Visions - Haken

[joe]

Visions - Haken

2011 - Sensory(US) CD/LP

- Ross Jennings / vocals
- Richard "Hen" Henshall / guitars, keyboards
- Tom McLean / bass
- Charlie Griffiths / guitars
- Diego Tejeida / keyboards
- Ray Hearne / drums

1. Premonition
2. Nocturnal Conspiracy
3. Insomnia
4. The Mind's Eye
5. Portals
6. Shapeshifter
7. Deathless
8. Visions

Sub-Genres: progressive metal, heavy prog, progressive rock

Haken's Aquarius from last year was regarded by many as the prog album of the year hands down. No doubt one of the best debut release in quite some time. All the indegredients were there. Skillful musicianship, good but not great song writing, beautiful production and a ambitious multi-genre exploration in which case abraded me with sudden seizmic sig shifts that were extreme and left me confused and in dischord and at times angry that it jagged from the flow of some of the songs. Passages of quirky experimentations, both vocally and instrumentally that was disturbing and abrupt as a sudden waterfall on a wild westcoast river. Complexity can be confusing, not to mention dissimilating. The potential was there and I was looking forward to thier next release.

Surprizingly, just a year a half later the band has released (well, not quite yet) thier second album. Prog album of the year...so far(?). After a half dozen listens, I'd say so. The band has almost put it all together. The song writing has improved, production is better as the drums are not so shadowed as the previous release, and most importantly the band has shifted away from thier so-many-styles hybridization that this album flows beautifully.

Styles and structures have been simplified as the band isn't jumping all over the prog map, more melodic and most noticable to me is the King's X influence on the album with the guitars very reminescent of Ty Tabor.

It's all here in what a prog fan is searching for. Brilliant. Perfect?...Close.

Look out DT.


Insomnia

Shapeshifter

Deathless

Visions

 

[LOU/REALM]

Good stuff Joe ! I remember Salmacis doing a HAKEN thread. I went back to it to check out a few tracks off their debut.....I agree with you , this band have high potential. Good listening...

 

[joe]

Hey LOU.

I remember Sal's thread. There is a couple of passages on a few tracks on Visions that have that quirkiness I mentioned on thier prevoius album that is hard to explain...sort of a circus/carnival, eclectic style, though thankfully it's only for a few minutes on two tracks that kept me from rating 5 stars.

 

[Magic]

Excellent album. Melodic. More prog rock than prog metal. A lot of prog wankery splattered throughout the whole album. Kinda sci-fi in musical & lyrical approach. It’s a conceptual story…to be listened to start to finish. A macabre look into visions of an evil boy and his visions as a man seeing himself as a boy. Trapped in eternal visions…..creepy, yeah!
The album is almost musical perfection. 9.5/10.