For a band like Haken, a title like In A Fever Dream comes naturally, so much so it’s a surprise they’ve only just thought to use it. At any event, the acclaimed UK progressive band are back with a new five-track release that features bass contributions from Bryan Beller (Joe Satriani, The Aristocrats) & Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery).
The EP opens with the schizophrenic title track which contains some of the band’s most metallic fare to date. It doesn’t start that way, however, with the opening passages edging into territory previously inhabited by Radiohead circa OK Computer and Anathema circa A Fine Day To Exit. Dreamy and ethereal, it makes for a lovely start, the band once again enticing the listener in with a strong melodic hook. Where it loses its way, however, is when the song shifts gears. While there’s no doubting the strength of the arrangement, the heavier riffs are compressed into a flat wedge of sound that, paradoxically, sounds quieter than the clean passages. In this, the fault surely lies with producer George Lever (Loathe, Sleep Token), and it’s a shame because it significantly reduces the overall impact of the piece.
The same problem affects Delerium. Opening on a massive riff that would, in any other circumstances, surge with tidal force, what should fundamentally rearrange the listener’s nerve endings, is instead lost within a digital firestorm of heavy compression and overcooked vocal processing. Perhaps, given George’s pedigree, this is exactly the effect that Haken were after. Whatever the reasoning, the result is that this expansive band give every impression of latching on to the uber-popular but ultimately sanitised sounds of Sleep Token.
A much better track, arguably because it sits that much further away from the hyper-modern metal paradigm embraced by the opening tracks, Eclipsed By You recalls Muse’s airbrushed take on Queen, Black Holes And Revelations, with the skittering beats and prowling bass really working in the band’s favour.
Similarly interesting is the twitchy, Aphex Twin-infused introduction to Bleeding Sky, which finds Haken paddling in the same experimental waters that gave rise to Kid A. As with the opening track, it loses ground as soon as it turns heavy, the guitars once again sounding strangely anaemic, which is hardly a word I would have used to describe the band in the past.
The EP ends with Lotus, a seven-minute finale that finds the band exploring a wealth of styles and atmospheres, all wrapped up in typically elegant harmonies. As might be anticipated by this point, the sticking point is the production which by this stage is simply fatiguing.
I’m really torn with this EP. Haken have always been a forward-thinking and changeable band and, with the band now reduced to a four-piece, it is perhaps inevitable that some of the inner turmoil that led to the line up shift would feed into their writing. At the same time, the choice of producer feels wrongheaded at best, with George Lever rinsing the band of dynamic to the extent that the entire EP feels squashed and lifeless. As a result, it massively undersells the talent that undoubtedly lies at the heart of the band.
Overall, while there are some good songs buried within In A Fever Dream, it seems as if we’ll have to wait for the live shows to fully appreciate them. As it is, this is an underwhelming offering from a great band. 5.5/10
Catch the band on tour:
23rd September – Salamandra, Barcelona, Spain
25th September – Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland
26th September – Trabendo, Paris, France
27th September – Euroblast Festival, Cologne, Germany
28th September – Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
29th September – Dürer Kert Man Hall, Budapest, Hungary
30th September – Roxy, Prague, Czech Republic
1st October – Simm City, Vienna, Austria
3rd October – Magazzini Generali, Milan, Italy
4th October – Largo, Rome, Italy
6th October – Frannz Club, Berlin, Germany
7th October – Oczki, Warsaw, Poland
9th October – Olympia-Kortteli, Tampere, Finland
10th October – Logomo Teatro, Turku, Finland
11th October – Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland
13th October – Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway
15th October – Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
