Okay new thing… old reviews will be displayed in replies to save from clutter in the original post!
Animals As Leaders
The Joy Of Motion
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The new Animals as leaders album, the Joy Of Motion, my first listen of a whole AAL album and it’s a great one.
Ka$cade: The opening track of the album starts off with a clean sounding guitar which quickly is changed to a very techincal and, I suppose, typical, AAL riff with odd-times and heavy guitars. The whole track transitions from heavy to clean very many times in this song of about 5 and 1/3 minute song. In the near middle of the track you hear one of their heaviest, deepest, guitar riffs. As this song contains some nice-somewhat-soft moments it is also one of the fastest moving and heaviest tracks on the album. 10/10
Lippincott: The next track is another heavy, but not as techincal track. This is a bit less interesting than the first song. But I do like the use of electronics and synthesisers throughout the song. I do like the parts after the main riff in the beginning with the cleaner guitars and eerie sounds in the background. The middle bit after that moment sounds like some of the instrumental sections that a band like Dream Theater or Symphony X would use. It’s a pretty good track. 7/10
Air Chrysalis: This song starts off with more soft guitars and really nice sound all around by everybody in the band. About 2/3rd of the way through has some, almost inspirational, and meaningful breaks with a very nice use of electronics as well. This soon transitions to heavy and at the same time dark, yet uplifting guitar riffs. This latter section of the song has a guitar solo with the same traits as the guitar riff accompanying it. It ends with a pretty creepy sounding synth. 9/10
Another Year: This is one of my favorites from the album. It begins with clean guitars and softer drums to create a nice jazz-fusion feel to it. About halfway through the track has some slight use of distorted guitars which transitions to some really nice sounding electric pianos and later introduces a synth that goes along very well. It then goes to use the distroted guitars again which sound ok but it’s probably one of my least favorite parts from the song. It ends with the great sounding e-pianos which leaves you feeling satisfied with the song. 9/10
Physical Education: This song starts with a slap-sounding guitar riff which is later accompanied by my least favorite AAL melody. It does sound better with the synth playing it rather than the guitar. I do like the darker sections after the main melody of the song. The melody comes back in, after some heavy riffs, with a strange sounding synth-- or something, that I didn’t really find too great. Not my favorite track from the album, but it has its decent moments. 6/10
Tooth And Claw: Another good heavy song brought to you by AAL. I like the lead guitars that come in later while the main riff plays. The lead guitars/guitar solos throughout this song are nice and well-fitting. Mid-way through the song presents more clean guitars combined with electronic effects and such which all sound well-crafted. It’s a great song. 10/10
Crescent: It starts with synth-driven intro and leads to a heavy riff and an awesome lead guitar melody. It also has some more slap-guitar moments and electronic effects to create a sort of ambience. At about 1:33 seconds it has probably one of AAL’s most brilliant guitar riffs and transitions perfectly with more electronic FX, I just wish that riff lasted longer. It then transitions from clean to heavy again, like the usual with the added touch of the effects. That amazing riff returns later about 3/4ths through the song. It ends with the same sounds that it starts with and then transitions to the next song. 10/10
The Future That Awaited Me: This is the most jazz-fusion influenced song on the album. Very nice and mellow guitar riffs and drums. It also has a subtle use of snyths. About halfway the song brings in a light use of distorted guitars and nice soloing. It then returns to the calm riffs later which I love very much. My only complaint is that it ends a bit abruptly. 9/10
Para Mexer: This song sounds to use acoustic guitar with a nice-nice-nice groove to it. The primary use of acoustics create a great and different feel to it. Again, the electronic effects add a great tone to it. About two-thirds through, it comes in with really calming and soft, and even almost inspirational, guitar riffs with the combinations of the synth melody and ends perfectly. 10/10
The Woven Web: This starts off with more atmospheric electronics and a dark but clean guitar riff. This has more smooth transitions like usual to each part as it quickly progresses. It later has some more of those slap-sounding guitars that you know and love. A dark sounding clean guitar comes in and then brings with the whole band paying full on heavy and dark. 8/10
Mind-Spun: It begins with a sinister guitar lead with after the intro synths and later comes in with the real menacing riffs. It later transitions to some pretty crazy guitar and electronic sections with that dark feel to it. Overall this song is very evil sounding which I like a lot. 10/10
Nephele: It begins with a real low and one of the heaviest guitar riffs on the album. It has more of the same as before with the effects and guitar solos. It has a real nice break with clean guitars and drums put with an effect to have a great ambience. It later comes to more heavy riffs and high-flying solos. Not the best way to end an album but it gets it done. 8/10
Review Summary: This is a great album by the arising artist Animals As Leaders. This album greatly combines technical heavy metal, progressive metal, and jazz-fusion to create this fine album. If you are into heavy prog metal, instrumental metal, or maybe even jazz-fusion, then definitely try this album out. And even if you don’t really like instrumental music, still give this album a try and see if it’s for you.
Favorite Tracks: Ka$cade, Another Year, Crescent, The Future That Awaited Me, Para Mexer.
Least Favorite tracks: Lippincott, Physical Education
Average Rating: 8.8/10
My Rating: 9/10[/details]
Seether
Isolate And Medicate
[details=Click to expand]Here’s the new album from the well known post-grunge/alternative metal band, Seether. Not much new material here that’s any different than their previous albums, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad album. Let’s see what the Apocolotogon has to say about each track!
See You At The Bottom: This album starts with a heavy metal track as it would sound coming from a band like Seether. The vocals on the track is also typical to most Seether albums with some screaming in some parts. This is one of the few metal tracks with heavy and jarring riffs on the album. It’s a nice starter with nothing special other than a kickass bridge in the middle. 8/10
Same Damn Life: This is one of the poppy songs on the album, as they are scattered throughout this album. It has some, what I think, silly high vocals in the verses. The chorus on this song is also quite uplifting. It’s a solid song. 6/10
Words as Weapons: This song starts with some, IMO, strange vocals with a quite generic sounding chord progression used through the song. I do quite like the vocals and choruses in this song. Another nice and bright sounding song on this album. It’s also the single of this album, which is why it has this poppy/alternative sound to it. Another decent song. 6/10
My Disaster: This is another metal song with bang-your-head guitar riffs. I like the ending riff from this song a lot. Another example of why they are better doing metal. 7/10
Crash: Another softer song on the album. It almost sounds like they’re trying to make a lulliby as their song. It is quite calming for them in my opinion. Pretty good track. 7/10
Suffer It All: This is it. This is the bang your head with Satan song with gritty and screamed vocals in the verses. This has a, at first thought, quite out of place chorus, but after a while it actually sounds pretty nice to me. The only problem I have with the chorus is the high vocals in between the gritty vox. This is definately my favorite fro the album. 9/10
Watch Me Drown: This is another pop-metal song again with upbeat guitars and vocals. I don’t like it. The chorus and bridge take a break from this, though. This is definitely not my favorite… 5/10
Nobody Praying For Me: This is a bit more of a mellow song with a generic sounding chorus. I don’t like the use of profanity in the chorus, it just doesn’t fit well in my opinion. It’s an all right track, though. 6/10
Keep The Dogs At Bay: This starts with calm guitars which are then heavy guitars blast in. Nothing else in this song is much different than Seether’s usual stuff. Some rustling gate or something is heard in the background of the bridge of this song… maybe to sound like a dog trying to climb on a gate? Whatever. O.K. song. 6/10
Save Today: The last song on this album. A nice calm song with acoustic guitars with a mellow feel to it. It’s probably meant to be an inspirational song but I’m too lazy to read into the lyrics. The song is definitely one of the nicer songs on the album, as well as a great finisher. Another one of my favorites. 9/10
Review Summary: This is a pretty good album even though it doesn’t really bring much new to the table. I really think Seether is better doing heavier songs rather than pop songs, despite Save Today being one of my favorites. So if you’re just looking for more of the same from Seether, then get this album. If you have never heard Seether before, which you should have, and you like any post-grunge, metal, or alternative rock/metal, then this is pretty much a taste of what most of their music sounds like.
Favorite Songs: See You At The Bottom, Suffer It All, Save Today
Least Favorite Songs: Same Damn Life, Watch Me Drown, Nobody Praying For Me
Average Rating: 6.9/10 (no)
My Rating: 6/10 (due to being nothing different from their usual stuff)[/details]
Also, new review on Gifts From Enola’s 2006 debut album is out!
