Sophisticated monkey business from London rockers Haken mark Fauna as a colourful treat of an album. One that matches its image with its music and flies through an hour of intensity. Out of step, crushingly heavy and on the mind of progressive rock. Intensity like this is a well-needed form, and Haken manages to use their lost generation representation to their advantage. Fauna marks not just a crucial step for the band in articulating their skills but a convincing presentation of the all-black attires that litter rock groups. Metallica couldn’t pull that off. Kiss had to install stilt-like platform boots. Haken can just be themselves, and they push through with an extremely natural, well-fed intensity. Opening track Taurus should prove that well enough.
But for those unconvinced by the harsh and powerful opening, Haken are surprisingly adept at lighter flourishes. Their confident approach takes a knock on lighter, pop-like vocals on The Alphabet of Me, but it is more a credit to their range than anything else. But those lighter moments give Fauna a chance to showcase their explosive singles, a frequently energetic piece that relies on the vocal range and impressive movement. Paired up with the instrumentals, it is hard not to fall for the essential, groundbreaking work Ross Jennings’ vocals provide. They are an easy listen, an intimate one and have a challenging prose behind them, levelling out articulations of pain and punishment. Meaningful guitar solos to that masterfully lengthy Sempiternal Beings are as everlasting as the title would suggest.
Beneath the White Rainbow has such a strong collection of musicianship, variety and scope for these album tracks, with the progressive rock influences of the best in business right at the core. There are parts of the prog rock genre here that are worked over so well, the long-winded guitar work on Elephants Never Forget settles in nicely and drifts on through with clear intent. Not quite as narrative or animal-based as Jennings and company set out for, but the detail Fauna holds within is quite something. Beautiful artwork to pair with a collection of tracks that push themselves over the hour mark and make for solid prog rock. At the very least, Fauna outdoes the classics who still consider themselves contemporary. That is not a high bar, but it is a bar nonetheless.
Haken, quite simply, hangs with the best of them. Progressive rock as fresh as this, as surprisingly well-mounted as this, is a real treat. Fauna holds firm as a refreshingly heavy, experimental album that boasts one of the best album covers of the year so far. Richard Henshall’s guitar work is introduced well here, Fauna serves as a great showcase for his and Conner Green’s excellent abilities on bass. What comes through is a firm and articulate showcase of their vision, power and presence as a well-needed fresh face of progressive rock. Eyes of Ebony, the album closer, serves the band and listener well. Consistent and intended well, with strikingly brief comparisons to Muse and U2 available for those bands beyond progressive rock. Haken are mulling around the best of them, and Fauna makes for a thoroughly enjoyable modern-day progressive rock experience.
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