HAVEN OF ECHOES

Somehow, I missed the debut album from Haven of Echoes, which was released in 2022, but when Andreas Hack contacted me asking if I would be interested in hearing the new one, I was immediately intrigued. I of course know Andreas from Frequency Drift (you need to seek out 'Letters to Maro' if you have not come across it) and then noticed that both Nerissa Schwarz and Wolfgang Osterman from that band are also in this one, with the line-up completed by Paul Sadler (Spires/solo). Paul provides vocals and guitar, Nerissa electric harp and keyboards, Wolfgang drums, while all other instruments are by Andreas.

This album is a soundscape, a curtain of musicality being stood up for Paul to pitch his wonderful vocals against, with the band switching between simplicity and complexity, gentleness and force, always dramatic and always pulsing like a living being. It is a style of music which in many ways can be embracing, covering us with sound, but it is never stifling although it is not always comforting as they understand the need for contrast to keep the differences at extremes without allowing anything to lose its impact. I have deliberately not looked at any other reviews, which is my normal approach, but I can imagine if I delved into what people are saying I would discover a whole mix of influences being discussed. The first name which popped into my head when trying to think how to best describe this was early Muse, although in reality they are not that similar in an audible sense, more in the approach, while Leprous and Riverhead also come to mind, although not so much.

It is undoubtedly an album which rewards repeated playing as the longer one spends with it the deeper one becomes emotionally connected. It is an album which is designed to be played on headphones late at night, preferably outside looking at the stars, becoming immersed and being at one with the music. Lyrically, it deals primarily with the theme of impermanence and the way in which we are all affected by the knowledge of our own mortality and then this is wrapped up in a cinematic all-encompassing arrangement which takes us on a deep journey. Well worth investigating for those who want to spend time uncovering the joys to be discovered.

This is a relatively new prog band from Germany, and their 2nd album, following 2022's acclaimed The Indifferent Stars. Interesting blend of dreamy pop vocals (somewhat reminiscent of 80's bands such as Tears For Fears, Talk Talk, and Crowded House) and moody atmospheric vibe juxtaposed with darker, heavier rock sections, creating sort of dream vs. nightmare scenarios (best shown in the 14 min It Walks Among Us and the album closer, Assimilation). They take their time letting the songs emerge and play out, consisting of just 4 tracks (each 8-17 mins long). Creates a uniquely beautiful melodic but dark atmosphere and backs it up with some powerful rock elements. Best Tracks: Assimilation, Non Sum - Non Curo, It Walks Among Us. Rating: 3.5

The Germany based HAVEN OF ECHOES is a relatively new band on the prog circuit but serves more as a duo-based supergroup with seasoned veterans of the trade Paul Sadler, the guitarist and vocalist of the UK based prog metal band Spires along with ex-Frequency Drift keyboardist Andreas Hack aka Feeling of Presence. Together these two talented musicians have burst onto the scene beginning with the debut album "The Indifferent Stars" which garnered rave reviews from lovers of melodic symphonic / neo-prog extravaganzas. The duo has returned only two years with its second coming, the monumental MEMENTO VIVERE which once again includes drummer Wolfgang Ostermann and Nerissa Schwarz who offers some interesting electric harp contributions as well as delivering some extra keyboard moments.

Going for the gusto and pushing further in myriad directions in comparison to the debut, MEMENTO VIVERE nurtures four sprawling tracks into true prog splendor with all exceeding the eight minute mark and two exceeding fourteen. The opening "Non Sum - Non Curo" boldly displays a whopping 17 minutes worth of prog twists and turns that allow the band's melodic sensibilities to spring to life with a massive rotisserie of varying motifs that find soft tender melodies morphing from soft piano arpeggio dominated passages to heftier rock majesty. Brought to life with Paul Sadler's emotive vocal performances the music reminds a bit of the tender frailty of Riverside but at times sounds a bit like Andy Bell of Erasure as well! Displaying a wide range of abilities though Sadler rises to the occasion to animate this atmospheric prog to an entirely new level of excellence.

While the opener runs the gamut of synth-laden neo-prog styles to more frenetic metallic outbursts as the underpinning, "Ad Infinitum" displays a more tender crooning methodology with a winding display of cadences and melodic richness that coalesce into a near 9-minute mix of piano based melancholy. Along for the ride are rich guitar sweeps and the electric harp wizardry of Nerissa Schwarz along with a nice display of restraint and atmospheric excess. "It Walks Among Us" follows suit as the second longest track. It's at this point that Sadler's vocals remind me a bit of Einar Solberg who has fronted the prog metal / art rock band Leprous for the last two decades. Both singers display a firm control of their vocals to express subtle shades of emotive nuances that many similarly styled prog bands woefully lack. This track is also on the slinky slow mode with darkened hues of keyboard sensation and nice percussive outbursts that drop in from time to time through the mostly chilled drifting style of the track.The mid-section orchestrations are profound and powerful making this a track a true powerhouse.

"Assimilation" ends the 48 minute album run and continues the same stylistic approach nurtured in abundance throughout the album's previous three tracks. While based in the same synth-laden atmospheric cloud covers and cyclical piano processions, this one adds a bit more rock guitar to the mix. Yet once again Sadler dazzles with his passionate vocal projections that emotively decorate the tales at hand. While MEMENTO VIVERE is rather restrained in moments of guitar showboating, this track allows the chained up instrument to take a stroll every so often with a beautiful melodic solo and once again Schwarz delivers some gorgeous electric harp contributions. While not credited the sounds of violins whether real or synthesized offer nice contrapuntal elements and the moments of electronic freakery during the whispered vocal section offer a rare movement of darkness and fright to the otherwise placid procession through this highly melodic album experience.

This is the kind of prog that has to be done right for me to really want to experience repeatedly as more often than not the band doesn't have the chops to balance the atmospheric ambience with a proper instrumental accompaniment. Top that off, the vocals tend to be an afterthought and the proper role of the percussion and bass are secondary. Not so with HAVEN OF ECHOES. These guys have nailed the whole enchilada thus making MEMENTO VIVERE as vivacious as its namesake. While some may tout this a masterpiece of some sorts, in comparison to other accomplished bands the album comes off as a very close cousin to a less rock oriented Riverside or Leprous more based in neo-prog than anything heavy. While many a modern prog band sports this same style, it's rarely carried out as satisfying as HAVEN OF ECHOES displays on this second coming. A band to keep your eye on for the future and one to check out if you haven't done so already.

Andreas Hack of Frequency Drift wasted little time in retooling his musical vision by releasing one of 2022's finest albums, under the moniker Haven of Echoes, a debut called "the Indifferent Stars", that left no one 'indifferent' to say the least and was critically acclaimed in the prog media. The German multi-instrumentalist had partnered with a tremendous vocalist in Paul Sadler (ex-Spires) and including two Frequency Drift stalwarts in Wolfgang Ostermann on the drum kit and harpist Nerissa Schwarz. The crew remains intact for this 2024 offering, and truth must be said from the beginning, this is a powerful upgrade from the already lofty standards of its predecessor! Comprised of four epic tracks, "Memento Vivere" should top many charts at year's end, among the very finest selections of an exceptional vintage!

The confidence to launch a new disc with a 17-minute behemoth should be proof enough of natural ability, unshakable confidence and boldly progressing to an entirely higher level. "Non Sum, Non Curo " will get the ball rolling with a curvaceous electronic introduction that wastes no time in handing the microphone to Sadler, who displays an uncanny ability to hit the pleasure nodes with his mellifluous delivery. The arrangement seems emboldened to transition from softer realms into ravaging elevations of anger, surely a proper reflection on the current social propensity of switching from calm to rage, peaceful to hostile, caring to indifferent. The roller coaster of evolving sonic impressions is masterfully constructed, maintained and delivered, as if to underline the need to forge ahead nevertheless, yet always bearing in mind of the consideration for deep thought before brash action. The human condition seems to enjoy veering close to the edge, often faltering and stumbling, yet somehow dusting off the pain and standing tall once again. This consciousness is detailed in the wide variances of guitar/keyboard nuances and the muscular drumming, as well as the impassioned vocals that give credence to the sounds, evaporating the anguish into a thin vapor that dissipates in the gentle breeze. Speechless.

An exquisite track written by Nerissa, "Ad Infinitum" proposes an endless melody with excruciating celestial vocals, a weeping lament of majestic proportions that touches the heart and the soul. The twinkling harp suggest a profound melancholia steeped in a soporific splendour that transits into a slightly darker realm, with buzzing guitars, howling background choir, and syncopated complexity, before returning to a certain sense of serenity, as the melody returns, anguished and suffering. Astonished.

The murky and veiled atmosphere on the brooding 14-minute epic "It Walks Among Us" treads a new path, with occasional pools of velvet that barely shadows a feeling of impending doom, a melancholic camouflage of a darker purpose lurking, just underneath the surface or even worse, barely beyond the trees. The cacophonic orchestrations underline this hapless quest with disturbing effect, definitely foreboding and frightening, where cussing guitars, sinister noises and a surrendering voice rule the spirit. There is some palpable 'sturm und drang' in the mechanical finale, drenched in perspiration and dread. Uncomfortable music for uncomfortable times. Flabbergasted.

Often in progressive circles, artists like to encompass the entire album into a meaningful finale that serves to summarise, and "Assimilation" certainly qualifies as such, which is why it was chosen as the first single. While not necessarily branded as accessible it does promote an optimistic comfort zone that contrasts with the previous track's utter desolation. Here, the grandiose melody is immediately attractive, the entire vocal off the charts and memorable, as the instrumental platform expands in stature with a brilliant piano memento, a blistering guitar adventure, until the very end where the hushed voices remind us that the peril is never far away. Stunned.

5 Humanoid Recalls

"Non Sum - Non Curo" and the reverberant electro intro, caught up in a syncopated drum beat with the sounds of DEPECHE MODE in... dark wave mode. The air is languorous, rising, Paul modulating his exits; the break, first of the name with noises smashed against each other, forming an end-of-the-world atmosphere. The guitar saturates, the drums turn into a machine gun, the vocal on a delightful hardos groove. The ambient variation, latent with this monolithic, hypnotic keyboard, on SCHULZE; the evidence brings back to a captivating guitar solo and the voice marks the reminiscences of a dark wave, gothic ULTRAVOX, rising to the surface, memory of LACRIMOSA. Japanese passage which soothes before the pompous grandiloquent rise, goosebumps proven even beyond the 5 listens, I'm on more! The final torture that hums in the ears, the ecstasy. "Ad Infinitum" follows, like another drawer stacked with Nerissa as instigator. The sound on a Jeff BUCKLEY for the dark, melancholic side, a decadent TEARS FOR FEARS who would have chosen dark wave, these are only words to try to explain this unique, languorous sound that takes to the head, to the guts; you risk getting stuck forever. The sound that makes you stop thinking and remain silent; the break that launches the haunting spleen guitar, developing primary sounds, the wild crescendo making you navigate in this between worlds to infinity, a parallel dimension where time has stopped; a little wind and...

"It Walks Among Us" follows and erases the atmosphere created by developing a spacey, metallic doom metal air. The piece continues with a solemn air where the violin amplifies a time, before letting the violent orchestration fly apart in your ears. The easy, predictable but pressure-retaining finale; monolithic, pompous if that can help you grasp their unique universe based on Paul's guitar, Nerissa's harp and Andreas' various instrumentations. On the edge of orgiastic music. "Assimilation" comes with a strong intro to put the pressure on, listen to this harp. Paul runs and sings catchy with a different chorus; the piano electronics are there to support him as well as Wolfgang's striking drums. The fluid guitar solo that stands out, taking you by surprise, accentuating the notion of evening beauty, melancholic like the sensitive, delicate violin, smelling of the End. The finale will be different with the Dantesque orchestration, hard, heavy; a controlled fury of notes to mark and remind us that we are just dust, blessed but dust.

HAVEN OF ECHOES have released an astonishing album, pushing music to inconceivable stylistic limits; originally on profilprog.

A brilliant new album from Haven of Echoes that expands on the sound of the previous album and takes it to a whole new level !! Memento Vivere represents a deeper integration of Paul Sadler's guitars and vocals with Andreas Hack's soundscapes, blended with Nerissa Schwarz's talents and the wonderful percussion work of Wolfgang Ostermann. Paul Sadler's layered and dynamic vocals are a tour de force, and often difficult to believe they are all performed by the same person. The lyrics are mature and intriguing, and tie themes of the album across tracks very well. The resulting album is a dark yet hopeful mature exploration of the human experience. Each of the 4 stand alone tracks are epic prog pieces that work perfectly as a whole within the main themes and sound of the album, resulting in easily one of the best prog albums of 2024.

The first track, the 17 minute Non-Sum, Non-Curo (I don't exist, I don't care), floors you right off the bat. It features depeche mode like electronic sounds along with Tool like heavy guitar-driven sections as well as quieter melodic sections. It is quite an epic adventure. The second track Ad Infinitum, written by Nerissa Schwarz, is a more melodic piece with incredible vocal harmonies by Paul Sadler. The third track, It Walks Among Us, is another epic 14 minute track that explores some new ground for Haven of Echoes. The 4th epic track, Assimilation, provides a powerful close to the record with the ending distorted lyrics hammering home the main theme of the album. Fantastic record, I am very excited about how Andreas Hack and Paul Sadler's collaboration has progressed and I look forward to more from this group. A truly 5 star record and one of the top albums of 2024.

After reading some reviews on ProgArchives praising this album, I decided to give it a try!

It is a project that unites the vocalist of Spires, Paul Sadler, and the multi-instrumentalist and visible head of Frequency Drift, Andreas Hack. I have to admit that I haven't heard anything from these two bands, so I faced the listening to this album completely unaware of these musicians and their collaborators, such as Nerissa Schwarz playing the electric harp and Wolfgang Ostermann on drums.

They describe themselves as cinematic progressive rock, but if I have to give my opinion, for me they would be melancholic crossover prog, very melodic, with musical bases based on piano melodies (which sometimes become somewhat repetitive loops for my taste) and that sometimes they will remind other groups like Porcupine Tree, Leprous or Agent Fresco.

So far so good, but I have to say that Paul Sadler's vocal approach doesn't quite convince me, and after repeated listening it ends up tiring me. I'm not a fan of this style of singers who base their melodies on affected gurgles, as happens on Leprous. I'm sorry if this may offend anyone, but it's my personal opinion and it's something that without a doubt detracts from the record for me.

On the other hand, I find it a very interesting release and despite not being entirely to my liking, it does have an unquestionable musical value and is capable of offering musical moments of a very high level.

Recommended! And if you are able to connect with the singer, I imagine that you will like this "The Indifferent Stars" much more than I do.

Best Tracks: Sirensong (it introduces us fully into the intense and dense style of this band), The Orator's Gift (a simpler and more direct track, but which contains the best vocal melodies on the album) and Let Them In (the longest and most progressive song on the album, with some instrumental passages to take into account)

I decided to listen to The Indifferent Stars after seeing it on top of the ProgArchives charts for this year; unfortunately, I found myself very underwhelmed by the album. The album is not necessarily derivative, but it's a fairly generic combination of atmospheric prog like Airbag, a kind of moody Wilson-esque vibe, and a more gothic/darkwave influence akin to The Cure, or even early Cocteau Twins. However, it falls short of achieving the emotional energy that makes those styles really work.

To start off with some more positive thoughts on the album, the vocals on the album are fantastic, and I really enjoyed some of the vocal harmonies throughout. Furthermore, while it's not very prevalent throughout most of the album, there is some very excellent guitar work on the last few tracks, especially the closing song "Let Them In". That being said, let's dig into the various issues that drag the album down.

One of the more superficial comments I have is that the lyrics aren't necessarily the strongest (from "Sirensong": "When we meet again / It will be across the wild and raging river / So when we sing again / Will your melody release me / Or drag me to the depths?"). That being said, it's nothing more than a bit of clunkiness and awkward phrasing, so it's not exactly a dealbreaker.

However, my real problem lies in the sheer lack of coherence both within and between songs on the album. Many of the songs are fairly disjointed. They don't really follow any logical song structure, but rather feel like they've been slapped together as a combination of a few different ideas. Some songs are more guilty of this than others, the most offensive probably being the closer "Let Them In". While it's completely possible to make the argument that the song takes the format of a "suite" or whatever, the sections of it feel completely unrelated. For example, the aforementioned fantastic guitar solo, which comes after a brief solo piano moment, has no transition and jumps into an entirely different key center than the section before. Later on there is another completely different section of the song that only feels less abrupt due to the extensive atmospheric section before it. The end of the song is ALSO very abrupt; it feels like they picked a random downbeat to end on. As many of my reviews, it may seem like I'm getting hung up on a single song, but it is an example of an issue that permeates the whole album.

The songs also lack cohesion between them; they don't feel related in any thematic way. They sort of just feel like 6 different songs by the same band, rather than 6 songs that belong on an album together. That being said, it is difficult to distinguish any of the songs from each other when reflecting on the album, which I suppose is a bit contradictory, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. The listening experience generally felt like a slog through 44 minutes of music.

Perhaps the strongest moment of the album is the last two minutes of "The Lord Giveth...", which I felt was a really impactful ending that had a lot of excellent energy. Unfortunately, the preceding four minutes are nothing special, and blend in completely with the rest of the album.

Overall, I think the album has some excellent vocal work, and I do like the combination of influences that the band draws upon; however, the songwriting just isn't there to support the performance.

Haven Of Echoes is the new project of Paul Sadler and Andreas Hack accompanied by his faithful Nerissa from the groups Spires and Frequency Drift. Current cinematic melancholy progressive standing out with the voice and the atmosphere of the Frequency Drift sound and the metallic power at the doorstep of art-rock.

'Sirensong' heavy, ponderous, reverberating, a bit on Crippled Black Phoenix, on Archive, further than the Killing Joke precursors offered; dark rock in what Soen does too; atmospheric rock tinged with a melancholy violin break, chilling and catchy new-wave with synth pads behind; the enjoyable finale letting the sound burst with a screaming voice at the bottom, om to finish. 'The Orator's Gift' atmospheric intro, tribal pads, heavy vibe that a Gabriel could have released for a BOF; Paul launches his voice on a binary pop tune leering at Leprous; cinematic break is the fashion, test to decarbonize your speakers, sublime. 'Stasis' goes further in dark rock-pop, on the edge of a Depeche Mode, still Leprous for the superb voice of Paul; Nerissa distills some magic harp notes, accompanying Andreas in every corner; the voice-instrumental association becomes bewitching.

'Endtime' is intended to be fresher, ethereal giving Paul the incantatory place that befits him; rhythmic, dynamic, jovial; raw break, moment with a lonely piano on the crystal voice, it rises like a mantra, lyrical and Teutonic crescendo until calm. 'The Lord Giveth?' ah that intro, it sounds like a 'Silent Hill' game; slow, dark, gothic tune, contemporary rock freeing itself from prog markers while providing the mood; unhealthy, sublime, countdown bell, chilling. Title that is dreamlike and dedicated to musical atonement. Classic finale 'Let Them In' with the start of the orchestra, jousting between the voice of Paul sensitive to emotion and the instruments; flute, piano, guitar arpeggio, mandolin, harp, everything is beautiful to make you vibrate; ruptures in this exceptional title releasing emotion in bars and where Paul delivers vibrant solos.

Haven Of Echoes one day project? In any case, they have everything to please, the airy and fruity melodic rock of the Frequency Drift has here been transformed into neo-classical beading with emotion and archaic sensitivity, where the atmospheres create singular ambient climates between romanticism and melancholy overflowing with beauty and cinematic touches, amen.

The recent core of FREQUENCY DRIFT are pared down to three multi-instrumentalist and genius leader Andreas Hack, harpist/keyboard player Nerissa Schwarz, and drummer Wolfgang Ostermann are joined by vocalist extraordinaire Paul Sadler, previously of the Tech/Extreme Metal band Spires to make a new band, Haven of Echoes. Welcome!

1. "Sirensong" (6:11) What a great opening! Vocalist Paul Sadler sounds like a cross between Einar Solberg (LEPROUS), Ian Kenny (KARNIVOOL), and That Joe Payne (THE ENID, METHEXIS, JOHN HOLDEN, solo). He's extraordinary. The sound that Andreas' genius and Nerissa's electric harp bring are perfect--especially that deep bass coming from the keys. (I always loved Andreas' unusual mix of keys and Nerissa's harp presence in Frequency Drift.) And Wolfgang's drums are the perfect pacer--steady yet syncopated without being flashy or ostentatious. The cello interlude in the fourth minute is gorgeous, perfectly setting up Paul's great multi-track vocal finish. Great music, great vocal performance(s), great lyric; great song. One of my favorite songs of 2022. (9.5/10)

2. "Orator's Gift" (4:49) opens feeling quite a little like something off of PETER GABRIEL's 1988 film score masterpiece, Passion. Layers of keys gradual build upon the percussion foundation to break into the song's full form at 1:18. Paul's steady, theatric voice enters but doesn't really do anything extraordinary until it doubles up into two harmonizing tracks in the third verse and chorus. A sudden break at 3:10 leads into a passage with industrial sounds coming from both percussives and keyboards before piano and Paul's voice re-enter 20 seconds later. Beautiful music over which lies a less-than stunning vocal/lyrical layer. (8.5/10)

3. "Statis" (5:31) with piano base and syncopated drum play, this song starts out sounding almost like a continuation of the previous one. But then the vocal takes a couple turns with the keys in support to show different. This song feels much more as if a vocal exhibition with everything else serving only as minimal support as Paul's layers of vocals fly and weave in varied directions and styles. A lull in the very middle leads into some eerie keyboard sounds and cool layered/woven vocal passages. (I think I hear at least four separate and distinctive vocal lines being woven together.) The music is sparse and at times a little weak and simplistic, but I think that's to give further attention/light to Paul's vocals--which are great. Great section at the four-minute mark lead to crescendo and dénouement. (8.75/10)

4. "Endtime" (9:03) fast--paced electronic sequence opens this before full band joins in to establish a heavier driving pace. When Paul join's in I feel as if I'm hearing Einar Solberg's most nuanced, sensitive voice--just astonishing. Very familiar melodic flow in the chorus--almost like a combination of early Pure Reason Revolution and Frequency Drift. Great multi-track vocal mix in the second verse. I love the chunky bass play and presence of strumming acoustic guitar. A quiet interlude settles in at 4:10 with harp and distant snare the lone instruments supporting Paul's ever- so sensitive voice(s). Gorgeous! My favorite passage on the album. The next motif is also awesome--very different and refreshing--almost electronic and anthemic. (18.75/20)

5. "The Lord Giveth" (6:03) eerie deep space opening shifts with the arrival of Paul's plaintive voice at the 0:30 mark. Gorgeous vocal performance--great, emotional melodic choices. (So much like the supreme talent of That Joe Payne--or Sylvan's Marco Glühmann.) Quite the bombastic finish over the final 90 seconds. Wow! (9.25/10)

6. "Let Them In" (12:15) sounds like a more sensitive, less aggressive Frequency Drift epic. Great multi-track vocal offerings from Paul. Love the "strings." Nice guitar performances in the seventh minute but the drums and voices are even better. At 7:38 we move into a tension-filled yet more sedate section of deep synth washes and seaside sounds before piano, harp, and acoustic guitar interplay take over. Another angelic vocal weave joins in to help us float up and away--just before some power chords and drums take us into a very SYLVAN-like passage of insistent compounding and building, but the, at the very end of the eleventh minute we turn back into a more symphonic prog motif to support Paul's finish, both vocally and with his lead electric guitar. (22/25)

A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music. Let the news ring out: Andreas Hack is back with a new band and they are GOOD!