The Music
The Words
Haken are back at it again with their fifth album Vector releasing this Friday, October 26th. A surprisingly short album, clocking in at just under 50 minutes, with only one track “Veil” breaking the 10 minute mark. That’s not to say this album isn’t still jam packed with prog metal goodness. The album starts off with “Clear” a short instrumental intro similar to “affinity.exe” off their last album. This leads right into the first single “The Good Doctor” a fun song that sets the theme for the album.
According to the band, this album very riff driven and with more of a heavy influence than their previous works. That is immediately apparent once you get to “Puzzle Box” and the epic 13 minute “Veil.” The album’s instrumental “Nil By Mouth” is a solid track containing plenty of heavy riffs and solos. The next track “Host” is more mellow and has a strong Opeth vibe. “A Cell Divides” closes off the album perfectly with some interesting melodies. If you listen closely, you can spot references to songs from past albums which the band has craftily hidden throughout the album.
While a bit more bite-sized than their previous works, Vector is a strong addition to the Haken catalog which instantly grabbed me on first listen and still hasn’t let go. Highly recommended as always to fans of prog metal, and recommended as well, to everyone else. If you haven’t heard Haken yet, what are you waiting for?