Not what you were expecting.
From the very first note, this album draws you in. The minimalist piano + voice combo can be considered cliché, but the progression of the chords makes it sound magical. The very first two notes are a V I resolution, a perfect authentic cadence. PAC’s are usually at the end of songs, but using it right at the start makes you want more.
Haken has taken a turn in their direction. Their first album was pretty bland progressive metal, sweeps in the Phrygia mode odd time signatures blah blah, but here they take what they know and do it well. The melodies on the album are so strong that they can be sung along to, the instrumentals are often so minimalist that you notice even the smallest subtleties. Usually I like chaotic and fast, but this album is so simple, and its message is simple (hint:album art), I think anyone can enjoy it.
This is another band that really changed their creative direction on this album. This, this is djent, 100% djent,which isn’t that big of a jump from melodic metalcore, but a turn that wasn’t evident in their old work to me. You may remember from a different post my feelings on djent, and the word djent, but this is what I think djent actually is, not what people have begun to believe it is. I can’t get over that they now sound almost exactly like this band:
but in a more infantile state. I think my decision is I like both, but Humanities Last Breathe needs to continue to improve on this new sound and – like I always say – give it character.
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