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Haken v. new single Nightingale (April 26)

Started by Nick, October 31, 2014, 11:44:22 AM

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Max Kuehnau

I don't mean to offend anyone, but are Haken really that good, or is it the hype? (I'm not too familiar with them, so that's why I ask)
All my natural instincts are begging me to stop
But somehow I carry on, heading for the top
A physical absurdity, a tremendous mental game
Helping me understand exactly who I am

Buddyhunter1

Probably somewhere in the middle

KevShmev

Quote from: Max Kuehnau on June 29, 2019, 07:57:49 AM
I don't mean to offend anyone, but are Haken really that good, or is it the hype? (I'm not too familiar with them, so that's why I ask)

Hmmm, I wonder what fans in this thread will say...:P

I didn't buy the hype at first outside of a few songs, but they slowly won me over, and now I would definitely say they are that good.  The singer was a tough hill for me to climb, but I got there eventually. 

Evermind

I'd say it's an acquired taste. Either you like them, or you don't. A lot of people here like them, and a lot of people, well, don't. My best friend doesn't like them at all, and I throw at him all kinds of music I like and that's basically how I introduced him to Steven Wilson, Agalloch, Wolverine, Leprous, Ayreon; he loves all those bands but he doesn't like Haken. I, on the other hand, love them. They're a breath of fresh air in a prog metal scene.

I travelled to Hamburg to see their show and do a meet and greet with them, and it was worth every penny and then some. I had a blast chatting with them, and the show was fantastic.

Another thing I wanted to kinda mention, I love how diverse their T-shirts are. For Vector tour, I have a beige one, a red one, a black one with green/orange print, the black with insects and then I also bought the green Heineken/Haken one because that one is pretty good. I think among all the bands Haken is the one I own most T-shirts from. :lol
Quote from: Train of Naught on May 28, 2020, 10:57:25 PMThis first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

KevShmev

To anyone still wanting to check them out for the first time, I would strongly recommend to not start with Initiate and The Good Doctor, the lead "singles" from their last two albums. Those have got to be their most bland songs ever; it's almost like they tried to write something short and catchy to attract new fans, but those kinds of songs are not their forte. 

ariich

Quote from: Max Kuehnau on June 29, 2019, 07:57:49 AM
I don't mean to offend anyone, but are Haken really that good, or is it the hype? (I'm not too familiar with them, so that's why I ask)
I don't understand the question. Surely the hype is precisely because a reasonably large number of people think they really are that good.

Quote from: Buddyhunter1 on May 10, 2023, 05:59:19 PMAriich is a freak, or somehow has more hours in the day than everyone else.
Quote from: TAC on December 21, 2023, 06:05:15 AMI be am boner inducing.

425

Quote from: KevShmev on June 29, 2019, 08:08:27 AM
To anyone still wanting to check them out for the first time, I would strongly recommend to not start with Initiate and The Good Doctor, the lead "singles" from their last two albums. Those have got to be their most bland songs ever; it's almost like they tried to write something short and catchy to attract new fans, but those kinds of songs are not their forte.

I guess that my unpopular take is that the short, catchy songs might be my favorite songs on Affinity (Initiate, Lapse and Earthrise).

me7

Is "hype" even an applicable word for a band that has been around for a decade and has released 5 albums?

CrimsonSunrise

Quote from: Max Kuehnau on June 29, 2019, 07:57:49 AM
I don't mean to offend anyone, but are Haken really that good, or is it the hype? (I'm not too familiar with them, so that's why I ask)
Every single one of their albums rates very good to excellent for me.

DTA

Quote from: KevShmev on June 29, 2019, 08:08:27 AM
To anyone still wanting to check them out for the first time, I would strongly recommend to not start with Initiate and The Good Doctor, the lead "singles" from their last two albums. Those have got to be their most bland songs ever; it's almost like they tried to write something short and catchy to attract new fans, but those kinds of songs are not their forte.

Darkest Light falls into this category too. Just bland and very typical. I don't think their strength is in that type of song, but Good Doctor is the best of the bunch imo.

KevShmev

Quote from: DTA on June 30, 2019, 05:31:55 AM
Darkest Light falls into this category too. Just bland and very typical. I don't think their strength is in that type of song, but Good Doctor is the best of the bunch imo.

I agree about Darkest Light.  I am not a fan of that one either.

Quote from: 425 on June 29, 2019, 02:10:04 PM

I guess that my unpopular take is that the short, catchy songs might be my favorite songs on Affinity (Initiate, Lapse and Earthrise).

Earthrise is excellent, and I like Lapse quite a bit as well. Initiate is just bland.

Evermind

I think Initiate is a best song on Affinity.
Quote from: Train of Naught on May 28, 2020, 10:57:25 PMThis first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

me7

Initiate and Good Doctor both work well as album openers for me. They are both leave me a bit unsatisfied and craving for more. Especially Initiate, which cuts off abruptly to be continued in Architect and Bound by Gravity.

jammindude

Ya, I didn't think Initiate was all that great.   Fortunately, the album just keeps getting better, and ends with possibly their greatest album closer of all time.   

Vector, unfortunately, is just the opposite for me.  Pretty good opener, but then just "above average" for most of the rest of the album.

425

Gotta be honest, for me the last two albums are a significant drop-off from the first three.

The first three, especially Aquarius and The Mountain were excellent, so a significant drop-off is still good, but it's still there and noticeable for me.

jammindude

Affinity, for me, was a drastic "left turn"....but I felt pretty strongly that that is what made it so great.   They were in danger of repeating themselves if they didn't do something very different with their 4th album, so that's exactly what they did.   

I have to give The Mountain the edge, because the theme and lyrics are extremely personal to me.   I heard that album for the first time at a very dark time in my life when I was wondering if it was worth it to go on.   But the albums theme of overcoming adversity.....and really doing it in such a positive uplifting way....was just the right music at the right moment.  Totally pulled me out of my funk.   

That having been said, Affinity is possibly a musically superior album.   The musical themes (as opposed to the lyrical themes) are truly breathtaking.   Not that The Mountain's aren't, but the musical congruency of Affinity is just....wow.   

425

I definitely share your high opinion of The Mountain.

Affinity just ain't that for me. I can really for the most part take or leave everything after Earthrise. Red Giant and Bound By Gravity are enjoyable but not memorable, and The Endless Knot is not really my style, though not by any means bad. And I never got the massive hype around 1985. It's a solid song, but it's 5th on the album by a wide margin. For me, Affinity is three very good to great short songs, a very good epic (that nonetheless does not match any of their previous epics in quality), and some stuff that's solid but not exciting.

Crow

the mountain is their best, aquarius is right behind it. affinity and vector are solid, visions is meh.

also, darkest light is maybe the worst haken song because not only is it bland and repetitive but it takes the best song off their demo and makes it significantly less interesting. i don't know why they did that to the song.

anyways the good doctor is great actually

Fritzinger

Going to see the boys tonight in Nürnberg! And next week again in Dresden - can't wait for this cheerful insanity!

me7

I saw them headline in my hometown in March. I'm going to see them next week in a city two hours away. And I'm going to see them in December, when they open for Devin Townsend.

2019 is a good year :metal

RodrigoAltaf

I'm going to interview Richard about his solo album next week. Questions for him?

devieira73

Quote from: RodrigoAltaf on July 17, 2019, 04:34:17 PM
I'm going to interview Richard about his solo album next week. Questions for him?
What he can tell us about the next Haken album? :corn

MinistroRaven

Quote from: devieira73 on July 17, 2019, 09:42:28 PM
Quote from: RodrigoAltaf on July 17, 2019, 04:34:17 PM
I'm going to interview Richard about his solo album next week. Questions for him?
What he can tell us about the next Haken album? :corn

I think it will be a continuation of the last one which many called a conceptual album

JayOctavarium

I was just thinking... I'd love to hear Haken do an album of Covers. I'd donate to a crowdfund for that. Include Africa and a DT song :lol

cramx3

Quote from: JayOctavarium on July 18, 2019, 09:16:17 AM
I was just thinking... I'd love to hear Haken do an album of Covers. I'd donate to a crowdfund for that. Include Africa and a DT song :lol

MP's TSF was pretty close to a show of Haken doing DT and it was really awesome.  I'm not sure I'd want them to focus on an album of covers, but if they did a bonus disc of covers for their next album similar to what DT did for BC&SL, I'd be down with that.

jammindude

Quote from: JayOctavarium on July 18, 2019, 09:16:17 AM
I was just thinking... I'd love to hear Haken do an album of Covers. I'd donate to a crowdfund for that. Include Africa and a DT song :lol

If they ever did a DT song, I really hope they don't do anything really classic like PMU or Home. Instead it might be cool if they took something older and obscure and did it really different. Make it Haken-ized.

goo-goo

Quote from: RodrigoAltaf on July 17, 2019, 04:34:17 PM
I'm going to interview Richard about his solo album next week. Questions for him?

Is Nova Collective still working on new material?

What's the song (by any artist) that you played the most when practicing guitar?

Evermind

Quote from: jammindude on July 18, 2019, 09:22:48 AM
Quote from: JayOctavarium on July 18, 2019, 09:16:17 AM
I was just thinking... I'd love to hear Haken do an album of Covers. I'd donate to a crowdfund for that. Include Africa and a DT song :lol

If they ever did a DT song, I really hope they don't do anything really classic like PMU or Home. Instead it might be cool if they took something older and obscure and did it really different. Make it Haken-ized.

Yeah, I'd pay for that, but I don't want it to be a note-for-note cover. Do something like Nightwish did with High Hopes (well, not the best example because you can't improve High Hopes), do something different or at least make it sound like your song.
Quote from: Train of Naught on May 28, 2020, 10:57:25 PMThis first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

MinistroRaven

HaKEN ft. Aqua - Barbie Box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NyXTnZQh1c

YOU CAN TOUCH YOU CAN PLAY BUT YOU CANNOT SOLVE THIS PUZZLE BOX

:metal

gzarruk

Quote from: MinistroRaven on August 02, 2019, 07:25:21 AM
HaKEN ft. Aqua - Barbie Box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NyXTnZQh1c

YOU CAN TOUCH YOU CAN PLAY BUT YOU CANNOT SOLVE THIS PUZZLE BOX

:metal

This is awful... but I can't stop listening :lol

cramx3

omg  :lol this is ridiculous but it kind of works, I mean I don't actually enjoy it but it's hilarious


JayOctavarium

Quote from: MinistroRaven on August 02, 2019, 07:25:21 AM
HaKEN ft. Aqua - Barbie Box

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NyXTnZQh1c

YOU CAN TOUCH YOU CAN PLAY BUT YOU CANNOT SOLVE THIS PUZZLE BOX

:metal

Oh My....

goo-goo

Burnished just shipped Richard's solo album. I hope I get by end of this week. Very excited about this one!

RodrigoAltaf

Quote from: goo-goo on August 05, 2019, 09:45:41 AM
Burnished just shipped Richard's solo album. I hope I get by end of this week. Very excited about this one!

It's Haken meets Zappa.