Haken v. new single Nightingale (April 26)

[YtseJamittaja]

Been killing me to sit on it, but finally, a review of the new album!: https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/haken-vector/

The hype is getting serious now.

[me7]

https://progreport.com/haken-vector-album-review/

[Fritzinger]

It seems that Haken are going to release a vinyl LP with the 4 L-1VE bonus tracks recorded at Prog Power!
https://www.insideoutshop.de/Item/Haken_-_L-1VE_-black_LP-CD-/16496

I don't quite understand this release but Haken is always a no brainer for me.
I just hope they will release the "actual" L-1VE on vinyl too!

I'm just gonna repost this here since it was completely ignored and I'm not sure if it was just overseen between all the Puzzle Box hype 

[Nick]

It seems that Haken are going to release a vinyl LP with the 4 L-1VE bonus tracks recorded at Prog Power!
https://www.insideoutshop.de/Item/Haken_-_L-1VE_-black_LP-CD-/16496

I don't quite understand this release but Haken is always a no brainer for me.
I just hope they will release the "actual" L-1VE on vinyl too!

I'm just gonna repost this here since it was completely ignored and I'm not sure if it was just overseen between all the Puzzle Box hype 

I saw it, but release date says July 12, so it seems it has already been released.

[ariich]

It seems that Haken are going to release a vinyl LP with the 4 L-1VE bonus tracks recorded at Prog Power!
https://www.insideoutshop.de/Item/Haken_-_L-1VE_-black_LP-CD-/16496

I don't quite understand this release but Haken is always a no brainer for me.
I just hope they will release the "actual" L-1VE on vinyl too!

I'm just gonna repost this here since it was completely ignored and I'm not sure if it was just overseen between all the Puzzle Box hype 

I saw it, but release date says July 12, so it seems it has already been released.

notsureifserious

That's the European store, so the date is 7th December.

Silly Yank.

[jammindude]

Where is the preorder for the deluxe edition? Isn't there a bundle or something?

The official site only has the VIP upgrades in their store, and Amazon is only listing the CD by itself.

[Fritzinger]

It seems that Haken are going to release a vinyl LP with the 4 L-1VE bonus tracks recorded at Prog Power!
https://www.insideoutshop.de/Item/Haken_-_L-1VE_-black_LP-CD-/16496

I don't quite understand this release but Haken is always a no brainer for me.
I just hope they will release the "actual" L-1VE on vinyl too!

I'm just gonna repost this here since it was completely ignored and I'm not sure if it was just overseen between all the Puzzle Box hype 

I saw it, but release date says July 12, so it seems it has already been released.

notsureifserious

That's the European store, so the date is 7th December.

Silly Yank.

Took me a while to understand what you meant 

[lonestar]

Nice review Nick, I echo a lot of those sentiments.

[goo-goo]

Where is the preorder for the deluxe edition? Isn't there a bundle or something?

The official site only has the VIP upgrades in their store, and Amazon is only listing the CD by itself.

I don't think there are deluxe editions for Vector. Just multiple colored vinyls, 2CD digipack case,  2CD mediabook and 1CD jewel.

https://www.lasercd.com/search_results?fulltext=haken

[bosk1]

I was supposed to review this album, but I just can't.  I find it almost impossible to find enough positive things to say to outweigh how much of a chore this is to listen to.

[Nick]

I was supposed to review this album, but I just can't.  I find it almost impossible to find enough positive things to say to outweigh how much of a chore this is to listen to.

I've never been closer to a blaze of glory ban of your account in which you then get back in as an admin and ban me forever.

[bosk1]

Sorry to disappoint.    Honestly, I've really been trying to get into this album for the better part of a month.  But I just find it to be...awful.  Sorry.

[cramx3]

I was supposed to review this album, but I just can't.  I find it almost impossible to find enough positive things to say to outweigh how much of a chore this is to listen to.

Were you a fan previously? 

[bosk1]

No.  I have never really liked them.  But this is the first time I have REALLY focused for a sustained period of time on their music.  So if you are a fan, please do NOT take this as an indictment against this particular album.  I can't say it is any better or worse than their prior work. 

[Podaar]

I've been trying to get into them for years too, Bosk. I should give it another try when the new album drops.

[me7]

I was supposed to review this album, but I just can't.  I find it almost impossible to find enough positive things to say to outweigh how much of a chore this is to listen to.

Let me review it for you. I'd be glad to help

[Evermind]

I love both The Good Doctor and Puzzle Box so far. Can't wait for my preorder to arrive.

That being said, Haken isn't for everyone, and I don't mean this in a condenscending way. My best friend, who's also into rock and metal—I introduced him to a lot of artists from Steven Wilson to Ayreon to Agalloch—likes most of the prog metal I send his way, but just can't stand Haken for some reason.

[cramx3]

That being said, Haken isn't for everyone, and I don't mean this in a condenscending way.

Agreed.  It took me awhile to get into them, mostly the vocals really and not his voice, but style that I had to ease into.

[mikeyd23]

I've been trying to get into them for years too, Bosk. I should give it another try when the new album drops.

Ditto, I usually try to get into their new stuff when it's released, but none of it has had real staying power with me.

[KevShmev]

Even though I am a much bigger fan now than I was a couple years ago, I am still having difficulty with this new stuff.  Ross' voice just never hits me in a good way at first, but I get there eventually most of the time.

[bosk1]

Sometimes, the answer to why someone doesn't like something just boils down to, "I don't like it," and it may be difficult to quantify specific reasons.  There is definitely some of that going on.  But here is what I can definitely say:

As with a lot of progressive metal, there is a lot that is so complex that it can feel a-tonal, a-rhythmic, and/or not melodic.  When you take the time to understand it in context of what the band is doing, the complexity often falls away and it just works.  With Haken, I find all of those elements to be present, and it does NOT work for me.  To compound the problem, I find the vocals to be especially grating, which REALLY distracts me from the music and from possibly getting the music.  Not sure whether I worded that in a way that makes sense, but that's my best effort.

[Implode]

You don't like Haken, and that's fine. Different people like different things. While your reasons might not make sense to me or others, if they make sense to you, that's all that matters. It is just music after all.

[Cyclopssss]

Sometimes, the answer to why someone doesn't like something just boils down to, "I don't like it," and it may be difficult to quantify specific reasons.  There is definitely some of that going on.  But here is what I can definitely say:

As with a lot of progressive metal, there is a lot that is so complex that it can feel a-tonal, a-rhythmic, and/or not melodic.  When you take the time to understand it in context of what the band is doing, the complexity often falls away and it just works.  With Haken, I find all of those elements to be present, and it does NOT work for me.  To compound the problem, I find the vocals to be especially grating, which REALLY distracts me from the music and from possibly getting the music.  Not sure whether I worded that in a way that makes sense, but that's my best effort.

I think you've just put in words exactly my feelings about this band. The closest I've come to liking them was with The Mountain.

[ariich]

You don't like Haken, and that's fine. Different people like different things. While your reasons might not make sense to me or others, if they make sense to you, that's all that matters. It is just music after all.

TL;DR: TASTES!

Although I do find it encouraging in terms of Haken's status and reach that quite a number of people appear to follow this thread who aren't even fans.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I feel that alot of new prog bands have a tendency to write more and more complex songs and out do themselfs with every new release. Not saying that's a bad thing but to me Puzzle Box feels forcefully complex almost like "let's put all our crazy ideas into one song". Again that dosen't mean it couldn't be a good song but that's what Puzzle Box feels like to me. A bit too much of everything. I feel Ross's voice don't really suite that kind of music with lots of rythmic vocal lines.
With that being I only heard the song a few times so hopefully my opinion might change.

[Implode]

I get that feeling with the first metrically weird section, but those after flow very well imo.

[ariich]

I feel that alot of new prog bands have a tendency to write more and more complex songs and out do themselfs with every new release. Not saying that's a bad thing but to me Puzzle Box feels forcefully complex almost like "let's put all our crazy ideas into one song". Again that dosen't mean it couldn't be a good song but that's what Puzzle Box feels like to me. A bit too much of everything. I feel Ross's voice don't really suite that kind of music with lots of rythmic vocal lines.
With that being I only heard the song a few times so hopefully my opinion might change.

Interesting, I really don't find Puzzle Box especially complex, other than that one manic section after the ambient bit. The "truth or deception" bit is quite odd rhythmically, but no more so than a lot of Haken's music, the interesting rhythms has been their staple all along really. Otherwise the song is all pretty straightforward, and structurally not very complex (ABABCDE, essentially).

[Dublagent66]

Well, I won't listen to the new album until it's released so I can't say if it's good or not.  Based on all their previous releases, I expect it to be good even if it takes me 10 spins to get into it.  I really don't see how someone can be a DT fan and not like Haken.  Makes no sense.  I think ya'll just missed the boat.

[Nachtmerrie]

Even though I am a much bigger fan now than I was a couple years ago, I am still having difficulty with this new stuff.  Ross' voice just never hits me in a good way at first, but I get there eventually most of the time.

Same for me. It takes some time to really appreciate their new stuff mainly because Ross' voice isn't really my thing.
In the end I get there and they are one of my favorite bands right now.

Really looking forward to this release

[jammindude]

Well, I won't listen to the new album until it's released so I can't say if it's good or not.  Based on all their previous releases, I expect it to be good even if it takes me 10 spins to get into it.  I really don't see how someone can be a DT fan and not like Haken.  Makes no sense.  I think ya'll just missed the boat.

This for me.

I mean, starting with The Mountain they started to become more of their own thing. But the first 2 albums (Visions in particular) are SOOOO much like Dream Theater that it borders on derivative. But they manage to be talented enough to outshine their own hero-worship.

[Buddyhunter1]

My biggest difficulty really getting behind Haken despite being a bring Dream Theater fan is the same thing that Nekov brought up a little while back, where a lot of the time it feels like the band just decides to throw some goofy section into an otherwise straight-faced song just for the sake of being goofy and kill the flow / mood of the song. That's why out of all their albums Affinity and Visions are my favorite, since the song structures feel a lot more mature and refined to me, and there's a lot less "LOL RANDOM JAZZ / CIRCUS MUSIC / WEIRD KEYBOARD NOISES / CHIPTUNE SECTION". Visions has a little bit of that with the goofy-sounding vocals in parts of the title track, but the only other instance I can think of is the chiptune break in Insomnia, which at least is short and sets up the next section quite well. Affinity is, in my opinion, their best album by far because each song feels very maturely-written and keeps consistent with its own aesthetic and mood throughout. Going back to The Mountain (which I'm not a big fan of), Cockroach King is actually my favorite song on that album because the song as a whole is goofy, so the random musical sections fit the mood and don't feel out of place. Whereas in say, Atlas Stone, that silly jazzy bit after the first chorus completely ruins the soaring, pretty atmosphere that the song was establishing up to that point.

[ToT-147]

^^^ I actually agree with everything you said, except that I think Falling Back to Earth is TM's best song... and, well, that I am a fan of the band..

[Buddyhunter1]

I'm a fan of the band too. I'm seeing them live next month and I'm really excited (having Leprous there is a big plus too). I'm just not as big of a fan as a lot of people on here!

[ToT-147]

lol I misread that then...

But I count myself in that group of people either way ..

Can't wait to see them live too... for first time in January!.. (same for Leprous, in March)

[The Walrus]

My biggest difficulty really getting behind Haken despite being a bring Dream Theater fan is the same thing that Nekov brought up a little while back, where a lot of the time it feels like the band just decides to throw some goofy section into an otherwise straight-faced song just for the sake of being goofy and kill the flow / mood of the song. That's why out of all their albums Affinity and Visions are my favorite, since the song structures feel a lot more mature and refined to me, and there's a lot less "LOL RANDOM JAZZ / CIRCUS MUSIC / WEIRD KEYBOARD NOISES / CHIPTUNE SECTION". Visions has a little bit of that with the goofy-sounding vocals in parts of the title track, but the only other instance I can think of is the chiptune break in Insomnia, which at least is short and sets up the next section quite well. Affinity is, in my opinion, their best album by far because each song feels very maturely-written and keeps consistent with its own aesthetic and mood throughout. Going back to The Mountain (which I'm not a big fan of), Cockroach King is actually my favorite song on that album because the song as a whole is goofy, so the random musical sections fit the mood and don't feel out of place. Whereas in say, Atlas Stone, that silly jazzy bit after the first chorus completely ruins the soaring, pretty atmosphere that the song was establishing up to that point.

I agree completely.