With four albums under their collective belt, a remarkable live album (released back in June this year) and an EP, UK Progressive band Haken have honed their skills, taking the opportunity that each piece of work has presented to evolve naturally to the point that their sound has become recognisably their own. Technical without being obtuse, lyrical without sparing the metallic heft, Haken are in a class of their own and to say that Vector comes with a considerable weight of expectation (particularly in the wake of the elegant The Mountain and the soaring Affinity) is something of an understatement. Produced, once again, by the band themselves and mixed / mastered by ex-Periphery bassist Adam Getgood, Vector more than lives up to those expectations, proving to be yet another wondrous chapter in the growth of one of the UK’s finest bands.
Opening the album with the sort of distressed noise that usually signals an incipient attack in a horror movie, clear is a sinister intro that leads the way into the album’s masterful single, The good doctor, a piece that details an enigmatically silent patient as inscrutable to the titular medical professional as the Rosarch cover of the album is to the listener. With Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths clearly revelling in layering textured riffs over a combination of Raymond Hearne’s percussion and synth elements, the track draws on everyone from Genesis to Devin Townsend, the band taking every opportunity to skip lightly across a musical landscape adorned with the creations of their own, vast imagination. A lengthier outing emerges next in the form of puzzle box; a title at least that sounds as if it is drawn from the book of Genesis even if the riffs are hewn from purest tungsten. With Conner Green’s elastic bass grooves anchoring the band’s sound, Puzzle box is one of those tracks that is nominally lengthy but perceptually short, so awash with innovation is it. However, it is the twelve-minute Veil that really ensnares the listener, moving as it does from gentle, lilting piano and stacked harmonies to gigantic, metallic riffs – the latter as potent as anything the band has unleashed. Evoking FOABP-era Porcupine Tree, there’s a remarkable symbiosis between the guitars and synths that really allows the material to pack a significant punch without compromising on melody. Basically a mini-journey within the larger framework of the album, veil may just be one of the finest songs Haken have ever composed (although it does face some fierce competition from Cockroach King) as the band draw from their influences whilst remaining true to their own unique sound.
With the listener somewhat shell-shocked after the mammoth veil, Haken offer little in the way of comfort, plunging into the swirling, synth-powered cauldron of riffs that is nil by mouth. Drawing on a djentish sound that has much in common with Meshuggah, as the title implies, the track dispenses with vocals in favour of delivering an atmospheric and powerful slab of progressive metal that will leave you dizzy. In contrast, the beautiful Host offers airy, evocative vocals, rich harmonies and acoustic guitars, the band weaving a lush progressive soundscape that soothes the listener after so tumultuous a ride. The album ends with the explosive A cell divides, a diverse, dynamic track that roams the sonic parameters of the album on nimble feet, the band deftly switching from torrential riffs to awkwardly metered verses with consummate skill. It is an impressive conclusion to an album that sees Haken rapidly ascending to the realms of the progressive rock elite, and the band’s rapid-fire innovation is enough to give anyone vertigo just in the contemplation.
A remarkably concise and self-contained album, for all its wild-eyed flights of fancy, Vector never once succumbs to the temptation of self-indulgence. Each track paints a compelling picture and the album as a whole flows beautifully, building on The Mountain and Affinity whilst allowing heavier elements to creep in. The result is breath-taking and whilst the band’s loyal fans are likely to contest the point (after all, everyone has their own favourite), there is an argument that Vector is their finest work to date. Truly majestic, bands like haken don’t come along very often and should be treasured when they do. 9
