HAKEN UNLEASH THE ANIMALS WITHIN
Original keyboardist Peter Jones is back for “very progressive” new album, Fauna.
British heavy prog sextet Haken will release their seventh LP on March 3 via InsideOut.
Fauna is a concept album, with each song being about a different species of animal. Guitarist Richard Henshall has compared the theme to that of their 2013 breakthrough LP, The Mountain, and two of the tracks – The Alphabet Of Me and Nightingale – are currently streaming in the run-up to the new record’s release.
Lead singer Ross Jennings tells Prog that “the idea was sparked by a song called Eyes Of Ebony. We wanted to write a song about Richard’s dad, who passed away – he was a very supportive figure in the early days of Haken. Instead of overtly singing about a human, we wanted to give him a spirit animal as a metaphor. After some discussion, we came to the conclusion that every song on the album should have a spirit animal.”
Fauna is the first Haken album to feature original keyboardist Peter Jones, who left the band in 2009 to study theoretical physics at university. Jones was replaced by Diego Tejeida, who exited the band in 2021. “Bringing Pete back was a no-brainer,” says Jennings. “It was a quick decision. We didn’t feel the need to audition others, because he’s always been in our friendship circle. After he left, he still regularly showed up at Haken shows and showed interest. He even programmed the drums on [the band’s two previous albums] Vector and Virus.”
Haken wrote the material for the upcoming album throughout 2021 and early 2022, before recording their parts individually in their respective personal studios over the summer. Jennings describes Fauna as “very progressive for a Haken record. I don’t think we’re drawing upon classic prog influences, but the band are certainly progressing in terms of where we’re stretching our approach to the songwriting and where we’re taking new ideas from. But I still think there are elements that are familiar to our fanbase. It’s not too far removed, but there are certainly some surprises.”
The band will support Fauna’s release with European shows in 2023. The Island In Limbo tour will be co-headlined by American prog metallers Between The Buried And Me, opening in Hamburg, Germany on February 21 and concluding in Gotherburg, Sweden on April 5.
“Fauna is very progressive for a Haken record. There are certainly some surprises.”