SkphXTv8Ab5BrDFF&_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.xx&oh=00_AfAD3w6pQxZ1fZcKvwP0lKURkj2uTKTUIe-76YJl8IPiOg&oe=66281F44)
INDEED :coolio
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And Sweden gets two shows, nice.
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Interesting.
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DT not coming to Scotland was disappointing. Now Haken too :'(
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Awesome, hope all the Euros enjoy!!
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So this is a cool story with a very happy ending...
A few years back a young Thai drummer posted her video covering Pareidolia, I think she was 7 at the time. She actually takes lessons from Ray, and in the meantime has done other covers, including Messiah Complex in its entirety. I've chatted with her mom a lot, extremely nice people. So obviously when Haken announced their Bangkok show, they were all excited to see the band. I asked about VIP or a meet and greet, and her mom was all "oh, they're only here a day and are big rock stars, they wouldn't have time for us"..of course I knew better having met them, and would've bet any amount of money Ray would want to meet his student in person. Last week her mom messages me saying the meet and greet was set, and they even made gift bags for the whole band lol. Ray tells her yesterday to come with drumsticks and headphones....in case it's too loud lol...
They get there, and get to see the soundcheck. Towards the end Ross invites young Zasa onto the stage, and they let her play drums for the soundcheck for Cockroach King. At the end of the video you can hear someone say "Ray you're fired" lol
https://www.facebook.com/zasanun/videos/944169390537423/ (https://www.facebook.com/zasanun/videos/944169390537423/)
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That's really cool.
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So this is a cool story with a very happy ending...
A few years back a young Thai drummer posted her video covering Pareidolia, I think she was 7 at the time. She actually takes lessons from Ray, and in the meantime has done other covers, including Messiah Complex in its entirety. I've chatted with her mom a lot, extremely nice people. So obviously when Haken announced their Bangkok show, they were all excited to see the band. I asked about VIP or a meet and greet, and her mom was all "oh, they're only here a day and are big rock stars, they wouldn't have time for us"..of course I knew better having met them, and would've bet any amount of money Ray would want to meet his student in person. Last week her mom messages me saying the meet and greet was set, and they even made gift bags for the whole band lol. Ray tells her yesterday to come with drumsticks and headphones....in case it's too loud lol...
They get there, and get to see the soundcheck. Towards the end Ross invites young Zasa onto the stage, and they let her play drums for the soundcheck for Cockroach King. At the end of the video you can hear someone say "Ray you're fired" lol
https://www.facebook.com/zasanun/videos/944169390537423/ (https://www.facebook.com/zasanun/videos/944169390537423/)
That’s an awesome story. I love this band so much. :heart
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Christuskirche Bochum, Germany
They play in an actual church in Bochum? I think I need to see this.
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That is incredible, thanks for sharing it RJ and also for encouraging her mum to do the meet & greet. She nailed the whole song, and what an amazing experience for her. As far as I can tell from a google search she's still only 10 years old? Amazing.
You should definitely share that on Haken Haven.
And that was Hen telling Ray he was fired. :lol
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Wow that was amazing! And she nailed that song too.
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Awww! Ear to ear grin here! Absolutely fabulous stuff :biggrin:
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Christuskirche Bochum, Germany
They play in an actual church in Bochum? I think I need to see this.
I live in Bochum and yes, it is a real church! Rock concerts take place there from time to time. For example, bands like Neal Morse, Opeth, In Flames played there a few years ago. It's a pretty unique location. :metal
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So this is a cool story with a very happy ending...
A few years back a young Thai drummer posted her video covering Pareidolia, I think she was 7 at the time. She actually takes lessons from Ray, and in the meantime has done other covers, including Messiah Complex in its entirety. I've chatted with her mom a lot, extremely nice people. So obviously when Haken announced their Bangkok show, they were all excited to see the band. I asked about VIP or a meet and greet, and her mom was all "oh, they're only here a day and are big rock stars, they wouldn't have time for us"..of course I knew better having met them, and would've bet any amount of money Ray would want to meet his student in person. Last week her mom messages me saying the meet and greet was set, and they even made gift bags for the whole band lol. Ray tells her yesterday to come with drumsticks and headphones....in case it's too loud lol...
They get there, and get to see the soundcheck. Towards the end Ross invites young Zasa onto the stage, and they let her play drums for the soundcheck for Cockroach King. At the end of the video you can hear someone say "Ray you're fired" lol
https://www.facebook.com/zasanun/videos/944169390537423/ (https://www.facebook.com/zasanun/videos/944169390537423/)
:clap:
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That is incredible, thanks for sharing it RJ and also for encouraging her mum to do the meet & greet. She nailed the whole song, and what an amazing experience for her. As far as I can tell from a google search she's still only 10 years old? Amazing.
You should definitely share that on Haken Haven.
And that was Hen telling Ray he was fired. :lol
It's been a hilarious back and forth between us the past month or so... there was one day where I was seeing what other bands Zasa was familiar with, see if I could interest her in new bands. Her parents have zero influence on the process, she finds all the bands herself mind you... I already knew she was a fan of Tesseract since they have tickets to that show as well (and their drummer has reached out to Zasa for a meet and greet too lol, Zasa is actually in process of learning War of Being). I started with the obvious ones like DT, PT, Steven Wilson, BtBaM, all of which she knew (she was sitting with her mom as this conversation went on, and Zasa was just naming songs that she liked from all the bands lol)... I finally found one she wasn't familiar with, Caligula's Horse, and dropped a few songs for her to check out, and also mentioned to her mom that she hands down had the coolest kid ever. :lol