If you talk about modern progressive rock and don’t mention Haken, you’re doing something wrong. Since the southern England sextet began jamming together in 2004, they have been one of the most loyal yet adventurous forces in their genre.
And how do you appreciate such an eclectic, unpredictable career? They release Fauna: Haken’s most genre-busting and conceptually intriguing album to date. “When we started writing the album, the premise was that there should be an animal associated with every song,” explains singer and co-founder Ross Jennings. “The songs all have something to do with the animal kingdom, but they also have a connection to the human world. Each track has multiple layers, and some of them are more obvious than others.” Musically, Fauna represents Haken in its greatest diversity. Taurus opens the album with his scraping heavy metal chords that are as polyrhythmic as they are snappy. However, Ross’ melodic vocals and triumphant chorus are real hooks. Eyes Of Ebony is pure math rock, delicate in its start-stop clean guitar picking and ringing cymbals, while Island In The Clouds boasts a bouncy bassline. Eighteen years later they are still evolving and keeping their fans on their toes. What better definition of what it means to make progressive rock than this. Available as Ltd. 2CD Mediabook (incl. instrumentals from the album) and, Standard CD Jewelcase.
01 Taurus
02 Nightingale
03 The Alphabet Of Me
04 Sempiternal Beings
05 Beneath The White Rainbow
06 Island In The Clouds
07 Lovebite
08 Elephants Never Forget
09 Eyes Of Ebony