Haken are one of the leading bands of modern progressive metal — a London group whose eclectic, technically dazzling, endlessly melodic music has earned them a place at the very front of the genre. Here is our fellow fan’s ranking of their albums.

The short version

For the heart of Haken, start with The Mountain, Affinity and Visions — the run on which they grew from promising newcomers into one of modern prog’s defining bands. The full ranking is below.

Modern prog metal’s eclectic standard-bearers

Formed in London in 2007, Haken rose quickly to the forefront of modern progressive metal — fusing the technical ambition and grandeur of Dream Theater-style prog metal with a restless eclecticism all their own. Their music can be crushingly heavy and tenderly atmospheric, dazzlingly complex and irresistibly melodic, deadly serious and slyly playful — often within a single song. Across seven albums they have built one of the most consistent and admired catalogues in 21st-century prog. The seven records here are their complete studio discography to date.

How we ranked them

This is one fan’s order, weighing songwriting, ambition and sheer impact. The facts are accurate; the order is a starting point for the debate — and with a catalogue this strong, every placement is a high one.

The essential three

At the top sit two albums many fans simply cannot separate. The Mountain (2013) was their breakthrough — the record, home to the wonderful “Cockroach King”, that propelled them to the front rank of modern prog. Its rival is Affinity (2016), a dazzling, 1980s-tinged concept album on which the band sound at once their most playful and their most academic. Just behind comes Visions (2011), the early epic that first revealed the full scope of their ambition.

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Reliably great

The next tier is excellent too. Vector (2018) and Virus (2020) form a heavier, darker, more djent-driven pairing — the latter their highest-charting album yet — that shows a leaner, more aggressive side of the band.

For completists

Two more albums complete the seven. Their debut Aquarius (2010) is a sprawling, ambitious eighty-minute statement that already hinted at greatness, and Fauna (2023) is their most recent and most playful record, roaming freely across the band’s many styles. Both reward listeners who already know the peaks.

Every album, in order

Haken’s complete studio discography, in chronological order. Click through to the full write-up on any record.

Where to start

Begin with The Mountain — their most beloved album and the perfect distillation of everything Haken do well. From there, Affinity and Visions complete the essential run.

The players

Haken were formed in London in 2007 and built around a virtuosic, long-settled lineup: vocalist Ross Jennings, multi-instrumentalist Richard Henshall on guitars and keyboards, guitarist Charlie Griffiths, bassist Conner Green and drummer Raymond Hearne. Keyboardist Diego Tejeida shaped their sound until 2021, when founding member Peter Jones returned to the fold. Restless and prolific, the band remain at the height of their powers.

Why they still matter

Haken have done as much as any band to carry progressive metal into the modern era, proving the genre can still surprise, move and thrill. Standing alongside heirs and peers like Leprous, Between the Buried and Me and Pain of Salvation, they have built a catalogue without a weak link — and, seven albums in, they show no sign of running out of ideas.

Go deeper

Keep exploring: read about the best Haken songs. You can also place them in the bigger picture with our list of the best progressive rock albums of all time.

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