VECTOR

Be guided by the cover art. You are warned by a red alert. You see a Rorschach image that seems like an inhuman robot. That's the music defined. The robots are on speed and whirring out hyper-dense machine rock.

Let's try and help by defining who won't and who may like this album. If your Haken favourite is the soaring operatics of 'Aquarius', or the human intensity of 'The Mountain', then you are in for disappointment. The band has moved away even from the melody that permeated the less-popular 'Affinity' (my own favourite, so don't trust me). The fan I would alert to this album is maybe a disaffected Opeth fan, who gave 'Blackwater Park' five stars and 'Sorceress' two stars. In 'Vector' you will definitely find the blinding, pounding heaviness you have been missing.

Personally I seem to love everything this band does, they are magnificent IMO.

Verdict: Dalek music.