{"id":604997,"date":"2026-05-26T15:46:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/604997\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T15:46:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T15:46:12","slug":"station-to-station-the-progressive-subway-ranks-the-discography-of-haken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/604997\/","title":{"rendered":"Station to Station: The Progressive Subway Ranks the Discography of Haken"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to The Progressive Subway\u2019s first ever discography ranking, a feature we\u2019re calling Station to Station because we chart a route through every stop in a band\u2019s discography\u2026 because we\u2019re a subway (like the railway system, not the sandwich store). For the last month or so, our writers have been busy listening to Haken on repeat, counting time signatures, evaluating track lists, and sleeping fitfully as an insectile voice whispers half-heard provocations to us in the night\u2026 Eventually we voted and worked out an Objectively Scientific ranking of Haken\u2019s discography.<\/p>\n

For anyone who likes paragraphs about methodology, we tried a few different weightings and methods but settled on a points system, assigning one point for eighth place, two for seventh\u2026 all the way up to eight points for first place. Each writer assembled a ranking and we aggregated the rankings to produce our result! We\u2019ve shown the point total each album got in our overall ranking so you can be all the more offended by how badly your favourite album did!<\/p>\n

Why start with Haken? Because their discography is shorter than Dream Theater\u2019s. But that wasn\u2019t the only reason! Haken are the quintessential modern progressive metal band: a group who have risen to the top of the scene by dint of having reached back into the annals of prog history and grasped forward into the genre\u2019s future. Bridging influences from Gentle Giant to Meshuggah, Haken have consistently evolved and reinvented their sound throughout their career while still sounding indelibly themselves. No wonder then that they\u2019ve become a scene favourite. What the future holds for Haken in the wake of losing several core members remains to be seen, and while new music is beginning to emerge, now seems as good a time as any to evaluate their discography so far. All aboard!<\/p>\n

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8. Aquarius (2010) \u2013 32 points<\/p>\n

We begin our list with 2010\u2019s Aquarius, which opens Haken\u2019s discography with a grand overture. The Brits\u2019 first impression is one of dramatic descending piano arpeggios, cresting guitars, and\u2026 a quirky carnival non-sequitur? Let\u2019s be real, Aquarius is kind of a mess\u2014the sideshow instrumentals are inarguably cornball, Ross Jennings occasionally stumbles over his vocals, and the record goes on for way longer than it needs to. And yet, Haken\u2019s grandeur is both commendable and endearing. Aquarius exudes ambition, drip-feeding the listener motifs and quirky earworms that smoothly bring its funhouse pieces together. Morsels of crunchy djent guitar add a delicious texture to tracks like \u201cPoint of No Return\u201d and \u201cStreams\u201d; penultimate ballad \u201cSun\u201d is engulfed in intoxicating Floydian languor; and standout instrumentals abound, such as the spacey synths that set stage for the exciting quasi-power-prog bridge of \u201cAquarium\u201d. (I even like the star-tinged circus jazz break midway through \u201cCelestial Elixir\u201d.) Aquarius probably won\u2019t earn you any points on the aux cord with your friends, but its ambition and dedication to its point of view strongly hint at Haken\u2019s future as a tour-de-force of modern progressive metal.
Write-up by: Dave<\/p>\n

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7. Fauna (2023) \u2013 45 points<\/p>\n

Following the heavier Vector and Virus, and keyboardist Diego Tejeida\u2019s departure and replacement by founding member Peter Jones, Haken\u2019s most recent album carries a lighter, more playful demeanor. While passages of modern djent appear throughout Fauna, they\u2019re often connected by airy, subdued sections of drifting guitars and keys coupled with Ross Jennings\u2019 drifting vocal melodies. As a result, Haken struggle to create and maintain momentum compared to previous albums, with Fauna lacking a consistent flow and cohesion between tracks. \u201cBeneath the Rainbow\u201d and \u201cIslands in the Clouds\u201d are slow to develop and lack the flair and excitement that I have come to expect from Haken. Though when the infectious djenty-grooves of \u201cTaurus\u201d, \u201cNightingale\u201d and \u201cSempiternal Beings\u201d hit, they\u2019re even more impactful and satisfying due to the scattered reprieves in sonic excitement. Jennings\u2019 trademark sublime choruses (\u201cSemptiternal Beings\u201d and \u201cLovebite\u201d) and emotionally impactful vocal delivery (\u201cEyes of Ebony\u201d) remain, though there is a relative absence of guitar solos, apart from the transcendent ascending guitar run in \u201cLovebite\u201d. As the last studio album with guitarist Charlie Griffiths and bassist Conner Green, Fauna represents the end of an era for Haken showcasing the band\u2019s many talents but in a garbled, prismatic flux.
Write-up by: Clay<\/p>\n

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6. Visions (2011) \u2013 50 points<\/p>\n

Outside of The Mountain, Visions was perhaps Haken\u2018s biggest breakthrough. Following the stumbling aspirations of debut album Aquarius, Visions reigns in Haken\u2018s influences, tightens their songwriting and performances, and synthesizes their unique personality all without compromising a single ounce of ambition. At the time of release, Visions was largely lauded as a \u2018return to the pure progressive metal sound\u2019, often uttered in the same breath as Dream Theater\u2018s seminal Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory. With fifteen years of hindsight, though, Visions clearly shows Haken still trying to find and perfect their sound, relying largely on genre tropes and wearing their inspiration on their sleeve. Visions was a bridge between worlds: on one side, genre giants loom in the form of epic song lengths, long sonic detours, and concept-driven songwriting; on the other side, whispers of modern djent techniques, squeaky clean production, dense technicality, and a quickly crystallizing personality press forward. While Visions has since been outclassed by other releases, it still remains as a clear look not only into Haken\u2019s evolution of sound, but that of progressive metal as a whole.
Write-up by: Justin<\/p>\n

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5. Vector (2018) \u2013 70 points<\/p>\n

After the infectious 80s-synth-fest that Affinity proved to be, Haken left behind their DX7s and their LinnDrums in favour of returning to their decidedly more metal proclivities, and determined to write the most riff-oriented album in their discography up to this point. Although Vector might feature the shortest runtime of their output, it doesn\u2019t preclude it from the more traditional prog epic elements, as the band themselves have described the album as being somewhat of a rock opera and concept album. Indeed, elements of that are present within the endlessly varying moods on \u201cVeil\u201d, while \u201cHost\u201d takes the melodrama up a notch with its mid-paced melancholia. But if what you\u2019re looking for is a quick headbanging session, you\u2019re quite certain to find some of the heaviest tracks ever recorded by the band on this release, and even an instrumental piece replete with start\/stop staccato riffs and double-kick triplets and all. Yes, for a brief moment, it seemed Haken were able to leave the circus troupe behind, and some of us were quite glad for it. Still, Vector couldn\u2019t avoid the pitfalls of late-2010s prog metal, as in spite of its rhythmic complexity, some of the riffing felt a tad simplistic, with the band opting for a derivative, djenty-guitar-driven soundscape that was somewhat lacking in refinement.\u00a0
Write-up by: Francesco<\/p>\n

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4. Virus (2020) \u2013 75 points<\/p>\n

Picking up conceptually and stylistically where Vector left off, Virus sees Haken continue to explore a heavier sound\u2014and they nail it this time. Punchier than Vector and more cohesive and compelling than Fauna, Virus is the modern-Haken sweet spot, deftly balancing added heft with melody and atmosphere. \u201cProsthetic\u201d romps, and \u201cInvasion\u201d moves like a heavy storm; yet \u201cCanary Yellow\u201d finds the band as tender and melodic as ever. Meanwhile, the prog dial still gets turned up to eleven: \u201cCarousel\u201d offers more than ten minutes of winding songwriting full of all the Haken-isms covered throughout this list. But it\u2019s the \u201cMessiah Complex\u201d suite that takes Virus over the top. Spanning nearly seventeen glorious minutes, the boys cycle through some of the strongest riffs and passages they\u2019ve ever written, peppering in easter eggs and callbacks along the way. The breakdown in the middle of part iii, \u201cMarigold,\u201d deserves a particular shout as one of the single best moments in Haken\u2019s entire catalog. Virus is simply the modern, 2020s prog metal style done right. The fact that it\u2019s only fourth on this list shows just what a tear the band were on a bit earlier in their career.\u00a0
Write-up by: Cory<\/p>\n

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3. Restoration (2014) \u2013 86 points<\/p>\n

How did a relatively short EP best five full-length albums on this list, you ask? Truthfully, the nineteen-minute epic \u201cCrystallised\u201d alone was enough to do it, a track which holds its own against other fan favorite prog metal epics like \u201cA Change of Seasons\u201d (Dream Theater), \u201cGraves\u201d (Caligula\u2019s Horse), \u201cMilliontown\u201d (Frost*), or any other you can name. \u201cCrystallised\u201d keeps the quirkiness and identity of Haken\u2019s previous LP, The Mountain, with joyously bouncy riffs, silly flutes, weird polyrhythmic funk breakdowns, and as much Ross Jennings scat singing as you can handle; but the track also works in the long lineage of older prog metal epics, using leitmotifs, shreddy solos, and a euphorically triumphant ending. It\u2019s inarguably one of Haken\u2019s most complete and majestic works. Oh yeah, Restoration has two more great tracks\u2014although they sound tonally different from \u201cCrystallised\u201d\u2014the djent heater \u201cDarkest Light\u201d and more atmospheric slowburner \u201cEarthlings,\u201d a unique style in Haken\u2019s discography, and an intriguing one at that. The three songs capture everything there is to love about Haken\u2019s sound; really, the only problem with Restoration is that there isn\u2019t more of it.\u00a0
Write-up by: Andy<\/p>\n

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2. The Mountain (2013) \u2013 89 points<\/p>\n

The Mountain was my first introduction to Haken, and I don\u2019t think I appreciated at the time what a high point it would end up being. This seminal album puts Haken\u2019s signature enigmatic style at the forefront, perhaps most notably in fan-favorite \u201cCockroach King\u201d\u2014goofy a capella sections and all. However, The Mountain\u2019s most notable peaks reside within its longer tracks. From the off-kilter 11\/8 opening groove of \u201cAtlas Stone\u201d to the intricate, ever-shifting rhapsody of \u201cFalling Back to Earth\u201d and the stutter-stepping instrumental bridges which connect the disparate segments of \u201cPareidolia,\u201d The Mountain is an unparalleled showcase of progressive songwriting. Moreover, despite the emphasis on technical prowess and structural complexity, the album doesn\u2019t lack for stirring moments. The aforementioned middle sections of \u201cPareidolia\u201d twist and turn mysteriously, deepening the atmosphere into an ever more psychedelic maze of vocal and instrumental contributions, and even \u201cAtlas Stone\u201d gives way in its later parts to triumphant anthems that feel like the theme for a movie hero cresting the final step in their ascent. Elsewhere, the shorter tracks show a softer side of Haken\u2019s composition. Piano showcases, like the opening to \u201cIn Memoriam\u201d and the theme and reprise of \u201cSomebody\u201d offer contrast to the bombastic prog metal aesthetics with their unassuming yet intricate melodies. Although the crown still waits for our final album, The Mountain remains very nearly equal in quality and significance\u2014a landmark prog album in its own right.
Write-up by: Doug<\/p>\n

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1. Affinity (2016) \u2013 93 points<\/p>\n

And atop The Mountain, Affinity cannot be moved. Admittedly, it was neck-and-neck between the two iconic records throughout our voting, and the duo feel like spiritual siblings. Where the former drew deeply from the well of classic 70s prog, Affinity boots up a retro, 80s synth aesthetic. A smorgasbord of Yes, Rush, and even Depeche Mode influences round out Haken\u2019s fourth full-length which explores technological themes, bolstered by the pivotal contributions of (now ex-)keyboardist Diego Tejeida whose contributions run the gamut from atmospheric ambiences to ornate synth solos to dubstep-esque textures. The rest of the band are on top form, too: Ross delivers some of his best vocal lines, Charlie and Richard\u2019s riffs flit between jazz and djent, while Ray and Conner\u2019s rhythm section proves a pivotal yet often undersung backbone. Meanwhile, Jens Bogren\u2014the mix\/mastering master himself\u2014has Haken sound dazzling at their most confluent, while Einar Solberg (Leprous) screams his lungs out after an Opeth allusion on mid-album epic \u201cThe Architect\u201d. From the jangly Yes-esque rhythms of live-favourite \u201c1985\u201d to the electro post-rock build-up of \u201cRed Giant\u201d, Affinity sees Haken operating at their apogee. It\u2019s the Brits at their most playful and yet most academic. Not many bands make a masterpiece; that Haken have two fighting so closely for the top spot says it all.\u00a0
Write-up by: Christopher<\/p>\n

Haken\u2019s links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Inside Out Music<\/a><\/p>\n

Haken through the years have been:
\u2013 Ross Jennings \u2013 lead vocals (2007\u2013present)
\u2013 Richard Henshall \u2013 guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (2007\u2013present)
\u2013 Raymond Hearne \u2013 drums, backing vocals, tuba (2007\u2013present)
\u2013 Peter Jones \u2013 keyboards, backing vocals (2007\u20132008, 2022\u2013present)<\/p>\n

Former members
\u2013 Matthew Marshall \u2013 guitars (2007\u20132008)
\u2013 Thomas MacLean \u2013 bass, backing vocals (2007\u20132013)
\u2013 Diego Tejeida \u2013 keyboards, backing vocals (2008\u20132021)
\u2013 Conner Green \u2013 bass, backing vocals (2014\u20132026)
\u2013 Charles Griffiths \u2013 guitars, backing vocals (2008\u20132026)<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n