Haken - Vector
Is there anywhere left to go for Haken, once the most exciting band in the world? They rose fast with their first two albums, peaked with 2013's The Mountain (my no. 1 album of that year) and are now everybody's second favourite prog metal outfit, but there hasn't been all that much musical growth since then. Things move fast in the world of heavier prog, and a young but top-class band like Haken needs to constantly re-affirm their notoiriety. They promised the new album would be "darker". They weren't kidding.
Vector, compared to all of their previous albums, initially sounds like all work and no play. It's very loud, very tough and over very soon. That last part is actually a plus, because to my tender ears, any sustained heavy metal assault inevitably turns to sonic mush after a while, no matter how well-crafted and creative it is. It is both of these things in high levels, and Richard Henshall and his mates never leave melody and playfulness too far behind.
Songs like "Veil" and "Puzzle Box" confirm Haken's status as the most brilliant prog metal men around, dazzlingly complex, mind-blowingly rich, and they make it sound effortless. It's an undeniable bit of power play, but it is always a relief when "Nil By Mouth" comes around, an instrumental that brings some of the quirky goofiness back that always endeared Haken to me. "Host" is the only quieter piece in an impressive but relentless album. What will Haken (which, as you know, is Dutch for "crochet") do next?
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