Animals As Leaders
Weightless

A journey. A comfortable car, a pair of more than satisfying headphones, and Weightless by Animals As Leaders; these are the premises.

And so begins a hypnotic arpeggio that lightens us up, moving us away from the earth and the range of its gravitational pull.
The effects create that pleasant veil capable of softening the more complex passages, ready to be torn apart by the overwhelming force of the sonic wall created by the trio. The journey continues, through the fog, and here the guide is a hypnotic riff over another looped turn accompanied by an effected drum, ready to change at a moment's notice, almost tearing the fog apart, allowing us to see what's around. And here is the track that alone is worth the album, a "Somanarium" that cradles, calms, and reassures. A complete, expressive piece, with numerous pleasing crescendos of power that cannot fail to capture those who listen to them and bring them back to their journey, wherever their mind was.

The road ahead is still long, and this weightless work proves to be an excellent traveling companion. Looking out the window one remains hypnotized by the landscape and by 8-string riffs reminiscent of thirsty, dry, metallic, fast, and twisted bass slaps. It is the departure from Earth. Thus, all the contours begin to intertwine, to lose their identity, until a film-like opening. 
The right scale in the right place, that's what's there. Zero self-reference. Zero self-celebration. That's what it takes. That's what you actually find savoring this Weightless. The electronics are frequent, even if just in the background, and have the merit of filling even the simplest and most delicate moments of this journey judiciously.
And "Do Not Go Gently" doesn't take it easy, deceiving with a solitary crystalline guitar, ready to drag into a field of warm riffs accompanied by warm, reassuring phrases. Meanwhile, the landscape changes, arriving in a new eden, and one is captivated by the underwater sounds of a "cylindrical sea"; everything spins. Here there is no flying, only floating. Orientation is lost surrounded by a sea of notes, cymbal hits, toms, kicks, and snares. And all of a sudden one's materiality is lost. In an ethereal aura, the present loses value, and even though the journey continues, it's all a resurfacing of memories.

It's the opening of "To Lead To You" that brings us directly back to the present. The title track astonishes: the autumnal colors, their contrast with the sky revealed by departing fog, perfectly match the melody proposed by the trio in this piece. Then comes the time to let oneself be cradled, waiting for the end of the journey. And after a hug, an exchange of glances, and a final goodbye, the journey will begin anew.
Goodbye...

One is always traveling, and life is a journey (if only one could be "Weightless"). And the music that accompanies us cannot help but prove to be an excellent companion: it can only make it more pleasant and intense.