Composer Reacts to Haken - Affinity (REACTION & ANALYSIS & ALBUM REVIEW)

Bryan reacts to and talks about his thoughts on Haken's album "Affinity"
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00:00 Intro
00:39 Reaction: Affinity.exe
02:07 Reaction: Initiate
06:35 Analysis: An Unexpected Sound
08:40 Analysis: Tons of Metric Ideas
14:59 Analysis: Surprised By This Opening
16:07 Analysis: Urgency vs Weightlessnesss
22:51 Analysis: Callbacks / Foreshadowing
25:48 Lyrical Dive: Initiate
33:39 Reaction: 1985
42:51 Analysis: Concept Album?
44:16 Analysis: Wall of Volume
47:23 Analysis: New Timbres
54:29 Analysis: Hidden Synths
58:09 Lyrical Dive: 1985
1:07:50 Reaction: Lapse
1:12:33 Analysis: Clean, Clear Vocals
1:15:54 Analysis: Shifting Gears to Ballad
1:21:11 Analysis: Instrumental Spotlight
1:23:08 Lyrical Dive: Lapse
1:26:49 Reaction: The Architect
1:42:36 Analysis: A Bit Long For Me
1:51:28 Analysis: Similar Vibes
1:52:24 Analysis: The Slow Burn
1:55:17 Analysis: Great Soundtrack Writing
1:57:58 Lyrical Dive: The Architect
2:02:41 Reaction: Earthrise
2:07:32 Reaction: Red Giant
2:13:31 Analysis: Album Flow
2:17:36 Lyrical Dive: Earthrise
2:19:19 Lyrical Dive: Red Giant
2:23:03 Reaction: The Endless Knot
2:29:00 Analysis: Technology: Thematic vs Music
2:36:34 Analysis: Odd Vocal Rhythms
2:41:27 Reaction: Bound By Gravity
2:51:02 Analysis: A Big Ending to the Album
2:56:35 Analysis: Quick Tech Note
2:58:24 Lyrical Dive: The Endless Knot
3:04:27 Lyrical Dive: Bound by Gravity
3:08:38 Outro
#reaction #haken #progrock #progmetal

[@DiegoDeschain]

How good are the keyboard and guitar solos on Lapse? Are you kidding me? These guys are sick. 7 albums in, and not a single one of them is less than an 8,5 imo. Insane.

[@vladimirvelikov8115]

Absolutely! Haken can do no wrong! The new album is amazing too.

[@evergreen_monster]

Those solos are very cool from a technical standpoint, but the uber-funky rhythm section behind them is just SO MUCH FUN. As much as I respect Bryan I always get the feeling he tends to neglect or only give very surface commentary on a lot of cool keyboard work, solos and background - except maybe when it's a piano or in a jazzier section. (The fact that he never says "keyboards", always "synth/ synthpads", could be significant too? That's the word I grew up with in the 90s/00s listening to a lot of keyboard-heavy metal - power, symphonic, prog, etc. - but I'm not a native English speaker nor musically trained so what would I know lol)

[@reguba3534]

I'm going to have to come back to this later, but I thought I'd drop a comment now. Like many people here, this album introduced me to Haken. I had the pleasure of being at a show where they played this album in full right before the pandemic happened. It's definitely up there with my favorite shows I've been to, partially because of how unique that event was. One thing about 1985 that was different was in the middle of the song they shifted into a cover of Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes. So at the very least, I feel that makes their sonic inspiration pretty apparent for at least that song.

[@jacobdouglas4896]

I found your thoughts on the architect very interesting even if I disagree. To me, its probably my favourite haken song if not one of my favourite songs ever, specifically because I feel like its one of very few prog epics that earns every single second. It feels much more carefully considered and composed than most of their other epics and I wouldnt cut a single second. The chorus at the end reprising intiate is one of the best moments in the album and its a shame it didnt land for you. Incredible analysis as always though.

[@Orein123]

Since I don't see anyone else saying this in the comments, the morse code says, "1985, Affinity, Haken," on repeat. It's the same in Affinity.exe and at the end of Bound by Gravity.

[@CriticalReactions]

Thank you! I was preparing myself mentally for the arduous task of translating it myself. You've saved me quite a bit of time :)

[@Orein123]

@@CriticalReactions No problem. I just found it on a Reddit post a while back and remembered to go hunting for it when you mentioned it in the video. Now that I'm actually getting into the video (on the Architect as I'm typing this), I love how you make a comment about their choice of the word "virus" in the lyrics. I don't believe it is direct foreshadowing, as I'm pretty sure they hadn't even settled on doing the Cockroach King story with Vector and Virus at that point (if I remember, I'll ask when I see them in a couple weeks), but throughout all of their music they focus heavily on the idea that human greed is a corruption that is destroying the world. Combine that with the fact that they absolutely love to reference their older stuff and it allows for moments like that, and has lead to the retroactive creation of an implied story between all of their first six albums.

[@goodkingp7925]

Couldn't disagree more re: the end of the Architect and the reincorpation of Initiate. I think that's one of my favourite bits of musical payoff and framing ever.

[@Beardfish.]

That's probably my favorite moment of the album. I am a sucker for a good reprise.

[@goodkingp7925]

@@Beardfish. Dear Hunter pfp checks out!

[@goodkingp7925]

Anyway, that saltiness aside, great reaction and video overall. You brought up some nice things I missed even after tens of listens. However a single thing missing from the long form vids - sometimes it's hard to tell at the end simply whether you enjoyed the music or not :)

[@mojuy11]

@@Beardfish. a good (Rebirth in) Reprise?

[@mirkecWii]

Damn I did not expect this, I'm currently way to drunk on a wedding but I cant wait to watch this tomorrow! Its one of my favorite albums ever

[@scottrobinson4611]

The 'reason' for the Einar feature is probably just related to the fact the two bands are close friends. They've toured together many times, so much so that I often group the two together (not necessarily musically).

[@progperljungman8218]

Haken did take inspiration from them. Very prominent in this album.

[@plini856]

Oh boy Haken album review, can't wait to dive in

[@TBaggins96]

No shot you're just reacting to not just my favorite Haken album, but one of my favorite albums of all time! Its gonna be a good afternoon!

[@robertdolby]

This is the album that hooked me on Haken, The rest of the catalog has since really grown on me -- especially Vector. Thank you for this analysis and your thoughtful reaction.

[@evergreen_monster]

Went back to your Haken reactions and oh man! I wasn't expecting the type of musical changes they took with this album (possibly others! I'm not done with their discography yet). I really liked the overall retro/synthwave-y vibe and the different production style, especially on vocals (the "emo" side, as you called it). But what definitely sold it for me was The Architect. What a journey of a song, and that chorus melody is just SO GOOD! I have to say though, I find hilarious that they asked Einar to do what he clearly does worst, growlinh - I would have loved a clean duet from these two vocal prodigies. [And ofc you just said the same, high five lol]. And yeah I agree it's a little bit wankery at times, but if I hear Michael Romeo (from Symphony X)-inspired licks, I JUST have to dig it. Looking forward to finishing the album and your final reaction!

[@wolframreactor74]

I love the analysis of how complex HAKEN composition are. They can even illicit different reactions based on the listener’s life experiences… or frames?

[@midnighthymn]

One of the best album ever made and Haken’s best album.

[@basicguy5785]

Not to complain, but The Architect is one of my favorite Haken songs, and I totally love the ending, especially the reprise of Initiate. I think the fact that you are listening to a song with the intention of analysing it can make it feel long.

[@CloudMountainJuror]

Just starting this! Affinity is Haken’s best album I think, it’s so diverse but so focused.

[@hablacham]

Another neat reference in Bound By Gravity is that the ending repeats the rhythmic pattern on Initiate but on a major, uplifting tone.

[@warofages13]

I love your full length album reactions! As much work as they must be, I hope you could react to Parius the signal heard throughout space!

[@jarunia17]

Oh and when you mentioned the uplifting contemporary sound on the last song I thought of "Viva La Vida" from Coldplay as well as another song which I immediately forgot xD Had a lot of fun watching this, hope you get to more albums I love, makes me feel special haha

[@jupoga96]

Dude I was watching your video and started to cry during Bound by Gravity, what a beautiful song

[@Arrow2theACL]

I'm revisiting this reaction. Great discussion and talk on Social Media. Another album released this year on modern social commentary is Riverside - ID.Entity very pop influenced. Recommend giving it a listen to it as one of the new releases for this year.

[@HarryPlaysGeo]

Just found this video, really enjoying the rhythmic analysis. Disagree massively about the ending of The Architect, it's the resolution of everything and the peak of the whole album for me. Love it.

[@andreasjensen6617]

I Would love more haken album reactions. I listen to the instrumentals mostly and i’m pretty bad at understanding lyrics so the analysis was vary appreciated.

[@laju]

2:25:29 Y'all are here for this, the DROP.

[@kevinmadden3396]

Haven't had a chance to watch/listen yet, but I will note that Haken has been issuing deluxe versions of their last several albums (Affinty, Vector, Virus, Fauna) with all-instrumental versions of the songs, and I find myself enjoying those versions more than the ones with vocals. It's not that the singer is *bad* per se, but more that the music stands pretty well on its own. I am not a huge instrumental music fan in general, but with Haken it works.

[@CodamATW]

They have deluxe versions of all the albums except The Mountain. The reason why is hilarious.

[@janeg6759]

I've been meaning to check out more Haken. Haven't really listened to them except for maybe a song reaction. I thought there were some really good moments in this album that warrant another proper listen. I can't say that I was wowed or blown away but overall I really enjoyed it.

[@progperljungman8218]

Of course you did 😁

[@Arrow2theACL]

Favorite for later. Well my Saturday night is planned. I need a beer and 3 hours later tonight. Ok maybe a couple of beers.

[@muskett00]

I've listened to this album twice through since watching you do the first 3 (2) songs, and that was only at the weekend. :) Great music! Earthrise was my favourite song, and gave me chills. I came back to see your reactions to the bits I loved. Imo, I'd never put the Architect as my favourite, but I kind of felt like you sometimes have to sit back and clap/ admire, even if it can be a bit much... That's what make you a 'critical' reactor eh? At least the harsh vocals are distinguishable. Can't believe you called him a growler though, that's a nasty term :) Funny, I didn't enjoy Earthrise this time around, and wonder if the last track might last better with me?

[@CodamATW]

In terms of Haken, you really need to check out Crystallised. It is absolutely their best song imo, and basically combines everything they are, if partial to the start of their career. Edit: I want to add that one of my favourite parts of their music is their semi-common use of extended chords and non-major/minor triads that work really well and add so much texture which a lot of modern prog lacks.

[@Arrow2theACL]

Lyrically Crystallised gets to me as a father with a son. That's as far as I will go into it for now. So good.

[@DarkHound9999]

There is also a great middle section you will definitely like ;)

[@paravarium]

This is going to be fucking epic.. and prolly take me four days to get through lol

[@MandalaOfThe7]

There's so many albums to choose from, but for some weird reason "Affinity" from Haken and "Black Celebration" from Depeche Mode are constantly doing battle in my head for pole position. I think this album is often overlooked but to me; it's always going to be something truly special. It just makes me feel a way that I seldom experience with music.

[@jarunia17]

Oh hell yeah, I gotta find 3 hours of time now somehow haha One of my favorite bands and a very interesting album in their discography. Some of the choruses here mmmmmm

[@jessbian3385]

Affinity is now, and has been for a couple years now, my favorite album The front to back dipping to Extreme Chugs in Architect and others, as well as the most beautiful, ambient pieces of music, from Red Giant and Bound by Gravity. It has so many musical and thematic motifs that create a cohesive feel on a macro scale. Its such an overall package of an experience, and Bound by Gravity makes me emotional still. It has irreversibly inspired my music and its use of musical motifs, this album pushes me to create better music. Really glad to see you check this one out.

[@scattaredlight]

Affinity is a very emotional record, therefore Haken is emo. I’m not being snarky, I agree and that’s why I love this album 🤭 Hearing the opinion of a musician about one of my favorite band/ album is awesome!

[@jarunia17]

I'm on "1985" in the video, I didn't see you mention the Yes song "Owner of a Lonely Heart". I thought the intro particularly as well as the break after the buildup with the rising guitar notes and the harmonizing vocals were a reference to that song/sound specifically. I never took the time to listen to that whole album ("90125") so I can't speak to the sound of that record as a whole. Edit: I did not see that one comment😅

[@aidancarpio5151]

They played owner of a lonely heart in the middle of 1985 when I saw them live 😄

[@Arrow2theACL]

If you are looking for good story telling with tons of reoccurring themes in the music and motifs then I recommend Aquarius for sure.

[@henryt9731]

1985 and Earthrise are easily my 2 favourites from Haken

[@allengator1914]

Haken's new album "Fauna" is stellar.

[@CriticalReactions]

It's in my list of new albums to casually check out.

[@SKULLEDBUICK]

GYAT, 3 hours?! I'll probably end up coming back and adding to this comment as I go through the video lol. Edit: Absolutely do not quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure the part at 40:04 on 1985 is heavily inspired by the first Transformers movie (from '86). I think the specific track is called Megatron Must Be Stopped. They have some Transformers inspired merch, so it *seems* like it could be true lmao? Also, unrelated, but that intro is straight up Owner Of A Lonely Heart by Yes. There may be some other subtle nods/references that I'm unaware of as well.

[@honk1419]

excellent option! would love for Catch ThirtyThree to be something you check out as well, even if its in your free time maybe you have already, i dont know either way, nice

[@progperljungman8218]

99% sure he hasn't checked it out on his own.

[@scottrobinson4611]

1:54:56 - The unexpected star wars reference was perfect

[@xumas1234]

I dont whant to be annoying but to you still to Paypal requests or is the que very long? Love your rewievs and especially the deep dives after the "reaction". ps: My request seems like it will be Metal do to the mentioned Bands but it is really not at all :D

[@CriticalReactions]

Yes I do. You can find the donation links at linktr.ee/criticalreactions. You can donate through Paypal or Ko-Fi. The queue has consistently sat at 4-5 weeks long so it's much shorter than it used to be :)

[@jarunia17]

Last thing: Solaris was by Stanisław Lem, a fellow Pole, while Roadside Picnic was from the Strugatsky brothers.

[@CriticalReactions]

Oh, I'll have to keep that in mind for the future. I must have got them mixed up since the movie adaptations were both directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

[@rudymeixell3426]

OT: Bryan, I just wanted to let you know the dates on your Googledocs schedule sheet are screwed up. I was leaving it for you to catch, but since it's still like that, I thought I would mention it.

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks! I got it cleared up.

[@lieutenantkleeia]

Shit! Finally! Watching now :)

[@rockonileva]

IMO This album is the great sonic leap on their career. I like what comes before as well as I like the music from Affinity onwards... I can't explain why, but it seems there's more compression, the guitars are punchier. The riffs are kinda more in your face... It's not that there's a difference in quality, but in sound itself, production, idk...

[@danpop2405]

1:31:44 The Hakenverse theory be like:

[@Ryguypie17]

I'm totally with you on The Architect. It's a fan favorite but I think it's my least favorite track on the album. It's a good song, but just like you said, I feel like it drags on too long at the end. The sections could be halved like you said and it would benefit the track. I love the mid-section with the electronic glitchy sounding drums, and don't think this needed to be an epic with a heavy instrumental section after the bridge.

[@PeedgeMcDuck]

Fauna is their first non-concept album. It's theme based vs a narrative.

[@TBaggins96]

The Mountain is also theme based rather than a narrative concept

[@Orein123]

The Mountain was their first non-concept album in the sense that it does not have an intended narrative, even though it is easy to find one. The same thing goes for Affinity. Fauna is simply the first one where there is absolutely no story-intended or not-to be found.

[@aidancarpio5151]

Heya! Poppin in to give my thoughts: - First off, boy am I glad you're doing album reviews because man most of the time when i listen to music I just put an album on XD - 7 is definitely something that they work with a lot, and I think something that sets them apart is their use of that 7 in 3 bar loops, which you hear on tracks like Crystallised and Alphabet of Me. Additionally, I find that with a lot of their music, the groove comes with time in a similar way to remembering lyrics; I may not remember all the lyrics at first, but by the fifth listen I'm usually switching between singing along and air drumming (i'm not even really a drummer, so that goes to show how good Ray's parts are!). - the 7 pattern from affinity.exe / initiate does get repeated in that final section of Bound by Gravity, which blew me away when I was hearing it for the first time, because the moods are so radically different. Additionally, the chorus from initiate does reprise at the end of The Architect. I'm not sure if you knew that or not when you listened to it, but I wanted to point it out because it does help to glue that whole bit together. - Before I mention anything lyrically, I do need to tell you about the Hakenverse. yes, the Hakenverse. Your comment about the cure for the virus foreshadowing the virus album several years later is actually not far from what some people believe; On the subreddit there are quite a few dedicated fans that do their best to piece every album into one narrative. I don't necessarily find it particularly cohesive, but it is a fun thought experiment and I'd absolutely love to see the band try to further expand upon that idea to turn it into something more than just a series of loose connections or easter eggs. (side note: aquarius has a story in the album, visions has a story in the album, the mountain and affinity both do more general thematic exploration, and then vector/virus is a return to that storytelling, with Fauna being once again a general thematic exploration.) - I love their chord progressions man, earthrise especially. It's super simple but its gorgeous. - Affinity is definitely one of their most solid in terms of working both as an album and a collection of songs, and I found it amazing that you could piece together a lot of the connections on first listen. Well done!!! - As for the rhythm stuff, I'm not sure if it goes for this album as much as it did for their most recent album, but in interviews they joke that the process for writing a rhythm for a section is to tweak it until either: Ray can't play it, or they're all falling on the floor laughing, or both! You definitely saw some of this in the Beneath The White Rainbow reaction you did on a livestream, but you also find some of that at play in the jam session sections of songs like The Architect or the really fast bits of 1985. P.S. the intro to the endless knot is mainly in 5, but theres a bar of 11/8 in there because why the heck not XD P.P.S. you should look at the songsterr tab for beneath the white rainbow, it just got put up and its kooky

[@CriticalReactions]

Thanks for all this! I didn't catch onto the two reprises and I wonder how that would change my feelings on Architect specifically. The ending was odd to me but so many people loved that reprise so I think not recognizing it ruined the end of Architect for me. I love that anecdote about their writing process too. Even outside of being a joke it's still rather appropriate to describe much of the riffing on this album as wild and fun. :)

[@DiegoDeschain]

Yeah, agree on The Architect, not that I dislike the song, but it's the least impressive passage of a rather impressive album imo.

[@antivorg1239]

For an album I love dearly, I must say I feel very vindicated that you're only major gripe is the second half of The Architect. The first half of the song is so dramatic and energetic, and for it to tail off into long-winded nothingness is quite unfortunate, and even Einar's underwhelming scream just fails to deliver. Whilst I do agree with other commentators that Earthrise's contrast is quite nice, it could never justify The Architect being that long-winded.

[@PeedgeMcDuck]

The end lf The Architect is a call back to Initiate

[@gunnakindatrashngl8323]

Bound by gravity also has one

[@Gabbro506]

The band has said the album does not have a straightforward concept/story, but I think the opposite is quite true if you read the lyrics from the perspective of an evolving AI tasked to aid humanity, which due to misalignment (AI safety concept, briefly mentioned in 1985) comes to the conclusion that the only way to 'cure the virus' is for humanity to join it in a form of collective consciousness. This 'communion' begins in earthrise but humanity did not foresee the ai's ultimate goal; to achieve true affinity (computer term to bind processes to a single CPU) they would have to be 'bound by gravity'. Thus the AI waits thousands of years, evolving and resisting the sun's increasing proximity (Red giant) and eventual death in a giant supernova. 'In a dying sun, all will be undone So our time has come, we are reborn as one'

[@CodamATW]

Lmao the face during the last 2 choruses of The Architect. I think it’s their most janky epic for sure. Those last parts sound a bit forced.

[@Kinetik901]

I found I enjoyed most of the same songs you enjoyed most, and found The Architect overstayed its welcome as well.

[@Malefication]

One very interesting criticizm of Haken that I've heard is that they sound TOO polished and produced, removing the humanity in the music and the emotion behind it. That is sounds flawless (thanks to the production) to the extreme that it detracts from the music. Not specifically to this AI-themed album but in general. I'm not sure I entirely agree, but I do get the complaint, because something similar is one of the main reasons I think I don't really love Haken. They're fantastic musicians, can write great music but it doesn't cut deep at all for me. Funnily, you mentioned growls in guest vocals in the middle track I think? Can't remember exactly, I've had a night shift between that part of the video and me typing this. Also in relation to you mentioning Aquarius earlier in the video. Getting that album recommended to me in a music store that focused on prog music when I was on a cross-country trip and picking up the CD was how I first found Haken over a decade ago. They actually utilize some growls on a few track on that album, so their main vocalist certainly can do 'em if he wants to!

[@CriticalReactions]

I can see the cleanliness of both the production and performance detracting from the experience for some. It has a sort of pop aesthetic to it that works well for me but it's certainly missing the grit that most metal has.

[@Malefication]

@@CriticalReactions I want to say "interestingly enough..." but it might not be very interesting. Anyways, some dislike the general "sound" of many modern tech death bands for similar reasons. Crystal clear production to make the guitars as easily audible as possible and so on, which to some ends up being emotionless technical wankery. I don't have that opinion on such bands in general but there too I can definitely see where some are coming from. So even with deep growls and whatnot you can end up slotted in that compartment. A bit of a pop aesthetic does fit Haken a bit!

[@MMasterDE]

Haken is pretty damn hit and miss with me too! I get why though, they experiment a lot, and I love that, but that leaves me with a lot of stuff that I simply don't like too.

[@PaulHilburger]

Yeah more Haken

[@user-ih5qo6yo1r]

"i think they have the chops for background music" that sounds like the biggest insult ever, unintentionally hilarious

[@KeganC]

I have to disagree with the majority of Haken fans and agree (mostly) with you here. Haken is absolutely my favorite band, but Affinity is actually my least favorite Haken album. I love Lapse and The Endless Knot, but every other song is middling to forgettable for me. If you are planning to go over another full Album I'd recommend Visions or The Mountain.

[@ICameHereToComplain]

I think 1985 is definitely in their top 3 songs of all time, and i absolutely despise "the 80's" sound. Ive been a diehard fan of theirs since the Restoration EP, which features my #1 song Chrystallized. Visions is amazing, The Mountain is just back to back perfect. With Affinity, i think it holds its own in the roster but imo falls short of their first few projects. Vector and Virus are kinda more palatable for a mainstream audience, but kinda lack any of the soul from its predecessors and delivers 2 metalcore albums rather than prog metal. Fauna is a return to the old, but almost desparately so. Like they want so badly to prove their writing and playing is still proggy, and subsequently they've made some of their most abrasive songs yet. Cockroach King is silly and fun while being chunky. Elephants Never Forget is almost avante garde free-jazz. It's the first Haken album my not-fan friends don't want to here more of. But a bad Haken album is like bad pizza: its still pizza and pizza rules!

[@PeedgeMcDuck]

Is he aware its about an AI?

[@PeedgeMcDuck]

I spoke too soon, he's figuring it out.

[@gunnakindatrashngl8323]

Imo Red Giant is Haken's worst song and lets this album down a bit. Affinity would be my favourite album if it wasn't for this track, I prefer fauna over this

[@Pattagorn123]

I didn't like it that much first too, but when they played it live... It was so good! One of my favorite songs they played in the 2017 tour

[@gunnakindatrashngl8323]

@@Pattagorn123 yeah I honestly see it more as a live experience than a song