I’ve been following Haken since I was blown away by the masterful Visions back in 2013, and they’ve made a pretty dramatic change since then. A companion piece to 2018’s Vector, which I loved, Virus finds the band refining the sound that they’ve settled into on the last three albums. As befits an epic prog record, a track-by-track review is the only way to unpack it.
As the opening riff plays, two things are immediately certain: this is not your father’s Visions-era Haken, and Dino Cazares is going to expect his check in the mail. The whole track has a progressive Fear Factory vibe, from the Burton C. Bell-esque chorus to the militant drumming that has Ray Herrera written all over it. Add in a tasty solo mid-way through that includes tinges of Opeth and some keyboard hits straight out of Strapping Young Lad, and you’ve got the recipe for a great opener. 10/10
After the punishing first track, ‘Invasion’ slows things down quite a bit. This is where the djent influence kicks in, with Tool a clear reference early and an obvious Meshuggah vibe later on. You could tell me the guitar break in the mid-section was lifted off of Nothing and I would believe it. It’s a solid track, but is missing a little bit of the punch of the opener. 7.5/10
The Toolshuggah continues, but this time with a bit more punch. The 10 minute running time gives the track more room to breathe, especially around the 5 minute mark, when it shifts into an Animals as Leaders-esque break that would make Tosin Abasi proud. This is Virus’ answer to ‘Veil’ from the last record. 9/10
We start off with some Tool vibe, but it quickly morphs into an Anathema feel with tinges of Our Oceans, particularly in the mid-section. Quite a good song that gets a little lost between the two excellent tracks that bracket it. 8.5/10
This track really leans into the Anathema vibe, which is right up my alley. The melancholic feel is a nice change of pace from the aggression that surrounds it and hits in all the right places. One of the band’s very best. 10/10
The most ambitious track that the band has ever undertaken, ‘Messiah Complex’ is Haken’s answer to Dream Theater’s masterpiece ‘Octavarium’. If you’re at all squeamish about prog excess, this 17-minute epic in five parts is where the projectile vomiting will begin. We start off with a Dream Theater-esque track with a great chorus. The ending bit does a Steven Wilson that hits perfectly… an excellent way to start the journey. 10/10
And now we’re firmly in Dream Theater territory, harkening back to the Train of Thought-era. It’s pure prog metal: intricate, but punchy and well-crafted. 9/10
In just over two minutes, the band gives us a bit of everything: a quiet interlude, followed by a metalcore breakdown, and ending with a full-on prog metal freak-out that would make John Petrucci proud. 8/10
The aural schizophrenia continues here, including the band’s trademark section of Gentle Giant vocal harmonies, 8-bit video game bleeps, and even some blastbeats. It’s a bit too all-over-the-place for me, but thankfully, it’s a short section. 6/10
The affair is wrapped up by returning to the theme from the beginning, this time punctuated with a down-tuned Meshuggah riff. The solo that kicks in at 1:20 is wonderful: intricate, but with loads of emotive feel. The outro is straight out of The Incident-era Porcupine Tree, and an excellent way to close out the journey. 10/10
The final track is a brief coda that serves as a callback to Vector's ‘opening track ’Clear'. Think Steven Wilson or Anathema at their moodiest, and you’ll be in the ballpark. The album ends with questions, and a fitting close. 9/10
Ultimately, if you’ve been a fan of what Haken has been doing over the past few years, particularly Vector, you’ll find a lot to love here. I’m not sure I like it better than Vector, but the more I listen to Virus, the more it grows on me. I find myself drawn to a different track each time I listen to it, which is always the hallmark of a great record. This is a fitting end to the story of the Cockroach King.