Flikr user Stéphane Gallay What: Animals As Leaders (with Intervals, PLINI)
When: Sat, November 19th (Doors/Show: 7 p.m.)
Where: Union Hall (6240 99 St NW)
Tickets: $26.50 (available here)
*Admission 18+
For non-metal listeners, who so often claim, “Well, I like the music, it’s just the screaming racket I can’t handle,” there’s a show coming to town that’s perfect for you.
Instrumental metal act Animals As Leaders, will be hitting the Union Hall stage this Saturday, November 19 for The Madness of Many tour. The show will see AAL guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes along with drummer Matt Garstka perform tracks from the October-released The Madness of Many — their latest mix of metal, jazz, electronic, latin, and classical styles sure to frustrate genre snobs. Sharing the stage with the Los Angeles-based group will be other instrument-only, progressive performers, Intervals and PLINI.
Beginning in 2009 with their self-titled debut, AAL established themselves as a band to keep a keen eye on. Their sound, which draws influence from guitar aficionados such as Steve Vai, progressive metal (and djent) progenitors Meshuggah, and jazz experimenters the likes of Coltrane, quickly garnered attention from both fans and industry. Albums Weightless (2011) and The Joy of Motion (2014) furthered their rise, the latter landing the group at number 23 in the Billboard Top 200. Respected publications Guitar World, Modern Drummer, Rolling Stone, and LA Weekly, as well as major companies Ibanez Guitars, and Tama Drums have caught wind of the intru-metal bands skill, giving recognition and signature-endorsements.
Abasi’s technical abilities as a guitarist makes the headline of many stories about the group, as his unique playing techniques (which features everything from flamenco-esque finger plucking to bass-style popping and slapping) and 7 and 8-string guitars have become a signature for him and the band. However, each of AAL’s members deserve ample credit for the overall sound, with Reyes and Garstka dishing out rhythms and grooves which build the backbone of their melodically mathematical music.
While taking in the show, Saturday’s concert-goers will get to see selections from The Madness of Many for the first time on an Edmonton stage. From the opening, sitar-riffing “Arithmophobia,” to penultimate acoustic-electric “The Brain Dance,” the diverse track listing will provide a variety of set list options worthy of moshing or meditating. What’s less certain is whether AAL will incorporate album single, “Inner Assassins” into the show, and dedicate it to the recent political-happenings south of the border.
Whether you’re a metalhead, mathematician, or Masters of Music Composition grad, Animals As Leaders are ready to provide a night of headbanging without the headache from ear-splitting screaming.
