Source: Album Artwork
From the murky waters of the djent scene, where bands’ sounds mix and merge to the faint twang of a down tuned guitar, occasionally a band that are big and strong enough rises up to dip toes into other pools of musical genre. Animals As Leaders have always been one such band.
Un-hamstrung by the limitations of a vocalist only capable of a certain style (because they don’t have a vocalist) Animals As Leaders are as much at home in the post- styles of music as they are in the djent scene. They will, at heart, always be in the tech scene, but even the first track ‘Arithmophobia‘ off their new album The Madness Of Many, showcases how far set apart they can be. A twang of Middle-Eastern-sounding guitar refrain over the top of a djent riff is not something any band would try, much less be able to make work. But Tosin Abasi and his crew pull it off with aplomb.
With forays into jazz, post-rock, blues, electronica and just about any genre you could think of, The Madness Of Many is very definitely more of the same from Animals As Leaders. The album’s main downfall is that listening to 4 to 6 minutes of guitar noodling underpinned by some serious low-end could be a very trying listen for those who don’t have the ear for it. Animals As Leaders have always been a musicians band and as long as they produce music that is as technically-minded (in writing, execution and production) as this they will always soar mightily over the heads of those who like their music a little more dumbed-down simple.
Still, The Madness Of Many is yet another fine album that Animals As Leaders can add to their already stellar collection of fine albums. If ever there was a band that rose to prominence on simply being Better At Playing Their Instruments Than You it is Animals As Leaders.
