Animals As Leaders - "Weightless"

The great thing about metal as a genre is that it's one of the few left wherein such a high percentage of its population has obtained virtuoso or near-virtuoso levels of musical proficiency. When was the last time you heard of a "classically-trained" rap artist? Or a "virtuoso" country music star? Some may exist, but they're not par for the course. Because of their very nature, most subgenres within heavy metal have a built-in "height-requirement"...you must but *this* tall to play "Raining Blood"...you must be *this* much of a perfectionist to learn "Master of Puppets."...etc.

But even amongst this veritable smorgasbord of skill and technicial proficiency, one band stands out. To paraphrase Gandalf here in description: "A demon of the ancient world. This (band) is beyond any of you...(MOSH)!"

I'm talking, of course, about Animals As Leaders. The trio is widely known as one of the most - if not THE most - musically skilled band in the technical/progressive metal breed. And as an instrumental band, their appeal manages to cross the boundaries of heavy metal to reach those listeners who "Don't like screaming music." Their full-length self-titled debut set them apart. What's to be said of their follow-up album, Weightless?

THE PROS:

Much like my As I Lay Dying review, I feel the first major perk about this CD is...NEW ANIMALS AS LEADERS. I was still enjoying discovering new layers of genius from their self-titled debut, so it's certainly not like I was going through withdrawals. But it was exciting news all the same when they announced this album and for a quick summary (spoiler alert): it doesn't disappoint. At all.

It's hard to imagine that lead guitarist Tosin Abasi could get any better after listening through their debut. But Weightless makes it clear he's not done polishing a level of proficiency that borders on super human. And before it sounds like I'm being hyperbolic, go look up any video of him playing live...his fingers literally become a blur. And his bandmates, guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Navene Koperweis, are only a fraction of a step behind him in their own proficiency.

But attainment of virtuoso status alone isn't enough to make the music worth listening to. As a comparison, Joe Satriani is an amazing guitarist with comparable musical skill. But what Satriani often does is simply play random strings of notes and tunes purely to showcase his prowess. So while the skill displayed is phenomenal, it's often implemented without regard to the structure of the song. That's what separates Animals As Leaders from musicians like Satriani; regardless of the flurry of notes or lightning speed of time and chord change, there's always an inherent logic to the music they play. Weightless is no exception.

Already exploring genre fringes, Weightless pushes the band even slightly further into new musical territory. There are some vague hints at deathcore in the album's title track and "An Infinite Regression." "Earth Departure" opens with some powerful tapping/slapping effects, launching forward into a frenetic display of musical ferocity. The album's single, "Isolated Incidents" is a fantastic example of how much territory the band can explore with one song. Starting out with a lonely little melody, the song gradually builds on itself, growing stronger and stronger, while never fully reaching a true crescendo. It slowly finds its way back to the original guitar melody, making it feel like a perfectly symmetrical journey.

It's hard to truly convey the album in words. Most instrumental music has a distinct visual component; when listening I'm always put in mind of this person, or that vignette. Their debut album had that quality for me, but there's something about Weightless that escapes any kind of visual ascription. Maybe it's just because the music is so nuanced and layered my brain has yet to fully digest this album. But it's also likely due to the fact that the band's increased musical prowess has catapulted them beyond the usual rules of instrumental experience.

THE CONS:

The presence of electronic effects is a bit more prominent on this album. It's perhaps a little nit-picky for me to point that out as a shortcoming, but personally I enjoyed the somewhat organic overall feel of their self-titled album. It's certainly not intensely distracting - Weightless isn't exclusively defined by an electronic sound. But there are definitely a lot more glitches and tweets sprinkled into the mix this go 'round.

Weightless is also ever-so slightly shorter than their first. There are no 6-minute-plus tracks on this CD, though one or two stray beyond 5 minutes. It's not the worst that could be said, but it makes for a slightly less epic experience overall.

THE VERDICT

Despite it's minor flaws, Weightless has been well worth the buy. Tosin's MAD skills as a virtuoso metal-head are as impressive as they've ever been, and not a single track on this album feels forced or gimmicky.

I miss the more organic approach that characterized their first album, but the larger presence of electronic elements doesn't weigh down (pun intended) this CD in the slightest. It was hard for me to imagine that these three musical masters could get any better, but they managed to pull it off and the result is immensely satisfying. If you enjoyed their self-titled debut, you owe it to yourself and to this band to buy Weightless.

Some albums are good enough to justify a download. Others are worth picking out a few tracks of importance on iTunes or Zune or what have you. And a select few have earned the right to be physically purchased at your local Best Buy, WalMart, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Weightless is one of those albums.