Haken

Haken formed in 2007 in London around Richard Henshall (guitar, keyboards) and Tom MacLean (bass), two members of To-Mera. The band was completed by friends (Ross Jennings on singing and Matthew Marshall on guitars) and a musicians' forum (Peter Jones on keyboards and Raymond Hearne on drums). A first demo of two tracks was recorded in 2007, without official release. The following year, a new demo was released with this time six tracks, including the first two. The English found a stable line-up after Charlie Griffiths and Diego Tejeida replaced Marshall on guitar and Jones on keyboards, respectively. Aquarius , Haken's first album was released in March 2010. It is characterized by very long and highly sought after compositions, halfway between progressive metal at the Dream Theater and progressive rock influenced by Pink Floyd and Genesis , incorporating both more heavy and very jazzy influences. Although sales are not exceptional, critical success is undeniable. The second album, Visions , was released in October 2011 and offers music that is always so smart. The third, in the same vein, was released in September 2013. Just after the release of The Mountain, Tom MacLean announced that he was leaving Haken to devote himself to To-Mera. After global hearings, the American Conner Green was chosen as bassist in early 2014. In October 2014, Haken released its first EP, Restoration , which contains three tracks from the 2008 demo, a modified and re-recorded version, to which two guests also contributed: Petet Rinalidi (Headspace ) and Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater ).
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