Animals As Leaders – ‘The Madness Of Many’ [Review]
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Animals As Leaders represent that rarest breed of bands, so far ahead of their time that even their most visionary peers struggle to keep up. For fans of instrumental progressive metal, Tosin Abasi, Javier Reyes, and Matt Garstka need absolutely zero introduction, their names synonymous with music so intricate that the fact there are only three of them is still scarcely comprehensible. To those for whom djent is everything, Animals As Leaders are the leaders of the pack.
The Madness Of Many is not going to do anything to change that. The thought of Animals As Leaders slacking off is nothing short of laughable – and while the thought of these guys reaching still another level is utterly mind-melting, we all know they can do it. This makes The Madness Of Many one of the most hotly anticipated progressive releases of 2016.
With The Madness Of Many dropping just after the American presidential election’s results push the future of politics down one branch of a presently forking path, its title and the music contained within feel as timely and relevant as it’s possible for an album’s component parts to get. Compositionally dense, aggressively intense, and harmonically fucked into another dimension, The Madness Of Many sees Animals As Leaders seemingly bottle a nation’s hysterical anxiety and channel it through two guitars and a drum kit. Put it this way: This is a million light years away from relaxing, spacious Phil Collins-style power balladry and upbeat, chirpy pop ditties custom-made for fear-numbing escapist distraction.
Arithmophobia is fucking petrifying. Opening with a sitar-style loop in 4/4 and promptly pulling it apart through the modern miracle of metric superimposition, Animals As Leaders tease, tangle, and tightrope-walk their way through an uncompromising progressive masterpiece. And that’s only for starters.
If your 2016 New Year’s resolution was to expand your vocabulary and you’re currently kicking yourself for not having started yet, scanning The Madness Of Many’s track listing will immediately make you feel better. Arithmophobia (the fear of numbers) and Apeirophobia (the fear of infinity, and a sublime acoustic slice of classical perfection) bookend the likes of Ectogenesis, Transcentience, and Backpfeifengesicht. Wait.
What the hell does “backpfeifengesicht” mean?
Well, it’s German for “A face in need of a fist”. It’s also my new favourite word – and again timely, given the fact that a certain American presidential candidate could do with (to use an alternative definition of “backpfeifengesicht”) a slap. In the face.
Anyway, whatever the intentions behind Animals As Leaders’ latest selection of song titles, the depth of emotion, soul, and feel that permeates even The Madness Of Many’s darkest, most complex moments remains nothing less than gripping, immersive, and peerless. This is a truly terrifying album made during and for terrifying times. Some people say prog has no humanity; with The Madness Of Many, Animals As Leaders have just proven otherwise.
TMMP RATING: 100% (Essential Listening!)
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