@@ChaseCarneson You set a good standard for "reaction" videos. Your attention to detail and the effort you put into assesing these songs are great and definitely doesn't go unnoticed. Good stuff man 👌
@@leeschofield488Yeah, that's another guitar. I knew it kinda sounded like a bass, but it was a bit different. When I looked into it, it made more sense
You haven’t seen a bassist, Chase, cause there isn’t one 😂 That’s the 8-strings doing the bass work. Love your reactions and glad you chose to reacting to Tosin and crew
I think I read that they played bass on the earlier records and that later the other guitarist besides Tosin uses a pitch shifter on his guitar to "create" bass.
If you're looking to react to more Animals as Leaders, check out: -Physical Education -Mind Spun -Kascade -Woven Web -Arithmophobia Preferrably do their live performances!
I'm going to use an analogy that will sound weird. But way back when, young girls had to do very fancy embroidery samplers in "school". They would be taught the basics of simple reading, writing and 'rithmatic, but the main part of their limited education was learning those special "housewife" skills . And these girls, denied any other outlet , became absolute WIZARDS with needle and thread. VERY young girls were turning out incredibly elaborate pictures of houses, gardens, animals, bible quotes, in memoriam pictures of churches and tombstones, alphabets....these samplers were meant to show off their abilities to a future husband. Because mastery of the needle was considered an extremely useful requirement in an age without sewing machines. The girls had to learn how to make all the clothes, bedding, curtains...any cloth item needed in life. By hand. And do it WELL. These samplers, the ones that are found in good condition, are now worth a LOT of money. This piece feels like a technical wizardry sampler. They are "embroidering" with their instruments, demonstrating what they can do. They are trying to catch a husband, in a very competitive marriage market!
I actually think that Animals As Leaders' older songs are much less compelling to listen to than their more recent work. No one's going to say they aren't technically three of the most gifted musicians of this generation, but songs like Physical Education, The Woven Web, Arithmophobia, and The Brain Dance (all from their two most recent albums) do an infinitely better job of showcasing their talent -- they're less blatantly technical for the sake of being technical, and decidedly more musical, in a broad sense. They've always had groove, they've always had chops. I think they've just refined their sense of both in recent years, much more so than what they produced in their Cafo days.
i very much agree. i think Cafo was a showcase of the skills they worked so hard to build, rightly so. but i find i really enjoy The Madness of Many much more.
Chase's mixed facial expressions at 5:22 - 5:35 from surprised to excited to confused to brain momentarily stopped working probably the highlight of this video 😆 Looking forward to you to get to The Woven Web. There's this gnarly thump riff that will probably make your head explode once you hear it 🎸
"It's actually really pretty" This is exactly what I thought when I first discovered Animals as Leaders, and after listening to their music for hundreds of hours I can say that it evokes some kind of trance almost. Also that "bassist" is just Tosin Abasi or Javier Reyes using their 8th and 7th string haha
Best Reaction Ever! I discovered AAL many years ago and was absolutely blown away by the way they incorporated hardcore metal into jazz fusion. Pure Bliss to listen to Tosin, Matt, and Javier! I was just about to go to bed when my eye caught your thumbnail for "FIRST TIME REACTING to ANIMALS AS LEADERS (Cafo)" and then saw that it was your reaction video. I just knew that this would melt your mind! ...and that you'd LOVE IT!
This entire song is nuts, but in all the years i've listened to this over and over, the open chords section before the tapping and drums come in is absolutely crushing. The tone is so good, and through good speakers, and i can imagine next to the amp turned up, it just shakes your chest. Incredible
You should check out a live playthrough of the drummer. He is amazing. The way he plays with timing is crazy. It's like he swallowed the time stone or something.
Lol dude your eyes popping out as the song started was priceless. I still feel like that after years. Tosin (the lead guitarist) has this awesome double thumping technique that sets his playing apart. Check him out on UA-cam,his channel is pretty new but still fun
They use loop pedals! I went to go see this band about 9 years ago with an ex, and I ended up getting gifted an 8 string guitar as a result of my awe at their playing (my ex was super generous sometimes lol), and it's still the guitar I use most primarily, even if I can't play like Tosin. :P My next recommend for AAL is "Physical Education", it is a bop! Edit: Oh yeah! The drums on this particular album were programmed by Misha Mansoor of Periphery! And of course, have a damn good day everyone!
Exactly. Tosin plays the sweep arpeggio pattern and then loops it so he can play over the top. I believe he played both CAFO and Wave of Babies on the EMG TV youtube channel and it was just him and his pedal board.
The picking method Tosin Abasi is using in the intro riff is swybrid picking. So it’s a combination of sweep picking mixed with hybrid picking (playing with a pick and fingerpicking at the same time)
Animals As Leaders = Just Woooo!! first band I found of this particular "genre/type", still love 'em. ps: discovered your channel looking for this music video as I usually do and saw your "reaction" and gave it a chance... genuinely enjoyed you break it down in your own opinion and still enjoyed the music video. well done mate
Please react to “and plague flowers the kaleidoscope” by Ne obliviscaris. This song was included in a teaching curriculum at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the song being analysed for its composition
they play sooo clean live aswell.. i do feel they lack just a bit of 'soul' but i hardly feel justified saying that seeing how amazing everything else is
I used to be a scene kid in Melbourne I went to all their gigs and they're all really decent people. It always chirps me up a bit when I see people mention NeO because they honestly deserve it, they've worked hard and from day one they've always had a good attitude towards their fans
I remember when I first heard this song, when it came out. Before the Tosin Abasi/AAL-craze, which is perfectly in place and totally deserved. I was blown away. I play guitar myself, too long for the level I am at, but this.. I didn't think it was possible to ever create such high level compositions. It felt like a completely new style of playing or something, a new way to play the guitar. Still one of the best songs/bands out there, for me personally.
I remember seeing them live and the opening bands (not the least musicians) on the side of the stage fanboying like crazy over the drummer. Constantly looking at each other in disbelief, was so funny to watch.
+ if you wanna see the primary thing tosin is known for check out "infinite regression" where it is most forefront. or "physical education" where it takes a more rythmic place but still noticeable.
I didn't know this band before, but WOW! So I just looked up some background. It's a trio: Two guitars and drums, but the guitarists (Tosin and Javier) also lay down the bass lines--either on an actual bass, or using the low-register strings on the 8-string guitars--they both do both. I am going to look up more of them, thanks for whoever recommended them. Big reason to watch your channel!!!!!
Tosin Abasi is such a beast. I found out about animals as leader from Rick Beatos channel and went binge listening for a week. Truly amazing stuff. Also Rick Beato Has done an interview with Tosin quite recently. You should definitely check that out.
been listening to your Band Maid reaction playlist in the background for the past few hours and finished it so i went to see what else you reacted to. Saw Aminals as Leaders and figured it would be good. Paused the video after the first couple of seconds to comment -- i think we all had a similar reaction the first time we listened to AAL.
Well, I started my lunch break and seen this reaction drop. It was a treat, both the song and the reaction. However, I kind of echo another commentor's feeling that it is so technical that it makes it a hard song to just relax and listen to. It makes me sit up and try to catch everything that is going on. I guess to some up my feelings, I enjoyed this music and it is a great song to listen to but not so good to relax to. I will have to listen to it again and your reaction again. Great reaction chase, as usual, you helped me appreciate the technical skill that it took to make this song and why it sounded good to me. (I need to listen to more of these guys though.)
My problem with it is that it's too technical to relax to, but also not very heavy or catchy, so it's hard to jam out to as well. I'm sure it really scratches an itch for someone, but I'm not sure who.
I’m always torn with these kind of bands. Polyphia is another one, the technicality, new techniques and originality are amazing and interesting, but I just can’t seem to listen to it over and over. Over the years I’ve gone through a lot of prog phases and gotten into a lot of really cool different stuff. Maybe I’m an old fart, but I’d still rather listen to David Gilmour emote with 5 perfectly paced, voiced and intonated notes over a couple bars. I can listen to that over and over again and not feel like he and others like him are any less a master of their tools.
1st listen - wtf! Next song. 2nd listen - hmm this is kinda... Next song. 3rd listen - i like this i think... Plays entire song. 4th to 150th listen - wtf! Why am i crying?
It’s so great seeing your reaction. I remember when I first saw it, it was very similar. I wish they kept the video of just them, the animation is cool, but you want to see them playing.
Good old CAFO. I still remember the night I discovered them by this song at 2 a.m. - mind blown. Ceterum censeo: Please listen to Vitalism - Pagan Part II - no regrets, I promise :)
Also, I've only just found your channel, do I detect a SAffer accent? edit* Just watched your Q&A - Jo'burg boy eh? Howzit Boet? I'm originally from Namibia, so it's great seeing someone from that part of the world doing well.
LMAO good one.Not even top 10000000000.Also,joggers are terrible with instruments unless it involve banging stick at tree trunk or something like that.
Tried to just listen to the video in the background while doing work, then it was just nope. Have to watch this so I can see your brain melt! Great Reaction as always
Whoa, never heard of those guys before, but that was brilliant. The thing I like best about this channel (other than your unmatched & humble analysis of what's going on in the songs you're listening to) is all the new music I'm discovering. Top 40's garbage had eroded my interest in discovering new music, but bands like Jinjer & these guys are slowly restoring my faith that there are still bands out there producing quality stuff. Can't wait for the next one.
CAFO was my introduction to AAL as well a long time ago, and the face you made is absolutely relatable. They've evolved *a lot* over the past few years. Tosin is an absolute beast and has become reference for popularizing the traditional bass thumping technique among guitarists in prog/metal music. Another great guitar player that I love is Jason Richardson, and I think it'd be awesome if you could react to "Hos Down".
Animals as Leaders, specifically this piece (CAFO) is the first song I heard of theirs. At the very beginning, I was just hearing 'noise'... then suddenly it all clicked in for me and suddenly I'm sitting there going O_O. Glad I'm not the only one who had that reaction. Extremely good instrumentals.
I've seen them live 3 times all with ending the show with cafo. These guys were my introduction to the djent style and I love their stuff. Tosin's talent is in another galaxy.
I saw these guys live one time probably 5+ years ago. I didnt even know who they were, but they opened for TesseracT (the band I went to see). Needless to say I was very impressed!
Tobin (lead guitar) uses a looper pedal for the sweeping intro so it can continue to play while they go from the intro into the rhythm part of the song. It's pretty intense.
That lead is looped. When they play live, he plays it, loops it and it continues on. There are a lot of great videos of just Tosin playing it and showing how he structures it.
Also anything on their first album was just Tosin Abasi and Misha from Periphery doing production. After they wrote the first album, they looked for other musicians to join the band. Matt, the drummer of Periphery, almost ended up in Animals instead. Album number 2 was the first full band album. Album three introduced Matt Gartska on drums, one of the best drummers on the planet.
Awesome review Chase, thanks for checking out AAL. I don't play guitar myself, but I've been to a workshop of Tosin, which he did at a Montreal music shop a few years ago, I think to promote the Ibanez 8-string guitar he played back then (he's got a new signature guitar now). If I'm not mistaken, they use a lot of pedals, including loop pedals to get that layering. Back then, what surprised me most, seeing them play this song a few meters in front of me, was that the "rhythm guitarist" repeated a lot of those crazy riffs as well, while I always thought he kept things simpler. I was thoroughly impressed by the whole band. My husband got to try out the 8-string and felt intimidated by how big it was, so it's still the good old 7-string for him. Totally unrelated, but he has decided to not give up on learning to sweep pick (after a few failed attempts back then), so we agreed that once he can play that at proper speed, he can pick out a shiny new guitar (currently oogling at a Framus Stormbender).
If you're already going down the Polyphia and AAL rabbit hole, your next stop should be Plini. Check out Kind, Electric Sunrise, Every Piece Matters (possibly my favorite song of his), Inhale, I'll Tell You Someday, and Selenium Forest. Also instrumental, but gorgeous songwriting and impeccable skill by all the musicians involved.
Think I heard somewhere that they used a drum machine on their first album, but the guy can do it live, which... honestly makes that even more impressive.
It's funny hearing you say, "they wouldn't record anything they couldn't play live" or how they had to play off of each other's parts. This album was created entirely by Tosin (the guitarist doing all the crazy sweeps and tapping). He was so good that the record company wanted him to make a solo album and this is the result. Misha Mansoor of Periphery helped with engineering and programming. The rest of the members didn't enter the picture until later on.
Have you ever listened to any music by Rush? A Canadian classic rock band. Even if you have heard their work it would still be cool to hear your breakdown of their songs! Their song 2112 is long but awesome! Spirt of Radio, Tom Sawyer and YYZ are also great songs of theirs 🤘😁🤘
I disagree. I think Blood eagle, marigold or Reptile are better songs to start with. Stranger things is a great 2nd or third periphery song to check out!
@@camhorejs i get where you are coming from, but Blood Eagle and Marigold stay pretty consistent and don't really give a good showcase to all their abilities. Stranger Things has a lot more different stuff going on. if i were to compare it to Chase's Nightwish journey, Ghost Love Score was the first song and it shows a lot of different strenghts of the band. And then you get to Romanticide, a pretty straight foward song which stays in a consistent place. that's where i would reccomend putting BE or Marigold. and Reptile is this big epic thing which should be "worked" towards. like Poet and the Pendulum
laughed at your reaction, but I had the same :) cool guys, no words, and where do you find them :) the composition is technical, poetry would be superfluous :)
Amazing! Quick points: 1. They don't have a live bassist. 2. The sweeping is being looped by using the boomerang looper pedal 3. Back then the drums were programmed but as they wanted to keep the budget a little lower, and it was just simoler to program it. 4. They can play EVERYTHING live 5. Please check their new drummer (I mean he's with them for years now, but that's not the guy from the video -Navene Koperweis) Matt Garstka.. He's out of this planet!
Good analysis and nice reactions mate! I remember when I first run onto Animals back in the day, the first tune for me was Tempting Time and it was just as insane experience. If you are looking for some interesting videos to react to my suggestions would be: Fredrik Thordendal and Morgan Ågren medley Baard Kolstad playthrough of Moon Devin Townsend's tune Kingdom
Tosin Abasi is awesome. 8-string guitar is not just for Djent. I do a lot of two hand tapping on my 6-string bass, and for a consistent sound level a good compressor is a must.
“I haven’t seen the bassist”
Oh my sweet, summer child 😂
@Dr. Nadolsky? 😂
Most under rated comment
The guitarists are the bassists
To be fair to him, there is a bass in the recording
@@ANTHONYFERNANDO Yes but I wasn't lying, Tosin and Javier or one of them uses pitch pedals on their extended range guitars, which makes the bass
"Bassist probably has 12 strings" this is Animals as Leaders, even the drums have 12 strings
Facts!!!
@@ChaseCarneson You set a good standard for "reaction" videos. Your attention to detail and the effort you put into assesing these songs are great and definitely doesn't go unnoticed. Good stuff man 👌
And dont forget...the ghost notes have ghost notes
There is no bassist.
@@leeschofield488Yeah, that's another guitar. I knew it kinda sounded like a bass, but it was a bit different. When I looked into it, it made more sense
8:30 - "Nice, welcome break from the intensity"
8:35 - "Oh, for fuck's sake...!"
“All the strings.” 😂 Accurate.
Aaaaaaall the srtings.
AAL the strings
"I've now heard a third guitar..."
No, no.
Second guitar.
The brain dance is one of their best songs, is technical, jazzy, djenty, groovy, tosiny, javiery, matty, proggy af
Absolutely Tosiny!
You haven’t seen a bassist, Chase, cause there isn’t one 😂 That’s the 8-strings doing the bass work. Love your reactions and glad you chose to reacting to Tosin and crew
They do also record some proper bass lines for the backing tracks in the studio iirc
I think I read that they played bass on the earlier records and that later the other guitarist besides Tosin uses a pitch shifter on his guitar to "create" bass.
Bass was programmed on this song.
@@MellonVegan They did for this specific record, but not the next ones. So yes this song was recorded with bass but newer songs weren't.
@@AG-ur1lj Yeah that's also possible. I thought I read somewhere that it was programmed.
If you're looking to react to more Animals as Leaders, check out:
-Physical Education
-Mind Spun
-Kascade
-Woven Web
-Arithmophobia
Preferrably do their live performances!
Nephele
Woven web, ans Ectogenesis
HOW CAN YOU NOT MENTION TEMPTING TIME??😭
Physical Education would be fun!
Woven web is actually insane
I'm going to use an analogy that will sound weird. But way back when, young girls had to do very fancy embroidery samplers in "school". They would be taught the basics of simple reading, writing and 'rithmatic, but the main part of their limited education was learning those special "housewife" skills . And these girls, denied any other outlet , became absolute WIZARDS with needle and thread. VERY young girls were turning out incredibly elaborate pictures of houses, gardens, animals, bible quotes, in memoriam pictures of churches and tombstones, alphabets....these samplers were meant to show off their abilities to a future husband. Because mastery of the needle was considered an extremely useful requirement in an age without sewing machines. The girls had to learn how to make all the clothes, bedding, curtains...any cloth item needed in life. By hand. And do it WELL. These samplers, the ones that are found in good condition, are now worth a LOT of money.
This piece feels like a technical wizardry sampler. They are "embroidering" with their instruments, demonstrating what they can do. They are trying to catch a husband, in a very competitive marriage market!
Sandra Nelson that is a really fascinating analogy.... interesting and accurate... thanks for that insight!
Well-put
I never would have expected such an analogy, but it's great!
I actually think that Animals As Leaders' older songs are much less compelling to listen to than their more recent work.
No one's going to say they aren't technically three of the most gifted musicians of this generation, but songs like Physical Education, The Woven Web, Arithmophobia, and The Brain Dance (all from their two most recent albums) do an infinitely better job of showcasing their talent -- they're less blatantly technical for the sake of being technical, and decidedly more musical, in a broad sense.
They've always had groove, they've always had chops. I think they've just refined their sense of both in recent years, much more so than what they produced in their Cafo days.
Very much agree with you! :)
100% agreed
i very much agree. i think Cafo was a showcase of the skills they worked so hard to build, rightly so. but i find i really enjoy The Madness of Many much more.
I really want to like these guys, but you pretty much summed up my feelings on this song. I'll have to check out their newer stuff.
@Josh derp Hey man, if you think Cafo's their catchiest song and you jam out to it, more power to you. :) You do you, dude!
"its gona be a long video" 😂
He was almost mad at how good it was lol
"I think this is going to be quite technical" to animals as leaders lmaoooooooo
😂FACTS!!!
Chase's mixed facial expressions at 5:22 - 5:35 from surprised to excited to confused to brain momentarily stopped working probably the highlight of this video 😆 Looking forward to you to get to The Woven Web. There's this gnarly thump riff that will probably make your head explode once you hear it 🎸
"It's actually really pretty" This is exactly what I thought when I first discovered Animals as Leaders, and after listening to their music for hundreds of hours I can say that it evokes some kind of trance almost.
Also that "bassist" is just Tosin Abasi or Javier Reyes using their 8th and 7th string haha
Best
Reaction
Ever!
I discovered AAL many years ago and was absolutely blown away by the way they incorporated hardcore metal into jazz fusion. Pure Bliss to listen to Tosin, Matt, and Javier!
I was just about to go to bed when my eye caught your thumbnail for "FIRST TIME REACTING to ANIMALS AS LEADERS (Cafo)" and then saw that it was your reaction video. I just knew that this would melt your mind! ...and that you'd LOVE IT!
That eyeroll at 8:36 tho 😆
Have a damn good day.
🙄😂🙋🏼♂️ HAVE A DAMN GOOD DAY, yourself ma'am.
Seen them live. They're flawless.
Every video I watch you blow my mind with your knowledge of music construction and musical arrangement! Thanks for this.
Dude, thank you so much. I'm just a big fan of music and I'm glad you're enjoying the videos
I know this stuff isn't for everyone, but who it is for, man are we lucky! 🤓
Oh yeah...
Controlled Animal Feeding Operation.
This is a song that really only satisfies the reactors who really get it... You did a masterful and humble job with this review.
Thank you very very much. Appreciate that.
This entire song is nuts, but in all the years i've listened to this over and over, the open chords section before the tapping and drums come in is absolutely crushing. The tone is so good, and through good speakers, and i can imagine next to the amp turned up, it just shakes your chest. Incredible
Best thing? CAFO means Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, and y\they fed us well with this song
You should check out a live playthrough of the drummer. He is amazing. The way he plays with timing is crazy. It's like he swallowed the time stone or something.
This song sounds like it could be boss music in a video game.
YES!!!!!!
I saw them live a while back. They are INCREDIBLE!
That's awesome
The first 10 seconds. His face says it all.
React to Ne Obliviscaris!! Their song "And plague flowers" would be a good introduction to the band!
Good fucking call, that's gonna be a 30 minute video
Forget Not is my absite favorite by them but Ne Obliviscaris is a huge shout
@@monojira Mine too!! Their best composition! Also Of Petricor!
Yes yes yes please! NeO are incredible
Forget not!!!!! :')
Really enjoying watching these reaction videos of bands I love! I got a picture with Tosin Abasi ages ago after an AAL show in the UK, what a treat!
It's so fun so see a genuine reaction.
Keep being honest man. Loved it
Will do bud. Don't know any other way.
Lol dude your eyes popping out as the song started was priceless. I still feel like that after years. Tosin (the lead guitarist) has this awesome double thumping technique that sets his playing apart. Check him out on UA-cam,his channel is pretty new but still fun
6:00 "I don't see the bassist."
Oh, my sweet summer child...
😂😂😂🙋🏼♂️
Whoops, just noticed someone else commented this like five months before me. Oh well.
They use loop pedals! I went to go see this band about 9 years ago with an ex, and I ended up getting gifted an 8 string guitar as a result of my awe at their playing (my ex was super generous sometimes lol), and it's still the guitar I use most primarily, even if I can't play like Tosin. :P My next recommend for AAL is "Physical Education", it is a bop!
Edit: Oh yeah! The drums on this particular album were programmed by Misha Mansoor of Periphery! And of course, have a damn good day everyone!
Exactly. Tosin plays the sweep arpeggio pattern and then loops it so he can play over the top. I believe he played both CAFO and Wave of Babies on the EMG TV youtube channel and it was just him and his pedal board.
The picking method Tosin Abasi is using in the intro riff is swybrid picking. So it’s a combination of sweep picking mixed with hybrid picking (playing with a pick and fingerpicking at the same time)
"I'm super jealous. That's hard work for you."
Very well said.
Well I watched this entire video with wide eyes of amazement!
Animals As Leaders = Just Woooo!! first band I found of this particular "genre/type", still love 'em.
ps: discovered your channel looking for this music video as I usually do and saw your "reaction" and gave it a chance... genuinely enjoyed you break it down in your own opinion and still enjoyed the music video. well done mate
Probably the best reaction video on all of UA-cam in any category.
Please react to “and plague flowers the kaleidoscope” by Ne obliviscaris. This song was included in a teaching curriculum at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the song being analysed for its composition
Ne Obliviscaris is another just as great live as studio bands! I recommend the live Colorado version of And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope.
they play sooo clean live aswell.. i do feel they lack just a bit of 'soul' but i hardly feel justified saying that seeing how amazing everything else is
Yesss! This band is so good! Its incredile
I would like to see this too
I used to be a scene kid in Melbourne I went to all their gigs and they're all really decent people. It always chirps me up a bit when I see people mention NeO because they honestly deserve it, they've worked hard and from day one they've always had a good attitude towards their fans
I love coming back to this and seeing your facial expression as Tosin goes through his crazyness :D
I remember when I first heard this song, when it came out. Before the Tosin Abasi/AAL-craze, which is perfectly in place and totally deserved.
I was blown away. I play guitar myself, too long for the level I am at, but this.. I didn't think it was possible to ever create such high level compositions.
It felt like a completely new style of playing or something, a new way to play the guitar.
Still one of the best songs/bands out there, for me personally.
I love the loong slow fade out, it sounds like they continue to shred forever hahah
Petition to get them to change their name to "All the strings"
Edit: "All the strings and the 12 string bassist"
😂 YES!!!
I remember seeing them live and the opening bands (not the least musicians) on the side of the stage fanboying like crazy over the drummer. Constantly looking at each other in disbelief, was so funny to watch.
I have been playing Guitar for Sometime now, and I'm proud to say I have the first 2 seconds of this Piece Pretty much nailed! ;0)
the look of bewilderment we all know so well when listening to animals as leaders
yeah i got floored listening to this the first time. took multiple listens to feel all of the beauty and "feel" to this song.
+ if you wanna see the primary thing tosin is known for check out "infinite regression" where it is most forefront. or "physical education" where it takes a more rythmic place but still noticeable.
5 seconds in... Face officially melted.
Thank you, I love Animals As Leaders! They put on an incredible live show 🤘🤘
I didn't know this band before, but WOW! So I just looked up some background. It's a trio: Two guitars and drums, but the guitarists (Tosin and Javier) also lay down the bass lines--either on an actual bass, or using the low-register strings on the 8-string guitars--they both do both. I am going to look up more of them, thanks for whoever recommended them. Big reason to watch your channel!!!!!
Tosin Abasi is such a beast. I found out about animals as leader from Rick Beatos channel and went binge listening for a week. Truly amazing stuff. Also Rick Beato Has done an interview with Tosin quite recently. You should definitely check that out.
been listening to your Band Maid reaction playlist in the background for the past few hours and finished it so i went to see what else you reacted to. Saw Aminals as Leaders and figured it would be good. Paused the video after the first couple of seconds to comment -- i think we all had a similar reaction the first time we listened to AAL.
Well, I started my lunch break and seen this reaction drop. It was a treat, both the song and the reaction. However, I kind of echo another commentor's feeling that it is so technical that it makes it a hard song to just relax and listen to. It makes me sit up and try to catch everything that is going on. I guess to some up my feelings, I enjoyed this music and it is a great song to listen to but not so good to relax to. I will have to listen to it again and your reaction again. Great reaction chase, as usual, you helped me appreciate the technical skill that it took to make this song and why it sounded good to me. (I need to listen to more of these guys though.)
My problem with it is that it's too technical to relax to, but also not very heavy or catchy, so it's hard to jam out to as well. I'm sure it really scratches an itch for someone, but I'm not sure who.
I’m always torn with these kind of bands. Polyphia is another one, the technicality, new techniques and originality are amazing and interesting, but I just can’t seem to listen to it over and over. Over the years I’ve gone through a lot of prog phases and gotten into a lot of really cool different stuff. Maybe I’m an old fart, but I’d still rather listen to David Gilmour emote with 5 perfectly paced, voiced and intonated notes over a couple bars. I can listen to that over and over again and not feel like he and others like him are any less a master of their tools.
1st listen - wtf! Next song.
2nd listen - hmm this is kinda... Next song.
3rd listen - i like this i think... Plays entire song.
4th to 150th listen - wtf! Why am i crying?
You know its good when 3:25 you start playing the air guitar 🤣
Yup, pretty much
It’s so great seeing your reaction. I remember when I first saw it, it was very similar. I wish they kept the video of just them, the animation is cool, but you want to see them playing.
Good old CAFO. I still remember the night I discovered them by this song at 2 a.m. - mind blown. Ceterum censeo: Please listen to Vitalism - Pagan Part II - no regrets, I promise :)
🤣 just loved the intro...says enough!
Kept on watching and there u go another good analyse!
Thank u Chase! 🖐
Dude you are right, there is a bass in the mix. I had never noticed that before.
They can 100% play this live. They are incredible.
Also, I've only just found your channel, do I detect a SAffer accent? edit* Just watched your Q&A - Jo'burg boy eh? Howzit Boet? I'm originally from Namibia, so it's great seeing someone from that part of the world doing well.
Nice one my dude. Yup SA born and bred.
Welcome to discovering Tosin Abasi. You should check out how much crazy stuff this band does.
"I don't know what's going on in the background but it looks like how my heart feels." 😂
Yo, you made me spit out my coffee hahaha
Tosin Abasi is the greatest guitarist alive.
"Animals as Leaders "Kascade" At Guitar Center" is a studio live of another one of their popular tracks.
And Javier
LMAO good one.Not even top 10000000000.Also,joggers are terrible with instruments unless it involve banging stick at tree trunk or something like that.
Samael 75 lmfao. Carlos Santana, Steve Vai and more all agree that that Abasi is a god amongst men
@@devinbender8428 You can be as much delusional as you want.Its your right.
Dude is talented no doubt, but this legit boring. A mind numbing unending scale.
Tried to just listen to the video in the background while doing work, then it was just nope. Have to watch this so I can see your brain melt! Great Reaction as always
Whoa, never heard of those guys before, but that was brilliant. The thing I like best about this channel (other than your unmatched & humble analysis of what's going on in the songs you're listening to) is all the new music I'm discovering.
Top 40's garbage had eroded my interest in discovering new music, but bands like Jinjer & these guys are slowly restoring my faith that there are still bands out there producing quality stuff. Can't wait for the next one.
You should check out periphery. I like their first record, but their 2nd and 3rd are just masterpieces (imho).
o.o this is awesome, thanks for giving me yet another band to check out
CAFO was my introduction to AAL as well a long time ago, and the face you made is absolutely relatable. They've evolved *a lot* over the past few years. Tosin is an absolute beast and has become reference for popularizing the traditional bass thumping technique among guitarists in prog/metal music. Another great guitar player that I love is Jason Richardson, and I think it'd be awesome if you could react to "Hos Down".
Animals as Leaders, specifically this piece (CAFO) is the first song I heard of theirs. At the very beginning, I was just hearing 'noise'... then suddenly it all clicked in for me and suddenly I'm sitting there going O_O. Glad I'm not the only one who had that reaction. Extremely good instrumentals.
This band wouldn't work with anyone else. All 3 of these guys compliment each other so well.
I've seen them live 3 times all with ending the show with cafo. These guys were my introduction to the djent style and I love their stuff. Tosin's talent is in another galaxy.
I've seen them perform this live at Heavy Montreal 2016. They end with a drum solo instead of a fade-out.
The drums in the first album where recorded on a computer so the drummer is not playing it, but the live version is from another planet
I saw these guys live one time probably 5+ years ago. I didnt even know who they were, but they opened for TesseracT (the band I went to see). Needless to say I was very impressed!
Few of my favs from AAL, "Behaving Badly," "Tooth & Claw," "The Brain Dance," & "Inner Assassins." All very different from one another.
wow! that was intense! and mind bending. nice. 👌
Dear Chase. G'day 😊 🇦🇨 🌟Great reaction. That "creature"? looked like one of those deep ocean floor crawlers. 🦑 Beautiful. 💖 Tea & oxygen? 💕💕
see the insane thing here, is Tosin is only 24/25 when this was recorded. Goddamn nutty skill for someone that young.
Tobin (lead guitar) uses a looper pedal for the sweeping intro so it can continue to play while they go from the intro into the rhythm part of the song. It's pretty intense.
Great in depth analysis of this phenomenal song!
at 5:24 the meter is 13/16. you can see that if you count your feet until it gives a full loop
That lead is looped. When they play live, he plays it, loops it and it continues on. There are a lot of great videos of just Tosin playing it and showing how he structures it.
"Nice welcome break from the intensity" ...famous last words
Also anything on their first album was just Tosin Abasi and Misha from Periphery doing production. After they wrote the first album, they looked for other musicians to join the band. Matt, the drummer of Periphery, almost ended up in Animals instead. Album number 2 was the first full band album. Album three introduced Matt Gartska on drums, one of the best drummers on the planet.
But isn't Matt gartska in this music video?
Awesome review Chase, thanks for checking out AAL. I don't play guitar myself, but I've been to a workshop of Tosin, which he did at a Montreal music shop a few years ago, I think to promote the Ibanez 8-string guitar he played back then (he's got a new signature guitar now). If I'm not mistaken, they use a lot of pedals, including loop pedals to get that layering. Back then, what surprised me most, seeing them play this song a few meters in front of me, was that the "rhythm guitarist" repeated a lot of those crazy riffs as well, while I always thought he kept things simpler. I was thoroughly impressed by the whole band. My husband got to try out the 8-string and felt intimidated by how big it was, so it's still the good old 7-string for him.
Totally unrelated, but he has decided to not give up on learning to sweep pick (after a few failed attempts back then), so we agreed that once he can play that at proper speed, he can pick out a shiny new guitar (currently oogling at a Framus Stormbender).
If you're already going down the Polyphia and AAL rabbit hole, your next stop should be Plini. Check out Kind, Electric Sunrise, Every Piece Matters (possibly my favorite song of his), Inhale, I'll Tell You Someday, and Selenium Forest.
Also instrumental, but gorgeous songwriting and impeccable skill by all the musicians involved.
Him trying to explain animals as leaders is omg
Think I heard somewhere that they used a drum machine on their first album, but the guy can do it live, which... honestly makes that even more impressive.
It's funny hearing you say, "they wouldn't record anything they couldn't play live" or how they had to play off of each other's parts. This album was created entirely by Tosin (the guitarist doing all the crazy sweeps and tapping). He was so good that the record company wanted him to make a solo album and this is the result. Misha Mansoor of Periphery helped with engineering and programming. The rest of the members didn't enter the picture until later on.
Have you ever listened to any music by Rush? A Canadian classic rock band. Even if you have heard their work it would still be cool to hear your breakdown of their songs! Their song 2112 is long but awesome! Spirt of Radio, Tom Sawyer and YYZ are also great songs of theirs 🤘😁🤘
Fellow Canadian! Yes, Rush is part of our blood and bone. Miss them.
As a Canadian, I approve.
My dude here describing Rush like they're some unknown band.
Spirit of the radio*
@@jamestalkington6306 sorry, yes, thank you.
Devin and now this...Okay, you win I subscribed!
Check out Plini- Electric Sunrise or CASCADE!!!
Yes! Plini sounds quite fitting for this channel.
Cascade
Or Paper Moon!
Saw these guys play Summer Slaughter a few years ago. Epic.
Try Brain Dance from Dunlop sessions. The sound and video quality is superb. And its nice to see them play. Its a more chill vibed song.
Well, I'm just gonna continue requesting a Periphery reaction :D You should probably start with Stranger Things
I disagree. I think Blood eagle, marigold or Reptile are better songs to start with. Stranger things is a great 2nd or third periphery song to check out!
@@camhorejs i get where you are coming from, but Blood Eagle and Marigold stay pretty consistent and don't really give a good showcase to all their abilities. Stranger Things has a lot more different stuff going on. if i were to compare it to Chase's Nightwish journey, Ghost Love Score was the first song and it shows a lot of different strenghts of the band. And then you get to Romanticide, a pretty straight foward song which stays in a consistent place. that's where i would reccomend putting BE or Marigold. and Reptile is this big epic thing which should be "worked" towards. like Poet and the Pendulum
Have a blast < just do it
You're all wrong. Zyglrox or gtfo.
@@zeehereticpixie oh yeeeaaah, i totally forgot about that one...coughcough
laughed at your reaction, but I had the same :) cool guys, no words, and where do you find them :) the composition is technical, poetry would be superfluous :)
Amazing! Quick points:
1. They don't have a live bassist.
2. The sweeping is being looped by using the boomerang looper pedal
3. Back then the drums were programmed but as they wanted to keep the budget a little lower, and it was just simoler to program it.
4. They can play EVERYTHING live
5. Please check their new drummer (I mean he's with them for years now, but that's not the guy from the video -Navene Koperweis) Matt Garstka.. He's out of this planet!
Wow, that was impressive! Stuff like that always makes me want to learn playing guitar 🙈
Cool huh?
I‘ve tried a few times but my left hand is just stupid and doesn’t want to do what I want 😂
After a lifetime of being a metal fan, I tend to geek out on technical guitar playing 😍😁
Also try Opeth, either Deliverance or Reviere/Harlequin Forest
Good analysis and nice reactions mate! I remember when I first run onto Animals back in the day, the first tune for me was Tempting Time and it was just as insane experience. If you are looking for some interesting videos to react to my suggestions would be:
Fredrik Thordendal and Morgan Ågren medley
Baard Kolstad playthrough of Moon
Devin Townsend's tune Kingdom
Tosin Abasi is awesome. 8-string guitar is not just for Djent. I do a lot of two hand tapping on my 6-string bass, and for a consistent sound level a good compressor is a must.
i mean this is pretty Djent-adjacent