Haken – Virus (Album Review)

this is Dave from metal epidemic calm
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okay so on this video
Duncan and I are gonna be breaking down
virus then you album from UK progressive
metal band hacking this album drops on
June 19th via and say though music so I
thought this one would be quite an
interesting one for us to dissect
because recently we’ve just reviewed the
new album from Caligula’s harsh there is
no doubt that these two bands set within
similar styles and also I really enjoyed
vector there are twenty eighteen albums
so I was definitely fascinated to see
where they went with album number six
now it’s safe to say that Beckford that
great things for hacking the complete
headline tours all over the world played
solo shows across Europe North America
and with Devin Townsend but will virus
lead to the same success so firstly
Duncan the question as as they’re a
better team that released an album
called virus I mean it does feel like a
conspiracy
there’s Kenneth feels like the greatest
a new artist he’s upon vital marketing
company the whole team yeah I

mean it
depends how you want to place it some
people would see the yellow one to be
less than ten album cold virus are over
here to talking about a virus at this
thing yeah I mean like from the off I
was like really interested in this one
because I remember vector to be honest I
wasn’t the biggest fan of it I know that
makes surprise people consider you will
help me gosh if you listen to this over
Kelly goes horse which I thought was a
plugin amis now and I thought it was
good I thought was solved but for
whatever reason and it didn’t resonate
with me I could appreciate the
musicianship on it but when they are mom
finished I wasn’t exactly um and the
chins but if you know what I mean
what just has always been a danger with
me and some of the more probably say the
things I think at things I can really
appreciate things like
what sort of the children after that and
a lot of what resonates for me is
memorability or you know a specific
motif watching the melody and sometimes
progressive music can be so diverse and
so about the The Odyssey of the track
that sometimes we forget about the hooks
that make you know a song memorable or
catchy on earth seem tame something you
want to go back and listen to and I
thought there was elements on on vector
but not enough to meet we wanted to come
back and listen to which is why would
you work in a lake and went back and
listened to Victorian homes up looking
forward to us violets answer here so
this was the delete or listening for me
I will listen to this album yesterday
for the first time and and I’ve played
it five things because I think it’s
fucking brilliant absolutely the other
we have done this one I actually think
there is an abundance of memorable hooks
melodies in particular and I’m doing at
once again Nature has a lot of these
things you will hear me say on recorders
mention to Devo flame before we started
recording the to me this is the first
time that I started piecing together a
huge kind of similar vibe to
like bands like carnival for example
there are few Texans is this that do not
feel at a place on an album like
tomorrow which I’ve been wanting to tell
because all these want to be re-released
in a digital format plus the bands on
that but what I really like about this
one is that the first half of the album
and it’s really just Ken that’s it now
the stole has given you elements and
ideas and expressions or of kin they’re
more I’m just gonna see traditional but
additional movement on the bass one but
I can a modernized version of
traditional oxymoronic and there’s no
kind of pro like more than prog metal
this is like high bands like Oh what
subtext and carried kabsa guitarist for
the cold again but if it correctly you
know I definitely went that we yeah well
Jen but now we’re prong and the brought
the proggy of sections that were dude
don’t like a more modern take on from so
I you know like industry can I see
you’ve been natural progression going
that me and this has nothing like the
first half is album has that can involve
a fuel and then the second half of the
album is really conceptual it’s
essentially for all intents and purposes
Eve five sequence and can attract that’s
all said the Messiah Complex volumes 1
through 5 yeah
and then you don’t closes out without
what can i for closer and that’s where
the album really stepped up for me
because the the concept behind and the
song rates specifically on Messiah
Complex as he really Charlie but it’s a
journey that is not the Holden to
listening to necessarily any other part
cuz I’ve tried this is an experiment and
I was like worms if I wasn’t a part feed
doesn’t work as a standalone track or
Die need to have listened to part one
and two first and oh and weirdly all of
them work fine and they’re all right
there benefited by the tracks
outside and that’s what we Melody’s soul
and this one what is the Preakness and
the the beasts guitar and reservation as
you know as acting this way George open
I just really really really well-written
and really really well-crafted the
production is immaculate you can hear
you could hear a fly thought on top of
the chain assemble or understand that
microphone with a pack that up right
that’s it’s so crisp set then just
everything everything is nuanced and
then they start mixing in elements of
electronics and sense and stuff like
that and you are you are tickling my
anus with a feather of you have me in
like flint and yeah this is an album
that actually not only surprised but it
shocked me how well I received it
because like I see I’m not I’m if you
did to me right today we’re gonna go
before we do hacking violence we’re
gonna review they I’ve been excited
about reviewing that okay and but coming
in this one I think I’ve found my
appreciation for it and this is another
one we’re doing similar to some of the
ones we’ve spoken about and our first
podcast and was like a duel for example
as you see long album this is just just
a little bit shy of and ever and but
flies fucking in like by tennis elbow
feta cheese you’ve lost that ever and
you don’t know where that error has gone
and you know I just a very very easy
thing also I feel another one a little
place too much of the conversation this
is a not only is that a band put drinks
catchy songs that you as a casual West
look again to know so far bad for
musicians well yeah like really really
lonely at times they are not scared to
show up at a flare
and a dynamic nature and the song rating
that I completely appreciate that those
little sections we’re getting you know
guitars and bass or rattling up and down
the fretboard and the drummer’s just in
the background keep it then the drummer
will start doing something to get the
take over that interest I think you know
that that to me is that’s I think we are
with this album really shines it’s the
perfect balance between making your
songs accessible to those are not
necessarily and tasted progressive music
but staying totally within the vein of
pleasing those that are and some really
really really well write an album and
that just happens to have a great name
obviously marketed in such a way like
because you wear a fan of the previous
album I mean had this is set for you
like why do you think it is that that
album didn’t deal with me and this one
does I don’t know because I’m quite
surprised with as well because I felt
like vector had a serious amount in like
80s can influence you running through it
as well it does but I just can’t get
these guy like that’s that’s my fucking
jam beef is my jam
but I don’t know what like on this one I
just use it feels completely if you in
contrast we say that’s one feels model
right and I think that’s just what grab
grab me and told me right mmm is it
feels like a really fresh can employ
them 2020 album you’re in with another
one I almost feel like it’s Senate
Cleese trying to send all to them as or
its trying to wear this influence ease
to prominently whereas this one I just
sends like a band are you know we’re
just gonna break some songs we’re gonna
do then so yeah I don’t know I don’t
know what did you meet or virus well
this is an interesting if you don’t can
fool were you gonna argue against
because we have said in the past I
wonder if there’s gonna be an album that
we disagree on see if you just see if
you’re setting this up as
well it’s not this one I don’t be
pleased let me tell you I thought but it
well the first thing I noticed and the
front and thing I’ve noticed over the
last couple of hacking albums as they do
seem to be getting ever so slightly
heavier on each release and with virus
the the dead tone the heaviness dial up
just a little just once again just up
slightly again if you’ve heard
prosthetic which was the first track on
the album when the first single and you
know exactly what I’m talking about it
is as you say that’s very modern
powerful can it groove heavy opener as a
track that can I get Sheikh Saeed for
like what’s to come on a virus and then
follow that up with and vision which
follows up perfectly it be honest
investing the they start to play with
some work in interest and time
signatures and they incorporate that and
with the heavy rhythms that they were
playing with in the first track and
although that gave us an visa Novelli
can they contemporary progressive sound
and they Ross Jennings he they can it
evens out the heavier moments with some
really really well written and
excellently delivered vocal melodies
and I mentioned that’s on the caligula
air review and but guys like Jim Gray
and Ross Jennings are really like
setting the bar ridiculously high with
these vocal performance easy and the
vocals on vias are another example at
that class that they are super play
absolutely bro in vocals um and I was
kinda waiting on the 80s thing because I
said that they dropped that and to the
last album quite a lot and but you start
to hear that clipping a little bit on
carousel which is I think it’s odd track
on the album the longest as well by
quite about yeah yes they can like
talking 10 minute plus try which if
you’re gonna do now if you perform if
you don’t have a song I thought no
people know that since they don’t
knowledge that’s industry as industry
secrets they’re on which is also a lie
I like to thank NASA keys yeah in it
Caligula did is we all they at that but
can attend minute plus track as well but
this track almost like taming
me like are like a to meets or path babe
and can it going on but like a true
Canadian form I can fill the stripe
there like a multitude of can they shift
in PCs that can keep you guessing for
its entirety but they also repeat
certain elements so that old carousel
doesn’t become too like tangled up in
its own refs and I love there’s a huge
replica xn about the sex minute mark sex
medicine saw Haley and the drummer a
Rehan he Kenny chefs and like a halftime
groove in any half sir again that’s
really cool and any kickback in the
chorus am so really can a well executed
segment and the track and it’s can be
seamlessly done and the rate in the
middle of the album there’s a track
called canary yellow which was the
second single released this should be a
single yeah yeah yeah and it’s funny
because we’ve mentioned this then a
couple of reviews no but it sets in the
middle of the album and it came the acts
again there’s a bit of a breather track
and we had this on Caligula and on the
catatonia album as well and actually the
first time I heard that when I wasn’t it
I was like hmm I’m not totally convinced
about that track but then when I heard
that on the album it was that kind of
that whole case of like hidden uh track
with the context and album yeah and when
you hear it and virus actually works
really well it serves a purpose on the
album um so listen
Duncan’s mentioned that there’s 11
tracks on this album but it comes with a
bit of a twist that wax sex 210 are all
linked together and known as this
Messiah Complex and they’re labeled
parks one three or five the 17 minutes
long and it actually references back to
the mountain which was a 2013 release at
the band hired that relate it references
back to the material on that album and
yes to do with us the cockroach King I
think so relates back to that and it was
a track the raw whilst on the officer on
tour with Devin Townsend after they
plead their support slots they would get
back on the bus and they would work on
the arrangements the vocal angel Alex um
severely black fluid
Pease you can’t really tell where the
tracks gonna start or end and I guess
that’s the point and I think this is the
part of the album that people are
they’re gonna split opinions that remain
me of Devon terms and at times actually
and even there’s even some kind between
the believe me can is s vibes going on
there as well like you said I can I felt
like there were parks within the five
that could have been set pieces and like
ivory tower and I got for punishment for
me but I sounded great within the album
but I realized that they are part of
this Messiah Complex team so it came to
defeat the purpose have numbers
individual tracks and part three and
four were very prog a very experiment oh
came dinner maybe me of the the visions
era of the band which is again a while
ago um but if I’m honest
these tracks it didn’t really hook me in
the world
they were very different to the first
kind of like five six tracks on the
album yeah and part three I think it’s
called Mari gold as I mentioned it has
that cleanly but in between the budding
me can they spawn in a um and whilst
like that probably sounds great a lot of
people they’re like yes all that the
sound of that um I can’t he felt that
like it’ll act like about a cohesion
like it was very different structurally
to the majority of the the tracks that
were and the earlier half of the album
um and then again we’re on there are
some great ideas and if they didn’t in
those parts and the technical ability
can’t be denied at all um but it was a
little bit stale over substance for me
and then they can ACLU’s thereafter that
Messiah Complex they closed the album
out with a track called only stars which
is a very Kinney tranquil can outdraw an
album
miss bitterly like non-eventful but it
does can leave close album out quite
nicely
yeah I’m a little bit frustrated divide
us yes you you really dig it in the
first half available but not necessarily
in the second half of the open yeah see
you know you know I completely
appreciate the first half of the album
and I really like the journey that
you’re taking wet through those five
pawns
I think there’s elements in that where
like the the the mixture old like I’m
trying to member this this act that
maybe the sake we’re like all of a
sudden we are late I hammered out some
like you can put computerized electronic
stuff and the background that’s like
that’s kind of underpin into what
they’re gonna do in the bath hey over
the top that I’d like I just like to me
it felt like being taken on John me like
so I use this term all the time there
and I think it’s because I’m getting old
and whimsical and but like I felt less
than to those like those individual
segments you you really are get it and
it’s you think about concept like
without knowing exactly water the SIA
complex is supposed to be telling us a
story as I can a conceptual idea and but
then you shouldn’t have to rely on that
so like because that’s you know you may
not have that but I felt like I was
being taken on the John anyway this kind
of a journey to somewhere and I enjoyed
the elements is from out and I liked how
how much it was against you know without
screamed too far from the first half
available how the done all that and it
got to a point with canary yellow like
would have done all that stuff out of
their system and they’re like wait net
we’re gonna do we’re gonna do this kind
of sprawl and prompt piece and as an
idea of concept and you don’t do that as
a second half or they are born I like
that contrast because like the collegia
is horse and we spoke about it before
there’s a there’s a thin line between
what overstays its welcome and what
becomes inevitably a repetitive formula
which you don’t really want unless
you’re on and that’s why I think can you
can either yellow is the perfect launch
pad before Messiah Complex because you
are right I think it’s it’s almost like
a your palate claims are rare it’s like
it’s giving you that heavier stuff it’s
given you tinges of these kind of huge
elements you’re sweeping sprawling can
the obelisk solve melody and then that
can a sales a piece back down and then
it’s almost like you were on the roller
coaster and you cheered just done that
big look the look but you kind of
settling down there then all by the
river and those start and go back up
again and that’s how it felt to me and
then drizzle enough of what like I see
like individually Alice I’ve listened to
all the individual parts it’s just
standalone tracks now I don’t think they
do all bump as individual tracks out
worth the context which I think it’s
once again something but I like that you
know it’s not an easy thing to do
yes they flow very well at each other or
that times you had with decimals because
of that watch I think is killed but hey
yeah I feel I really really talk well
inside on this one so there we can be
friends deep yeah yeah but for me is
like the first first half almost first
two-thirds Ashley because I liked like
the the first couple of parts of Messiah
Complex I thought were brilliant like I
thought the is technically fantastic
flawless the song rating has been
elevated up another level and the
production is solid and it’s just that
last thought for me it has its moments
and but for the most part I really
struggled to stay grouped just it’s can
the experimental nature but again it’s
just personal preference really what
would I rate this and this is one of
Fogle’s with on the rigging of the album
I think for me it’s probably the point
by I think as I said first two times now
my real enjoyed and I think it as I said
technically blowing album it’s just that
last few issues worth but so I’d go
three point five for me
corner point five above year this is
like the the Chevelle wah one that would
be similar reviewed as a forced on album
for me this is one that I will revisit
and for sure
and it’s entirely Israel so this is not
one of these well I’ve just listened to
these two songs I wasn’t and it’s
entirely it really really dog what
they’ve done here and it would seem that
he’s taking sex albums for hacking to
win me over I might go back and check it
something like because the only other
album impaired by them as vectors which
I did listen to like I seen it before
this review
Anna I still can I don’t know why’s it
just doesn’t it doesn’t grab me the same
with this one does and maybe is that
heaviness the element of like some of
the work on this album I think is just
as beautiful to listen to and I don’t
know I’ll maybe jump back even earlier
and see yeah yeah and a fender is a
great album as well actually I
definitely check that what yeah you want
to check out a hackin you can find them
on Facebook facebook.com forward slash
hacking official and you can check out
the band and the album when it drops on
June 5th
it’s called virus and that’s hooked on
and say though music that’s all from us
guys we’ll be back soon with another
review see ya

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