Long live love!
🔻 MEDIA FEEDBACK
9,5 / 10
➤ "Despite the progressive direction, the songs on Love and Vore are appealingly straightforward. Between melodic, distinctive songs, HARKON skilfully focus on depth and atmosphere, captivating hooks and equally profound lyrics."
(Zephyr's Odem)
4 / 5
➤ "There are bands that come out of nowhere, ignite immediately, and leave a lasting impression. HARKON undoubtedly belong in this category … an album that uncompromisingly balances emotional power and metallic precision … passion, aggression, and a fine touch of melancholy …"
(MetalUnderground AT)
9 / 10
➤ "... a real gem ... no fan of quality (Rock) music should miss out on this ... energy, emotion, sophistication, catchiness – everything about this album is just right … HARKON reminds me of Warrel Dane's brilliant first solo album ... Communic, Fates Warning, and Queensrÿche in their ‘Empire’ days also spring to mind when listening to the eleven smash hits on this album. Highly recommended."
(Rock Hard)
9 / 10
➤ "... HARKON seem to effortlessly weave a very atmospheric soundscape ... Vocals? Well, they fit perfectly and leave nothing to be desired ... a truly fantastic album with a fantastic production …"
(Bleeding4Metal)
9 / 10
➤ "... Björn Gooßes (ex-Night In Gales) has a very powerful Rock voice … his vocal line at the beginning of 'Blood Will Have Blood' is reminiscent of Warrel Dane … it really gets under your skin … lyrics that are miles above the typical Metal fare in terms of both language and content ... not only one of the highest-quality releases from Doc Gator, but also a hot contender for the best-of lists at the end of the year."
(Obliveon)
9 / 10
➤ "... extremely versatile and imaginative ... however, the focus is never on the musicians' obvious skill, but always on the individual song … there are no failures whatsoever on 'Love And Vore' …"
(DarkScene AT)
9 / 10
➤ "… always playing with enthusiasm and passion, the riffs are powerful, the vocals are delivered with passion and are technically up to date …"
(Schwermetallisch)
9 / 10
➤ "... a gem of the slowly drawing to a close year 2025 ... lucky are those who manage to delight not only their clientele at such a high level. HARKON have succeeded in doing so and can be proud of their debut album 'Love And Vore'!"
(FFM-Rock)
9 / 10
➤ "... combine melodic catchiness with anthemic attitudes and playful, energetic acrobatics … unfolds in a haunting and powerful manner. The experienced musicians know exactly what they are doing, and the sophisticatedly arranged songs are comprehensible at all times, while also leaving room for atmospheric passages to take a breath."
(Metalheads New Stuff)
13 / 15
➤ "… there are no weak tracks on 'Love And Vore', but if I had to highlight a few tracks, they would be the lively opening duo 'Watch The World Go By'/'Double Down', 'Thistleblower' and 'The Errorist' ... the sound and cover art are also internationally competitive …"
(Legacy)
4 / 5
➤ "... I like it quite a lot. The songs are varied and have rough edges that you can really get hooked on... Björn Gooßes uses his voice just as well with hard vocals as he does with the softer passages, mastering them with the appropriate tone."
(Handwritten Mag)
87 / 100
➤ "… the spark was there from the very first listen ... it's very catchy. Singer Björn has a very pleasant, warm voice and is undoubtedly the one who rounds off the overall picture ... songs that sound like they were made from the same mould ... so powerful that you can't get them out of your head ..."
(Hell Spawn)
8,5 / 10
➤ "... an album that delves into the depths, demanding both heart and mind, carried by a force that is palpable but never overwhelming ... opens doors between melancholy and determination ... epic and dramatic like a stage play ..."
(Saitenkult)
8,5 / 10
➤ "More melodic than Nevermore, similarly biting as Strapping Young Lad, HARKON form their own cosmos ... a powerful mixture of progressive Heavy Metal and Hard Rock, carried by the distinctive voice of Björn Gooßes ... the band has confidently found its own sound …"
(Time For Metal)
8,5 / 10
➤ "The hooklines are therefore well hidden, but steadily develop into damn catchy tunes that are repeatedly flanked by grandiose riffs and a series of intricate arrangements, the origins of which can certainly be traced back to the blackboard of a certain Jeff Loomis."
(Powermetal DE)
12 / 15
➤ "... Not easy listening, but catchy and unique ... Metal without clichés, without pandering to trends, without gimmicks ... I really can't find a pigeonhole for it ... the sound is authentic and handmade ... the lyrics aren't off the shelf either, but melancholic to dark, without all the typical Metal clichés ... the overall package is really coherent ..."
(My Revelations)
8 / 10
➤ "Technically sophisticated, modern Heavy Metal of a very high standard! If you like your prog a little more pared down, HARKON is a must! The sound of the album also deserves high praise, as every instrument can be heard clearly at all times..."
(ReviewRalle)
75 / 100
➤ "… an extraordinary band ... I particularly liked the tracks 'The Errorist' and 'The Disease', whose melodies and arrangements I found fascinating …"
(Burrn!)
7,5 / 10
➤ "... varied and audibly well played ... score points with their inventiveness and originality ... progressive and frighteningly tight …"
(Crossfire)
7 / 10
➤ "... demonstrate independence ... skilful breaks, slightly proggy guitar figures, and vocals that alternate between velvety smooth and snotty ... the production is powerful, and despite their catchiness, the songs are beautifully detailed ... sounds fresh ... has heart and soul ..."
(Hellfire)
➤ "Despite the 'kick-ass factor', there is also plenty of room for profound and melodic elements ... frontman Björn Gooßes delivers expressive and varied vocals that can be both soothing and energetic ... diverse, powerful, and played with heart and soul, I can recommend this album without hesitation."
(MetalZone - Support The Underground)
➤ "… progressive, multi-layered Metal ... broad proof of their skill. From ballads to intricate songs to stompers, always polished and with dark, raspy, equally expressive vocals …"
(Sonic Realms)
➤ "… a sharp, melodic gut-punch from the North Rhine-Westphalia quartet … balances aggression and atmosphere with surgical precision: riffs churn and twist, vocals shift from clean to caustic, and the chorus lands like a warning …"
(Wanna Hear a Great Song Today?)
➤ "Quality, melody, impact, and an incredible Heavy Metal … grit, energy, and a sound reminiscent of Fates Warning showcase the band's power in this great 12-track, 50-plus-minute album."
(Nada Hay Bajo El Sol)
➤ "What sets HARKON apart is their unmistakable sound: melodic Heavy Metal with progressive nuances, refined by catchy choruses and instrumental precision. From the very first bars, you can tell that this band leaves nothing to chance—every riff, every pause, every break has weight ... powerful, honest, and full of passion."
(BlattTurbo)
➤ "… sophisticated and powerful … strikes an excellent balance between catchiness and progressive depth … strong hooks … organic, modern sound … vocally, Björn Gooßes delivers an expressive and varied performance that is both soothing and energetic, ensuring great melodic variation … the core is reminiscent of classic Progressive Metal from the 90s, but with a modern, transparent production … it's all played with heart and soul, making it easy to recommend the album."
(Rancor Metalzine)
➤ "… not an easily digestible morsel, but a dark statement ... you can feel every beat, every string, every emotion. That's exactly what makes this album so dangerously credible. 'Love And Vore' demands attention, patience and devotion. It grows with every listen and leaves its mark ... an album for everyone who wants to not only hear Metal, but feel it."
(RadioDiabolus)
| Action: | HARKON |
| Title: | Love And Vore |
| Base: | North Rhine-Westphalia • Germany |
| Style: | Progressive/Melodic Heavy Metal |
| Genre: | Melodic Heavy Metal, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal |
| FFO: | Fates Warning, Queensrÿche, Nevermore |
| Type: | Album |
| Format: | CD + Vinyl + Digital |
| Label: | Doc Gator Records |
| Distro: | / |
| Release: | Oct. 31, 2025 |
BULLET POINTS
🔘 The long-awaited debut album
🔘 A sophisticated symbiosis at its finest
🔘 Delights and grows with every listen
After their 2019 EP "Ruins Of Gold", 2025 finally marks the birth of HARKON's debut album "Love And Vore"!
As keen as the double-edged lyrics and the word play on the widespread phrase of 'love and war' ("Vore" is the short form of Vorarephilia, a paraphilia characterized by the desire to be consumed by, or to personally consume, another person or creature, which is perfectly visualized by the cover artwork), the songs on "Love And Vore" are as balanced as diverse.
From the hard hitting opener "Watch The World Go By" via micro-epics like "Blood Will Have Blood" to the wheather-beaten ballad "The Errorist", "Love And Vore" is a true cornucopia of heavymetalism - help the whole world hear it!
"Love And Vore" has been supported by the Wacken Foundation.
[ Blood Will Have Blood • Lyric video ]
HARKON :
"'Blood Will Have Blood' is a proverb meaning that violence breeds more violence, a concept famously expressed by Macbeth in Shakespeare's eponymous play. So this song is about action and consequence, about forgiveness and foolishness. About doing what maybe needs to be done even if it may seem like wasted time. Wait, is that why the song pays tribute to Iron Maiden's 'Wasted Years' in the middle part? Who knows ..."
[ The Errorist • Lyric video ]
HARKON say about it:
"'The Errorist' is about seeing mistakes not as failures, but as opportunities. Everyone makes mistakes, but you can learn from them to find yourself and, in an increasingly divided world, perhaps also to find each other again, while distinguishing true terror from supposed error."
[ Watch The World Go By • Music video ]
HARKON reveal:
"'Watch The World Go By' is about still seeing beauty in the rockiest road ahead - even if it sometimes means letting the outside world, with all its blunders, pass you by."
Once again HARKON teamed up with Cornelius Rambadt (Disbelief, Bonded, Sodom, The Very End, Darkness and many more) for recording and mix as well as Dennis Koehne (Lacuna Coil, Caliban, Orden Ogan, Grip Inc., Exumer and many more) for mastering to wrap "Love And Vore" in an organic and warm, yet contemporary and face-melting sound: PROGRESSIVE/MELODIC HEAVY METAL!
Also the album's visual aspects were meticulously taken care of:
While the band photos were shot by Sebastian Freitag (a photographic artist, balancing between fine art, live & portrait photography) the artwork for "Love And Vore" has been created by HARKON's own Björn Gooßes a.k.a. Killustrations, who has been creating vast eye-candy for bands, festivals, labels, authors and companies from more than 30 countries, crafted with a mixed media approach between compositing, photography and object installation.
FLASHBACK
So what's HARKON all about? Metal? Definitely! Hardrock? Yes! Prog? A bit. HARKON are sitting on the fence and make themselves at home right there. They offer playfulness without showing-off, they spin a colourful thread yet steer clear of patchwork, they balance between jackhammer and vanilla sex and still manage to give each track its own, yet still recognizable HARKON-flavour.
Neither one trick pony nor newbies, HARKON are grown Metal men and have played hundreds of stages all over the globe with their other/former bands (e.g. The Very End, Adrian Weiss Band, Night In Gales, Forces At Work). Still they dare to start afresh - because it feels right, because the songs kick ass, because this world needs a bit of HARKON!
➭ Linktree
•
EMAIL
•
TRACKS
01. Watch The World Go By (04:21)
02. Double Down (03:43)
03. Blood Will Have Blood (03:58)
04. Take It Slow (03:59)
05. Disconnected (03:50)
06. Thistleblower (04:24)
07. The Errorist (04:50)
08. Dead Sun Rising (04:20)
09. The Disease (03:37)
10. Round And Round (04:29)
11. One In Vermillion (04:08)
12. Five Years From Now (CD Bonus Track) (04:47)
Total: 50:26 min.
•
LINE-UP
○ Björn Gooßes • Vocals
○ Volker Rummel • Guitars
○ Marcel Willnat • Bass
○ Lars Zehner • Drums
•
DISCOGRAPHY
2019 • Ruins Of Gold • EP
2025 • Love And Vore • Full-length
•
VISUAL CREDITS
Band: Sebastian Freitag
Artwork: Björn Gooßes
Logo: Björn Gooßes/Jan Meininghaus
•
INTERVIEWS ➭ HARKON are available via Phone, Zoom & Email
📢 PR Agency • 𝐸𝓈𝓉. 2001
🎯 Consistent 5✭ rated
🌐 Worldwide reach:
print, online, radio
⫸ Many years of extensive and in-depth experience in various musical fields form the basis for individual and efficient services.
⫸ In addition to communications for global Public Relations, the main areas of activity are integrated Promotion Campaigns, as well as Marketing, Artist Management, Consulting and Mentoring.
👉 "An outstanding, passionate and genuine PR Agency, that is truly interested in its clients. Highly recommended!"
(HAND OF KALLIACH • UK)
See more feedback »
BlattTurbo
Bleeding4Metal
BURRN!
Crossfire Metal
Darkzen Dragon
Filthy Dogs Of Metal
Frenzy Fire
Groundcast
Heavy Metal Webzine It
Highwire Daze Online
Legacy
Metalheads Forever
Metal Gods TV
Metal Pedia
Metal Shock Finland
Metal Temple
Metal Titans
Metal Underground AT
MetalZone
Pete's Rock News And Views
Powermetal DE
Rock Garage
Saitenkult
Smorg Magazine
Sonic Realms
Stormbringer
The Cosmick View
The Murder Inn
Zephyr's Odem
1921 Baliheadbanger
Demontre Radio
Das Metalmagazin hart&direkt
Hijos De La Luna
La Caverna De Hierro
Metal Com Batata
PowerPlant Radio NL
Radio Diabolus
Rock Live Radio
Linktree
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Pinterest
TikTok
Tumblr
Blog
Wordpress
Bluesky
Threads
X
Disclaimer
Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung
© Metal Message ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ • 2001-2026 • All rights reserved
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Metal Message ᴳᴸᴼᴮᴬᴸ with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.