AFFINITY

I feel compelled to write a review for this album since may of the existing reviews do not treat this album fairly. I have to admit I'm a huge fan of Haken, and find that their work has gotten progressively (see what I did there?) more impressive and unique with each album. Rating this a 3 or 4 star album because it's not your favorite or because it does not have a song like "Celestial Elixer" on it is silly. Affinity really showcases the band building on their own unique sound. I'm not sure they really fit in the "progressive metal" genre any longer, and that fine with me! This music is so melodic, emotional, complex, and coherent that it really defies categorization. While I'm not as blown away by an epic like "The Architect" as some have been, I find that I wish songs like "Earthrise" or "The Endless Knot" could go on forever. I literally say to myself each time after "Earthrise" ends, "man, I wish that was about 5 minutes longer". While I agree with some that this may not be the best overall Haken album, in the vast world of "prog", this is a clear 5-star effort for me.