Polymeters in the music of Animals as Leaders (Ka$cade), Reaction/Analysis | The Daily Doug (Ep 401) 

Thanks Doug! I requested this on a Superchat 👊

This new school of rhythm is super inspired by Meshuggah (who are themselves inspired by thrash metal and prog bands). I would definitely recommend checking them out, most of it is a masterclass on superimposing 4/4 with odd time feel.

Great reaction! I would suggest "Red Miso" from their newest album for your next listen.

Animals As Leaders is one of the few “prog” bands I can listen to for hours without getting bored of their music. They always find ways to surprise me. Love their first three records so much!

The symmetry and asymmetry are what makes it feel like a CASCADE 😎

I reckon we need some Allan Holdsworth or some Planet X on the channel after something like this. Holdsworth is where these chord voicings came from

Gestaltzerfall from their latest album would be right up your alley. Simply wonderful melodies interweaved with some absolutely mind-melting stuff.

Doug is slowly turning into a metalhead, we can tell xD

you are the first person to actually break down the song in detail, love learning from you. You should give Covet or chon a reaction, would LOVE to see it.

You Should Do Some Jaco Pastorius! (Recommend a song called Slang)

Am totally into AAL, they are my new favourite band. Almost every track is totally mind-blowing, and contrary to what some may think, it isn't all about technical wizardry, it is very harmonic and lovely to listen to, even at its most extreme. Thank goodness for bands like them and visionaries like Tosin Abasi.

I can one thousand percent relate to the feeling of "attempts to keep up with Animals as Leaders"

when is this man gonna look at meshuggah

the polymeter you're getting hung up on is 5 against 4. It's used extensively throughout Kascade.

your description of what you think is happening rhythmically at 6:30 in this video... is a near perfect explanation of what many consider the main rhythmical device used in djent. Just found your channel and I am surprised to not find any Periphery on here! Subbed. Great reaction/analysis.

You should check out "Red MIso" off of their new album Parrhesia, that would be a cool one to break down Another cool video, keep it up!

Definitely would recommend more of their stuff, especially newer songs (funny, feels like this song came out recently but also half a lifetime ago when you think about it and see how different the guys look now). The Brain Dance is a masterpiece and my favourite off their new record is Red Miso, I think.

You gotta do Red Miso by them. Slow enough to where you can properly analyze but also the most insane bridge ive ever heard

Fates Warnings, The Longest Shadow of the Day.

DO MESHUGGAH!!! Preferable a song like "God He Sees in Mirrors", "Dancers to a Discordant System", or "Closed Eye Visuals"

I'm not sure that I've seen Doug genuinely confused. He needs to listen to this song a second time and try to figure it out. I assume its a fun challenge for a musician to try and figure it out.

Great stuff and awesome analysis!!....Animals As Leaders have taken it all a step further from Planet X (Derek Sherinian, Tony McAlpine & Virgil Donati) with their polyrhythms and the like...I'd recommend Planet X, particularly their Moonbabies and Quantum albums!

16:48 Enthralled is the word you're looking for lol Been there; I've seen it happen first-hand

i'm sure you will find Between the Buried and me interesting as well. Hopefully my vote will come through for that :)

Doug do red miso or cafo pls

If you can stomach the harsh scream vocals, I guarantee there's a whole new world of music for you in Meshuggah. I guess the track Do Not Look Down would be easy to start from - it's super interesting from the start as they keep playing 17/16 against 4/4 for 2 minutes straight and then delve into something else. Meshuggah is also melodically interesting as they are really chromatic in a unique way.

I drove for a couple of hours to see Animals as Leaders. With support by Plini, in a dive of a venue, that gig was intense. Exhausted and drained… but also invigorated so the drive back home was no problem. Glad you enjoyed AAL =)

Thanks Doug. If you're interested in this specifical concept of Polymeters, nobody does it in a more clever and sophisticated way than Meshuggah. They're also more avantgarde and extreme than the bands you tend to discuss, and "Stengah" would perhaps be a good start?

You should definetly check out more from them :) I have been waiting for Animals as leaders since you did brain dance. I recommend The Woven Web, Monomyth, Arithmophobia... and oh so many others but let's stick to those 3 for now ;)

Doug, it seems like you've been doing metal all the time! Why not check out something completely different like The B-52's, with the often astonishing vocals, for example "Channel Z"? Or "Roam"?

"they know that they're virtuosic players (...) but they're interested in crafting real pieces that people can really groove to" Sounds a lot of like Jakub Żytecki also

waiting for a Meshuggah reaction since ever! They are the true rhythm masters

Man, you have to listen to their new album!!

Meshuggah !!

Manowar-Heart of steel (with orchestra or not)

Please do Call of Ktulu by Metallica!! I'd love to learn more about this one! It's a basically 9 minute instrumental!!

Hard to believe it’s been a year! I’ve been watching you for a year! You are a keeper now!😂

Thanks Doug! Nice one. Did you know Animals As Leaders just released a new album? "Parrhesia". It is _a_m_a_zing._ Oh! PS: Check out Yvette Young and her band Covet. She's also an incredible guitarist(a) & composer. Very unusual meters & chords & stuff. I think you'll like that.

Tosin is just one of the greatest of all time....already...and he's still so young..!!! and the other two guys don't suck either...

that riff at 6:00, i could just listen to that for 12 hours.

This sounds like KING CRIMSON 2000!! is the same as "Fracktured" or something from "The Construcktion of Light" jajajaja.... the other guy (the bassist) play a guitar like Trey Gunn (more or less) Doug says "¡Unbelievable!" NO!...When you are a King Crimson Fan...! (I am since 1992)

This was an absolute pleasure to watch! So glad you've discovered a crazy world of AAL! Can't wait to chat about it at the next council!

Thanks for this one Doug! Loved how confused you were by the rhythms, and to be honest, the polymeters here aren't even that complicated compared to other things they've done. Also, could you give some examples of artists/bands that you're thinking of when you say "virtuosity for virtuosity's sake"?

I hope you react someday to "the contortionist" lenguage 1 and lenguage 2, they will blow your mind

Great job doing there, Doug! Ever considered analyzing some Cynic tracks? Their Focus album (1993) was revolutionary in metal for being fusion-/ambient-induced with vocoder vocals, modulated clean sounds, fretless bass and fluid jazz drumming, although my favourite is their Traced In Air album (2008) - I'll recommend the 'Evolutionary Sleeper' track but there's none that is worth skipping to me - IMO one of the best albums ever made (not just in metal but in general)

You should try Red Miso from the last album. Is a complex powerful piece of art

Something that appealed to me is that their 8 strings are not there to simply replace the bass, but integrate perfectly into the melodic composition!

My 8 year olds favorite song by them is tooth and claw, it would be awesome if you did that one at some point!

I’ve always loved AaL, but I can never know what they do from a musical standpoint. I do love to just let it wash over me though.

PLEASE DO HOLDSWORTH!!!! Allan and meshuggah are what created this sound lol

Two things: 1. Javier has some really cool flamenco guitar videos that are def worth checking out, and 2. Matt Garska has always been awesome to listen to, but on their latest album Parrhesia, he's broken through to some new level and is now easily among my favorite drummers ever. Thanks for doing this one on the channel.

POLYPHIA: PLAYING GOD is insane! Give it a listen/video!

Amazing reaction as usual ! Let's dig in Freak Kitchen, Plini and Intervals :)

Everything you expained on this video, in a song: Future Breed machine, by Meshuggah. Do it.

The guitar work is obviously influenced by Allan Holdsworth.

would love for you to check out bands like Corelia, Kadinja, or Slice the Cake for some metal mondays :^)

You always find new interesting stuff to challenge the listeners. Always enjoy your analysis. Reminds me of my graduate level 20th century analysis class. If this interests you go back and check out Mahavisnu Orchestra from late 70’S and early 80’s.

Thanks! That was the band I wanted to be reviewed when you posted your "blocked" metal monday 🎶

Hey Doug, you are without a doubt the best reaction channel on YT. Well...for a long time, i really hated all of these reaction channels. To me, it's nothing one should be payed for. Everybody can sit in front of a cam and even if he or she is not into music, they turn into pro's, pretending they got knowledge just to earn more money. After all these years, you are the first "reactor" i can watch and support. And don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing them for the sake of it. But for example: A hip hop head is listening to Dream Theater or Animals as Leaders and they're pretending to understand this music....well....that is pretty much bullshit.

Yep, you don't need a bass when you have two 8-string guitars.... 🤣🤣👍 Great band!

U should listen to woven web from them, this song sound very symmetrical and very beautiful, i would like to see ur thought about this song, nice reaction btw,

It's a hard analysis, isn't it? Thanks for the video Let me help you out, my dude. So...Most of it is in 4/4. In fact, most of AAL write in 4/4. The thing you are getting tricked by, like most people, is the guitar. But if you simply listen to the drums: the high hat especially and snare, you will hear it. A lot of it are "poly meters", even though poly meters shouldn't really exist in normal notation, due to bar number confusion... It is the "sense" of two different meters. Thats the whole point of it. Just like meshuggahs music. In essence, the guitar is doing accented grooves in 5 and 7 and things like that, right. For example, the intro "kascadey"; selective picking riff, is just simply a bunch of semiquavers accented on every fifth semiquaver whilst the drums are copying the accents on the snare, until they eventually break out and do there own 4/4, simple pattern. But you can hear the high-hat! its just straight crochets the whole time, right! So simple... Just "Follow the hat" and where the music sentances finishes... Then you will have your time signature. They are a great band :)

@Doug Helvering , this is MathRock. Check out CHON also LITE. 😎

the part at 3:41 is in 4/4 but the drums play groups of 5 in 16th notes, so the accent shifts and thats why it sounds odd

Hi Doug, i tried more than once hear animals as leaders, in fact i have their first album, very very good, but, equally technical but a lot more crazier and enjoyable are the Ron Jarzombek projects, Spastic ink or Blotted science. You definitive have to hear them..... Spastic ink is more fun, weird kind of methal, just 2 albums. Blotted science is more like technical death metal (instrumental), but impressive as hell, (just 1 album and 1 EP).... Thrust me,.. take my humble advice... Cheers from Chile

I would recommend reacting and checking out Plini. Guitar and musician extraordinaire.

I had to put on some Bob Marley after this. It's not really listenable for more than 30 seconds. In my opinion, of course.

Doug, please react a brazillian female death metal band called Crypta. Try the From the Ashes (video), or Dark Night of the Soul (great full band playthrough). You will love it!

Well, now let's hope you don't exclude the *extreme metal minority* that suggests Meshuggah to be the next one to check, right? 'Cause you know, up to now the most requested/mentioned from the comments* are: Messhuggah: 50 likes/5 mentions Allan Holdsworth: 16 likes/4 mentions *info gathered through 'RU-vid Comment Search' extension

This was pretty good but if you want to go full metal instrumental then I would go with Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence or Metal Church - It's a Secret or Iron Maiden - Genghis Khan, or Losfer Words.

I'm really just posting this for myself because this comment probably doesn't make sense... It's hard because the drummer is doing polyrhythms, along with the guitars doing both similar and/or different polyrhythms interchangeably. And as soon as you start to understand one section...it changes. only way to understand it is to give it study time. I like how in the end you mention imagining going to their concerts and being drained in the best possible way...I'm a drummer and the first concert I went to with AAL headlining I literally couldn't stand it..I took a video and in the background I'm just screaming because I can't comprehend the music...you have to let go and just scream out the confusion and LOVE of the rhythms...and MELODY!

To much noise , less music, their are great , but...more melody and music .

Checkout Periphery, they have plenty of playthrough videos!

I made some of those same faces the first time I listened to AAL. ;)

Please check out stuff from their new album. Maybe a drum playthrough by drummer Matt Garstka. He will blow your mind.

Between the Buried and me is another great prog band ..They have songs that track 15-16 mins long ... When you here a polka breakdown in the middle of a track don't be surprised . :)

Thanks

You should also react to their The Woven Web live from Brutal Assault.

Please check out more of them! Their newest album especially!

Reminds me a little of Hella from Hold Your Horse Is (which I mean as a compliment).

It’s looking at it from multiple perspectives! Shifting from quintuplets inside of four and then just playing those five sixteenths through the four to overlap a sixteenth every grouping!! At least that is what Matt is doing! Tosin and Javi are playing fast fives in that main thing motif!

They seem to be (heavily) inspired by Cynic "Focus" (1993) but are not as good though :P

I can't even walk straight after listening to this piece... In a good way

Another similar band would be The Omnific. It's two bassists and a drummer. Antecedent or Scurryfunge off of their recent album are good ones to listen to first up.

So the drums are not exactly in 4/4, the drummer plays polirythms to match up the polimetrics. So he is playing for example 5/4 over 4/4 at the same time

I think you'd enjoy The Aristocrats quite a lot. Three great musicians having lots of fun. Probably the best guitar player or at least most well rounded one for sure, try Blues F*ckers for an entertaining drum solo, or bad asteroid for sort of an easy listening staple tune of theirs.

javier's guitar doesn't come through very well in this mix.

10:48 & 12:13 to 12:25....said every AAL fan, at some point!🤣👍🏼

This is why I listen to djenty metal when exercising. Gets me pumped! Let me know if you need recommendations haha

The chord voicings mentioned at 5:14 remind me of Alan Holdsworth

There is a reason why there is a style called Math Metal :) I saw them some 10 years ago in Germany, it was something else.

Check out matt garstkas meinl channel stuff. New record dropped and his vids are off the planet with the stuff they are playin now!! Even not to do reaction vids but just to check out and dive down that hole

I hope afterwards you listened again without thinking about time so much, paying more attention to the melodies.

Animals as leaders is a band that does its thing on polyrhythms. Try listening to meshuggah . Any song . And you will have an idea. U already have an idea about this. eg . Try listening to humiliative by meshuggah . Or bleed .

Hendrix's soul came back to get his money in the body Tosin..

Listen to sweep of days by belakor you will be amazed by a speciffic part

You should react to The Brain Dance

Please listen to the "Tesseract" band from UK too. And what U think?

Check out Reptile by Periphery!! Great stuff!

Talking polyrhythms, add Taste to your Phish list.