Saturday Songs To "Listen, Just Listen, Man" To

Anything by Animals As Leaders


Whenever it comes to brainwashing my friends recommending bands to my friends, there's always a half-baked comparison that I use in an attempt to really drive my point home: "Well, they sound like My Morning Jacket if they played metal and had a guy that screams a bunch" or "Dude, this band had a part in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie and they're from Atlanta!" (Behold the latest awesomeness of that band here). It's almost like I'm scrounging for prerequisite bands that would prepare them for whatever metal band it is that I want them to like. "Well, if he likes Jam Band A and Rock Band B, then he must like Metal Band C." This is really hard because I have no idea how to play guitar, bass, or drums. I kind of know what's going on, but I don't know enough to do a band justice when I attempt to sing their praises, and until some band comes along that has a lead French hornist, that is never going to change. I've employed this method to varying levels of success, and the only band that has consistently caught on is Mastodon. 

If somebody does do it, I hope it's these guys; I can't be the only
one who would love to see Brent Hinds shred on a French horn.

When I first heard Animals As Leaders' self-titled record, it completely blew my mind. The album was equally ambient and shreddy. There were classical guitar passages, jazz-inspired jams, proggy  guitar solos, and most notably, no vocals. While technically classified as an instrumental progressive metal band, Animals As Leaders is widely viewed as one of the leading bands of the burgeoning "djent" metal scene. It's important not to get lost in trying to classify them as anything; they just make incredibly good music, and that's all that really matters. AAL started off as a side project for Tosin Abasi, and after writing and recording (with some help from friend and musician/producer Misha Mansoor) the only full-length AAL release to date, Tosin brought a drummer and second guitarist into the fold. 

Tosin Abasi

While Javier Reyes and Navene Koperweis are sublimely talented musicians in their own right, Tosin is still the heart and soul of this band. I firmly believe that he is the most talented guitarist in metal today. He was recently ranked No. 2 on MetalSucks' list of The Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists. Just look him up on Youtube and prepare to be amazed; be warned, though, that your head may explode.

In order to like Animals As Leaders, you just have to be a fan of good music. That's really the only way to describe it, and a bunch of my friends are already on board. The band is currently busy writing a follow-up to their self-titled debut, and I can't wait to hear it. They're also going to be playing a headlining gig in Atlanta this month, and I'm well-prepared for an evening that will be filled with wonderful music and epic eargasms. I might even be lucky enough to have some of my new converts tag along. 

July 27th at The Masquerade

I've included three of their songs; the first is "On Impulse," my personal favorite. It is followed by the short and gentle "Point To Point." The last song is "CAFO," a heavier jam with an awesome music video. You can find tour dates for Animals As Leaders here. Enjoy!

"On Impulse"

"Point To Point"

"CAFO"