Haken Releases New Playthrough Video For "Elephants Never Forget"

Strandberg* Guitars artists Charlie Griffiths and Richard Henshall put their Boden 8 strings through their paces with "Elephants Never Forget" from Haken's 2023 album Fauna. This video is a masterclass in prog metal guitar playing. 

Haken are at the top of the prog metal stack these days. This playthrough gives us insight into the technique and arranging that set them apart. 

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I would like to highlight some aspects that make this a definite repeat watch. Those of you who play will appreciate this, and those who don’t can sound knowledgeable at parties. Almost every part, hand position, and fingering is shown. You could reasonably watch this and learn both guitar parts dead-nuts-accurate exactly as the artist intended. The audio can be panned left or right to isolate the guitar part you want to hear. The fellas look like they took great pains to develop effortless clean looking technique which is convenient for our eager eyeballs as they try to absorb technical nuances. Seldom do I see a play through video that is packed with as much usable footage as this. If you’re looking to develop your ear and your playing this would be a great resource!

The tune itself is also like a trip through the progcyclopedia with flavors that share a common ancestor with Gentle Giant, Symphony X, Devin Townsend, and of course Haken themselves. It would be fun to go through part by part and dissect each section with you, dear reader, but that’s for another day.

I must say that Strandberg* Guitars delivered the goods with these two. It’s hard to make riffs look as effortless as that on most guitars. These were built for a fluid, relaxed, and minimalist technique. I have owned many space age guitars, and am a notorious “build it better myself” grouch… but I think these two fellas and those two guitars may have just convinced me to shut my stinkin’ trap!

I sure hope you check out Haken if you haven’t already. They’re an absolute delight!

–Kevin O'Donnell

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Progressive rockers HAKEN are about to begin a Latin American tour in support of their latest album Fauna. To celebrate, guitarists Charlie Griffiths & Rich Henshall have filmed a playthrough of the epic track "Elephants Never Forget" using their Strandberg guitars.

The full list of Latin American shows is as follows:

30th September – Jokers, Curitiba, Brazil

1st October – Carioca Club, Sao Paolo, Brazil

3rd October – El Teatrito, Buenos Aires, Argentina

5th October – Teatro Coliseo, Santiago, Chile

7th October – The Bonfire, Bogota, Columbia

8th October – Club Peppers, San Jose, Costa Rica

10th October - Foro Alarcón, Mexico City, Mexico

11th October – Café Iguana, Monterrey, Mexico

12th October – Foro Independencia, Guadalajara, Mexico

The band also recently announced a North American ‘An Evening With’ tour for 2024.

10th February – The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

11th February – House of Blues, Anaheim, CA

13th February – The Depot, Salt Lake City, UT

15th February – Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO

17th February – Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, Forth Worth, TX

18th February – White Oak Music Hall, Houston, TX

20th February – Delmar Hall, St Louis, MO

21st February – Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH

22nd February – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre, Indianapolis, IN

23rd February – The Arcada Theatre, St. Charlies, IL

24th February – St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit, MI

25th February -Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON

27th February – Roxian Theatre, McKees Rocks, PA

28th February – Baltimore Soundtage, Baltimore, MD

29th February – Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

1st March – Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA

2nd March – Palladium Times Square, New York, NY

3rd March – The Vogel, Red Bank, NJ

5th March – The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC

6th March – Center Stage, Atlanta, GA

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