Haken – Liveforms: An Evening With Haken

By Gareth Allen on 28th July 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Haken deliver two sets of magnificent progressive metal, on a career defining live release.

Release date: Available now

Label: Inside Out Music

Format: 3 CD and Blu-ray Box Set

BACKGROUND

Haken are a London based progressive metal band formed in 2007, with 7 studio albums to their name. Liveforms is their second live album, and was recorded at their homecoming performance on the 21^st September 2024 at the O2 London Forum in Kentish Town. There are two full sets on the release, including the band playing their most recent studio album Fauna in its entirety.

The set reviewed here contains three CDs, and a Blu-ray disc which contains the film of the concert with 5.1 surround sound, and interviews with the band. Haken’s music brings together metal and progressive rock, underpinned by some very impressive musicianship, and with some intriguing flourishes that provide a hint of some past progressive rock legends.

CD ONE

The first CD takes us through the Fauna album in full. Here are just some of the highlights. The Last Lullaby provides the hypnotic percussive introductory music, before the band slams into Taurus. This jumps out of the speakers with the edgy and screeching power chords that introduce the song. The short instrumental section where the blast beats compete with some epic scything guitar work is thrilling. Immediately apparent, is what a fine expressive vocalist Ross Jennings is, ably supported by the harmony vocals from the rest of the band.

Nightingale, with Peter Jones rhythmic keyboard phrases and the similarly rhythmic lead and harmony vocals, offers an engaging resonance of progressive rock legends Gentle Giant. Raymond Hearne’s drumming here is precision embodied, leading the song expertly through its myriad of complex time signature changes. Sempiternal Beings has a striking choral harmony vocal section over which Ross Jennings’ vocal soars. The song is then punctuated by a whirlwind of djent powered guitar soloing. Such dramatic musical contrasts are a hallmark of the bands creative approach to their sound.

Lovebite is introduced as a heavy metal love song. The performance here highlights the song’s skilful juxtaposition of a driven metal chorus with a soft rock like underpinning to the instrumentation on the verses. It is a very winning combination that lends a catchy pop feel to the song, while never losing its edginess.

MIXING METAL WITH PROGRESSIVE ROCK

Elephants Never Forget is a standout in this live set, as it was on the Fauna album. Early on there is another pleasing hint of Gentle Giant in the complex time signatures, led by Peter Jones’ jaunty keyboard figures, and the matching of this in the phrasing of the vocals. These hints of 1970s progressive rock, in the band’s compositions, really take flight in this live recording. They speak to musicians who feel completely at ease in mixing metal with progressive rock in its most classic form. As the song develops, we are most definitely in metal territory, as the staccato guitar phrases exude the intensity of black metal. The final coda section is celebratory as Ross Jennings’ vocal emerges from the maelstrom of guitars repeating the heartfelt refrain:

“I remember

I remember another way

I remember

I remember a better day…”

FLOWING MELODIES AND HARMONIES

The closing track of the first set is the eighteen minutes plus encore of the epic Crystallised, from the Restoration EP, which reworked songs from the band’s demo recording, Enter The 5^th Dimension. It is a well-paced performance that takes the listener on a musical tour de force of flowing melodies and harmonies, and dynamic florid guitar and keyboard led sections. Striking throughout is the way in which Raymond Hearne’s drumming and Conner Green’s bass both hold the piece together, but also lead it through some tricky musical tributaries. The vocal harmonies are a key musical element here, adding a pallet of impressionistic musical flourishes that really impress. The lengthy instrumental section demands the audience’s attention with its wall of sound intensity and avant-garde like musical twists and turns, which the audience reward with appreciative cheers throughout.

Listeners may wish to note that Crystalised and the second set encore, the similarly lengthy Visions, can be found on CD three under the title The Encores.

CD TWO

In the second set the band take the audience on an engaging travelogue through songs from across their back catalogue. Puzzle Box, from the band’s fifth album, Vector, opens the second set. It is great set opener, with a mix of atmospheric guitar riffs and electronics, that dynamically build the song’s momentum.

The three-song sequence that comprises 1985, The Strain, and Strainwreck, is one of the high points in the second set. The song 1985, taken from the Affinity album, has an hypnotic quality, particularly in the vocal parts, interspersed with grinding guitar work that never lets up. The passionate lyrics, in step with the music, muse about the concepts of design and freedom of action.

The Strain, from the Virus album, unleashes waves of ringing guitar, and keyboard counterpoints. Providing a platform for one of Ross Jennings’ most heartfelt vocals that has an expertly delivered rise and fall. Strainwreck, is completely instrumental, and provides a musical respite from the musical tsunami of the previous two songs. It is a joint percussion and electronics piece, that Raymond Hearne and Peter Jones take into some brave experimental territory.

A MUSICAL JOURNEY

Visions, the title track from the band’s second studio album, is the encore for the second set, and is another complex and lengthy composition. It speaks to a band not afraid to test their audience and ask them to come with them on a musical journey. With the introductory theme completed, Ross Jennings asks the audience, “Are you still with us London?” They are of course and let the band know with an appreciative roar. Live the composition flies between different musical personalities, at times classic progressive rock, sometimes symphonic, with dashes of jazz fusion, Beach Boys like harmonising, and even music hall whimsy. Guitarists Charlie Griffiths and Richard Henshall are at their very best on this track, infusing every musical section with a sense of explosive dynamics and flow. This live version must surely stand as the bands crowning masterpiece to date.

The live recording was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, and the sound on the CD and Blu-ray discs is quite exceptional, with a wide soundstage giving every instrument, and the vocals, a prominent and sympathetic place in the sound mix. 5.1 surround sound mastering is by Tony Lindgren, which brings us nicely on to the Blu-ray disc.

THE BLU-RAY DISC

The Blu-ray disc includes the filming by Paul Green Productions of both sets in full, with audio available in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. The 5.1 surround sound is very good indeed, where you experience the immersive feel of being in the middle of the audience as the sound physically surrounds you from every direction. Ross Jennings’ lead vocal through the centre speaker is superb in its clarity and tone, and the power of the band’s live sound is incredible in it’s scale, emphasised by the way the front and rear speakers work together, to create rolling waves of sound.

The visuals, with close ups on the band members, really highlights the intricacy of each player’s parts within a track, but also the way the band somehow weave it into a seamless whole. Shots of the audience are done really well, capturing the connection between the band and audience, very much in the moment. The Blu-ray disc is completed with some interesting and informative interviews with the band members, including a very moving tribute by Richard Henshall to his dad.

This is a high quality release, that does full justice to a band that puts the music and its fans first, and in these performances, scale some magnificent musical heights. A truly gifted band that collectively produce some of the best progressive metal you will be likely to hear.

Here is the official video of the live version of Puzzle Box from Liveforms: