FAUNA

Haken return in 2023 with full power with the release of their 'Fauna' album, and not only do they have a new (old) band member, but also present an album that seems to have a little bit of everything that essentially makes them who they are musically. After their experiments with the much popular brand of progressive metal known as djent, characterized by down-tuning and palm-muted strings, as they tried it out on their distortion-loaded 'Vector' and 'Virus' albums, the band seems to have now embraced their more traditional guitar tuning technique as well as their "whimsical" progressive origins, presenting a plethora of phantasmagorical sounds on this colorful and triumphant album.

Original keyboard player Pete Jones rejoins his bandmates after the departure of the very skillful Diego Tejeida, and immediately impacts the band's musical direction, as it seems with this record. On 'Fauna' there are seemingly no rules, everyone is allowed to go further on with the compositions' development, leading to some interesting, experimental and unconventional moments for Haken. For example, opener 'Taurus' is a heavy and excellent reminder of where the band left off their sound previously, while 'Nightingale' is a very intricate mini-opus that sees the band embrace a more minimal, yet rich approach to the song's unraveling. Track three is 'The Alphabet of Me', a great surprise on the album as on this song Haken embrace a very anthemic and almost poppy approach, a very memorable beautiful track. So far it seems like this is in a way a reformed Haken, they certainly remain themselves but the music is exquisitely fresh and inspired, and this feel has penetrated the whole release by all means.

The next two tracks are more in the realm of what for this band could be considered "traditional" progressive metal, with all the playful chops and tempo changes, whereas the excellent vocals of Ross Jennings shine through as usual. Very satisfying, playful and bombastic sound of the album so far, every song seems to be a world of its own, yet there are a few recurring elements like the frequent mention of animals, the wacky keyboard parts, or even the jazzier bits that are played quite tastefully every time they appear. 'Island in the Clouds' continues in the same vein, while 'Lovebite' allows Haken to further try on some "poppier" writing, to average results. The big 11-minute track 'Elephants Never Forget' is a true rollercoaster and exactly what one could expect from the Brits upon seeing the song's playtime - all the madness is there! 'Eyes of Ebony' closes off the album in a more tranquil manner, while it could be argued whether this track is actually necessary, or the previous one could have been a more appropriate album closer, but this doesn't really matter too much, as the entirety of 'Fauna' is excellent, the album sits very well in Haken's catalogue and helps them expand their sound in the most thrilling of ways.