London-based progressive metal/rock outfit Haken have just announced the upcoming release of their fifth studio album Vector, out October 26th on Inside Out Records. It feels like just yesterday they released their previous album Affinity, but somehow these dudes manage to keep cranking out the quality jams. And on top of the good news, the Haken gang is also hosting a competition where fans can submit their own Rorschach artwork to be selected to have their art literally etched onto the 4th side of the vinyl LP version of Vector when it’s released. Pretty sweet, right? More details in the video below.
Vector Track Listing:Â
1. Clear
2. The Good Doctor
3. Puzzle Box
4. Veil
5. Nil By Mouth
6. Host
7. A Cell Divides
Vector was recorded and mixed by former Periphery bassist Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (oh yeah, baby, oh yeah). Here are some quotes from the band regarding the release:
“We produced the album ourselves, as we always do. But we’re fans of what Adam has done with Periphery, Sikth and Devin Townsend. He has a great reputation for the heavier end of our genre.”
“We’ve always had a heavy influence, but it was obvious from the riffs that were naturally coming out of us early in the writing process that this would be a more metal album. These are some of the most riff driven songs we’ve ever written.”
“The scene is set with the track The Good Doctor, which was a really fun song. Musically it feels like a logical step from ‘Affinity’, but lyrically it’s a bit more theatrical and about as ‘rock opera’ as Haken has ever got. It’s about a Doctor with an intriguing, perhaps sinister interest in a particular patient. From there the story enters the point-of-view of the patient – who appears to be catatonic, but his mind is sparking with what could be memories, or delusions brought on by the treatment he’s receiving – we leave this up to the listeners to decide. Although we don’t want to give too much away, people who are familiar with our back catalogue will have fun discovering further clues we’ve planted throughout the album. And that’s the challenge for the fans – to find out for themselves their own meaning for ‘Vector’ as an album.”
There are no preorders listed yet, but be sure to check back to their webstore, because they’ll probably be available relatively soon. The band is also gearing up for a tour with Leprous and Bent Knee in Canada and the US, which will probably blow your proggy fucking mind. Dates and deets below.
