Haken thread v. "Evening With" tour (some set spoilers)

[NoseofNicko]

Only listened to Fauna 4 times and I already like it more than most of their other albums. Fantastic album.

[Metro]

Good News: They fixed Beneath the White Rainbow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVVIoM1I98I

[NoFred]

^ 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

[Pettor]

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  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 

[Zydar]

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.

[me7]

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.

[ariich]

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.

[ariich]

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 ) but it's incredibly similar, just with a vocal effect on it (and syncopated jazz piano underneath it).

[Pettor]

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  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  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.

[Fritzinger]

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 ?

[The Letter M]

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.

[Deadeye21]

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

[me7]

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 

[Skeever]

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).

[Fritzinger]

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 

Ah man, didn't see that... anyway that was my initial thought when I heard it the first time.

[me7]

Ah man, didn't see that... anyway that was my initial thought when I heard it the first time.

Same here

[jammindude]

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.

[Mladen]

Don't get your hopes up. That section kind of annoys me as well. I wasn't even sure what I was listening to. 

[Metro]

I replaced that section of the song with the instrumental version last night. Problem solved 

[ariich]

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.

[Buddyhunter1]

Ninety listens? You know what they say about putting your hand on the stovetop...

[ariich]

Ninety listens? You know what they say about putting your hand on the stovetop...

Just because I adore the album doesn't mean I have to adore every second of it.

[LordCost]

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.

[Glasser]

I replaced that section of the song with the instrumental version last night. Problem solved 

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.

[Metro]

I replaced that section of the song with the instrumental version last night. Problem solved 

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

[Metro]

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.

[Glasser]

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.

[jammindude]

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.

[NoFred]

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.

[Glasser]

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.

[hefdaddy42]

I mean, I don't love that section either, but the rest of the album is smokin'.

[cramx3]

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.

[WilliamMunny]

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

[Metro]

No need to chop up Alphabet of Me, it's great the way it is 

After a couple more listens, I think I prefer Nightingale as the opening track.

[Elite]

Here's my first attempt at ranking all the songs. Feel free to disagree

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