Animals As Leaders MEGATHREAD

[TheHereticSlade]

I wonder if Nolly did the bass in the Woven Web, or did they program the bass like in their previous albums ?
It sounds too good to be programmed

 

[Zalbu]

I wonder if Nolly did the bass in the Woven Web, or did they program the bass like in their previous albums ?
It sounds too good to be programmed

Nolly did all the bass stuff.

Also, this is very relevant to my interests: Pictures of Animals as Leaders Cuddling with Furry Animals | MetalSucks

 

[Kurkkuviipale]

I wonder if Nolly did the bass in the Woven Web, or did they program the bass like in their previous albums ?
It sounds too good to be programmed

Bass was not programmed at least on self-titled (not sure about weightless). It was a guitar pitch shifted an octave lower.

 

[ScottyB724]

Almost positive I read somewhere Nolly played all the bass on the new album.

 

[Pandaonslaught]

I'm waiting patiently for that iTunes email to come through. "your pre order is ready for download"

 

[wankerness]

I wonder if Nolly did the bass in the Woven Web, or did they program the bass like in their previous albums ?
It sounds too good to be programmed

There's bass on a lot of tracks, during the guitar solo on Kaskade in particular stood out. I don't know the process to pitch shift a guitar down an octave and turn it to bass, but it sounds really fat and BASS-LIKE so I'm guessing it's either really great programmed tone or a real bass.

 

[Sebski]

I find Physical Education really frustrating to listen to just because it doesn't really go any where. When that 'chorus' comes in for the last time, I was expecting it to be like the climax of the song but it just cuts off and fades out on a groove. It just feels really lazy.

Ka$cade is probably my favourite just for its consistency as a track. There isn't a dull moment in it.

I was a bit disappointed by the last two tracks. I think Misha got his hands on Nephele - the intro and outro riff sounds very Periphery-ish, which isn't a good thing here. It seems a bit tasteless.

Para Mexer is brilliant, for the first half at least - the kinda metal-y second-to-last section is a bit of a let-down.

But still, I really enjoyed it and I prefer it way more than Weightless, there's just quite a few things to pick at.

 

[Pweaks]

I think Misha got his hands on Nephele - the intro and outro riff sounds very Periphery-ish, which isn't a good thing here. It seems a bit tasteless.

Nephele is written completely by Javier.

 

[wankerness]

I find Physical Education really frustrating to listen to just because it doesn't really go any where. When that 'chorus' comes in for the last time, I was expecting it to be like the climax of the song but it just cuts off and fades out on a groove. It just feels really lazy.

Ka$cade is probably my favourite just for its consistency as a track. There isn't a dull moment in it.

I was a bit disappointed by the last two tracks. I think Misha got his hands on Nephele - the intro and outro riff sounds very Periphery-ish, which isn't a good thing here. It seems a bit tasteless.

Para Mexer is brilliant, for the first half at least - the kinda metal-y second-to-last section is a bit of a let-down.

But still, I really enjoyed it and I prefer it way more than Weightless, there's just quite a few things to pick at.

I think your criticism of Physical Education is very accurate, it's the simplest and has the least stuff happening, but the groove is just so bizarre and unlike anything else I'd ever heard that I loved it anyway. It's one of the standout tracks imo.

Mind = Spun feels like it's just an attempt to have AWESOME RIFFS. This would bug me normally, but these riffs really are awesome. I love almost every riff in the song and I think the title implies that they knew exactly how silly it was. I liked it a lot.

I thought Nephele was easily one of the best tracks on there, it does sound a bit more Djent-like I guess but I really liked the riffs throughout and thought it was interesting to end with the darkest track.

 

[Kurkkuviipale]

I thought Physical Education was one of the best song from the album. The middle section is just the perfect combination of melody, rhythm, orchestration and tone and the chorus, even though a little obscure, is so catchy.

It's got a little stuff happening, but dang, I don't even care.

 

[TheShreddinHand]

Para Mexer and The Woven Web are my jamz! Love em'!

 

[Skyblue]

I LOVE how they've given so much thought to the grooves in this album... Seriously loving it so far.

 

[Sebski]

Nephele is written completely by Javier.

Genuinely very surprised. It sounds very Periphery-ish.

 

[Sebski]

I wanted to give a crack at writing a music review, something I've always wanted to get into but never had the time to, but I just got back from work and sat down for the last couple hours drafting this.

Any feedback would be much appreciated, English-wise that is, and of course I'm interested to know if anyone feels similarly about the album.

Also remember this is a review i.e. my personal opinion, so try not to get aggy at me if it looks like I'm writing facts. I just shouldn't need to write 'I think' before every thought.

Keep in mind I was writing this on UG so it follows their strict format of Sound; Lyrics; Overall.

Sound:
The third full-length release from the progressive metal giants, Animals as Leaders (AAL), is an impressive but sloppily crafted piece of work. Weightless, their 2011 effort was a disappointment for me as a lot of the melodies and chord sequences were a bit too peculiar, so I was pleased to find that the trio had found a balanced blend of both releases – incorporating the easier to digest melodies and more metal approach from the self-titled, with the djent-ier and rather quirky Weightless.

There is so much diversity on the album that each and every song becomes memorable, however not always for the right reasons. Ka$cade kicks off the album with intense and energetic riffing and is one of their strongest tracks to date. One of the key reasons for this is the consistent quality of the songwriting. I find that a lot of AAL’s music has brilliantly composed parts scattered amongst largely dull sections. Take Para Mexer, for example. The first half of this acoustic track is a masterpiece that brings Javier Reye’s Latin influences to the forefront (note that I can only guess that Javier was involved here). The penultimate section, which sounds like a rather generic progressive metal song played acoustically, is where the music begins to tumble downhill. It seems like the band just couldn’t keep up the quality of songwriting that preceded this section.

Physical Education is another piece that I find frustrating to listen to. It’s filled with plenty of great moments, from the chorus (if you like) to the ‘floating’ clean section, but just when it feels like it is reaching the climax of the piece, it cuts off and enters a groove to fade out on. Now there is nothing wrong with ending a piece on a groove, but the journey the music takes you on leads the listener to believe there is something grand at the end of it. The same issue is apparent in Tooth and Claw. Nonetheless these are both tracks that I keep coming back to just because the highlights of each make it worthwhile.

Misha Mansoor, of Periphery, was involved in part of the songwriting and this seems to be noticeable in the finale, Nephele (again, this is just an assumption). The track opens with a very Periphery-esque riff that is tasteless and dull. Not to say that I dislike Periphery, as they are one of my biggest influences. While similarly weak riffs and melodies plagued Weightless, fortunately The Joy of Motion keeps them to a minimum.

There are plenty of strong tracks despite my criticism, including the jazzy Another Year, and the classical but heavy The Woven Web. Not to mention Matt Garstka, on his debut recording for the band, who displays an incredible show of talent on the drums throughout the entire album. Matt’s work really stands out compared to the band’s previous releases, with Para Mexer being the real showcase for him.

On the other hand, the bass is lacking and unmemorable. The bass is definitely audible in the mix, but there is no creative use of it. Perhaps this is due to the lack of room in the texture of their music or because of the lack of an actual bassist in the band.

Adam “Nolly” Getgood, again of Periphery, has done a brilliant job on the production. With more electronic components than any AAL release so far along with the rich guitar content, powerful low-pitched bass and busy percussion, it could have been absolute chaos. But the mix manages to bring clarity to every note of every voicing in the music, even during thick textured sections with low-pitched, distorted and palm-muted riffs like in Ka$cade.

Lyrics:
I think the music speaks for itself.

Overall:
AAL’s first release seemed like a showcase of Tosin Abasi’s ability, Weightless felt like a failed attempt to distinguish their selves, but The Joy of Motion displays an evolution pushing the band back in the right direction. There are weak moments spread throughout and the unresolved musical journeys can be dissatisfying, but there is just about more right than wrong in this album, and when they’re doing it right, the music is incredible. That is why I will continue to replay this album for months and hopefully years to come.

 

[isispelican]

 

[Alberto7]

^ Dafuq?!

I know I've seen Tosin playing a black DC800 before, but I never even knew that Javier used them.

 

[Ocara-Jacob]

Didn't see that coming

 

[MF_Kitten]

Nolly did indeed put down the bass tracks with his Dingwall. Octave down low E!
Also, on the untitled record it was pitch shifted guitar, and on Weightless it was a synth bass (NI Massive playing sine waves, I believe).

 

[MF_Kitten]

^ Dafuq?!

I know I've seen Tosin playing a black DC800 before, but I never even knew that Javier used them.

My guess is he loved them when he tried them, and so when his contract with Ibanez was up for negotiation he jumped over to Carvin.

 

[wankerness]

Nolly did indeed put down the bass tracks with his Dingwall. Octave down low E!

What? When on the album does this ever happen? Never really noticed it going below standard five string range.