AQUARIUS

Now, that´s what I call an excellent debut! I must admit that it took several spins to finally get it all. The first time I lsten to this album it sounded to me like a mass of confusing sounds. From the second time on I started to really like Haken. Sure they are heavy (with lighter moments too), but most of all they are quite ecletic. Aquarius not only shows the band´s incredible musicanship but also their many facets: symphonic prog, jazz, classical, avant guard, heavy metal, etc. They have it all. And play with the confidence of a seasoned group. It´s hard to label them, or even compare, although some parts do remind me of Dream Theatre´s best moments (yes, they are that skilled!), which maybe was helped by the vesatile voice of Ross Jennings, who sometimes sounds like a young James LaBrie.

As much as I liked the album overall, it has some flaws, which is acceptable, for such yound band. The opener is hardly the CD´s best moment and I really didn´t like the death metal grows on the second part. Fortunatly such problems are few and far between. From the second track onwards the band shows they are indeed a very bright promise. They are capable of writing great tunes and rarely they fall in the usual trap of showing off too much technique instead of just what the music asks for. Most of the time their music is quite emotional, convincing and powerful, but also very complex, long and varied. This a fine team work. The production is very good. Highlits are many, but the last song, a 16 minute epic, is a good example of how good they are. Just listen and see for yourself.

Rating: something between 4 and 4,5 stars. Excellent record, but I believe that Aquarius being only their debut, they can go further. Certainly a band to keep an eye on. And this CD is definitly recommended!