Animals as Leaders
Animals as Leaders

The latest innovation in progressive metal comes from Australia: Tosin Abasi (guitar), Javier Reyes (guitar), and Navene Koperweis (drums) form the Animals As Leaders.

It is immediately apparent that the sounds are not for easy tastes, the twelve tracks on the CD are entirely instrumental, the guys don't include a bassist, but then again with eight-string guitars, its absence is less noticeable. When I happened to listen to their songs, I expected nothing more than a group of hyper-virtuosos looking to bewilder an audience, but no… The aboriginal skill is certainly top-notch, but, in addition, the ideas are definitely there!

AAL smoothly transitions from the furious contortions of "Thoroughly at home" to the delicate arpeggios of "Soraya" without any drop in quality, the changes in rhythm are never banal, the atmospheres know how to carry you. The search for comparisons springs up spontaneously: you think a bit of King Crimson, a bit of Petrucci and company (in "Tempting Time", just to name one), but you realize you're not getting too close.  

The xylophone-like sounds and the patient weaving of the riffs in "Behaving Badly" recall Camel, but the roll of the second guitar immediately reminds you that the backdrop is metal. The missteps are few; the scales of "Inamorata" can become a bit irritating, but the overall impression remains positive. The highest point is reached with "The Price Of Everything And The Value Of Nothing": the same mesmerizing riff, which presented differently you wouldn't be surprised to hear in some lounge bar, reappears in always different form and with perfect changes in rhythm. The muted sounds of "Song Of Solomon", a fitting conclusion to the CD, do the rest.

Simply, they are strong.