On March 3rd, 2023, British progressive metal outfit HAKEN released their seventh studio album, “Fauna,” through InsideOut Music. Since we really liked the album, imagine how delighted we were when the band announced a special An Evening with Haken tour in the United States, where they would play the whole album for fans, along with a few of their greatest hits. Thankfully, the tour was such a success that Europe followed suit, with the band having their first stop in Savoy Teatteri in Helsinki on September 4th, 2024.
Since these An Evening with… shows are usually quite intense and lengthy, HAKEN didn’t bring any support act, meaning the show kicked off sharply at 19:00. Given that the tour’s artwork seemed like a nod to the style of the Disney movie Jungle Book, it was awesome to hear that the intro to the evening was just that. I didn’t exactly Shazam it, but I’m pretty sure it was the animated movie’s overture, which created an excellent atmosphere for the set. Afterward, the band’s own “The Last Lullaby” started playing on a backing track, which served as the intro to HAKEN playing “Fauna” in its entirety.
I was happy to hear the album in order, rather than having the tracklist scrambled to create a perfect arc for the show. This meant the most familiar songs, released as singles—“Taurus,” “Nightingale,” and “The Alphabet of Me”—were played early on.
Since the band had only recently released “Fauna” when they toured previously, I hadn’t heard all the tracks live. However, during Tuska, we already heard “Sempiternal Beings,” which I’m still amazed by; the song is even more incredible live. It felt more powerful this time too, despite the audience clapping before the song was over (although maybe they were just as impressed as I was). “Beneath the White Rainbow” was a song I hadn’t experienced live yet, and it was great to see Ross Jennings bring a megaphone on stage to create the vocal effect during the last super proggy section of the song. The intimate setting of the show had a few limitations. While seated metal shows can be a luxury, especially when you’re tired, it does make it difficult to groove along or headbang. If the whole third row was moving, it might have been because of me—apologies!
“Island in the Clouds” had a cool part where only Richard played guitar for a few moments, creating a vulnerable, stripped-down vibe, which he nailed flawlessly. Despite the distance between the band and the seated audience, Ross still engaged with the crowd, hyping them up to the max. Before “Lovebite” started, he made a heart shape with his hands, and some fans did the same back. I hadn’t listened to this song in a while, so I’d forgotten how poppy it is, but it has some great sing-along moments, and the audience definitely delivered.
“Elephants Never Forget” began with its cool intro, and the band encouraged the audience to clap along. Admittedly, clapping along to polyrhythms is tricky, so the audience tried but gave up when it got too complex. Ray was the one leading the charge to get us clapping, which was ironic since he’s the one who invented these tricky rhythms!
To signify the band had played through the entire album, Ross took off his “Fauna”-themed Hawaiian shirt—a collector’s item that’s apparently been part of the merch selection since my previous complaints (though I didn’t see it at this show). This rounded out the first part of the evening.
There was a 30-minute break between sets, and since I didn’t bring a reporter along and many of my prog friends had other plans, I feared I might get bored during the break. However, the intermission was a pleasant surprise, with Disney bangers from Jungle Book, The Lion King, Tarzan, and Dumbo playing. The soundtrack wasn’t long enough to cover the entire break, so it was on repeat, but I didn’t mind hearing “Bare Necessities” twice!
The production of this show was a step up from the band’s last visit, with cool LED strips in the background and cinematic lighting. Personally, I’d have liked to see more plants and jungle-themed decor on stage, but I guess the album is called “Fauna,” not “Flora.”
The second set kicked off with “Puzzle Box.” It felt like the set was still oriented towards their later material, with only one song each from “Aquarius,” “Restoration,” “The Mountain,” and “Visions,” but the selection worked well together. Hearing “Cockroach King” again was amazing—I hope they never drop that song from their setlist (though they did during their April 2023 tour!). The band returned for an encore during “Visions.”
All-in-all, HAKEN put on a show well worth the ticket price. These days, with inflation and post-COVID times pushing prices higher, we got a treat: 19 (!) prog songs and over two hours of music. I always love it when a band plays full albums through, and “Fauna” definitely deserved it. No wonder the show was sold out!
Text & photos by Laureline Tilkin
Setlist
- Taurus
- Nightingale
- The Alphabet of Me
- Sempiternal Beings
- Beneath the White Rainbow
- Island in the Clouds
- Lovebite
- Elephants Never Forget
- Eyes of Ebony
- Crystallised
- Puzzle Box
- Earthrise
- Cockroach King
- Nil by Mouth
- 1985
- The Strain
- Canary Yellow
- Drowning in the Flood
- Visions (Encore)
