H.A.Q.Q.

H.A.Q.Q.
Studio album by Liturgy
Released	November 12, 2019 (2019-11-12)
Recorded	August 2019
Studio	Machines With Magnets, Providence Metropolis Mastering, Chicago
Genre	Black metal avant-garde metal
Length	45:11
Label	YLYLCYN
Producer	Haela Hunt-Hendrix
Liturgy chronology
The Ark Work (2015) H.A.Q.Q. (2019) Origin of the Alimonies (2020)
Singles from H.A.Q.Q.
"God of Love" Released: September 5, 2019

H.A.Q.Q. is the fourth studio album by the American band Liturgy. It was released on November 12, 2019 as a surprise digital release, and physically in February 2020 through main artist Haela Hunt-Hendrix's label YLYLCYN. ^[1] It was primarily recorded and produced in August 2019.

Background and concept

The press release for H.A.Q.Q. describes the record as "a consolidation of the band's sound to date," as well as "Liturgy’s most vulnerable record for Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, addressing anger and struggles around mental health, sexuality, and religion." ^[2] The album title is an acronym for "Haelegen above Quality and Quantity". ^[2] Haelegen is a function within Hunt-Hendrix's belief system, which she previously explored through the record New Introductory Lectures on the System of Transcendental Qabala (2016); this belief system is expressed as a diagram on the cover of the album.

The album is tied to an ongoing series of philosophical lectures by Hunt-Hendrix on YouTube, which details the system of concepts portrayed by the diagram on its cover. ^[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Metal Storm	8.6/10 [4]
Pitchfork	7.6/10 [5]

Pitchfork gave the album a 7.6 out of 10, calling it "their most aggressive and radical album yet." ^[6] H.A.Q.Q. was ranked #30 of 2019 by fans on Rate Your Music, ^[7] and Kerrang! called it one of the ten best surprise-released rock albums of all time. ^[8]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Haela Hunt-Hendrix.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Hajj"	8:30
2.	"Exaco I"	2:19
3.	"Virginity"	3:58
4.	"Pasaqalia"	5:18
5.	"Exaco II"	2:16
6.	"God of Love"	8:05
7.	"Exaco III"	4:00
8.	"Haqq"	7:03
9.	". . . ."	3:42
Total length:		45:11

Japanese bonus track

No.	Title	Length
10.	"Pasaqalia II"	3:06
Total length:		48:17

• All track titles are stylized in all uppercase.

Personnel

Liturgy

• Haela Hunt-Hendrix – guitar, vocals, electronics, piano (track 5, 7, 9), bells (track 5, 6), production
• Bernard Gann – guitar
• Tia Vincent-Clark – bass
• Leo Didkovsky – drums, glockenspiel (track 4, 6)

Additional personnel

• Marilu Donovan – harp (track 1, 3, 6, 8)
• Lucie Vítková – hichiriki (track 1)
• Eric Wubbels – piano (track 2)
• Adam Robinson – ryuteki (track 1)
• Tadlow Ensemble – strings (track 4, 6)
• Cory Bracken – vibraphone (track 4, 6)
• Charlotte Mundy – voice (track 1, 3)
• Matt Colton – mastering
• Seth Manchester – mixing

References

1. "Liturgy Surprise Release New Album H.A.Q.Q.: Listen". Pitchfork. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
2. "H.A.Q.Q. | Liturgy". Bandcamp. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
3. Hunter Hunt-Hendrix (January 30, 2020). The Four Arenas of Transcendental Qabala . Retrieved February 13, 2020– via YouTube.
4. "Liturgy - H.A.Q.Q. review". Metal Storm. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
5. Grayson Haver Currin (November 19, 2019). "H.A.Q.Q. on Pitchfork". Pitchfork . Retrieved November 19, 2019.
6. "H.A.Q.Q.:". Pitchfork. November 12, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
7. "H.A.Q.Q.:". Rate Your Music. November 12, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
8. "10 of the Greatest Surprise-Released Rock Albums Ever:". Kerrang!. January 19, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.