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September 2nd in NYC

My first Haken show is nearly here!

 

Enjoy it, Tick!!!

I just came home from the concert. I really enjoyed it, and Ross Jennings is a hell of a frontman, but his vocals live are absolutely horrible.

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September 2nd in NYC

My first Haken show is nearly here!

 

Enjoy it, Tick!!!

I just came home from the concert. I really enjoyed it, and Ross Jennings is a hell of a frontman, but his vocals live are absolutely horrible.

 

You must've caught him on a bad night - he's been brilliant the last few times I've seen them (and at the Shattered Fortress gig a couple of months back).

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Maybe. But overall I'm happy with the show. The songs from Affinity really worked well on a live setting.

 

One weird thing I noticed was that the merch stand sold Haken coffee... I didn't know they had their own brand. There were some cool shirts on sale, and all their albums on vynil too.

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Maybe. But overall I'm happy with the show. The songs from Affinity really worked well on a live setting.

 

One weird thing I noticed was that the merch stand sold Haken coffee... I didn't know they had their own brand. There were some cool shirts on sale, and all their albums on vynil too.

 

I know of bands who have their own beer or wine but that's the first I've heard of one having their own coffee. Not a bad idea actually. Get into a different market other bands aren't in.

 

I haven't seen them live but I can see how his voice might not always be the best. Ross's vocals fit the band well but he doesn't have a lot of power in it. So, it could definitely sound bad if he has an off night.

 

Where did they play? Sound issues with the venue may have had something to do with the bad performance.

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They played at a place called Lee´s Palace, 25 minutes from where I live. Cool venue, but the stage was a bit too small for them, and the six guys were kinda crammed on stage. I think the issue with Ross´ vocals is that it´s difficult to sustain the falsetto for too long. He doesn´t do a gentle falsetto like Jon Anderson, there´s still some grit in his voice while he does it, if that makes any sense.

 

I met Ross after the show and gave him a high five though, and also managed to get a pic with Richard Henshall:

 

Haken.jpg

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I've noticed Ross's shortcomings on live youtube shows (got my ass handed to me by the unwelcoming committee on a haken facebook group for mentioning it). Sadly very few bands of any merit come within striking distance for me, and until Haken get bigger in terms of audience size I probably won't be able to see a show in person anytime soon. :-/

 

Richard's a beast of a guitarist fwiw. I don't like his side (jazz/math prog band) stuff, but the man gets my respect as a serious player. He does things that look so easy and fluid, which would take me days to master.

Edited by stoopid
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Sorry if mentioned before but best album for introduction?

 

Mountain or Affinity

Everyone says that but I may say, Visions or Aquarius

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Sorry if mentioned before but best album for introduction?

 

Mountain or Affinity

Everyone says that but I may say, Visions or Aquarius

 

I haven't heard Aquarius, but heard Visions today, and it's insanely good!!!

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I would have though up something but haven't been on the forum much this week. Hope the interview went well anyway. Any teaser(s) regarding the new album? General impressions? Edited by stoopid
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The interview went great, although it was only with Charlie Griffiths - Richard Henshall had an issue with his baby and had to step out. I got some great insights from him, including the fact that them palying with Portnoy on the Shattered Fortress tour was a huge influence in how the new album turned out - and i haev to agree, there's at least one track there that sounds heavily influenced by DT. Actually all of them are quite heavy, and the only "breathing space" is a moody number called Host, which has a flugelhorn at the beginning and sounds a bit like a score of a film noir. The rest is pretty busy. Tw other things that immediately caught my attention: the drums sound AMAZING in this release, way more organic than in previous ones, and there are many Muse influences throughout the album. But more towards Origin of Symmetry than 2nd Law, thankfully!
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The interview went great, although it was only with Charlie Griffiths - Richard Henshall had an issue with his baby and had to step out. I got some great insights from him, including the fact that them palying with Portnoy on the Shattered Fortress tour was a huge influence in how the new album turned out - and i haev to agree, there's at least one track there that sounds heavily influenced by DT. Actually all of them are quite heavy, and the only "breathing space" is a moody number called Host, which has a flugelhorn at the beginning and sounds a bit like a score of a film noir. The rest is pretty busy. Tw other things that immediately caught my attention: the drums sound AMAZING in this release, way more organic than in previous ones, and there are many Muse influences throughout the album. But more towards Origin of Symmetry than 2nd Law, thankfully!

 

The 2nd Law is my favourite!!!

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The interview went great, although it was only with Charlie Griffiths - Richard Henshall had an issue with his baby and had to step out. I got some great insights from him, including the fact that them palying with Portnoy on the Shattered Fortress tour was a huge influence in how the new album turned out - and i haev to agree, there's at least one track there that sounds heavily influenced by DT. Actually all of them are quite heavy, and the only "breathing space" is a moody number called Host, which has a flugelhorn at the beginning and sounds a bit like a score of a film noir. The rest is pretty busy. Tw other things that immediately caught my attention: the drums sound AMAZING in this release, way more organic than in previous ones, and there are many Muse influences throughout the album. But more towards Origin of Symmetry than 2nd Law, thankfully!

 

The 2nd Law is my favourite!!!

 

Unfriending you in 3...2...

 

Seriously,to each his own, but I love classic Muse, and can't stand their recent output, for the most part.

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The interview went great, although it was only with Charlie Griffiths - Richard Henshall had an issue with his baby and had to step out. I got some great insights from him, including the fact that them palying with Portnoy on the Shattered Fortress tour was a huge influence in how the new album turned out - and i haev to agree, there's at least one track there that sounds heavily influenced by DT. Actually all of them are quite heavy, and the only "breathing space" is a moody number called Host, which has a flugelhorn at the beginning and sounds a bit like a score of a film noir. The rest is pretty busy. Tw other things that immediately caught my attention: the drums sound AMAZING in this release, way more organic than in previous ones, and there are many Muse influences throughout the album. But more towards Origin of Symmetry than 2nd Law, thankfully!

 

I only know one Muse song off the top of my head. So that sound influence will be completely lost on me. I like the new single. I was surprised to see how short the new album is. Didn't think Haken could do less than an hour for an album.

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The interview went great, although it was only with Charlie Griffiths - Richard Henshall had an issue with his baby and had to step out. I got some great insights from him, including the fact that them palying with Portnoy on the Shattered Fortress tour was a huge influence in how the new album turned out - and i haev to agree, there's at least one track there that sounds heavily influenced by DT. Actually all of them are quite heavy, and the only "breathing space" is a moody number called Host, which has a flugelhorn at the beginning and sounds a bit like a score of a film noir. The rest is pretty busy. Tw other things that immediately caught my attention: the drums sound AMAZING in this release, way more organic than in previous ones, and there are many Muse influences throughout the album. But more towards Origin of Symmetry than 2nd Law, thankfully!

 

I only know one Muse song off the top of my head. So that sound influence will be completely lost on me. I like the new single. I was surprised to see how short the new album is. Didn't think Haken could do less than an hour for an album.

 

It's the first time they release such a short album, and he said it was intentional - their reference point was Rust in Peace, which is fairly short and straight to the point. I mentioned Van Halen II to him, which is only 36 minutes long, and he liked it.

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I kinda think Muse have always been really average...

 

Agree, but Haken doing something Muse-esque has potential. Radiohead is another band people tend to be hot/cold. Muse fans seem to be diehards, not all that different from early Rush fans. Everyone else on the planet either knows better or hasn't come around yet, depending on whether you like the band in question. :P

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The interview went great, although it was only with Charlie Griffiths - Richard Henshall had an issue with his baby and had to step out. I got some great insights from him, including the fact that them palying with Portnoy on the Shattered Fortress tour was a huge influence in how the new album turned out - and i haev to agree, there's at least one track there that sounds heavily influenced by DT. Actually all of them are quite heavy, and the only "breathing space" is a moody number called Host, which has a flugelhorn at the beginning and sounds a bit like a score of a film noir. The rest is pretty busy. Tw other things that immediately caught my attention: the drums sound AMAZING in this release, way more organic than in previous ones, and there are many Muse influences throughout the album. But more towards Origin of Symmetry than 2nd Law, thankfully!

 

"Pretty busy" they do well, but it's the hooks they can inject into that madness I enjoy the most.

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