Vector

Vector is the fifth studio album by British progressive metal band Haken. The album released on 26 October 2018 and is the first of two albums to be mixed by ex-Periphery bassist Adam "Nolly" Getgood. The album functions as the first half of of a two-album rock opera, ending with 2020's Virus.

The album's first single, "The Good Doctor," was released on 31 August 2018. This was followed by "Puzzle Box" on 28 September 2018, which was originally released in six scrambled parts released daily before the single's release in the spirit of the song's theme, as well as "A Cell Divides" on 19 October 2018.

Basis

NOTE: Some of the following may fall into the realm of fan speculation. The band has left much of the album's meaning unclear.

Vector takes place during the late 1950s to early 1960s at a mental ward named "Mountview Institution" and follows scientist Dr. E. C. Tobius Rex and his experiments on a mental patient known as "Patient 21." The album follows the descent of the patient into catatonia and many of the tracks act as windows into the memories and delusions of the patient.

Production

The production of Vector, given the working title of "HVKEN" began in 2017, in tandem with that of Virus, with many ideas being tossed between both albums. The album's production began shortly after the band ended their "Haken X" tour and their tour with Mike Portnoy under the Shattered Fortress moniker. In a 2018 interview, Richard Henshall expressed the idea that touring with Mike Portnoy may have resulted in Dream Theater's music having an increased influence on the album. The band have also stated that the album was significantly influenced by 1990's metal, following up from 2018's Affinity's 1980's pop framework.

Tracklist

Pos.	Song Title	Length
	Total Length:	45:42
1.	"Clear"	1:50
2.	"The Good Doctor"	3:55
3.	"Puzzle Box"	7:42
4.	"Veil"	12:35
5.	"Nil by Mouth"	6:51
6.	"Host"	6:45
7.	A Cell Divides"	6:04 (Physical) 4:57 (Digital)

The digital version of Vector excludes the "Verbal Summator" outro from "A Cell Divides," but not the instrumental version of the song.

Personnel

Haken

Ross Jennings - vocals
Richard Henshall - guitars
Charlie Griffiths - guitars
Diego Tejeida - keyboards, sound design
Conner Green - bass
Raymond Hearne - drums

Additional Personnel

Miguel Gorodi - trumpets ("The Good Doctor"), flugelhorn ("Host")
Peter Jones - additional drum programming ("Puzzle Box")
Pete Rinaldi - additional guitars ("Veil" and "Host")

Production and Design

Haken - production
Adam "Nolly" Getgood - mixing, drum engineering, drum recording
Anthony Leung - drum engineering
Diego Tejeida - vocal production and engineering
Chris McKenzie - assistant vocal engineering
Ermin Hamidovic - mastering
Blacklake - art and design
Corey Meyers - logo

Quotes from the Band

"Musically it feels like a logical step from 'Affinity', but lyrically it's a bit more theatrical and about as 'rock opera' as Haken has ever got. It's about a Doctor with an intriguing, perhaps sinister interest in a particular patient."

-Charlie Griffiths

"We don't like to make simple music. We always aim to defy expectations, and I believe we've surpassed what we aimed to achieve with our new album. We produced the album ourselves, as we always do, but we're fans of what Adam has done with Periphery, Sikth and Devin Townsend. He has a great reputation for the heavier end of our genre."

-Ross Jennings

"We've always had a heavy influence, but it was obvious from the riffs that were naturally coming out of us early in the writing process that this would be a more metal album. These are some of the most riff driven songs we've ever written."

-Charlie Griffiths

Trivia

At just over 45 minutes, Vector is the shortest Haken album by six minutes, second only to Virus.
Vector is the first Haken album in 10 years to feature Peter Jones, who initially left the band in 2008.
The album's title aligns with its' chronology, as V is the roman numeral for five.
The first verse of "A Cell Divides" contains a callback to 2013's "Cockroach King" in its melody.
The album's cover depicts a Rorschach ink blot test, paying homage to the album's psychological themes.
Side D of the vinyl LP contains an etching by Shakoor Bukhuth, having won an etching competition held by the band.