THE MOUNTAIN

What they make is a mixture between very heavy passages, some jazz melodies and beautiful vocal melodies in the vein of Gentle Giant. They mix the power of early Opeth, the dramatism of Riverside and the technique of Dream Theater to craft a proper sound, very compelling and catchy.

The album has its flaws and a pair of fillers (In Memorian is clearly under the rest, As Death Embraces is an insipid mid-tempo...) but the quality of the other tracks is so high that I can clearly say that The Mountain is still one of the most inspired heavy-prog releases of this decade.

Nevertheless, I must say that I'm not really convicted about the vocals of Ross Jennings. He sings not bad, but he clearly does not have a beautiful voice. The falsetto is ok, but when he tries to reach higher natural tones, he sounds a bit unpleasant for my ears. And in other tracks like The Path, I think he is not completely toned.

But I can live with that, because his is good enough to no spoil the incredible work of the rest of the members of the band.

Best Tracks: Atlas Stone, Cockroach King, Falling Back to Earth, Pareidolia.

Conclusion: if you like heavy, intense and very powerful prog-rock Haken is just for you! If you can forgive the weak vocals and some tracks that are clearly under the rest, you will find a very well made and catchy album in The Mountain.

I'm eager to hear more records of this band! And I'm sure that seeing them live is also a remarkable experience.

My rating: ****

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