Haken – Fauna (2xLP)

If you talk about modern progressive rock and don't mention Haken, you're doing something wrong. Since the southern English sextet began jamming together in 2004, they've been one of the most faithful yet adventurous forces in their genre. And how do you honor such an eclectic, unpredictable career? They release Fauna: Haken's most genre-busting and conceptually fascinating album to date.

"When we started writing the album, the premise was that each song would have an animal associated with it," explains vocalist 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 hooks at their most diverse. "Taurus" opens the album with its scraping heavy metal chords that are as polyrhythmic as they are jagged. Ross' melodic vocals and triumphant chorus, however, are true hooks. "Eyes Of Ebony" is pure math rock, delicate in its start-stop clean guitar picking and ringing cymbals, while "Island In The Clouds" features a bouncing bassline. After eighteen years, they're still evolving and keeping their fans on their toes. Is there a better definition of what it means to make progressive rock than this? Available as a Ltd. 2CD Mediabook (including instrumentals from the album), Gatefold 180g 2LP+LP booklet, Standard CD Jewelcase & as a digital album.

Reviews

"After 16 years of band history, Haken have nothing more to prove, certainly not their courage to experiment." (VISIONS, March 2023)