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Thread: New Haken EP in November

  1. #1
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    Not just a Genesis fanboy.

  2. #2
    Good news there. A physical release for the UK tour would be good.

  3. #3
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Auto-buy. I have their demo album, sent to me a while back by a friend of the band, and it's great! It would be a shame for that material to simply die off, so I welcome this re-recording.
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    I want to dynamite your mind with love tonight.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Auto-buy. I have their demo album, sent to me a while back by a friend of the band, and it's great! It would be a shame for that material to simply die off, so I welcome this re-recording.
    The song titles on the new EP are different, so it looks like the demos have been heavily reworked into new songs.
    Not just a Genesis fanboy.

  6. #6
    When reading this, I thought it would be completely new material.
    OK, fine, it isn't. It's a great idea to rerelease those songs, but I'm not sure how a different interpretation will work. They are great as they are in terms of songwriting, all they needed was some refreshing mixing, remastering.
    On one hand, it's a bit of a dissappointment that only three songs will be done, on the other - it depends which are chosen. Some of them are miles better than anything on the last few albums.

  7. #7
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I know the track now called "Crystallized" is a re-worked "Snow" from the demo album. Clocks in at 19 minutes and apparently features Mike Portnoy...
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    New official video of a new track from the forthcoming EP.

    Not just a Genesis fanboy.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by LeFrog View Post
    New official video of a new track from the forthcoming EP.

    I don't remember if this was the song/video which I saw but one of the reworked tunes on the upcoming release was good sound wise but it seemes that they cut out everyting that gave it some kind of a more interesting identity, some of the interesting instrumental parts appeared to have been left out. Without those it was just a good prog metal song, nothing more. I still think that they should have rerecorded all the songs with all the ideas left in, but that's their choice.

  10. #10
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Strange how the only option appears to be the CD *and* the LP bundle... I have zero use for the LP, and if it raises the shipping costs I don't care to buy it this way. Why is there no CD-only option?
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

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    Quote Originally Posted by selmer View Post
    I don't remember if this was the song/video which I saw but one of the reworked tunes on the upcoming release was good sound wise but it seemes that they cut out everyting that gave it some kind of a more interesting identity, some of the interesting instrumental parts appeared to have been left out. Without those it was just a good prog metal song, nothing more. I still think that they should have rerecorded all the songs with all the ideas left in, but that's their choice.
    I don't know the original demo but on first listen, this song indeed sounds like technical prog metal without the quirkiness I liked in The Mountain.
    Not just a Genesis fanboy.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    Strange how the only option appears to be the CD *and* the LP bundle... I have zero use for the LP, and if it raises the shipping costs I don't care to buy it this way. Why is there no CD-only option?
    I've seen people question the album release formats not only here but also on some bands Facebook pages (I don't mean this specific release but the general situation). Sometimes I think that these questions are very reasonable and should be answered. There have been several threads here where I think it has been discussed. I think that some bands should really explain why they're doing what they're doing - just to avoid questions, it would be easier for themselves.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by LeFrog View Post
    I don't know the original demo but on first listen, this song indeed sounds like technical prog metal without the quirkiness I liked in The Mountain.
    That video which I saw, there were comments from people saying that the quirkiness is lacking. I've heard the demo songs several times and think that the material is one of the best that they created. I understand that they have said that they didn't want to just rerelease the songs and therefore reworked some of them with some changes. Apparently they also said that the lineup has changed and the sound of the band has evolved and so the material is different because of that.
    I think that the demo songs and Aquarius is their best work. Visions was a step down overall and The Mountain was just OK.

  14. #14
    Is Haken pronounced more like the sound a cat makes coughing a hairball or a really drunk guy trying to say "Hawkwind"?

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    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    Is Haken pronounced more like the sound a cat makes coughing a hairball or a really drunk guy trying to say "Hawkwind"?
    Rhymes with "taken", i.e. your first proposition.
    Not just a Genesis fanboy.

  16. #16
    The epic track is up. Yay more Gentle Giant influences!



    Also a contest to win a signed vinyl copy of the EP, a shirt and a poster.

    http://hakenmusic.com/competition/participate

  17. #17
    I'm ususally not too crazy about this style of "prog" at all, but these cats are very good at what they do. That lengthy track above is solid.
    "Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
    "[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM

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    Member Wounded Land's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by selmer View Post
    I think that the demo songs and Aquarius is their best work. Visions was a step down overall and The Mountain was just OK.
    Hmmm...I would take it in precisely the opposite order!

    De gustibus, etc., etc.

  19. #19
    Member emperorken's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by selmer View Post
    I think that the demo songs and Aquarius is their best work. Visions was a step down overall and The Mountain was just OK.

    Agree 100%. I've pretty much given up hope that they will ever make anything near as good as Aquarius ever again.

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    I haven't heard the original demo, so I wonder how these new songs compare to the original recordings. In other words, how extensive was the reworking?
    Not just a Genesis fanboy.

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Wounded Land View Post
    Hmmm...I would take it in precisely the opposite order!

    De gustibus, etc., etc.
    I think that Visions is a 50/50 album - half of it is good, especially the instrumental tracks, the epic on it is good (love the "I guess you don't remember me..." part), and there was one more song which I liked but the rest are nothing much interesting. On The Mountain I really liked some vocal harmony parts, it was something new and different but instrumentally there was so little excitement in it. The first single which they published was really good though.

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by emperorken View Post
    Agree 100%. I've pretty much given up hope that they will ever make anything near as good as Aquarius ever again.
    Although there still are those quirkiness moments in their music, the last few releases lack some new exciting ideas. Of course, we could say the same thing about most bands - that they start good and then some time later have lost their magic. On the other hand, if you look at Dream Theater, theoretically there are some less liked albums - like Falling Into Infinity or Train of Thought - but even they have their supporters. Every album will have fans and critics, I guess the difference is just in proportions of either side.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by LeFrog View Post
    I haven't heard the original demo, so I wonder how these new songs compare to the original recordings. In other words, how extensive was the reworking?
    I think that the demo songs should be on youtube. You should check out the tracklist on progarchives or elsewhere and go from there. I would usually advise to buy the thing, but I don't know if they still have this Demo on sale. I remember that the production was mediocre, but that is only logical as they're demo recordings.
    Some people on youtube said that some parts have been cut out (on one of the new version songs) and as a result it's not so interesting. But this is rather an individual taste/preference thing.
    I can only say that in terms of ideas those demo recordings are incredibly solid.

  24. #24
    Member Plasmatopia's Avatar
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    This band pretty much covers my need for this style of music. When I'm in the mood for it I find them pretty satisfying. Looking forward to this new release. The sample above sounds great to me.

    It might have been cool if they had an expanded edition with the demo versions included.
    <sig out of order>

  25. #25
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    The Mountain is a minor masterpiece. Two before it were merely ok.

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