In the middle of the Corona crisis Haken release an album called "Virus" as if they had a premonition of the upcoming pandemic. Lyrically extremely exciting, it follows an extremely hard and uncompromising path musically. Is the band putting their prog claim on the back burner with this? Which virus got Haken there?
The times of Corona are hard enough for all of us. Now, with their new album "Virus", Haken are putting their finger in the wound even more. But unintentionally, because the album was written as a sequel to its predecessor "Vector" (2018) long before the Covid 19 pandemic. It tells the further story of the "Cockroach King", who first appeared on the album "The Mountain" (2013) in the track of the same name, one of the most famous and fascinating songs of the band. We felt songwriter, guitarist and keyboarder Richard Henshall as well as the hook virus.
In the good ten years of their existence, Haken have unerringly fought their way to the top of the progmetal scene and delivered true classics with albums like "Visions" or "The Mountain". With the concert recording "L-1VE", the group recently drew an impressive balance of its work to date. Now the four Britons, the Mexican and the US-American want to start again with the fifth studio album "Vector".
Shortly before a US tour with Leprous and Bent Knee we talk to guitarist/keyboarder Richard Henshall (34), who has a lot of interesting things to report about the new hook record. He is especially fond of the topics psychology and psychoanalysis, which run like a red thread through the songs. The former main composer is also very happy about the division of labour established since the predecessor album "Affinity", since not only the band climate but also the music had profited from it: "Since all six were involved to the same extent, the album was also six times as good!
Their 2013 album "The Mountain" already hinted at it: Hooks are on their way to the Prog summit. After the transition EP "Restoration", the London formation is now on another high flight with "Affinity". The biggest surprise is certainly that the six exceptional musicians have meanwhile discovered the pop rock of the eighties for themselves, but without neglecting their own artistic vision.
Constant change and experimentation have always been important constants in Haken's career. With their albums "Aquarius" (2010) and "Visions" (2011), the Londoners documented their amazing stylistic diversity at an early stage and developed into a real insider tip in a very short time. Three great gigs at the "Night Of The Prog" did the rest to put the band on the radar of German prog fans again and again. Already on "Visions" the sextet sounded mature and determined, but with "The Mountain" (2013) it delivered its masterpiece. Hook combine the technical aplomb of Dream Theater, characteristics of Yes, Genesis, Camel, King Crimson and Gentle Giant, the toughness of bands like Meshuggah or Textures as well as elements of the soundtracks of John Williams, Hans Zimmer and Howard Shore. All this has brought the group together to create a unique sound and outstanding songs.
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eclipsed is a music magazine based in Aschaffenburg and has been on the German market since 2000. It is aimed at friends of sophisticated rock music who want to go on a new acoustic voyage of discovery month after month.
eclipsed deals in detail with the rock greats of the 60s and 70s in the areas of art rock, prog, psychedelic, blues, classic, hard rock and much more as well as with the current scene in these areas.
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