Progressive – 75%
robotiq, 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.
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