Visions by Haken

Visions by Haken, from 2011, here in the 2017 version, remastered and including a bonus CD with instrumental versions.

Haken are an English band formed in 2007 by friends Richard Henshall, Matthew Marshall and Ross Jennings. After three years spent studying their instruments, they reunited in 2007 and recruited other members, creating their first demo in 2008 and then released their debut concept album, Aquarius, in 2010, the beginning of something great.

This album, as stated by guitarists Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths, “… is the symbol of our journey as a musical group, but also reflects broader trials and tribulations of life. On the lyrical side, we did a lot of soul-searching which gave the album an emotional depth [...] Musically, the new tracks are rawer and more exciting than anything we've created in the past. All the essential elements of our sound are still present, but they've been directed towards a grittier and more focused style.”

Visions is an excellent progressive metal work of great technical complexity, with long compositions and a darker atmosphere compared to their other works.

It is a concept album that tells the story of a character who has shocking premonitions about his own death. Some themes are repeated throughout the album and the execution is stellar, with great guitar riffs, very incisive bass lines, and Ross Jennings' voice is very powerful.

- Premonition is a spectacular instrumental opener, starting slowly with piano and synth and progressing into a fast tempo that changes repeatedly, with imposing gothic-style choirs.
 - Nocturnal Conspiracy is a long track with heavy sections and softer guitar parts, with unsettling atmospheres.
 - Insomnia is a short track with great synthesizers, excellent progressive metal, engaging and very compelling.

- The Mind's Eye is a melodic track with a great progressive base and a great opening guitar riff.

- Portals is one of the TOP tracks of the album, a completely instrumental masterpiece, with an impressive guitar solo and great synthesizer. It starts on the theme of The Mind's Eye
- Shapeshifter" follows the theme of Portals, a complex track with influences from electronic music and circus-like sounds.

- Deathless is a long, very emotional ballad with ethereal atmospheres, a lighter moment of the album.

- Visions, the title track, closes the album in a grand way, 22 extraordinary minutes, probably one of the best tracks in the band's discography, with great variations ranging from melodic piano sections to heavy moments. A truly great track.

A step forward compared to the debut album, which is part of a growth leading to the next masterpiece The Mountain, a more complex album than the previous one, with an original sound and purely progressive atmospheres. Great space for instrumental parts and rhythm changes within the same tracks, even moving from heavy prog to a more fluid sound with great technique. 

An absolute must-have album for fans of the genre.

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page