Atlas stone (Haken) (LP 2687 - 2690)

Haken  Aquarius (CD, Sensory Records, 2010) ***  

Haken  The Mountain (CD, Inside Out Music, 2013) ***** 

Haken  Affinity (CD, Inside Out Music, 2016) **** 

Haken  Vector (CD, Inside Out Music, 2018) ***** 

Genre: Prog metal, prog

Places I remember: Keegan gave me a copy of Aquarius, rest came from Fopp in Covent Garden (London)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pareidolia (the Mountain)

Gear costume: Cockroach King (The Mountain); Veil (Vector)

Active compensatory factors: I first heard Haken via a sampler from Prog magazine and since then I've been pleased to collect a few of their albums, including Aquarius via my eldest son who is also a fan.

First album on the list is Aquarius, their debut. It's a prog concept album about a mermaid (hence the cover). Given there are lengthy instrumental passages around the lyrics, I soon lose the plot and just enjoy the album for what it is - a great British version of Dream Theater style theatrics and musicianship. 

It's pretty outstanding that this was their debut, as the band sounds fully formed.

I immediately liked it, and also appreciated Ross Jennings' vocals. He has a comparatively gentle delivery that contrasts with the brutal prog metal stance at times. It's very much a personal preference but I prefer his vocals to James LaBrie.

I missed their second album (Visions) but was back on board for their next three.

The Mountain is the one with Cockroach King on it - easily their most popular song on Spotify. The rest of the album has the band reaching a peak in terms of their confidence in their ideas (pun intended).

The musicianship is top notch. If you want a modern prog rock masterpiece then look no further than The Mountain.  

Affinity is their fourth studio album. The similar mix of lengthy prog epics and shorter (by comparison) work outs are featured. It's excellent, but on the long side and the second half isn't as essential as the first half. A common enough malady in the CD age.

Vector has a more metal approach than previously, but it's also quite subtle as well, because Jenning's vocals are a constant and he doesn't really have a 'classic' metal voice. Nevertheless this is more riff driven than previously - something that I appreciate! A classic 5 star effort - Vector is also quite a short Haken album. This one and The Mountain will take some beating.

Where do they all belong? I haven't seen their other albums in my NZ travels, so I'll have to wait a bit until we make a return visit to blighty to get their last couple.

I'm here to stay (Haken)

Two recent acquisitions to report on in this post.

Prog magazine is one of my favs and their latest edition to hit the Otane bookshops (ha ha - there aren't any, a trip to Waipukurau is required) has a sampler with a great track from Haken on it, called Deathless.

Haken is a London-based Progressive rock/Progressive metal band formed in 2007. At the moment they have two released albums, Aquarius, released 2010, and Visions, released 2011. I have neither...yet.
Deathless is a great track - nothing metallic about it but the Rick Wright style keyboards certainly add to its appeal.



The second is the latest CD from The Jayhawks who I have had some time for in the past. Their country rock sound has its moments. Mark Olson and Gary Louris have been the two main figures in the band. Of the two I'm definitely in the Mark Olson camp. He left the band in the mid 1990s and among other things formed a supergroup of a sort called Golden Smog.

I actually much prefer Golden Smog to The Jayhawks. Olson rejoined his mate and band a few years ago and Mockingbird Time is the latest result. It is amazingly good, in fact I'd say it's the best Jayhawks album yet. Mainly because the two voices mesh together really well (like on Tiny Arrows below).

I picked it up for $3 from a farmer's market that takes place every Sunday in my sleepy little Otane hometown. What a find!