THE MOUNTAIN

I am a level 0 on this album going in, but I have heard other Haken tracks and have quite enjoyed them. This is the only album of theirs on the countdown. But remember that the countdown is from 2015, so they might have more if it were done now.

Track 1 - The Path

We begin with a slow synth fade-in that gives way to piano chords. Slow tempo, very peaceful. Soft, easy, high- pitched male vocals join. Ross Jennings is sounding great on the vocals. Some subtle backing "oohs" join it.

Track 2 - Atlas Stone

This one also features piano in the intro, but it is faster and arpeggiated. The band joins in at a fast tempo with shifting meter. Gothic style backing vocals accompany the next riff. The lead vocals take over with the first verse on top of a quick riff. Then we get a different vibe for the chorus. The instrumental break that follows had a Gentle Giant feel to it. An excellent guitar solo follows. This is outstanding prog. They are often referred to as prog-metal. While there are distorted guitars, so far it isn't any heavier than a typical Spock's Beard song. Lots of time changes throughout. Excellent playing all around. Wow, a big "gothic" sound near the end of the track. Superb!

Track 3 - Cockroach King

Yeah, after a short intro, there are vocals that are VERY inspired by Gentle Giant. This could almost be a GG track. There is a jazzy instrumental break at around 3:00, featuring piano. Lots of interesting changes in time and feel. This is so cool! I can't begin to describe everything that is happening here. We close with the GG style vocals again. WOW! What a ride. With everything that is happening here, it still manages to stay cohesive as a song. Well-done Haken.

Track 4 - In Memoriam

Another track that has a piano intro. There are 2 members listed as playing Keyboards, but I am guessing that the primary one is Diego Tejeida, as the other (Richard Henshall) is listed as a guitarist first, keyboardist 2nd. Whichever one it is an accomplished pianist. OK, this one is slightly more metallic after the piano intro, but far from extreme. It doesn't stay in the metal vibe for long, either, at any given time in the song. It's prog first, with a touch of metal here & there. There are some cool sounds in the instrumental break around 2:30. Good track. Not as good as the previous 2, but still very strong.

Track 5 - Because It's There

This one begins with a distant sounding vocal solo. It builds slightly into a tight-harmonied a cappella choral sound. Then clean electric guitar & bass joins in before the rhythm section joins in. There are some drum sounds that don't seem to quite fit in the verse. It's almost hip-hop-like. The chorus is quite nice though with outstanding harmonies in the vocals. The second chorus is even better as there are 2 overlapping vocal tunes, both in harmony. Good track, I just would have left out those out of place drumbeats in the first verse.

Track 6 - Falling Back to Earth

This one starts out a bit heavier with an odd-meter riff. This is the longest track on the album at just under 12 minutes. Things quickly quiet down in the first verse. There is a louder section then the second verse is very jazzy. Great vocals from Jennings. Once again, a lot is happening here. Some very quick tempos, and lots of changes. Excellent transition around 2:25. At just before 3:00 there is a tapped guitar sound that is almost like Tony Levin playing Chapman Stick. Some fusion-y instrumental breaks follow. Fantastic guitar solo at around 4 minutes. This band is amazing. Things really mellow out after the 6-minute mark. Nice dynamic shift at around 8:45. Things are slowly building in a wonderful way. Then everything drops except a mellotron sounding keyboard and some gentle guitar at around 10:30. But then the band kicks back in at around 10:45. Great vocals again from Jennings and the band for the closing section. Then at the tail end there is a brief bit of metal-riffing. Superb track!

Track 7 - As Death Embraces

Back to piano and gentle vocals to kick this one off. This one is only 3:13. It seems to be a mellow interlude before two longer tracks.

Track 8 - Pareidolia

A mellow riff is quickly overtaken by a heavier sound. But only briefly. There is a cool middle eastern style riff in the verse, with what sounds almost like tabla drums. We are in 7-8 here. The chorus is a bit heavier. Cool riffage at around 2 minutes. The drumming is fantastic on this one in particular (Raymond Hearne). The middle eastern flavor continues at around 3:45 with excellent, precise, staccato playing. Holy crap, this is incredibly complex, in the best possible way. The gothic-style backing vocals return following that. Then things chill back down with a quieter section with creative vocal parts. We pick back up at around the 7-minute mark. There is a bit more "metal" in this track, but still not extreme. If you like PT's Blackest Eyes, you'll have no issue with this. The middle eastern style riff comes back again at around 8:30. Things get quiet again with about a minute remaining as mellow keyboards (almost) close things out. There are some gentle sound effects leading to the closing song. Amazing track!

Track 9 - Somebody

Nice clean electric guitar arpeggiations start us off with Jennings in a mellow voice. The other instruments begin to slowly build before starting a steadier rhythm at around 1:50. This one seems to be a slow-burn kind of song. It has stayed pretty mellow so far, but I am anticipating that it will open up eventually. Things get even quieter at around the halfway point of the song. We start going into 7-8 following that with GG style singing again. We start building intensity again around 6:25. Even more so by 7:20. There is a horn section joining in, but in more of a classical way, rather than being jazzy or soul-style. But then we quiet back down at the ending. It never exploded as I was expecting. It was a bit of a restrained ending to this excellent album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

What a great album! Definitely deserving of a spot on this list. There is a bit of metal playing here and there, but again, it never got too heavy?no cookie-monster growling, and it was never for an entire song. My only issues are with the weird drums on track 5, and that the final track didn't open up as much as I would have liked. But the level of musical talent is up there in the ballpark of any great prog band you care to name. The vocals are incredible, despite wearing the Gentle Giant influences on their sleeves. Top-notch prog album. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Clicking 4, but really 4.5!