Wow.
Just wow.
Animals as Leaders is an all instrumental band featuring former Reflux guitarist (seven string guitarist that is) Tosin Abasi. While I expected something very heavy due to the fact that Reflux was a metalcore band that toured with bands like Darkest Hour and Strapping Young Lad, what I got was something very different and tremendously unique.
The instrumental nature of this album allows Abasi to absolutely shine and I dare say that it will appeal a great deal to fans of artists like Yes, King Crimson, The Pineapple Thief, Steve Vai, and Trey Gunn’s instrumental works. For example, “The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing” has one of those insane ambiences that just sucks you in swirls around you causing you to lose all track of space and time. The more gentle sound of “Soraya” has an amazing solo early into it that leads into another, both with completely different stylings. It shouldn’t work but somehow it manages to sound otherwordly. The funkier “Song of Solomon” is another excellent moment and the electronics add a dynamic to it that keeps it from sounding repetitive. It even gets a little heavy mid-song.
Animals as Leaders is absolutely amazing on every level. For me, the mark of a truly great instrumental album is one that non-musicians can dig into and enjoy for the songwriting and dynamics just as much as musicians can appreciate it for the technicality. Animals as Leaders succeed on every level here making this a 2010 album that is not to be missed!
Reviewed by Mark Fisher
