55. Haken - "Fauna"
Next year Haken celebrate twenty years of existence, however, they are yet to plateau either creatively or in terms of popularity. Every new release has seen them take a distinctly new musical pathway and “Fauna” is no expectation. They are still firmly within Progressive Rock’s vast sandbox however “Fauna” sounds distinctly different to 2020’s “Virus”, which in turn sounded nothing like its predecessor “Vector”.
It is certainly darker and heavier than what has come before. It also feels distinctly modern and of its time, which is a real shift away from the retro 80’s stylistics of their previous album. This is a distinctly contemplative album and can easily be attributed as their most mature release. Their frivolous side is much more restrained this time around, and whilst in no way poe-faced, “Fauna” feels grown up and adult in both its composition and its delivery.
Watch our Haken interview at RADAR Festival 2023 : HERE