AQUARIUS

Aquarius begins by completly punching you in the face with an epic orchestral-sounding beginning. No melody, just fat chords on the guitar to substitute for violins, and a descending harp line... but suddenly, it's interrupted by an accordian (or maybe some kind of piano?) and xylophone - but it doesn't feel jarring. It feels natural. And the song just keeps progressing from here - scary sections, amazing piano and vocal sections. This first song examplefies what Haken are all about. Uniqueness, oustanding vocals and lyrics and simply awe-inspiring solo sections.

The melodies are all fantastic. It's a very catchy but beautiful album. The vocals fit the concept of the album - a woeful tale of a couple who have a mermaid as a daughter. The songs effortlessly change from styles one wouldn't be suprised to hear in some kind of musical to full out metal with massive chords and doubble bass.

The songs are mostly very varied. Perhaps the weaker song on this album is "Streams" but it is still a great track, just not up to the other ones. "Sun" very different to the other tracks - it's very subdued throughout and a lot more subte than the other tracks, with most of the song consisting of acoustic piano, acoustic guitar and vocals. But it's still manages to be quite complex with a long chord progression and many changes - granted, none of them as amazing as the ones on "The Point of No Return" and "Celestial Elixir".

Some parts can seem kind of poppy (the choruses on "Eternal Rain" and "Aquarium") but the good kind of pop. Sort of Queen-like. "Aquarium" is perhaps the "poppiest", with a long section of verse-chorus exchanges with a guitar solo in between, but then an absolutely beautiful interlude takes over - starting with synth and then going into this absolutely mad jolly carnival-sounding guitar solo...it's fantastic. Just amazing.

I'm very torn on wether or not to give this 5 stars... on one hand, it's a very unique, beautiful and cathcy listen, but on the other, some parts can seem samey and "Celestial Elixir" perhaps drags on a bit. But the samey parts never seem to overstay there welcome and are never noticable detracting from the experience. No, I do not think this is quite a "masterpiece"... Argh! No, I cannot deny this album five stars - it's so beautiful and unique, the instrumental sections are so tight - the drumming, guitar-work, bass-work, piano and vocals are all PERFECT. I see know reason to reserve the five star ratings to aknowledged classics (as they makes some kind of law-book as to which albums can receive 5 stars). I think you must own this album - it's one of the greatest albums I have heard recently. So I award it;

4.7 - Not completly flawless, but a very endearing, beautiful and unique album nontheless.

***** songs; "Point of No Return", "Endless Rain", "Sun", "Aquarium"

**** songs; "Streams", "Celestial Elixir"