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HAKEN Fan Reviews (6)
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Sheer proggy perfection!
Haken are one of those rare bands that keep evolving their craft and their sound, not content to rest on the laurels of past achievements. Not satisfied with staying in their comfort zone, they continue to keep their loyal fanbase challenged and not knowing what to expect next. With long-time collaborator, Peter Jones. re-joining the bad for their latest album, Fauna, the band opted to tone down the heaviness of the previous dual assault of Vector and Virus and explore other facets of what makes their chemistry as creative songwriters work. What they came up with was, essentially, a greatest hits album of new songs with Fauna, with a couple of new twists like 'Alphabet Of Me' thrown in for good measure. The new material was lapped up in full by the audience packed into the Kentish Town Forum on a Saturday night for one of the largest shows in the band's history, especially as they opted to play the latest opus in it's entirety for the assembled crowd, some of whom getting into the spirit of the animal themes explored on the album by dressing for the occasion. Following this epic journey, which finished with an 18 minute fan-favourite song from an earlier EP, the band came back on stage after a short break to run through a tour of some of their back catalogue ranging from a couple of seldom-heard classics, to some well-known tunes which had the audience hanging on every note and every word. The atmosphere at this celebration of Haken was absolutely incredible, a homecoming show for the band but also recognition of the esteem for which they are held within the prog community. Luckily, the band also decided to capture the evening for a future release and this reviewer in particular cannot wait to re-live one of THE gigs of the year!
Posted by Sparky Mead on 29/09/2024
HAKEN - An Evening With, O2 Forum Kentish Town, London - 21st September 2024
Brilliant
Great evening, great show. Only wished the guitars were louder, they were very low in the mix from the crowd. Generally the sound was a bit too quiet. Case in point: the guy behind me singing along with every word in a flat monotone was drowning out the sound of the actual band 🙄 I’m sure the live release will have a better mix and sound great!
Posted by Fynn on 24/09/2024
HAKEN - An Evening With, O2 Forum Kentish Town, London - 21st September 2024
Totally awesome
They are the finest band around. And an evening of 3 1/2 hours of their music absolutely stunning.
Posted anonymously on 23/09/2024
HAKEN - An Evening With, O2 Forum Kentish Town, London - 21st September 2024
Brilliant band
Second time I have seen Haken, the performance at the O2 Ritz was brilliant. They played for around 3 hours including all of their current album and many tracks from previous albums. The O2 Ritz is one of my favourite venues, a great night seeing a brilliant band.
Posted by Melvyn on 23/09/2024
HAKEN - An Evening With, O2 Ritz, Manchester - 20th September 2024
Unbelievable performance.
An absolutely brilliant show. Up there with the best
Posted by Neil Foss on 23/09/2024
HAKEN - An Evening With, O2 Forum Kentish Town, London - 21st September 2024
Formed in London in 2007, Haken have grown into one of the most exciting names in modern progressive metal. Built around the songwriting of multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall and the soaring voice of Ross Jennings, the band made their mark with an ambitious debut, Aquarius (2010), a concept album that set the tone for everything to follow: elaborate, adventurous and full of surprises.
From there they just kept climbing. The Mountain (2013) proved a real turning point, with the single "Cockroach King" winning them fans well beyond the prog world, while Affinity (2016) folded in shimmering 1980s textures to broaden their sound. Later albums Vector (2018), Virus (2020) and Fauna (2023) show a band still restlessly experimenting, weaving jazz, djent and cinematic drama into sprawling songs. Across seven studio albums they've built a reputation for technical brilliance and real emotional heft, and it all comes alive on stage, where their ambitious arrangements and sheer energy make for an unforgettable night.