Progressive rock powerhouse HAKEN have announced they will tour Australia in April and May. Their first visit in 5 years will see them play shows in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne with an extended career-spanning set. Joining HAKEN on this journey is none other than Australian guitar virtuoso, I BUILT THE SKY, renowned for his mind-bending instrumental compositions.
Monday, 29 April – Rosemount Hotel (Perth WA)
Wednesday, 1 May – The Triffid (Brisbane, QLD)
Thursday, 2 May – Max Watts (Melbourne, VIC)
Friday, 3 May – Lion Arts Factory (Adelaide, SA)
Saturday, 4 May – Manning Bar (Sydney, NSW)
The eclectic and virtuosic progressive metal outfit from the UK are continuing the celebrations for their seventh studio album, Fauna, their most genre-busting and conceptually intriguing album to date. Referred to by the band as their “sonic rainforest“, it seamlessly blends echos of past eras with daring forays into uncharted and innovative territories.
When discussing the concepts behind the record, vocalist Ross Jennings said: “The premise of the album when we started writing it was that every song would have an animal assigned to it. They all have something related to the animal kingdom that we could write about, but they also connect to the human world. Each track has layers, and some of them are more obvious than others.”
Fauna also marks the return of keyboard player Peter Jones, whose sounds can be heard woven through the fabric of the album. Ross continues: “What Pete’s brought sonically to the band has played a massive role in why we do have a lot of new sounds on this record.”
In 2023 the band took to the road playing Fauna Expedition shows across the United States. This year, the Expedition makes its way across the globe to grace Australian shores following a run across Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan.
Melbourne’s I Built The Sky has been called to join for the Australian leg of the Expedition. I Built The Sky’s range matches the diverse stylings and musicianship of Haken perfectly; spanning complex riffs, shredding guitars, catchy melodic lead work and even intricate acoustic pieces.
The shows will follow the band’s previous Australian headline tour visits in 2017 and 2019 (as well as their 2017 tour with Mike Portnoy performing Dream Theater’s ‘The Shattered Fortress’ suite).
Known for their diverse arrangements and impressive musicianship, the English six-piece have remained one of prog’s most exciting bands since their debut full-length in 2010. They have straddled classic 1970’s prog to post 2010’s djent and in the process established a fervent cult following around the globe.
As always, the band will present an expansive live show to fans, covering material from their extensive discography.