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Haggard > Have You Ever Seen Worlds Progressive Technology? > Reviews
Haggard - Have You Ever Seen Worlds Progressive Technology?

Progressive - 75%

robotniq, April 16th, 2021

I don't know much about Haggard or what kind of band they are. Apparently they have been around since the early 1990s and have since developed into a symphonic, orchestral metal act. None of this could be inferred from the sound of their 1994 EP, with its provocative title of "Have You Ever Seen Worlds Progressive Technology?". This early version of Haggard played staccato, progressive death metal. Take what Pestilence tried to do on "Testimony of the Ancients" and cross it with Watchtower (circa "Control and Resistance"). Haggard made something unique here which is worthy of closer inspection.

The most notable thing about this record is the impeccable playing. The musicians' technique is so clear and 'correct'. The guitarists play gorgeous solos where every single note is discernible. There is no sound-bleed or fuzz here except for when they are harmonising. The bass playing is similarly good, ascending from the depths with these momentous runs before scurrying back down again. Everything is audible in the mix and the production is incredible. This is one of the cleanest sounds you will ever hear in death metal from the period. The relative lack of background noise allows each instrument enough space to shine. This is probably the 'lightest' death metal record I've ever heard. There is minimal distortion and no atmospheric noise.

The riffs are excellent. They bounce around like balls while the guitar and bass solos roam. The compositions are good too. There is an almost 'relaxed' feel to some of the sections in these songs. Occasionally, they will play a 'lounge' riff amidst the furious thrashing. The combination of death metal vocals and clean-sung vocals is effective. Haggard sometimes sound more like Fates Warning or Sieges Even than they sound like a death metal band. This is death metal born from tech-thrash, rather than from extreme thrash or crust punk. Imagine Watchtower going death metal. Haggard weren’t quite at Watchtower’s level musically or technically, but they had similar goals.

This record is not particularly extreme or aggressive. Haggard’s approach is less claustrophobic than typical death metal. The riffs are fresh and airy, although they can still play hard death metal chugs when required. A song like "Incapsuled" shows both sides of the coin, with some moments sounding more relaxed than any death metal I know of. Haggard also let the songs flow rather than attempting to cram in too many riffs. None of these songs feel disjointed or saturated. I find this EP much more pleasing than later technical death metal bands (like Necrophagist or Spawn of Possession). These songs feel planned, regardless of their lack of hooks. There is also a sense of playfulness within. Haggard don’t sound like they are trying too hard or taking themselves too seriously.

"Have You Ever Seen Worlds Progressive Technology?" is well worth a listen. It is much better than it sounds on paper. For me, this is one of those records that shows the variety of the old German death metal scene. Germany may not have had a tight, geographically bound sound (like Sweden did), but there was more room for experimentation. Bands like Haggard, Amboss, Traumatic Voyage and Dark Millennium all played progressive death-ish metal in different ways. Whether these bands formed a cohesive 'scene' is debatable, but the Germans understood the progressive nature of death metal. There is a lot more to German death metal than Morgoth and their second-rate Florida-isms. Recommended.

“Are You Progressive? Or Are You Haggard?” - 91%

bayern, May 15th, 2017

I guess you’re a little bit of both so I suggest you keep on reading here cause I’m gonna tell you the phenomenal story of how the premier German classical/symphonic outfit were a ravishingly brilliant technical/progressive death metal act once upon a time. And they were right up there with the finest, four young upstarts from Munich, Bavaria, all of them maniacally devoted Bayern fans (that’s a speculation!), who gave Gorguts, Pestilence, Baphomet and Decision D an excellent run for their money with this fabulous 5-tracker reviewed here.

“Charity Absurd” has “an absurd” quiet acoustic intro with even nice clean vocals provided, but the illusion is just momentary as almost immediately the stylish technical riffs start flowing from all sides turning this smattering track into a symphony of orgasmic riff labyrinths, breath-taking melodic tunes, dramatic progressive build-ups, and sudden technical sweeps the fiesta literally never-ending with more serene acoustics served later to alleviate the complexity. “Mind Mutilation” is rather a “mind expansion” with the doom-laden bridges, the twisted stomping technicality, the interesting “brutal/clean” vocal duel, not to mention the abrupt virtuoso Shrapnel-like performance mid-way which would make even Yngwie Malmsteen proud; more engaging progressive shredding is provided later as well as the obligatory balladic pacifiers. “Incapsuled” begins with a supreme technical riff-maze ala Deathrow and Decision D again the latter becoming more dynamic, but retaining its intricate character; more bedazzling melodious escapades overflow the listener with some intricate speed/thrash also thrown in, making the second half a feast for the ears with the cleaner vocals more prominently featured. The title-track is just 1.5-min of virtuoso fretwork with the clean vocals making a brief showing alongside a couple of impressive bassisms. All the way to “Daddy Was Her First Man”, a progressive death metal masterpiece with the bass a main instrument now the guys evoking echoes of later-period Death and Nocturnus on top of several delightful Atheist-like spirals and of course, the supreme melodic undercurrents which here are simply overwhelming.

This was a relatively late showing for the guys although Baphomet were still around in their homeland as well as some of the technical/progressive thrash practitioners from the early/mid-90’s wave. Death metal was still fashionable to an extent, and the band could have found a place under the sun with their flamboyant, multi-layered approach provided that even Morgoth, the leaders of the German death metal movement, were preparing to shift from the genre canons. Well, the guys were having other plans about their future career, too, and three years later their sophomore saga was already a fully accomplished symphonic metal the quartet having grown into a formidable twenty musician line-up by 2008. This impressive assembly have been trying to beat Therion in their own game, and have come really close on the better moments from their discography. Like the Swedes, they started like a progressive death metal outfit once upon a time… and they made many a haggard metal fan’s days with some of the finest 23-min from the German metal roster.

Different, Consistent - 88%

pandaemon, November 20th, 2009

The well known Munich band was much different in the early days. Who would have thought that after this progressive death metal EP with doom influences, an orchestral "And Thou Shalt Trust... The Seer" would be created? However i must tell you that this album is FAR from being simplistic and it clearly shows Asis Nasseri is an amazing composer not just in one genre.

"Progressive" is also an attack on society. The straightforward lyrics show us: the religious abuse of power in the middle ages, the abuse some children are put to, the ignorance of nowadays people, the discrepancy between morality and practicing medicine, the ultimate effect of war.

Musically, the record can be compared with Chuck Schuldiner's last albums. We have complex death metal riffs, but also a lot of melodic shred guitar solos. There are differences between Death's "Symbolic" and "Progressive" though. The growls on this album are more brutal and in addition they are frequently combined with clean "doomy" vocals that would successfully find place on Candlemass or Solitude Aeturnus songs. Similarly, both albums are based on pace changes, but there a couple of Death-Doom metal moments on "Progressive”, "Symbolic" never getting that slow. Despite that, fast and mid-paced is the majority of the EP. The drumming fits good with the music (blast beats, a little cymbal).

There are some surprise elements nonetheless. One of them would include the audible bass guitar on "Incapsulated" and "Progressive". The first song enumerated also has the only keyboard-moment on the record (near the end of the song). The latter is a short 1:31 song (although still death metal done in the same manner of the other songs). A few acoustic guitar moments can be heard in the opener: "Charity Absurd".

In conclusion, i don't really get why this EP is so well known. It's probably because Haggard's fan base is made of people that enjoy symphonic metal music and different metal genres. But trust me, if you like the more technical death metal, "Progressive" is going to be a great experience.