Animals As Leaders prove they are the Kings of Prog Metal with Parrhesia
The instrumental trio "Animals as Leaders" have released their first album since 2016's The Madness of Many. The album features Tosin Abasi, Javier Reyes, and Matt Gartska.
Parrhesia beautifully showcases the myriad of revolutionary guitar techniques invented by Tosin Abasi. His use of selective picking (where a majority of notes are played without picking them) along with his bizarre eight-string guitars gives this album, along with their others, a sound unlike any other music being released.
The drums on this record have a great tribal vibe to them, which contrasts nicely with the somewhat robotic precision of Abasi and Reyes' guitar work. The influence of artists like Dream Theater, King Crimson, and Rush is palpable throughout the album.
The best track on the album was the third single "Gordian Naught," which utilizes some funky rhythms that have never before been heard on an Animals As Leaders track. Abasi noted that the song's title is a reference to the music: "This song attempts to put a soundtrack to the metaphor of untying an impossibly tangled knot." And, it does through its hypnotizing soundscape.
This record is perfect to throw on in the background while doing homework. The album is truly something that is designed by musicians for musicians, with every track utilizing odd time signatures and complicated chord progressions. Animals As Leaders have proved once again that they are the reigning kings of their style of Djent/Prog/Fusion/Metal. Abasi in particular has been worshipped as the modern Jimi Hendrix, and this album only adds further creedence to that claim.
By: Kevin Caffrey '23
Final Rating: 7/10