I wish people would suggest good "starters" for them. At first, I didn't really like a lot of the music but after being adjusted to it, I became more and more obsessed. Physical Education was the first song I heard and the groove is unbelievable. It's standard 4/4 so you guys can bob heads to it.😊
If you guys wanna give them one more try you should definitely try "Physical Education" or "the Woven Web", the grooves throughout both of these are pretty straight forward but still very unique. As for other instrumental guitar bands, you guys NEED to check out Plini. "Electric Sunrise", "Pan", "Away", or "Flaneur" would be great starts. Plini's music is similar to the first mellow part of Red Miso, very melodic and beautifully composed. I think the overall groove and climactic sax solo on "Pan" especially will blow your socks off :)
What I love about AAL is their music just sounds like a dystopian future filled with alien-like technology and incomprehensible happenings. The fact it sounds so un-musical is what makes it sound so cool.
As someone who really enjoys breaking down complex rhythms in the music, there's something almost therapeutic about the moment an AAL song goes from chaotic and hostile to familiar. This is heightened by the fact that they often explore similar concepts in varying degrees of heaviness. Their music allows me to feel like I can make sense of the chaos.
Just because it is complex and unfamiliar it doesnt mean it is "un-musical". I really dislike the phrasing here as it is completely missing the point of what AAL is doing: Being creative, being open minded and doing a musical deep dive.
The part that started at 1:43 is absolutely orgasmic. I don't even like this band and that part was just insane. I'd listen to that on repeat for hours. I understand why you feel that part lost you, but it's absolutely incredible. I do usually enjoy hearing a lot of notes at a time though. That part sounds like the best music I've heard all year. To me that's the grooviest part.
Tosin is definitely always in talks about the top 3 guitarist alive today for a reason. His jazz, metal, and even classical technique are all top notch. The harmonic supportive elements (progression, riffs, a mix of the two, or whatever it is) is always so interesting!
And Javier still doesn't get enough love😢... Alot of these riffs are his too.. and just cuz he didnt present THUMP(Reggie/victor created it) it's like he's lost in the shadows. But he is sooo good
This song didn't catch me at first. Then one day, this song just wandered onto my song queue. That very moment y'all discussed somehow was what hooked me along with the solo afterwards. I can't speak for anyone else, but the gift and curse of the prog metal genre is that songs may not catch me the first or few times. But then something clicks and that suspense is resolved. Songs like this aren't for everyone, but sometimes it takes that moment you're waiting at that red light or taking a jog that the seemingly random chaos makes sense. As other's mentioned, Physical Education is fantastic and more palatable. As always, great content. I hope progressive metal continues to make appearances as it's fun to see y'all cover them.
I don't think there's any bass on this song. They play 8 string guitars so they can get that lower register, and they do a lot of thumping with their fingers too. The woven web is a lot groovier and less strenuous, y'all should check that out.
Their albums record with bass (like this recording) but live they just have the two guitars, as well as a backing track for synths, bass stuff, sequencing, etc.
There's bass. They play sometimes, other times they use samples and synths. A guitar will never have as tight lows as a real bass guitar. Different timbres.
It blows my mind that it blows people's minds that this loses people. Even as a music geek type, this kind of thing still feels like work. It's a class. I like so much about it though
What I think most musicians like about this album in particular is the rythms, if you love variations and feeling time in different ways this whole album is absolutely incredible, I don't think it's all skill with no context, it's just not easy to listen to
Agreed! It's definitely - for me at least - as much about songwriting as it is about display of technical skills. Same goes for CAFO. Pretty much pop-song in its structure, just technical and instrumental.
I just saw these guys warm up for Dream Theater & they were incredible ..... Matt the drummer has become one of my favorites. By the time they left the stage, they had made a lot of fans that never heard of them before, me being one. If you enjoy the prog genre then they should be on your radar.
I feel like taste in music and food makes a palatable analogy (pun intended). With food, you have folks that are happy with chicken tenders and mac n cheesefor their entire lives. They know what they want, and it's comforting, and they have no urge to venture outside of that. They're more prone to nostalgia than novelty. On the flip side, you have people that want to try every food they come across, because they're more prone to novelty than nostalgia. The majority of people exist somewhere in the middle between the two ends of the spectrum. Most people are capable of expanding their palate, but also for most, there is a limit to what they can stomach. Some people will never like blue cheese, regardless of how they try it. Some will never like fish sauce or hops or whatever else. It's good to know what you can't enjoy, but one must make sure that it's not their own expectations, positive or negative, that are causing the dislike, rather the pure experience. This type of music is a complex flavor, and maybe you'll like it paired with certain other flavors, but maybe you'll always dislike it, just try not to dislike it simply because it's not like the other things you like or because you expect music to be within a certain form. Appreciate y'all!
I think that the reason people would see this not really as a song is probably because it's all about counting in this song. When you're able to follow the counting of the song and notice how the instruments are meshing, then it really starts to sound like a song. At least that's how I see it. In prog I don't think there's such thing as a "time for" something, this is where you usually progress in the song, whether that be up, down, slow, fast, etc.
Agreed. I instantly catch the groove in this song and it's amazing, but I've listened to odd times my whole life and I always notice friends struggling to find a cohesive groove in these types of songs. It really does boil down to counting.
In my experience, AAL is a musician’s band. A lot of average listeners don’t like the technicality but musician’s have a different appreciation for it.
The thing the stands apart for me about Animals As Leaders is how unique they are. They fact that the general listener may not instantly or passively like them indicates something very special. In fact, I have almost completely strayed from the mainstream for the reason that it is all just simply burned out. AAL provides food for my ears that no other band I have ever heard can do even remotely. I respect those who give AAL a shot, even if it's not their thing. To be clear, I am absolutely obsessed with AAL, and they are the most interesting musical form that I have ever discovered.
Lmaooo, I actually hadn't heard this song yet until now and I'm usually very into prog and such, but once 1:43 hit I was like "oh yeah they lost them here for sure"
Haha I figured you wouldn’t like the thall part (“Death Star battle” part) but that’s probably my favorite moment on the album. For some context on a fan’s perspective, many of us guitar players can basically predict the notes of any mainstream guitar solo or even metal riff at this point, but Tosin’s innovation on the instrument can make us question what we are hearing and it’s very fresh. Great reaction! At least they didn’t hit us with the “boom dickens” tag on the thump parts haha.
The drummer on this track is so frickin good. I wonder how he would have interpreted CAFO if he had been the drummer back then. Animals as Leaders don't make my playlist either, though, even though I really enjoy progressive metal. Speaking of progressive metal, you should check out Wilderun!
You don't have to wonder, you can check out any live performance of the song! I recall one in (I think) Russia being excellent. Matt does a crazy drum outro for this song live.
A friend of mine used to love Animals As Leaders and I don't really recall many songs by them except for one called New Eden. It was still very progressive but much more melodic throughout, kinda like this one (at least so far). So that's another one that you guys may want to check out. Good tune, and thanks for the reaction. I didn't know they had released anything new. I'll have to check it out
Hey guys I know people will agree with me, Oliver Anthony. Rich Men North of Richmond. Big fan of you guys, always trying to get everyone I know to tune in to your reactions. I rewatch Pneuma’s reaction weekly haha. Thanks Ryan and George
Just for info guys, there is no bassist. Tosin and Javier play 8 string guitars, so the bassy parts are them chugging away on the low F# (or whatever they've tuned it to). The F# string is similar thickness to a D string on a bass guitar.
Man need to give this album a blast again, forgot how much I enjoyed it last year (appreciate it's not for everyone!). Wonder if the lost in Vegas guys enjoy jazz because there's definitely similarities between this type of progressive metal and jazz
The strange transition in the middle of Red Miso is a transition from futuristic jazz to more of a proggy djent sound. That’s what they are so good at and why I love them so much. It’s insanely complex and makes them so much better than bands like Dream Theater.
I can completely understand where you guys are coming from with your perspectives towards AAL. I think the main issue with prog especially when it comes to bands as technical as AAL is that there is no way to find a groove or approach a song in a first listen. You as the listener almost have to "learn" the song the same way the musician does, without actually playing the instrument of course, but that's still a hell of a lot more mental work that you have to do compared to 99.99% of all the other music out there. I myself really enjoy that experience and figuring out how to feel the song and having that ah-ha moment when you get it feels amazing to me, but its very understandable why this wouldn't reach everybody. You guys stated it perfectly that its just not something the vast majority of people are going to get into. Its for musicians and for nerds. Its surprising how many people can't see that perspective. I absolutely love this song and album but even then that's after years of training myself to listen to prog and having a mid level background in music and drums. This album wasn't an immediate hook for me at all. Had to listen to each song at least 5 times to kind of start to grasp it and I slowly grew into the album one song at a time over the course of an entire year. Now its my favorite AAL album and they have become one of my favorite bands. The only misconception bothersome to me is that the people who love this stuff only like it for the sheer musical ability alone. This album brings a ton of emotion to me. Technicality aside I genuinely find that it reaches me emotionally in ways that I can connect and confide in it just like I would any other music I enjoy. Its therapeutic almost. Of course, this also took time for me to develop due to some of the very issues you guys stated in the video. The wall of sound and overstimulation was a hurdle I had to climb over even as someone who enjoys technical music, so don't feel bad that its not for you! Great reaction and analyzation as always
Animal as leaders are metal innovators. Decades from now, the metal community will still be talking about how they influenced a lot of metal movements.
Please react to the legendary band, The Band. The most talented rock n roll, country rock, blues rock, rock-a-billy band of all time. This is evidenced by the fact that they had great influence on their contemporaries like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and many more. Further evidenced by the fact that Martin Scorsese made a movie of their "last" concert. True legends and an important part of American music. I promise you will be happy that you listened to The Band.
They got it. It’s a song about development. They even said it was a musicians dream. This song progresses continuously. I do feel what they are saying about the “music class” perspective. Animals as Leaders know they are not for everyone. When it begins to surpass the casual Listener it begins to intrigue the musicians ear. Even when the sound can be jarring it is often very sexy/provocative or even upsetting. Hearing something that makes you recoil is also something that moves you.
Fatastic band and fantastic song. The soundcollage is very narrative and uses sounds, textures, rhytms and melodies to dream a dystopian fantasy. It reminds me a lot of Flying Lotus' works.
I remember a Frank Zappa interview where he was talking about atonal and/or dissonant music and it's possible to develop a different way of listening. He said that listening to Edgar Varese was like entering a Viennese mathematical garden. I see it like a magic eye painting.
Yeah i do have to say you guys have had kind of a rough draw from AAL's catalog. They have super technical and varied stuff like CAFO that really are as much a flex as they are a song, and then they also have tons of songs that are so groovy that i think will be way more up your alley
Tosin Abasi is a trailblazer of the guitar...one of my all time faves...this album is a smoke show...but definitely guitar nerd shit...challenging to listen to sometimes ...like most prog...I love it
I can't believe how different we are when listening to music and interpreted as "pleasant" For me personally, this song is a masterpiece 💯 Toy ears the song is an amazing mix of tranquility and chaos! Anyway, to each its own✌️
Animals as leaders is a band for musicians, not for the average listener I think what makes them so highly respected is that lens where as a musician or even as a form of art, the artist would think wow I would never have thought of that
The Woven Web should absolutely be your next song! More accessible than CAFO and arguably Red Miso but is still proggy enough to keep you on your toes 😂 It was also one of the best ones to hear live!
I really think you should check out Knocked Loose. I know for a fact you gonna HATE the vocals, and I wouldn't blame you. But they're the biggest thing happening in metal at the moment and i think theyre definitely worth reacting to.
1:43 is one of my favourite riffs in this 😂 the smooth jazz solo was nice but when the riff comes in it slaps. Would be cool if these guys can appreciate to listen to the groove even though there’s complexity too
Here's my analogy: Someone's watching a supercar fly around a track with a professional driver, and they say "it's too loud, too fast! I can't see the colors or what the infotainment screens look like!" Lol i love you guys being honest, and it's definitely not out of left field to have the reactions you're having. There is truly nothing else like this band, so I say if this isn't the time and place... where and when? To appreciate this band, you have to listen for rhythm, and not just melody or groove. That would be looking for a crossover SUV inside of a supercar.
@michaeldebecker1472 there is barely a chance they will make a video for the latest vildhjarta release (but they would love those Spanish guitars!) And Ashen would definitely scare them..that entire album is the devil lol ❤️ It may take another 20 years for them to appreciate such masterfully made music as its definitely not for everyone 🎶 💯
Instrumentals are tricky to get into at first. Animals as leaders are at the top of this genre IMO and starting with them I almost feel like you got thrown into the deep end. One band I’ve found easy to follow along and groove to is “arch echo” I’d recommend “color wheel” by them.
These guys have many much mellower, more "musical" songs, not fair to judge them by only two crazier songs. You would really enjoy The Future That Awaited Me, Para Mexer, The Brain Dance, Another Year, or David, just to name a few.
Me I love these guys, they knock this shit out of the park in concert as well, but let's face it this is never going "mainstream" and that's ok there's nothing wrong with that.
Personally, I don’t think I ever would have gotten into Meshuggah if I never made the effort to learn to play it on guitar. I’m not crazy enough to try to learn AAL, but it took some focused listening to get into them. I don’t want to say something as pretentious as it’s music for musicians, but being a musician certainly helps make it more than just a display of skill
This is Fusion..not Progressive...& yes it does generate intense emotions in certain listeners! Mostly people who are musically trained gravitate to this stuff, but all can love if you apply yourselves!
at 1:43 the song starts to be interesting for me hahahah This band is not a easy pick to listen.... But these 2 songs that you guys react, are not the best recommendation Physical Education Ka$cade Tooth and Claw These 3, are more "palatable" i think...
Cool reaction :). Definitely a niche thing. It reminds me of some 20th century classical music that I've come to like only because I've listened to it a million times. I don't necessarily listen to it because it is inherently palatable but because I've acclimated to its shapes and contours and have fun deciphering them. I think it's an excersise in listening to music differently and not necessarily for aural pleasure.
You fellas should listen to the album Heavener By Invent Animate. Particulary the song Without A Whisper, the song was written for the guitarist grandmother who passed away. Its beautiful and well produced
I feel like some of my favorite music is like a reflection of life itself, even though it sounds corny af. There are these dark, dissonant and confusing moments that just make me appreciate the beautiful and harmonious moments more. That's why I love bands like Animals as Leaders. Chimp Spanner, The Ocean, Mastodon and many more. They are able to throw you for a loop with these creative and dissonant ideas and then just hit you with beautiful and catchy melodies that keep you wanting more and more. I feel like often the melodies wouldn't be as impactful if there weren't some dark and dissonant moments mixed in.
I think this song is easier to appreciate if you think of it as a complete deconstruction of the initial segment. It’s like that line in Fight Club where Edward Norton says something like “I wanted to destroy something beautiful.”
Like you said George,its futuristic, it's NOW ,its there,its everywhere....thats what i love about AAL they just soo different sonically and put you THERE...also alot of their stuff these days i feel have alot to do with RHTHYMS. Trance like. I think of indian or even african rhthyms...very percussive band...but at the same time...abstract and so OUTSIDE and SIDEWAYS. It takes jazz to a new level...i love hearing y'alls POV. I love music.thanks guys stay healthy 👊🏽
I'm a long-time tech/prog metal listener, and I feel exactly the same way. It's very impressive, and I'll listen to a track occasionally, but it's just not the listening experience I'm looking for on the regular. I'll echo another comment I can see here: Plini. Electric Sunrise. He is an artist within this region of music that is kind of at the other end of the spectrum for how listenable it is, and I think it demonstrates the range of styles and feel that instrumental "metal" has to offer. Your journey through this region of music will be incomplete without Plini.
I read once that one of the reasons we enjoy listening to music is that when our brain is able to predict the next thing heard we we get a little dopamine release. Using a more traditional song structure makes that easy. Bands like this make that difficult to do. My personal opinion is that the payoff to learning more progrssive music is higher (greater dopamine release) because it's more difficult to do. You may not like the song at first but if you put effort into it, it might turn into one of your favorite pieces of music. Although, why do that when there is other good music and you might like your older favorite pieces less after putting in the work lol. Honestly not my favorite peice of theirs. The Brain dance is pretty cool. Also, bands like this hit different live. Not sure why, it's not a technical show off thing (although that's part of it for sure). They are just better live, like headbanging to songs i don't like afterwards better. Side note... Do Plini. He's like the listenable version of this, and has some really great music.
Lost in Vegas: "shout out to the bassist"
Animals As Leaders: "bassist?"
Physical education would be the song you guys would enjoy by them, lots of groove, very catchy parts, hilarious music video
I wish people would suggest good "starters" for them. At first, I didn't really like a lot of the music but after being adjusted to it, I became more and more obsessed. Physical Education was the first song I heard and the groove is unbelievable. It's standard 4/4 so you guys can bob heads to it.😊
Only thing about PE is the fade-out, which they'll call out. But yeah easier to headbang.
💯
I second this
Just checked it out. Good jam!!
If you guys wanna give them one more try you should definitely try "Physical Education" or "the Woven Web", the grooves throughout both of these are pretty straight forward but still very unique.
As for other instrumental guitar bands, you guys NEED to check out Plini. "Electric Sunrise", "Pan", "Away", or "Flaneur" would be great starts. Plini's music is similar to the first mellow part of Red Miso, very melodic and beautifully composed. I think the overall groove and climactic sax solo on "Pan" especially will blow your socks off :)
Yes on Plini for them. There’s a chance!
I agree with everything about this comment😊
Plini!
Along with Plini, check out Intervals!
@@JMark4 man I love Intervals
What I love about AAL is their music just sounds like a dystopian future filled with alien-like technology and incomprehensible happenings. The fact it sounds so un-musical is what makes it sound so cool.
A description which also fits Meshuggah
As someone who really enjoys breaking down complex rhythms in the music, there's something almost therapeutic about the moment an AAL song goes from chaotic and hostile to familiar. This is heightened by the fact that they often explore similar concepts in varying degrees of heaviness. Their music allows me to feel like I can make sense of the chaos.
Just because it is complex and unfamiliar it doesnt mean it is "un-musical". I really dislike the phrasing here as it is completely missing the point of what AAL is doing: Being creative, being open minded and doing a musical deep dive.
The part that started at 1:43 is absolutely orgasmic. I don't even like this band and that part was just insane. I'd listen to that on repeat for hours.
I understand why you feel that part lost you, but it's absolutely incredible.
I do usually enjoy hearing a lot of notes at a time though. That part sounds like the best music I've heard all year. To me that's the grooviest part.
Tosin is definitely always in talks about the top 3 guitarist alive today for a reason. His jazz, metal, and even classical technique are all top notch. The harmonic supportive elements (progression, riffs, a mix of the two, or whatever it is) is always so interesting!
And Javier still doesn't get enough love😢... Alot of these riffs are his too.. and just cuz he didnt present THUMP(Reggie/victor created it) it's like he's lost in the shadows. But he is sooo good
Yeah Javier gets ignored too much.
This song didn't catch me at first. Then one day, this song just wandered onto my song queue. That very moment y'all discussed somehow was what hooked me along with the solo afterwards. I can't speak for anyone else, but the gift and curse of the prog metal genre is that songs may not catch me the first or few times. But then something clicks and that suspense is resolved. Songs like this aren't for everyone, but sometimes it takes that moment you're waiting at that red light or taking a jog that the seemingly random chaos makes sense. As other's mentioned, Physical Education is fantastic and more palatable.
As always, great content. I hope progressive metal continues to make appearances as it's fun to see y'all cover them.
I don't think there's any bass on this song. They play 8 string guitars so they can get that lower register, and they do a lot of thumping with their fingers too. The woven web is a lot groovier and less strenuous, y'all should check that out.
There is bass guitar in their songs, but the part where George mentioned bass is definitely the sound of the guitar that he was pointing out.
Their albums record with bass (like this recording) but live they just have the two guitars, as well as a backing track for synths, bass stuff, sequencing, etc.
There's bass. They play sometimes, other times they use samples and synths. A guitar will never have as tight lows as a real bass guitar. Different timbres.
It blows my mind that it blows people's minds that this loses people. Even as a music geek type, this kind of thing still feels like work. It's a class. I like so much about it though
Friggin, this ☝️
Just listening to that cafo bit at the beginning makes me want to give up on this react.... Ehhhhh
I get that it loses some people. All music loses some people, though.
For me, this isn’t remotely work. Just tastes.
To me, they feel like a band solely for other musicians to listen to. So I like it, but I totally get why other people wouldn't listen to it
If you haven't spent enough time with prog, percussion & timing fuckery then it really fucks with your ears and you don't like it.
SHOUT OUT TO THEIR BASSIST! lmao quote of the year.
Animals As Leaders are absolutely amazing to see live! They are all easily some of the best at what they do
What I think most musicians like about this album in particular is the rythms, if you love variations and feeling time in different ways this whole album is absolutely incredible, I don't think it's all skill with no context, it's just not easy to listen to
Agreed! It's definitely - for me at least - as much about songwriting as it is about display of technical skills. Same goes for CAFO. Pretty much pop-song in its structure, just technical and instrumental.
The timbres are great as well. I like the rhythms, but especially how they're accented by that compression.
I appreciate your honesty. At least you recognize the sheer talent on display
I just saw these guys warm up for Dream Theater & they were incredible ..... Matt the drummer has become one of my favorites. By the time they left the stage, they had made a lot of fans that never heard of them before, me being one. If you enjoy the prog genre then they should be on your radar.
I feel like taste in music and food makes a palatable analogy (pun intended). With food, you have folks that are happy with chicken tenders and mac n cheesefor their entire lives. They know what they want, and it's comforting, and they have no urge to venture outside of that. They're more prone to nostalgia than novelty. On the flip side, you have people that want to try every food they come across, because they're more prone to novelty than nostalgia. The majority of people exist somewhere in the middle between the two ends of the spectrum. Most people are capable of expanding their palate, but also for most, there is a limit to what they can stomach. Some people will never like blue cheese, regardless of how they try it. Some will never like fish sauce or hops or whatever else. It's good to know what you can't enjoy, but one must make sure that it's not their own expectations, positive or negative, that are causing the dislike, rather the pure experience. This type of music is a complex flavor, and maybe you'll like it paired with certain other flavors, but maybe you'll always dislike it, just try not to dislike it simply because it's not like the other things you like or because you expect music to be within a certain form. Appreciate y'all!
I think that the reason people would see this not really as a song is probably because it's all about counting in this song. When you're able to follow the counting of the song and notice how the instruments are meshing, then it really starts to sound like a song. At least that's how I see it. In prog I don't think there's such thing as a "time for" something, this is where you usually progress in the song, whether that be up, down, slow, fast, etc.
Agreed. I instantly catch the groove in this song and it's amazing, but I've listened to odd times my whole life and I always notice friends struggling to find a cohesive groove in these types of songs. It really does boil down to counting.
This literally made me log onto Amazon and order the CD. Epic, shredding bad assery. ❤
In my experience, AAL is a musician’s band. A lot of average listeners don’t like the technicality but musician’s have a different appreciation for it.
I never played any instrument and im crazy for AAL.
The thing the stands apart for me about Animals As Leaders is how unique they are. They fact that the general listener may not instantly or passively like them indicates something very special. In fact, I have almost completely strayed from the mainstream for the reason that it is all just simply burned out. AAL provides food for my ears that no other band I have ever heard can do even remotely. I respect those who give AAL a shot, even if it's not their thing. To be clear, I am absolutely obsessed with AAL, and they are the most interesting musical form that I have ever discovered.
Lmaooo, I actually hadn't heard this song yet until now and I'm usually very into prog and such, but once 1:43 hit I was like "oh yeah they lost them here for sure"
So glad they checked out Red Miso of all songs, major props!
Haha I figured you wouldn’t like the thall part (“Death Star battle” part) but that’s probably my favorite moment on the album.
For some context on a fan’s perspective, many of us guitar players can basically predict the notes of any mainstream guitar solo or even metal riff at this point, but Tosin’s innovation on the instrument can make us question what we are hearing and it’s very fresh.
Great reaction! At least they didn’t hit us with the “boom dickens” tag on the thump parts haha.
I never expect you guys to like this kind of music but always like the reaction. You guys do respect the talent.
I guarantee that if you guys listen to this mindfully with headphones on a couple times, you will begin to love the "weird" parts.
thats why context is so important, i mean... shout out to the bassist 😂...
Animals as Leaders is advanced listening. No fun for the layman, this is music for musicians. I can't imagine what a normal person would think...
my boomer male parent says gojira fans are crazy, mentally not well.
The drummer on this track is so frickin good. I wonder how he would have interpreted CAFO if he had been the drummer back then. Animals as Leaders don't make my playlist either, though, even though I really enjoy progressive metal. Speaking of progressive metal, you should check out Wilderun!
You don't have to wonder, you can check out any live performance of the song! I recall one in (I think) Russia being excellent. Matt does a crazy drum outro for this song live.
He’s a beast too they all are metronomes 😂😂😂
On Impulse is a super groovy song by them. Some are more grounded than others, this one doesn't have a lot of the chaotic elements others do.
LEPROUS - The Sky Is Red. it’s time, dudes! Show 🇳🇴 some love❤️
A friend of mine used to love Animals As Leaders and I don't really recall many songs by them except for one called New Eden. It was still very progressive but much more melodic throughout, kinda like this one (at least so far). So that's another one that you guys may want to check out. Good tune, and thanks for the reaction. I didn't know they had released anything new. I'll have to check it out
These guys have 2 guitarists and a drummer. That's it.
Hey guys I know people will agree with me, Oliver Anthony. Rich Men North of Richmond. Big fan of you guys, always trying to get everyone I know to tune in to your reactions. I rewatch Pneuma’s reaction weekly haha. Thanks Ryan and George
Just for info guys, there is no bassist. Tosin and Javier play 8 string guitars, so the bassy parts are them chugging away on the low F# (or whatever they've tuned it to). The F# string is similar thickness to a D string on a bass guitar.
They have enough strings to do so why not 😂
AAL always record with bass, just not live.
Cylindrical Sea, Earth Departure, New Eden, Physical Education, Para Mexer....
I love when people say they have a good bass player 😂
Man need to give this album a blast again, forgot how much I enjoyed it last year (appreciate it's not for everyone!). Wonder if the lost in Vegas guys enjoy jazz because there's definitely similarities between this type of progressive metal and jazz
AAL isn't normal music for normal people, it's for the aliens lol
Music nerds*
Source: I'm a nerd.
Thanks for being transparent, this is what separates you guys from all the other review channels.
The strange transition in the middle of Red Miso is a transition from futuristic jazz to more of a proggy djent sound. That’s what they are so good at and why I love them so much. It’s insanely complex and makes them so much better than bands like Dream Theater.
I can completely understand where you guys are coming from with your perspectives towards AAL. I think the main issue with prog especially when it comes to bands as technical as AAL is that there is no way to find a groove or approach a song in a first listen. You as the listener almost have to "learn" the song the same way the musician does, without actually playing the instrument of course, but that's still a hell of a lot more mental work that you have to do compared to 99.99% of all the other music out there. I myself really enjoy that experience and figuring out how to feel the song and having that ah-ha moment when you get it feels amazing to me, but its very understandable why this wouldn't reach everybody. You guys stated it perfectly that its just not something the vast majority of people are going to get into. Its for musicians and for nerds. Its surprising how many people can't see that perspective.
I absolutely love this song and album but even then that's after years of training myself to listen to prog and having a mid level background in music and drums. This album wasn't an immediate hook for me at all. Had to listen to each song at least 5 times to kind of start to grasp it and I slowly grew into the album one song at a time over the course of an entire year. Now its my favorite AAL album and they have become one of my favorite bands.
The only misconception bothersome to me is that the people who love this stuff only like it for the sheer musical ability alone. This album brings a ton of emotion to me. Technicality aside I genuinely find that it reaches me emotionally in ways that I can connect and confide in it just like I would any other music I enjoy. Its therapeutic almost. Of course, this also took time for me to develop due to some of the very issues you guys stated in the video. The wall of sound and overstimulation was a hurdle I had to climb over even as someone who enjoys technical music, so don't feel bad that its not for you!
Great reaction and analyzation as always
The most groovy song from them and also a great representative of a djent subgenre is called Wave of Babies
Animal as leaders are metal innovators. Decades from now, the metal community will still be talking about how they influenced a lot of metal movements.
For me, this is fun guitar music when you are bored of what you typically enjoy.
"Shoutout to the bassist" Didn't see that coming lmfao
Please react to the legendary band, The Band. The most talented rock n roll, country rock, blues rock, rock-a-billy band of all time. This is evidenced by the fact that they had great influence on their contemporaries like Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and many more. Further evidenced by the fact that Martin Scorsese made a movie of their "last" concert. True legends and an important part of American music.
I promise you will be happy that you listened to The Band.
The Band is Canadian, from Toronto, not American.
With a lot of these songs it helps to look at it as classical music with distortion.
This song has HUGE groove! Flow with it instead of fighting the virtuosity. This track is astounding.
They got it. It’s a song about development. They even said it was a musicians dream. This song progresses continuously. I do feel what they are saying about the “music class” perspective. Animals as Leaders know they are not for everyone. When it begins to surpass the casual Listener it begins to intrigue the musicians ear. Even when the sound can be jarring it is often very sexy/provocative or even upsetting. Hearing something that makes you recoil is also something that moves you.
Fatastic band and fantastic song. The soundcollage is very narrative and uses sounds, textures, rhytms and melodies to dream a dystopian fantasy. It reminds me a lot of Flying Lotus' works.
Listening to this, I feel like the Prince in the movie Amadeus in the scene when he tells Mozart, "It has too many notes."
I remember a Frank Zappa interview where he was talking about atonal and/or dissonant music and it's possible to develop a different way of listening. He said that listening to Edgar Varese was like entering a Viennese mathematical garden. I see it like a magic eye painting.
Watching you guys react to them is a little bit like watching a fan reaction to ufc when it goes to the ground 😅 Love y’all
12:24 hahahahaha!!😂😂😂
Agree with you guys. Everything after about a minute 40 in sounds like if a Transformer had severe diarrhea.
Yeah i do have to say you guys have had kind of a rough draw from AAL's catalog. They have super technical and varied stuff like CAFO that really are as much a flex as they are a song, and then they also have tons of songs that are so groovy that i think will be way more up your alley
Tosin Abasi is a trailblazer of the guitar...one of my all time faves...this album is a smoke show...but definitely guitar nerd shit...challenging to listen to sometimes ...like most prog...I love it
I came to the board meeting to watch Animals As Leaders break dance 10000%
5:28 I can see where you're coming from. I love the intro theme for 'The Expanse'. It's a beautiful storm, that i don't mind getting lost in.
I can't believe how different we are when listening to music and interpreted as "pleasant"
For me personally, this song is a masterpiece 💯 Toy ears the song is an amazing mix of tranquility and chaos! Anyway, to each its own✌️
Animals as leaders is a band for musicians, not for the average listener I think what makes them so highly respected is that lens where as a musician or even as a form of art, the artist would think wow I would never have thought of that
The Woven Web should absolutely be your next song! More accessible than CAFO and arguably Red Miso but is still proggy enough to keep you on your toes 😂 It was also one of the best ones to hear live!
I really think you should check out Knocked Loose.
I know for a fact you gonna HATE the vocals, and I wouldn't blame you. But they're the biggest thing happening in metal at the moment and i think theyre definitely worth reacting to.
I can’t believe you haven’t reacted to Plini yet! He’s the super smooth, 10x more musical version of Animals as Leaders. Love it way more.
More melodic and simplistic. Not more musical.
Yeah their bassist is insane...
😂😂😂
They sound crazy like. They played Brooklyn Bowl last time here and it was fantastic.
1:43 is one of my favourite riffs in this 😂 the smooth jazz solo was nice but when the riff comes in it slaps. Would be cool if these guys can appreciate to listen to the groove even though there’s complexity too
Here's my analogy: Someone's watching a supercar fly around a track with a professional driver, and they say "it's too loud, too fast! I can't see the colors or what the infotainment screens look like!" Lol i love you guys being honest, and it's definitely not out of left field to have the reactions you're having. There is truly nothing else like this band, so I say if this isn't the time and place... where and when?
To appreciate this band, you have to listen for rhythm, and not just melody or groove. That would be looking for a crossover SUV inside of a supercar.
this album is my most listened to album of 2022
Kascade would be the best song to do next for them
I love that song.
I can't wait til you guys come across Vildhjarta ❤
Oh yes! And the last HLB too!
@michaeldebecker1472 there is barely a chance they will make a video for the latest vildhjarta release (but they would love those Spanish guitars!) And Ashen would definitely scare them..that entire album is the devil lol ❤️
It may take another 20 years for them to appreciate such masterfully made music as its definitely not for everyone 🎶 💯
12:28 Animals as Leaders doesn't have bass. They just have down tuned guitars with multiple extra strings on the low end.
they def have programmed using bass plugins
Always been an AAL fan since day one. It’s interesting to hear it through someone else’s ears.
Masterpiece!!!
Masterpiece!!
Instrumentals are tricky to get into at first. Animals as leaders are at the top of this genre IMO and starting with them I almost feel like you got thrown into the deep end.
One band I’ve found easy to follow along and groove to is “arch echo” I’d recommend “color wheel” by them.
Once you get into instrumental music like this, you can listen to the same song for years and years on daily basis, it will still sound fresh😂.
@@okplld facts, I notice something new each time or I’ll just find a new section of the song to groove to. The replay value of instrumentals 🙌🏽🤘🏽
These guys have many much mellower, more "musical" songs, not fair to judge them by only two crazier songs. You would really enjoy The Future That Awaited Me, Para Mexer, The Brain Dance, Another Year, or David, just to name a few.
Some people don’t have the musical IQ to completely understand what their listening to
This band absolutely smokes. After Dillinger Escape Plan disbanded, at least we still have AAL to fry the circuit board.
Favorite band to see live
15:16 except it's the kind of thing you'd expect to hear when you launch an AAL song, so it IS the time, actually
Btw that 2009 album was written by Misha a gtr plyr. Until Navene and Matt performed on the kit!! WHOA!!
whoever suggested this song and CAFO did y’all dirty with the first impressions lmao
Me I love these guys, they knock this shit out of the park in concert as well, but let's face it this is never going "mainstream" and that's ok there's nothing wrong with that.
There is no front man/person required for such awesomeness...
brooooooo the expanse is my favorite show of all time! also this song slaps
Personally, I don’t think I ever would have gotten into Meshuggah if I never made the effort to learn to play it on guitar. I’m not crazy enough to try to learn AAL, but it took some focused listening to get into them. I don’t want to say something as pretentious as it’s music for musicians, but being a musician certainly helps make it more than just a display of skill
"Shout out to the bassist." 12:20
I feel like what I just listened to is the result of Dream Theater and a death metal band named “Nile” having a baby together…
This is Fusion..not Progressive...& yes it does generate intense emotions in certain listeners!
Mostly people who are musically trained gravitate to this stuff, but all can love if you apply yourselves!
at 1:43 the song starts to be interesting for me hahahah
This band is not a easy pick to listen....
But these 2 songs that you guys react, are not the best recommendation
Physical Education
Ka$cade
Tooth and Claw
These 3, are more "palatable" i think...
Cool reaction :). Definitely a niche thing. It reminds me of some 20th century classical music that I've come to like only because I've listened to it a million times. I don't necessarily listen to it because it is inherently palatable but because I've acclimated to its shapes and contours and have fun deciphering them. I think it's an excersise in listening to music differently and not necessarily for aural pleasure.
Look at a video from their drummer Matt Garstka at Meinl. They are incredible
You fellas should listen to the album Heavener By Invent Animate. Particulary the song Without A Whisper, the song was written for the guitarist grandmother who passed away. Its beautiful and well produced
I feel like some of my favorite music is like a reflection of life itself, even though it sounds corny af. There are these dark, dissonant and confusing moments that just make me appreciate the beautiful and harmonious moments more. That's why I love bands like Animals as Leaders. Chimp Spanner, The Ocean, Mastodon and many more. They are able to throw you for a loop with these creative and dissonant ideas and then just hit you with beautiful and catchy melodies that keep you wanting more and more. I feel like often the melodies wouldn't be as impactful if there weren't some dark and dissonant moments mixed in.
Controled Kaos, is the word. Also, they have the ability to remember all this to play it again. That to me is top notch.
I think this song is easier to appreciate if you think of it as a complete deconstruction of the initial segment. It’s like that line in Fight Club where Edward Norton says something like “I wanted to destroy something beautiful.”
Like you said George,its futuristic, it's NOW ,its there,its everywhere....thats what i love about AAL they just soo different sonically and put you THERE...also alot of their stuff these days i feel have alot to do with RHTHYMS. Trance like. I think of indian or even african rhthyms...very percussive band...but at the same time...abstract and so OUTSIDE and SIDEWAYS. It takes jazz to a new level...i love hearing y'alls POV. I love music.thanks guys stay healthy 👊🏽
No mention of the ending? Such an incredible touchdown. Chaos sandwich bookended by beauty
Easier to digest is a good term to use when getting an ear for new new or technical music when you haven't beforehand
I'm a long-time tech/prog metal listener, and I feel exactly the same way. It's very impressive, and I'll listen to a track occasionally, but it's just not the listening experience I'm looking for on the regular. I'll echo another comment I can see here: Plini. Electric Sunrise. He is an artist within this region of music that is kind of at the other end of the spectrum for how listenable it is, and I think it demonstrates the range of styles and feel that instrumental "metal" has to offer. Your journey through this region of music will be incomplete without Plini.
I read once that one of the reasons we enjoy listening to music is that when our brain is able to predict the next thing heard we we get a little dopamine release. Using a more traditional song structure makes that easy. Bands like this make that difficult to do. My personal opinion is that the payoff to learning more progrssive music is higher (greater dopamine release) because it's more difficult to do. You may not like the song at first but if you put effort into it, it might turn into one of your favorite pieces of music. Although, why do that when there is other good music and you might like your older favorite pieces less after putting in the work lol.
Honestly not my favorite peice of theirs. The Brain dance is pretty cool.
Also, bands like this hit different live. Not sure why, it's not a technical show off thing (although that's part of it for sure). They are just better live, like headbanging to songs i don't like afterwards better.
Side note... Do Plini. He's like the listenable version of this, and has some really great music.