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Animals As Leaders - Weightless CD (album) cover

WEIGHTLESS

Animals As Leaders

Tech/Extreme Prog Metal


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5 stars Animals as Leaders is one of those bands that completely took me by surprise. I've heard a lot of extraordinary music, and plenty of mediocre music, but no matter who told me these guys were amazing, I wouldn't have been prepared for what was to come. They are completely unique - I'd describe their style as "Progressive Jazz/Metal/Techno Fusion". Or something like that. Perhaps the most amazing thing about this band is that there are only 3 members, and no bassist. They are strictly instrumental. The lead guitarist of the band, Tosin Abasi, has developed a unique style of guitar playing where he combines guitar playing techniques with bass playing techniques, and employes the use of an 8 stringed guitar that has a bass string or two. I highly recommend looking up Tosin Abasi on youtube sometime - it will be one of the most amazing musical feats you've ever witnessed, I promise. When I listen to Animals as Leaders, I find it hard to go back to listening to anyone else - this music is so beautifully complex that after hearing it everything else seems less amazing, and often I must listen to something simplistic and soothing to sort of cleanse the palette, if you will.

Weightless is the second album by AAL, and in this album we find they have toned down the aggressive passages just a bit, and explored their Jazz Fusion side a little bit more I think. There is more of that electronica sound this time around as well. You will hear Tosin experiment with new techniques that did not appear on the first album.

Report this review (#594991)
Posted Friday, December 23, 2011 | Review Permalink
Negoba
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Worthy Successor to the Throne of Djent++

"Progressive" Metal has always been a strange term as many of the genre's biggest names make no bones about looking backwards for inspiration. Dream Theater kept 80's style metal alive even in a slightly altered form. Opeth combined melodic death metal with 70's prog. When Animals as Leaders hit the scene in 2009 with their self titled debut, many in the metal community including myself felt that finally we were getting something truly new. While AaL's sound clearly owes nods to Meshuggah and shred demons from a generation before, no one has made music like this before. With the release of sophomore effort WEIGHTLESS, bandleader Tosin Obasi and his crew prove that they weren't finished pushing the envelopre.

For those unfamiliar, Animals as Leaders is instrumental metal at its most technical. The group is a trio comprised of two 8-string guitarists and a drummer / programmer. The rhythm parts are comprised of downtuned, highly syncopated odd time grinds, jazzy arpeggiations, and plenty of the signature "djent" sound. If Cynic and Meshuggah had a baby who went to Juilliard, the music would sound like Animals as Leaders.

WEIGHTLESS shows the band playing to their core audience and making an even more demanding album than the debut. The album is heavier, more complex, and contains more electronica. Where I felt comfortable recommending the debut to non-musicians for its strange intense beauty, WEIGHTLESS is an album for music nerds. The whole band explores their personal muses more deeply, and for a guitar / prog / metal fool such as myself, the result is pure genius. There are moments of beauty here, still. But this clearly is not an album for everyone.

For those who already know the debut, WEIGHTLESS explores much more territory. There are more melodic passages, more dissonance, nastier riffs, and the programming is much more integrated into the overall sound rather than an occasional embellishment. Tosin (and the whole band) clearly haven't lost an ounce of technique, and if anything show off a little more. This isn't bad considering the apparent purpose of the album, which is to give fans what they want.

The narrowed niche keeps this from masterpiece status for me, but this is a very very strong album which I highly recommend to all fans of jazz metal, djent, tech metal, odd time signatures, guitar virtuoso playing, and anyone looking for what's truly fresh in music.

Report this review (#627346)
Posted Monday, February 6, 2012 | Review Permalink
Warthur
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Is Djent really a subgenre or just a style of playing? Well, if Animals as Leaders' Weightless is anything to go by, one thing's for sure: it certainly isn't much like the bulk of Dream Theater- inspired progressive metal bands. Djent groups can be derided in some quarters for getting overly fancy with their technical playing, but I don't really hear that here - whilst there's no doubt that this is an album with a highly technical focus, the band never resort to aimless noodling, instead creating a wonderfully atmospheric piece which proves that you can combine technical excellence with emotional resonance. If Djent is really nothing more than a particular flavour of prog metal, then finally this is prog metal I can really get excited about.
Report this review (#768785)
Posted Sunday, June 10, 2012 | Review Permalink
5 stars Is it really possible? Can Tosin Abasi really follow up one of the most talked about guitar albums of 2009? Well let me tell you something. He keeps going from strenght to strenght. That is of course not to deny bandmates Navene Koperweis and Javier Reyes any credits. Now finally enjoying the benefit of a real drummer and a considerably more vibrant production (not to rag on Misha Mansoors production of the first album, but it is) this can reasonably be seen as AAL's real debut album. Right away the choppy Djent rythms catch a hold of you, and yes i mean that. This is a CATCHY album! Thanks to the new production the solos are much more pronounced and clear, and Koperweis makes a strong effort behind the drumkit.

It is hard to describe how good this album is in detail, without needing to go into technical details, but believe me this is Guitar at its finest. In fact i put this album besides "Are You Experienced?", "Van Halen", "Rising Force", "Friday Night In San Fransisco" and "Shut Up And Play Yer Guitar" as one that is important to the developmet of the art. Highly recommended for all lovers of virtuosity.

Report this review (#959105)
Posted Tuesday, May 14, 2013 | Review Permalink
5 stars Weightless was an album that took most listeners by surprise. It wasn't like the debut album, which only took us one listen to start annoying the hell out of all our friends to check out immediately. Abasi, in my eyes, proved his true musicianship by cranking this masterpiece out two years later. Sure, the debut was impressive and unique enough by itself, and it would have been easy to just continue the same idea and release another album in the exact same way, pleasing the general public opinion and continuing his path to guitar fame. However, unlike far too many artists in this diverse genre, he wrote music that actually progressed. Abasi takes us on a true musical journey that the debut album couldn't quite provide. The key difference between the two is that Weightless has a clear and strong theme throughout, which seamlessly transitions from the low and powerful 8-string guitar djent-style riffs, to the thought-provoking and obscure chords of the cleaner guitar tones. In addition, there is an electronic element that occasionally sneaks in, subtly blending in well throughout the album. The most admirable thing about Abasi's composition, though, is how undeniably tasteful he can make each moment, whether it be bold and complex rhythm, or simple and quiet melody. Guitar 'shredding' is a technique Abasi has mastered not because of the speed of his fingers, but because among the countless notes, you can hear clear melodic ideas that fit in nicely with the supporting music under it. Animals as Leaders' "Weightless" album is an essential piece of music that gives a refreshing change of pace from what normally defines progressive metal.
Report this review (#1078420)
Posted Monday, November 18, 2013 | Review Permalink
4 stars I have listened to this album countless times and It gets better with every listen. The first time I listened to this album I expected It to sound exactly like MESHUGGAH but without the vocals. The truth is it sounds way different from MESHUGGAH. The guitar work performed by Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes is excellent and makes the album sound unique from other Djent bands. Matt Gartska's drumming is also excellent and he is always in time with the two guitarists, he is a human drum machine.

Overall the album is different from other Djent bands that play the same old same old that they always play. If you want some unique instrumental prog rock then try is album out. It is worth it in my opinion.

4.5 stars

Report this review (#2151501)
Posted Sunday, March 3, 2019 | Review Permalink

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