In some ways I feel like the first album Aquarius is the heaviest in sound, but the songs are also some of their longest and proggiest. Album by album, in my view they generally have gotten more towards tighter, shorter song arrangements. It may sound heavier in a sense because it’s less proggy, but when Aquarius has death metal growls and shit it’s hard for me to say the newer albums are heavier.
All that said, I like the proggier side of things. I listened to the discography in order, for the most part. The Mountain is the best marriage of their earlier sound with improved production IMO. I really like Visions and Aquarius as well, but the production isn’t as good. The Restoration EP is also really good, as while it was released after The Mountain, the songs on it were originally written much earlier in the band’s career (and reworked to some degree for the EP).
My album rankings would probably be something like:
The Mountain
Visions
Aquarius
Restoration EP
Affinity
Vector
Virus
Virus and vector that low!? I would rank them above affinity and aquarius.
Nah for me dawg. I agree with @Random_Ass’s rankings.
That would have been the case for me until recently. Affinity could go up even more on my rankings. And I’ve just always liked the concept and songs on Aquarius. I would love to hear that album with improved production.
@AlexTheDictator Affinity, btw, has strong 80’s influences.
1 Like
The mountain
Restoration EP
Virus
Visions
Vector
Affinity
Aquarius*
*Aquamedley would sit with visions as a stand alone song though
The reason I suggested Affinity as a next listen is because I feel like Aquarius - Restoration is a band trying to find there sound as a new wave Dream Theater. They found their stride with The Mountain, then Affinity is them coming into their own identity. Then for Vector/Virus they gave Rich less songwriting duties and were too influenced by new school djent IMO. Still love those albums though.
Vector and Virus works a lot better as a single album, the concept is insane. Plus puzzle box, the veil, and carousel are top 3 non-Mountain songs.
Edit: also while it’s true Rich wrote everything on visions and aquarius, I don’t think the djent vibe is due to a lack of his writing, considering his solo album is just as djent.
1 Like
Don’t agree with ya there, all good though. For me: celestial elixir, crystallized, and 1985 are the top 3 non-Mountain.
Architect > 1985.
Puzzle box and Architect are the two best choruses.
This is all splitting hairs though. I literally wrote on FB like 2 days ago that the entire discography is great.
1 Like
Sounds like there’s not really a bad place to go next. Probably gonna fire up Restoration EP.
2 Likes
Once you get through Haken, make sure to check out Nova Collective and Rich Henshall’s solo album. Two other 10/10 haken related albums.
1 Like
Y’all heard Ross’s new solo stuff? I can’t get through it…
I didn’t like the first single I heard, but the one with the video game music video was alright. I didn’t like his work with Novena (I hope I got that right) at all.
1 Like
This is pretty close to my ranking, although I’d probably swap vector and virus. Restoration is soooo good
2 Likes
Listening to Virus this afternoon. I do love Messiah Complex. The Cockroach King callbacks just get to me every time.
1 Like
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR MARIGOLD
1 Like
idk Symphony X, but it will be fun to see Haken again
haken at park west… what the actual fuck
1 Like
