THE JOY OF MOTION

Animals as Leaders' third album feels like it's hitting diminishing returns on the djent side of the equation compared to the rather more interesting Weightless, but it manages to just about make the cut thanks to the exploration of jazz fusion and Latin styles that yields a more diverse sound than they've previously enjoyed. At the same time, I can't help but wish that these momentary flirtations with expanding and reconfiguring the group's sound had gone a little deeper, since whilst they add a little spice here, they don't go quite so far enough as to open up enough new creative directions to feel confident about the group's long-term prospects.

I must admit that Technical Metal and even Math Rock aren't anywhere near the top of my favourite Prog sub-genres but once in a while i'll put on something like "The Joy Of Motion" just to be reminded at how incredible some of these musicians are. Complex instrumental music is often described as "cold" but I rarely felt that with this album as there is an organic feeling throughout this record. This is my first taste of ANIMALS AS LEADERS and certainly guitarist Tosin Abasi has blown me away but the drummer Matthew Garstka also needs to be mentioned for his outstanding play.

The first time I put this album on and heard "Ka$cade" a smile came over my face after hearing such complex music with all those punchy sounds. And I have to mention the sound quality which is perfect thankfully which helps in the presentation of such skilled musicians. I love the guitar in this opening track especially just before 4 minutes. "Lippincott" is about precision although I like the calm a minute in with those synth-like sounds. This will appear again later and man this guy can drum.

"Air Chrysalis" is so uplifting after a minute with that beautiful sounding guitar which is a nice contrast to the sections with those deeper sounds. "Another Year" is a lighter track with some cool guitar expressions. Another song that stands out is "Crescent" where it sounds like a hopped up car idling. Love it! My favourite though is "The Future That Awaited Me" which is gorgeous and emotional for me. Such an uplifting sound here and the guitar moves me. "The Woven Web" has a spacey sound after 2 minutes which I really enjoy as well as the heaviness with atmosphere that follows. Great sound before 4 minutes as well. "Nephele" ends the album with heavy riffs and insane drumming as the guitar solos over top. Also check out the beautiful acoustic section.

A very impressive all instrumental album, in fact I have already ordered their debut.

Heavy, Detailed, Complex, Beautiful

Like many, I was completely blown away by Animals as Leaders debut album. It was music unlike anything I'd ever heard. Not quite a decade later and there are more imitators than you can throw a headless 8 string at. Instrumental djent has become almost synonymous with modern prog metal. Scanning through Spotify, the sound has been so diluted that it's hard to surprise. While AaL certainly didn't sophomore slump with WEIGHTLESS, they didn't achieve that "holy shiz, what did I just hear" of the debut. It was probably impossible.

Enter JOY OF MOTION. In it, AaL may have musically eclipsed the debut. The fact that I almost universally turn to this album rather than any of the other 3 even after 3 years when I want to hear their sound point to that fact. The special sauce that for me takes AaL above the imitators is the musicality. There is a sense of melody, of composition, of ethereal beauty that makes this music meaningful (to these ears) to people beyond metal heads, guitar nerds, and prog junkies. Songs like "The Woven Web" and "Kaskade" are soundscapes that I can dive into, headphones taking me away from the rest of the world. Yet the overall sound is perhaps heavier than ever. Guitarist Tosin Abasi had by this point full integrated his thumb-thumping, slap-bass derived technique which adds a new layer to the mix.

While the music here is unflinchingly complex, I get less of a sense that the band is trying to simply blow their chops as they did during the first two albums. Everything has a purpose, and the melodic lines are more emotionally articulated. To be sure, there are still passages that would frighten young guitarists back to their mothers, but that aspect is less in your face. The rhythm guitar is front and center, and the programming elements continue to be essential glue that accents the music.

Bottom line: Not only my favorite Animals as Leaders album, my favorite modern prog/instrumental djent album