TIKTAALIKA

A great album, and a strong contender for album of the year. I was expecting someting far from Haken's style, but it sounds like an extension of it, so, If you like the band, you are going to like this too. To me, it's like a Haken album more focused on guitar, but you have the usual potent riffs and calmer, melodic and ominous passages combined with good measured doses of experimentation.

My favourite tracks are In Alluvium, Dead in the water (both function as a medley of almost 17 minutes!), the title track (those melodic breaks gave me goosebumps) and Luminous beings, that reminds me of the first Haken works with its cinematic style.

4.5 stars. Strongly recommended.