Album Review: Haken - "Restoration"

It’s not all that often that I go deep-ending into prog records, and even less often that I’m interested in three-song re-mastered demos from seven years ago.  But it probably says something about Haken’s “Restoration” that we’re even here having this discussion.

Nevertheless, there’s a few things worth discussion on this album, not the least of which is the fact that it feels a little like a twenty-first century YES album, or a re-worked soundtrack to the 1974 exploitation film “The Black Godfather.”  (Ever seen that movie?  It stars Rod Perry and has a totally wild proto-seventies soundtrack.  Plus, there’s this guy with a spear….anyway, that’s not what we’re here to talk about, but if you get a chance, check it out.)

Sure, much like their contemporaries Prototype, Haken brings some metal guns to the table, though Haken are less focused on the crunch of overdriving guitar and built slightly more in a Rush or King Crimson mold.  There’s plenty of interweaving harmony and experimental cadences to be had, coupled with lots of keyboards filling in the gaps.  We see the band employ this best in “Darkest Light,” but the same modes make multiple appearances in different places. 

One thing to be said for Haken is that they do fall prey to the prog stereotype of monotones, disinterested vocals, but that’s sort of the cost of doing prog business, right?  At any event, the slow burn of “Earthlings” could have been enhanced by a more impassioned vocal performance, but the song is still decently atmospheric for what it is.

Finally, we come to “Crystallised,” a nigh twenty-minute epic that bobs and weaves through a million different phases, from playful rock song to game show theme to a brief period of a capella singing in the round.  The song is so expansive and engrossing that it’s hard to believe it all exists as a single composition, but the pacing makes sure that the listener is never lost or bored.

Anyway, the re-master on this is pretty sharp and the instrumentation is intricate and played with aplomb.  I’m not a prog guy in the least, as you all likely know by now, but I find this EP to be strangely intriguing and enjoyable.  Give it a shot, it’s worth a listen.