Band:	Haken
Album:	Aquarius
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	March 29, 2010
Guest review by:	K✞ulu

01. The Point Of No Return
02. Streams
03. Aquarium
04. Eternal Rain
05. Drowning In The Flood
06. Sun
07. Celestial Elixir

2010 is long over, and I still have not heard an album that was better than Haken's Aquarius. Hailing from England and featuring two To-Mera members: Richard Henshall, who mostly plays the guitar but also keyboards like in his other band, and Tom MacLean playing the bass instead of guitar. There is also a guitar player from Linear Sphere, and all other members are involved only with Haken. Overall, the level of musicianship is outstanding.

I love the way Richard Henshall describes the band's sound: "On Aquarius we have riffs with Meshuggah heaviness, but we also have a Dixieland section, so I suppose we belong in the common ground between those two." The Meshuggah heaviness is indeed present, but, clad with prog essentials, it sounds more like the heavy Dream Theater, Adagio's first two albums, and the above-mentioned To-Mera. Haken in their turn do a great job at that with laying vocals and melodies over complex, syncopated rhythms. Their heavy sound also stretches to really doomy parts with quite amazing (though unexpected), deep growling; however, the album is 95% clean singing, which fits the music perfectly. The Dixieland section mentioned by Richard Henshall is, I assume, what most of us would describe as "jazz elements" (Dixieland is an early form of jazz), but one can also find "avant-garde elements": you know going a bit crazy, using accordion sounds, and playing something that sounds like circus music. Everything in between is modern, creative prog, with numerous soft passages, beautiful melodies, quite amazing soloing, and pleasant, versatile vocals. Haken don't go too far with experimentation or indulge in unnecessary skill show-off: everything is tasteful and appropriate on this album, but at the same time there is not even a shade of mediocrity or boredom; rather, the technicality on Aquarius is very subtle and musical, and that is a sign of talent.

I really don't want to go into separate song descriptions because every - and let me say that again - every one of them is a magnificent manifestation of the art of composing. Aquarius is the music I live for; this is one of those works of art that make me fall in love with music more and more; this kind of music makes me happy and lends me wings; finally, such music serves as link to God. While these words make me sound biased, let me reassure you that Aquarius is hard not to like. It is truly a kaleidoscope of moods and rhythms, and when you hear this album, it will be the point of no return because the streams of music will overflow you and carry you to the aquarium of sonic perfection, where you will bathe under eternal rain of brilliance, and when you will be drowning in the flood of emotion, the sun will come out to make you happy like a child, and as the water evaporates, you will find the celestial elixir of the divine grace.

Would you like to take the journey?