Prog Rock Veterans Learned How To Stop Overthinking and Just Rock Out Again on Their New EP

Song of the Day: “Delirium” by Haken

Aug 06, 2026

Ever since bubbling up from the London underground scene with theatrical Victorian-flavored prog metal, Haken has spent the better part of two decades convincing polite society that time signatures should look like math equations. They have pivoted multiple times in their evolution… from the cinematic grandeur of early albums like The Mountain or Affinity into heavy, djent-adjacent clinical psychology on Vector and Virus, before animal-themed zoology took over on Fauna. So, naturally, they have now decided to lean into a more streamlined, punchy format to remind everyone that they can still write concise, hook-driven songs without needing twenty-minute track runtimes to prove their instrumental credentials.

The new EP, In A Fever Dream, is a twenty-six-minute micro-odyssey that slots neatly into the band’s catalog as an exercise in brisk, emotionally direct storytelling. Gone are the sprawling conceptual zoos of yesteryear, replaced instead by a compact collection of tracks co-produced by George Lever that sound remarkably glossy, punchy, and surprisingly trimmed of excess fat. It fits into the Haken discography like the weird, hyper-focused cousin of Restoration, proving that the group can condense their signature blend of soaring vocal melodies and labyrinthine rhythm sections into bite-sized chunks. Rather than burying the listener under crushing walls of multi-movement guitar gymnastics, this release trades the kitchen-sink approach for a sleek, modern sheen that feels less like a monumental historical artifact and more like a very intentional sonic palette cleanser.

Amidst this concise collection, “delirium” easily steals the show as the standout track by refusing to overcomplicate its own agenda. While other cuts on the EP occasionally wander off into moody atmospheric contemplation, “delirium” straps itself to a relentlessly heavy rock progression that grabs you immediately by the collar. It delivers an enormous, stadium-ready chorus without sacrificing the quirky, intricate arrangements that make Haken worth listening to in the first place. By balancing an infectious, high-energy pulse with Ross Jennings’ effortlessly smooth vocal delivery, it functions as the ultimate distillation of what the band does best: keeping your brain entirely engaged while your foot bounces completely out of control.