Haken New Album - Visions - Due in October

Just an FYI for the Haken fans who may not have known. There is a teaser out there but I don't want to link it.
 
Supposed to be another concept album. IMO their debut was one of the finest debuts I've heard in a long time. I'm looking forward to the new one.

emtee


Just an FYI for the Haken fans who may not have known. There is a teaser out there but I don't want to link it.

Supposed to be another concept album. IMO their debut was one of the finest debuts I've heard in a long time. I'm looking forward to the new one.

 
Awesome

Nice, I really enjoyed their debut.

It's only a minute long, but here's the teaser anyway (from the official channel): https://www.youtube.com/w...eature=player_embedded

Judging from the quality of Nocturnal Conspiracy and Insomnia, which were played live at Night of the Prog in July, this should be really, really good:


1. Premonition - 4:10
2. Nocturnal Conspiracy - 13:08
3. Insomnia - 6:06
4. The Mind's Eye - 4:05
5. Portals - 5:27
6. Shapeshifter - 8:08
7. Deathless - 8:04
8. Visions - 22:25

The US release has been announced for October 25. If you want it earlier, you'll have to attend one of Haken's September live gigs, either at ProgPower USA in Atlanta or at the Generation Prog Festival in Nürnberg, Germany.

Oh yeah: In addition to the 22 minute title track, songs no. 4, 5 and 6 are connected, creating a ~18 minute suite.

The next couple months will be amazing for new releases between this, Opeth, DT and Magenta.
 
By the way, I just found an audience recording of their Night Of The Prog performance on Dime.  Looking forward to hearing the new tracks.

Haken have released over six minutes of samples from the upcoming album today, sounds very promising!
https://www.facebook.com/...43?sk=app_178091127385

It's definitely a buy, Aquarius was really good!

I loved Aquarius= I'll definitely be picking this one up.

My feelings for their first album comes and goes a bit. They've created some really really awesome melodic parts which really gives me goose bumps, but once that.... dark.... overlord voice that's supposed to be some kind of fish monster or whatever comes in.. I facepalm. The quality of the recording isn't very delightful as well. Sounds quite old and cheap but considering that they're a conceptual prog-band singing about fish for a whole album, I guess funding was hard.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about their new material but I really hope they've skipped all the growling which sounds like a Darth Vader voice box running out of batteries. 
 
They've gone through some lineup changes as well afaik(?)

Inanimate

The quality of the recording isn't very delightful as well. Sounds quite old and cheap but considering that they're a conceptual prog-band singing about fish for a whole album, I guess funding was hard.

 
I have no idea what you're talking about. And seeing the people involved in producing this, it probably wasn't cheap.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about their new material but I really hope they've skipped all the growling which sounds like a Darth Vader voice box running out of batteries. 

 
There is no growling on the new album. Check out my extensive interview with Tom and Hen from last month:
http://www.prog-sphere.co...shall-and-tom-maclean/
 

They've gone through some lineup changes as well afaik(?)

Only before the release of their debut album.

Kyo

Inanimate

The quality of the recording isn't very delightful as well. Sounds quite old and cheap but considering that they're a conceptual prog-band singing about fish for a whole album, I guess funding was hard.

I have no idea what you're talking about. And seeing the people involved in producing this, it probably wasn't cheap.

 
 
What I mean is that the sound of the recording isn't very crisp and the mixing kind of feels a bit amateur if compared to like any DT cd ever released. (except WDADU). When I listen to the acoustic guitar on "Sun" for example, it feels like the way they mic-ed the guitar wasn't how "an expert" would have done it. It's very picky of me I know but you'd hear much better quality coming from a JP-recording for example. 
I didn't mean to take the discussion in a negative direction nor talk ill of the band, just expressed my hopes of what I would refer to a crystal clear production. Judging from the 6 minute snippets from the new album, it sounds alot more clear and professional. That first song in the snippet makes me wanna fly! :)

I see Inanimate has been banned, but I'll respond anyway.
 
Funny how opinions can differ, huh?  I thought the production on Aquarius was stunning....sounded incredible through speakers, through headphones, you name it.  That's my opinion, though.
 
Aquarius was one of the finest musical outputs I've ever had the pleasure of listening to; it is in my Top 10 of prog.  I was blown away from the intense instrumentals, to the gorgeous, dark, melancholy walls of sound that permeated the whole album, to poppy, upbeat songs like Streams.  Oh, and I absolutely LOVE the circus-esque noodling that happens sometimes, it is so unexpected and puts a smile on my face, but it isn't overused.
 
I am so excited for this new album.....I had it pre-ordered the day I found out about it.  I am expecting some amazing things!!!!

Gagliarchives played a couple tracks from Visions on Saturday.  Sounded amazing.

A new track from 'Visions' titled 'Insomnia' is streaming here guys: 
https://www.facebook.com/...743?v=app_178091127385

My copy came in from lasersedge a few days ago. Brilliant album! Nocturnal Conspiracy is fantastic.

Hope to get this next week. Hoping for continued excellence!

Looking forward to hearing this next week, what a year so many new releases hopefully things will quite down now so I get more time to listen to everything I've purchased.

Just tried Aquarius yesterday; VERY impressed with this band, dunno why I didn't check them out sooner.
 
Gonna listen to Visions as soon as I can, already psyched to hear their second offering.

If there is such a thing as 'next big thing' in the world of prog...these guys might
be it. Visions is amazing and it left off right where Aquarius began. They really
have something special brewing.

A-F***KING-MAZING!!!1! I love this album, possibly more than Aquarius. I really hope they get to tour the states soon. I would love to see them perform. I could not get down to Prog Power unfortunately. :(

I'm so glad I actually got into a band early for a change! Visions really is great and a logical progression from Aquarius. The middle of the album has a strong polyrhythmic feel, and Shapeshifter is way cool in that the feel shifts and matches the concept of the song.  It's a shame that it's compressed to poop considering how clean their debut sounded but it still sounds 'good' for the type of sonic quality that it is. Super super keen to see what these guys can come up with in future, but I just hope they shake up their formula of ten-minute song spam, ballad, epic closer.

Really like it certainly receiving a lot of well deserved praise, wonder when we will see the next To-Mera release that's in the works?

'Visions' is now available on Spotify:
http://open.spotify.com/a../6lDEml9M7IuNAUxw6gZ2sN

I'm getting the CD delivered from Amazon today.  So excited!!!

I am not a fan of the first disc (although I'll have to revisit it now...).  Excellent playing, for sure, but too loopy in stops for its own good.
 
This disc, however, is just brilliant start to finish.  It's still got some quirky passages, but it all just works so well this time.  Huge surprise for me.

Chiming in to add another vote of approval for the new album. 
 
There's something about Haken music that sticks in my head and I find myself hearing certain passages throughout the work day.

Figured it would have been hard for the Haken boys to top Aquarius.  Boy was I dead wrong.  This is a masterpiece from top to bottom.  Definitely my favorite album of the year.

HOLY MOTHER OF PROG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
This new cd from Haken "Visions" is BLOWING MY MIND!!!!!!!!!!! Finally got around to REALLY listening to it last night a couple of hours after the World series game ended (I could not sleep...great series) and this morning.
 
Simply INCREDIBLE!!!
 
Definitely a top 3 cd of the year for me (we'll see who ends up #1 on my list at the end of the year - right now between Haken, BCC & DT).

Haken 's Visions is hands down one of the best prog metal releases of this year..
And I love it so much that I decided to create a music video for the whole 22min epic which closes the album !
 
 
 
 

Thanks Man - Just given your VISIONS video the headphones, darkened room, full screen treatment. Mind blowing.

After listening to them both a lot, I agree with the thought that it sounds like a major progression from Aquarius. The two are entirely different animals, but there's such a major sense of cohesion and flow in this record which was patchy on Aquarius. The title track is one of the most gorgeous epics ever.

That video is awesome.  Also why does it open William Shatner - Bohemian Rhapsody when you click it?

Great job on the music video Marc!

Thank you guys ;)
I'm glad the band really likes it too !

Oh yeah I'm loving this one as much as the first, and it can only get better.

A friend of mine told me to buy this CD and holy shit!  These guys are amazing!  Really good stuff on here!  I only wish the drums were a little bit more "live" sounding.  They almost sound like V-Drums.  I don't want to sound like a complainer because the album is a 10.  Great stuff!

What rock have you been living under?

Visions or Aquarius?

I still prefer the debut,more interesting concept and the music ties between songs ate amazing!!

Still,they are the coolest!