VISIONS

I am really finding this hard to put this into my own words because Visions is such a great album. My song explanations are extremely weak because this album is just so great and beautiful.

Visions starts off with Premonition which defines instrumental Haken very well. If you are new to Haken or know them well, it is a perfect song to start off, thus it being in the beginning. It is heavy, diverse and thrilling. Later in the song it goes into a jazz break with a vibrato alien sound in the background, this shows Haken's experimental side a bit.

Nocturnal Conspiracy is an epic song that shows Haken's structural component well with vocals. Nocturnal Conspiracy does not start as an epic song but once the singers vocals reach into his perfect range and clarity, the song comes together. The solo is great, simple to say there. The part before the end of the song is great and sentimental and the end is a perfect encapsulation of the main theme.

Insomnia is an amazing track blasting with heavy rifts. There is a random 8-bit computer like gaming rift that goes into a riff and into a solo where there are many time signature changes. Insomnia is a very dark song, musically and lyrically.

The Mind's Eye is definitely crafted to be a single, it is short; a total of 4 minutes, a simple structure and a continuous rift. There are crafty keyboards in the beginning that catch many people mainly including people on the radio if this becomes a single.

Portals continues from The Mind's Eye with again, crafty keyboards. It starts heavy and goes into an awesome riff that can catch any music lovers attentions. After this riff it goes into a horrifying guitar and keyboard combination which oddly sounds beautiful. This happens a few times in the song. This song is continuously heavy throughout it. Very emotionally and some aggressive solos in this song.

Shapeshifter continues from Portals. Portals starts heavy and then with a silly ballad melody. Of course this is a heavy song but it is a very collective song, you want to sing "My sister, Shapeshifter...." There is a very complicated 4/4 rhythm in this song and it is very catchy, it plays this a few times. The theme normally changes after this odd 4/4 rhythm. A soft part comes in and it is very peaceful with a moving bass line and then a melodic solo after. Of course it goes into the complicated 4/4 rhythm after the soft part into another section. The song then ends with an extended type of chorus.

Deathless is the saddest most melodic song ever. I look back in nostalgia every time I listen to it. It resonates inside my body, I can feel my sentimentalism toward everything I look back on. It calms me but it also freezes and shivers my body. Melodic, melancholy, sentimental, resonant, etc. this explains the base of the song. This song is such a melodic calm masterpiece. About halfway in they go into a nice melodic piece. The bass is the main instrument I feel in this part of the song.

Visions starts off with an epic, almost like movie, introduction with a man stating "what is life, an illusion... all life is a dream..." which gives you an awesome feel for the song before it even starts. Once it hits the song, the keyboard gives up an outstanding presence. It then goes into a guitar shredding, epic keyboard rift. After this it goes into the man talking again and then into singing. It is very resonant when he starts singing. It is a very melodic song when it is supposed to be melodic. Lyrics are brilliant. This song gives out some hopeful presence in it, almost godly. I'm not going to explain this whole song, but right now the main points. There are some awesome Latin feelings in this song as well as dark guitar rifts as well as a moment that almost seems a bit Devin Townsend-esque. There are some awesome shredding moments in this song, every instrument works together. Whenever it goes into the main theme where it starts a new part, there is an epic presence and it just feels awesome to listen to it. Many nice soft parts. At this one moment, they run through the same thing about four times and they gradually add a new thing, first is the normal, then keyboard, the bops then singing. After that it goes into a very heavy point and back to the central theme. In then does a variation of the beginning and then a soft part to the end, then a hopeful part, then an ending of a beautiful orchestral violin that finishes off the album.

Ending things - This is a bit random but there is a fan made music video of Visions, it is a bit accurate and it makes me cry out of happiness and all kinds of emotions for reasons why I don't know I cry for, it is just a great album.

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