“Escaping the past

By embracing the future.”

I, as I’m sure like many others, really got into Haken last year with the release of The Mountain and then made my way through Visions and Aquarius – two albums which I actually prefer to The Mountain (which isn’t to say it isn’t mind-blowing). I absolutely love Haken and was ridiculously excited when I heard they were releasing more music, even just a 3-track EP. Three tracks which in this case roughly equate to 34 minutes of music. My anticipation was high, and as it turns out, completely justified.

‘Darkest Light’ starts this EP like a aural punch to the face – Haken aren’t wasting any time and they’re not messing around. It is clear from the first few bars that the song is going to be quite dark, which makes sense as the songs from Restoration are based on songs from their early demo Enter The 5th Dimension, easily the darkest of their work. ‘Darkest Light’ begins in exactly the same way as ‘Blind’ from Enter The 5th Dimension and follows a similar pattern for a time, but it is so clear how much they have matured as a band. The musicianship on ‘Darkest Light’ is phenomenal, and while it is probably my least favourite track on the EP, it is an instantly satisfying, complex track that feels much shorter than its 6:44 running time.

If all the crazy, discordant, prog metal madness appeared in ‘Darkest Light’, which I feel is remeniscent of ‘Portals’ from Visions, ‘Earthlings’ satisfies the mellower (I use this word lightly) and more atmospheric side to Haken, as seen on tracks such as ‘Deathless’ and ‘Because It’s There’. The song starts slowly, a complete contrast to the previous one, with a clean, slightly evil sounding guitar arpeggio. Ross Jennings enters, subdued, and really shows off his (and the rest of the band’s) versatility, which is made yet clearer on the next track. The track is reserved and quite long, but never feels as if it’s dragging. There are nifty robotic vocals, and Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths (guitars) make great use of their instruments, while never being over the top. There is no huge payoff to the song, but it doesn’t need one. It fits the tone of the EP perfectly and is a great addition to their repertoire.

Now the track any self-respecting Haken fan has been dreaming about since the announcement – ‘Crystallised’. Oh boy, it’s a good one. I felt like the very beginning drew on Visions; quiet, atmospheric sounds then suddenly the band explodes in with a soaring intro riff. Then, as suddenly as they came in, the tone changes completely. There’s no overture, it’s straight into the verse. It reminds me of Dream Theater’s ‘Breaking All Illusions’: after the epic “searching out / reaching in…” there is suddenly a ‘pixie dance’ section. I love it, and I love Haken’s adaption of the technique. The lyrics in the chorus also feel reminiscent of Visions: “Someone’s calling me / echoes of a childhood memory”.

A classic Haken instrumental section follows a short bridge which makes use of the electronic ‘broken’ drums used on ‘Because It’s There’ to great effect. There’s an incredible keyboard solo and tricky off-beat rhythm guitar parts. They definitely have a distinct sound although it’s clear who their inspirations are – I think every band should aspire to this. Another Haken staple follows – the acapella section. This is where the song really starts to get amazing. The folky, almost mediaeval style guitar part after this is my favourite moment on the whole EP. It’s just damn cool, there isn’t really a more eloquent way to put it, and fits perfectly. The vocal harmonies continue as the music comes in and the theme is repeated, but not overdone. At the risk of comparing to Dream Theater too much, I instantly thought of the little guitar lick in ‘Octavarium’ at around 17:40 (just off the top of my head). The theme continues on into some “las”, which may sound cheesy on paper but trust me – you’ll love it. Ross Jennings is a stunning vocalist and really stands out in this section.

Who would Haken be, though, if they didn’t snap you straight out of that into another amazing, discordant instrumental section? This time every musician gets to stretch their legs and show off their amazing prowess, particularly new bassist Connor Green. I love that Haken can go from deathly serious in a song like ‘Earthlings’ to adding humour into a huge instrumental, flitting seamlessly between styles.

I always anticipate the ending of a huge prog song such as this, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. It’s an absolutely perfect ending; the lyrics are amazing.

“The moon will rise

The night will fall

I hold your hand

But you let go.

The sun will shine

The snow will thaw

All things must pass

Into the unknown.”

Beautiful and so god damn epic. ‘Crystallised’ is easily on a par with ‘Celestial Elixir’ and ‘Visions’ and it is clear that Haken have so much more to give. Bring on album number four!

9/10