Haken have become one of the biggest names in Progressive Metal since the release of their first album, Aquarius, in 2010. Through their seven-album (and one EP) releases, the British proggers have consistently delivered great material with some very memorable parts. While my personal favourite albums include Affinity and Virus, there is not a single album in their discography that I choose to skip.
Since their first release, the band have had a mostly stable lineup, trading original bassist Thomas MacLean for Conner Green after the release of The Mountain and long-time keyboardist Diego Tejeida back to founding member Peter Jones behind the scenes during the making of Virus.
However, in late 2025, it was announced that bassist Conner Green and founding guitarist Charlie Griffiths were leaving the band to focus on another band called Tiktaalika. This was a major shock for long-time fans of the band. After a stint on 2026’s Cruise to the Edge with session bassist Tiggy, the band began to release new singles, which would later be announced as a new EP called in a fever dream.
This EP has certainly divided fans, as the change of direction for the band has been the focus of attention. But music has always hit different ears differently, so all I can do in this review is give my thoughts.
The in a fever dream EP opens appropriately with the title track in a fever dream, which reminds me of a few clean passages from Virus and Fauna straight from the off. Ross Jennings’ vocals really shine here, as they will throughout the whole EP. However, when the heavier sound of the song takes over is when I start to really notice the change. Here, instead of the usually lush sound one would come to expect from their previous output, Haken sounds a little thin. There’s less of a massive wall of guitars, and the bass is very minimal, even when they’ve been joined by legends like Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Dethklok) and Adam “Nolly” Getgood (Periphery) as session players. However, I digress. To me, in a fever dream is lyrically about what it says on the tin: the sense of being lost in a nightmare where everything is far too abstract, yet also means far too much. There’s a certain force pulling him through it, a force that he recognises as a friend but yet seems intent on causing harm (“You kill the fire to watch me freeze” / ”your authority disembodies me, pulls me from end to end”). This is a great song, and I rather enjoyed hearing Ross bring back some harsh vocals, which he hasn’t done on an album since Aquarius.
The second track, delirium, is a straight-up rocker! Richard Henshall’s guitars and Ray Hearne’s drumming lead the charge while Pete’s keys bring a really cool effect to it all. There are some almost EDM-sounding tones in the keyboard work which I really like. Lyrically, I feel this really continues the loose story brought about by the title track, as the chorus directly calls “I want to let go, I need to break free of this delirium”. The breakdown in this one is a strong highlight.
In third is eclipsed by you, which is a really different track. This one really leans into the electronics, featuring heavy filtered vocals and programmed drum tones rather than Ray’s kit. This song is more about letting go of someone, which makes me start to think this whole EP may be about the sudden loss of Conner and Charlie, reinforced with lines like “The aura between us / Dilating, deflating / True colours unveiled / A cycle of disarray” and “This guilt is passing / Some things still feel the samе / Releasing resentment / I’ve been eclipsed by you”. I feel like the whole thing is saying that they feel the departure has left them feeling hurt, lost, and wondering if there was anything else they could have done differently, but now they feel like they’ve been washed out from their own narrative. This one is really not my favourite, but hey, always cool to try something different!
The next track, bleeding sky, feels like it follows from eclipsed by you sonically as much as lyrically by starting with the heavy synth layers and filtered vocals long before it brings in guitars. If eclipsed was more about the feeling of being betrayed, bleeding sky is the anger from it and the need to say goodbye. This is more bass and guitar-led once more, with some cool riffs scattered throughout. It’s also much more progressive than the previous two tracks to my ear. I like it, though there are a few points where it feels like the mix was maybe a little too ‘hot’ for my liking.
The EP comes to a head on lotus, the second of only two songs to pass the five-minute mark here. Where in a fever dream spoke of breathing through old skin, lotus distinctly speaks of wearing new skin and leaving the fever dream. The twist almost makes me think of the Kübler-Ross cycle of grief, though imperfectly with anger being more present in the fourth stage than depression, which is more of eclipsed’s feeling. I genuinely think this is the most creative way to go through a sudden lineup change I’ve ever seen. Why not take it and turn the whole thing into a concept EP? I really must hand it to Haken here; this is a really great way of dealing with everything.
Granted, this is not quite the same ride we’ve had over the last few releases. Apart from bleeding sky and lotus, I feel their usually progressive writing wasn’t quite as prominent as much as the emotional side of things, which has been captured rather beautifully here. It certainly isn’t my favourite Haken release, but for what it is, I would recommend checking it out. Besides, it’s only about 26 minutes, bringing it just a slightly longer time commitment than listening to Crystallised or Messiah Complex for the hundredth time! While I would wholeheartedly recommend keeping an open mind with this one, check it out next time you dive through the back catalogue and enjoy!
‘in a fever dream’ is available as CD, Deep Blood Red LP (in Europe), Lotus White LP (in the US) and as a very limited clear LP edition available only from the bands store. Order now here: https://haken.lnk.to/inafeverdream-EP
The full track-listing is as follows:
1. in a fever dream
2. delirium
3. eclipsed by you
4. bleeding sky
5. lotus
HAKEN are:
Ross Jennings
Richard Henshall
Pete Jones
Ray Hearne
HAKEN online:
www.hakenmusic.com
https://x.com/Haken_Official
http://www.facebook.com/HakenOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/haken_official/
The band also recently announced a European headline tour for September & October 2026, with support from IHLO. Find the full list of dates below, tickets on sale now.
The band comments: “We’re really excited to bring this music to the stage. We’ve been putting together a brand new show and can’t wait to return to Europe for it.”
23rd September – Salamandra, Barcelona, Spain
25th September – Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland
26th September – Trabendo, Paris, France
27th September – Euroblast Festival, Cologne, Germany
28th September – Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
29th September – Dürer Kert Man Hall, Budapest, Hungary
30th September – Roxy, Prague, Czech Republic
1st October – Simm City, Vienna, Australia
3rd October – Magazzini Generali, Milan, Italy
4th October – Largo, Rome, Italy
6th October – Frannz Club, Berlin, Germany
7th October – Oczki, Warsaw, Poland
9th October – Olympia-Kortteli, Tampere, Finland
10th October – Logomo Teatro, Turku, Finland
11th October – Tavastia, Helsinki, Finland
13th October – Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway
15th October – Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
