Haken v. new single Nightingale (April 26)

[jakepriest]

I gotta say after a few listens the song has started to grow on me. A much better single than Atlas Stone (easily the worst song on Mountain, will never get the love for it).
Also god damn it, everytime I watch a Haken video I want to get a .strandberg guitar.

On the djent thing, the only "djenty" part is the breakdown halfway through the song, and that has been on Haken releases before.

[BlackInk]

I love the break down, and think it's awesome how you can follow it in both 4/4 or 3/4 if you want and still have it work fine both ways. That's pretty djenty, but it still sounds very much like Haken.

[King Postwhore]

Atlas Stone is the worst song on The Mountain?!

The new song gets better with each play!

[KevShmev]

Atlas Stone is the worst song on The Mountain?!

That would be news to me as well.

What, did we chuck Cockroach King from the record?

I think the problem for me with this band is often the singer's voice. I almost never hear a song of theirs for the first time and like it a lot, mostly because his voice isn't really to my liking, but I eventually come around to being able to deal with it when the song is more than good enough musically.  I'd definitely like this band a whole lot more if they had a different, and better, singer.

[Scorpion]

Wtf, Cockroach King and Ross' voice are amazing.

[me7]

The Mountain in an album without weak spots. Whatever your least favourite song is, 10/11 of the Haken fanbase will disagree.

[KevShmev]

Wtf, Cockroach King and Ross' voice are amazing.

Agree to disagree.

The Mountain in an album without weak spots. 

Take our track 3 and I agree. :big grin:

Whatever your least favourite song is, 10/11 of the Haken fanbase will disagree.

That's fine. How boring would it be if we all loved the same stuff?

I still think Celestial Elixir is unquestionably the best song they've done.  That synth lead part around 10:40 is probably the best 55 seconds of music they have done to date.

[ariich]

I almost never hear a song of theirs for the first time and like it a lot, mostly because his voice isn't really to my liking, but I eventually come around to being able to deal with it when the song is more than good enough musically.  I'd definitely like this band a whole lot more if they had a different, and better, singer.

I expect you'll like this song more in the context of the album, once you've listened to the full thing a few times.

It's still one of the less interesting songs on the album IMO, but it works really well as an opener.

[Nick]

I almost never hear a song of theirs for the first time and like it a lot, mostly because his voice isn't really to my liking, but I eventually come around to being able to deal with it when the song is more than good enough musically.  I'd definitely like this band a whole lot more if they had a different, and better, singer.

I expect you'll like this song more in the context of the album, once you've listened to the full thing a few times.

It's still one of the less interesting songs on the album IMO, but it works really well as an opener.

Yeah, great opening to the album, but there are at least 4 songs that I prefer to it on the album.

[ariich]

Actually, I'd say I prefer everything else except probably Lapse, and even that has an amazingly groovy guitar solo better than anything in Initiate.

But yeah, that's just my opinion.

Oh and also just to clarify something:

Apparently this time around, the intro track "affinity.exe" is just sound effects.

The first half of the track is sound effects, and the second half of the track is where the video for Initiate starts. The two tracks are one opening song, really.

[Enigmachine]

The first half of the track is sound effects, and the second half of the track is where the video for Initiate starts. The two tracks are one opening song, really.

Never understood why bands sometimes have an intro track, when it's basically inseperable from the following song. The band should just merge them together. Not a big issue, but when this happens, I always feel the need to merge them into one track using Wavepad Sound Editor.

[King Postwhore]

It's an obvious link for a band that a has a story. I want bands to mix it up like that then like you said have it in the song itself.  Any way is the right way for an artist.

[ariich]

The first half of the track is sound effects, and the second half of the track is where the video for Initiate starts. The two tracks are one opening song, really.

Never understood why bands sometimes have an intro track, when it's basically inseperable from the following song. The band should just merge them together. Not a big issue, but when this happens, I always feel the need to merge them into one track using Wavepad Sound Editor.

It is a bit odd. Initiate starts when the full band kicks in, which I sort of get from the point of view of releasing a single (and indeed the single on Spotify etc. is like that) but in the video they've used half of affinity.exe anyway.

Then again, Haken is very much an album band, Affinity at least as much as the previous ones, so I don't really care.

[me7]

Well, the Haken cup overfloweth as of late.

https://wpapu.com/interview-diego-tejeida-of-haken/

There is my interview with Diego, enjoy!

Thanks, great interview.
Diego says that they paid more attention to vocal melodies. Did you notice it while listening?

[Nick]

Well, the Haken cup overfloweth as of late.

https://wpapu.com/interview-diego-tejeida-of-haken/

There is my interview with Diego, enjoy!

Thanks, great interview.
Diego says that they paid more attention to vocal melodies. Did you notice it while listening?

Hmm, that's a good question, I didn't really mention the vocals much in my review, in hindsight.

As far as LEAD vocals go, I'd say that's one area that made this an A album instead of an A+. I thought Ross showed great growth through the first few albums, and peaked on The Mountain, and that the way he was used on this album was a small step back. That said many of the other vocals are really strong, even if they never stand out as much as they did on something like Cockroach King. I think it really varies between songs/parts of songs as well, as it's really only certain times that I have a problem with the vocals.

[Crow]

i just noticed train's user titles 

also i think it is totally fair to compare this one to atlas stone because The Path on The Mountain is, while good, not really the first metal track of the album 
preminition though is fair

[Train of Naught]

i just noticed train's user titles 

Evermind is my lyrics booklet.

I don't think I saw the video for this yesterday, I really like it. This song is bliss, man. Huge chorus, awesome breakdown, and from what I understand, the album is packed with even more epic songs.

[Estiui]

The Mountain is an album without weak spots.

This must be the most true statement ever made here.

[twosuitsluke]

Just watched the new music video. The bit at the beginning reminds me of the reactor Avalanche go to blow up at the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Wasn't blown away musically but I'm 100% getting the album.

[Tomislav95]

I liked it on first listen, great song.

[Cedar redaC]

Placed my pre-order today for the vinyl!

[Mosh]

Does anyone know if they're doing a vinyl + CD version like the other releases? I can't find anything on the Inside Out site but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

[Nick]

It's ungodly to ship outside of America, but there is the 2xOrange LP + CD for us.

https://www.insideoutmusicshop.com/b/haken/?sort=newest&image=large

[Heretic]

Wait, who said Atlas Stone was worst on The Mountain? It's honestly probably my favorite Haken song most of the time.

[m0hawk]

Just watched the new music video. The bit at the beginning reminds me of the reactor Avalanche go to blow up at the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Wasn't blown away musically but I'm 100% getting the album.

Funny you should say that. The very end of Celestial Elixir reminds me of the start of J-E-N-O-V-A from FFVII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6GrZYE2il0

Perhaps the boys are Nomura fans? Haken do excel at melodic, grandiose music after all.

[twosuitsluke]

Just watched the new music video. The bit at the beginning reminds me of the reactor Avalanche go to blow up at the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Wasn't blown away musically but I'm 100% getting the album.

Funny you should say that. The very end of Celestial Elixir reminds me of the start of J-E-N-O-V-A from FFVII

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6GrZYE2il0

Perhaps the boys are Nomura fans? Haken do excel at melodic, grandiose music after all.

Yea man, I hear that. I think you mean Nobuo fans? Or I might be mistaken by who you mean by Nomura?

[m0hawk]

Nobuo*, oopsy daisy

[Bacong]

celestial elixir you guys

[Implode]

It's p good.

[Sacul]

It's ok.

[Bacong]

It's ok.

[ariich]

Haken's Conner Green did a rather excellent bass playthrough of Initiate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--LMKOB1jEU

[Sacul]

It's ok.

[BlackInk]

Haken's Conner Green did a rather excellent bass playthrough of Initiate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--LMKOB1jEU

He is my bass idol. And my hair idol.

[jakepriest]

And my hair idol.

That's some bad taste right here.