Haken
Aquarius

Sometimes, just when you think you've heard it all, or almost, in a specific genre, an album comes along that shakes things up. In this case, I'm talking about the Progressive Metal brand Dream Theater, the kind that, to be clear, finds its "maximum" expression precisely in its founders. The album in question is "Aquarius" by the newly formed Haken, year 2010.

Forget everything you know about the aforementioned type of Prog Metal, which has worn out me and many others with its repetitiveness and lack of excitement and other shortcomings which I will not list. Imagine finding yourself in some virgin moment after "Operation: Mindcrime," when the story had yet to be written. Well, this album has all the characteristics to renew a vein of precious stones that was thought to be exhausted.

This work is an almost perfect bullseye. The album is a somewhat cryptic concept that nonetheless has the ocean as its theme, and this aspect is well expressed by the whole ensemble. The singer has a personal voice but quite similar to that of Dream Theater, only with more range, more power, more passion, and capable of producing significant growls. The theatrical component is also not to be underestimated, as it uses different registers for the different parts of the work (for example, the growl is present only in the first two tracks and is distorted with wah-wah so that we hear it as if it came from the depths of the sea). The guitarist doesn't indulge in technicalities but favors slowness and long solos on a gallop, despite having very fast peaks in unison with the keyboards. Don't expect the usual copy of "saw" Petrucci. One of the main virtues of Our Friends is indeed having their own identity and not being just another DT clone (the name Darkwater above all). The keyboardist prefers ductile piano chords and spacious atmospheres to intrusive and synthetic solos, and together with the drummer, gives the pieces a walking imprint that suggests movement and dynamism to the apparently heavier pieces to make them take off. The drummer, for his part, makes extensive use of cymbals, neglecting the snare, and the flames on the crashes accompanying romantic and majestic keyboard notes are one of the best things about the album. The bass does its dirty work: it's fluid, elusive, and at the same time always present, giving the impression of a sea creature slithering in the ocean beneath our feet, sustaining our walk on the water's surface (excuse the cheap metaphor, but it's my personal impression).

Even though each component has a great personality, their parts blend perfectly, as only in masterpieces. Each track is ambitious but balanced and varied in the inventiveness and cohesion of Our Friends.

The first track immediately transports us into the storm of a cold and dangerous ocean, and the eleven minutes of The Point of No Return showcase all the group's capabilities, though it doesn't constitute one of the best pieces, rather an introduction to the story. Streams, with its ten minutes, brings fantastic changes in atmosphere, from Caribbean and fresh equatorial beaches to the frightening conversation with the King of the Seas (?) supported by solid soundtracks provided by the organ. The clear skill in creating successful and engaging choruses immediately emerges, which I still find myself humming. Moreover, you will always find at least a couple per track, and this will not bore you. Aquarium is not really the title track but it shows well the fantastic potential of the group. This track and Drowning in the Flood better demonstrate how this group is not just prog, but also Metal. Too often, songs were heard that only had a few riffs and no attitude in metal, and the genre leaned more toward Hard Progressive than Metal. Our Friends are awesome, and, not a negligible thing, they possess an undeniable groove that is often missing in this genre. Eternal Rain, the shortest at six minutes, would like to be a kind of single, featuring an engaging chorus and intricate solos delivered full throttle, yet always in good taste and without falling into self-celebration. Sun is a sad and atmospheric song that prepares the final blow of Celestial Elixir, which finds peace at the sixteenth minute, showcasing the many faces of the band in a fresh manner; they remind me a little of Kansas here. The final and syncopated reprise of Streams with a subsequent instrumental tail, cheerful and carefree, will leave the listener wanting more even after the abundant hour of music offered, as only masterpieces do.

For all those who want to hear innovation in this genre without going into avant-garde, for the eternal disappointed by Dream Theater and for all their fans who won't hate me for life, for those who want to listen to good music, for those who are also a bit demanding and will tear it apart before hearing a note: listen to it.

It will not disappoint you.