Nietzsche said, "...if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you". If the guitar is the abyss, Tosin did a double back flip straight into it.
And not only are AAL constantly pushing what can be done, they've created so many MELODIC moments that fit the song perfectly and strike emotions I've personally rarely felt from other bands They ABSOLUTELY can write amazing melodies, grooves, technical and chaotic lines, they really can do it all without making it sound like a technique exercise!
I always describe AAL to non-musicians as the “high fashion” of music. Most people see the wacky outfits that are shown off during fashion shows and wonder “who would ever wear that?”, but that’s not really the point. It’s (at least from my point of view) more about pushing the envelope and showing off high level concepts that, hopefully, will eventually trickle down into more mainstream fashion, albeit in more palatable ways. You can already see this with artists like Polyphia or Ando San incorporating Tosin-like thumping into music that is clearly intended for a wider audience.
@erikleonhardt5027 Really love that metaphorical comparison. Pretty spot, I'd say. I think a lot of the real value is in the trickle down you mentioned
This is such a good point, amd actually applies to food as well. As a chef who has worked in 4 diamond restaurants, I became a bit disillusioned and tired of the pretentiousness of high concept fine dining. I still wouldn't go back to it, career wise, but I have regained my appreciation for it after realizing this dynamic exists by seeing how my experience in those restaurants crafting those specific menus actually informs what I'm doing now.
Definitely valid. There are plenty of musicians I admire more for their skill. I love these guys for their music and the skill level involved is just a cherry on top
When he was in Reflux, I saw him play live. Best guitarist I've ever seen. He stayed on stage after the set and talked to us remaining guitar nerds for a long while.
Saw reflux too a bunch of times! Amazing band. Evan Brewer on Bass and Ash the owner of Sumerian on vocals. They had a beastly drummer too but I haven’t seen him do anything since reflux. :(
Same here, saw reflux at the new England metal festival at the Worcester palladium, was blown away by his playing on his Steve Vai Ibanez 7 string, saw him in the crowd and couldn't help but approach him and tell him what an impression his performance made on me.
@azhaz578 It's insane how elementary he makes Gambales' technique look. Tosin took it behind the barn, shot it, then brought it back to life with 3 heads, 4 arms, and 6 legs
@@monfloral lol agreed. I will say FG is still miles ahead in playing clean. He's still on another level in his field. Tosin can still be pretty sloppy at times, but has dominated the 8 string. FG on the other hand, is just insanely clean no matter what he plays.
The first album is still my favourite, it had a bit of everything while still feeling human, but you have to bow at the display of absolute pure talent they have achieved with the new stuff
Tosin and Javier are probably the best guitar players I've ever seen and maybe the most influential. Everybody talks about Tim Henson(who's also incredibly proficient), but forget tosin is the true goat. And yeah AAL has a lot of notes in their songs and their skills are on display in their music, but what else do you want from an instrumental progressive metal band?? Their music grooves hard and is unique and flavorful. From jazz, fusion, math rock, Spanish- classical, to metal. There's so much to appreciate in all of their songs.
Folks who say "such and such isn't music" are usually just falsely elevating their subjective tastes to a place of absoluteness and objectivity. If there are rhythms, harmonies and melodies(and all three of these don't have to be present in a track), it's music.
I still love the first self titled animals as leaders album to this day. The blending of electronic samples into the drums and guitar created so many interesting sonic textures. The melodies are unique, and there’s a lot of dynamics in the music and variations in rhythm.
the video title could have tried to have a point a decade ago before they released the joy of motion. but everyone knew what was coming with their self titled and CAFO, etc. tosin is a literal god, we are all lucky to live in his timeline
Some of this music, you can’t listen to like normal albums. I’m usually listening to a lot of background music during work, ranging from techno to soundtracks and AAL fits perfectly into this, so does Meshuggah. Don’t know how to describe it, but it’s more of a percussive soundtrack than guitar music if that makes sense. A lot of modern metal (Djent) is actually like that and I like it. They are groovy as hell without being fatiguing like death or black metal.
I've only known of Animals for about two years now and my life has been forever changed. Not putting myself over but I've been arguing with people who love the band that Spanish guitar, jazz and funk pervasive in their music. You hear it most in Joy of Motion. And I'm just a dude who loves music. I'm not educated in it at all and I can see that they transcend Djent. They may be the most genre bending/defying band out there. And your assessment of Abasi attempting to "conquer the instrument" is spot on. I saw them live in Philly last year and I've only had this reaction at a Donny McCaslin show. "Do you have something to prove?" It was an experience I'll never forget and will always try to be a part of. I felt like they broke space time. The door to the multiverse opened up and they welcomed us in.
I’m not a fan of the music but I like Tosin because he has respect for completely different styles. I’m into gritty rough playing styles and I tend to play that way myself I don’t have the patience to construct everything perfectly. But everybody has their thing
As a guitar player I have massive amounts of respect Tosin. He does some things that I could never imagine doing simply because he's physically and technically gifted. I get the point that people are trying to make about technicality to some extent, a new technique is only as useful as the composition it serves, but etudes are an important part of the process of making new music. Years from now the things he does will be used in application he himself never realized. I love his use of poly-rhythm, probably the innovative thing about his music to me. The only thing I can't get down with is the constant comparisons to Jazz. Tosin is a lot of things but he's probably not in the top 100 improvisors in the history of guitar. When he plays off the cuff, it just sounds so mechanical and uninspired to me. When Miles Davis would pick up his horn he could pull a melody out of the ether, and then through iterative process explore every variation of that melody possible. On guitar, you have guys like Trey Anastasio or Bill Frisell who can do that same thing. I'm not saying one is better than the other because that would be like comparing Jackie Robinson to LeBron James, their respective sports require really different skill sets. Tosin's music is totally a classical approach, its meticulously through composed. I understand why its impressive, but as a Jazz head live shows that sound "just like the record" are boring to me.
He's awesome as hell. They both are. In a genre of music where it's difficult to achieve an original sound and style are the pinnacle of modern rock guitar. And they're both come across as extremely humble in interviews
Tosin has the skill of being technical but only as much as he needs to to convey what he wants to deliver. Holding back and being sophisticated and mixing these two is a guitar skill as well
IMO the people who say its technique over music are incredibly oblivious. Tosin is the best example of how technique can serve music rather than sounding like boring mindless scale runs unlike the vast majority of shredders of the past. Also the melodic work is just insane. I don't know if you ever had that realization but there are tons of his motifs in his riffs and licks that if you slow them down a little bit start sounding like gorgeous emotional pieces. Now I'm biased ofc because his music aesthetic just happens to resonate strongly with my own tastes. So there's that.
@hastesoldat This! If you aren't aware of his intent to construct technical progressions, its tough to even be aware of the magic that's taking place especially if you aren't remotely familiar with the style. But once you know, you can start to hear it. Also I've never actually slowed down his pieces so I'll have to give that a listen and see what comes out of it.
I have only made it 3 minutes into your video, and you already have a new sub. I love how concise you are with your words. Amazing work. PS Javier is also a super phenomenal player. Have you listened to his band Mestis? It's a little more jazzy with some Latin flavor.
the only thing i dont like about animals as leaders is the lack of a bass guitar in the mix.... even with extended range guitars you need a dedicated bass player to fill out the mix, as complex as the music gets it never feels finished, like its lacking something
For what it's worth, Animals as Leaders is currently my favorite band and has been for a few years now. I love the musicianship but I also love the music.
Nice video bro, "Mastery" is right. Noone innovating like he does. I also love how Tosin pays homage to Meshuggah and he definitely learned how to make things rhythmically interesting with techniques and use of time signatures. It's not just the 8 strings that Meshuggah started. Also, old Meshuggah was actually typical shred style thrashy but I think Fredrik cut his finger tips off like Toni Iommi and had to become more creative with his right hand. ❤
Hes not my cup of tea, but very talented. Kind if like Steve Vai- technically good but not the songwriting I tend to enjoy. They are both guitar players I like to watch rather watch than listen to, if you know what I mean
Well said. I think what a person creates is a reflection of their mind, and in Tosin's case, it makes a lot of sense. If you ever heard him speak, you realize the dude is really intelligent. He's making exactly the music he wants to make, and it's tied to his caliber and identity. Gotta admire genuine artistry
Please write a book and keep a tight leash on your editor. Bc your use of the English language is as phenomenal as Tosin’s prowess on the guitar. Wonderful piece my dude, thx for the content
Its not for everyone, but the impression shouldn't be that the only people who like it just enjoy the complexity of it for complexity's sake. Its real music to the people who genuinely enjoy it. I guess that's hard to believe for people who think its too complex.
While I accept that AaL aren't my thing, the biggest gripe for me is the lack of a bass player in the band. You've got Garstka playing like a madman and no one really 'gluing' his playing to the guitars. This was even more apparent live, where I was left wanting to hear space for the bass to bring the whole arrangement together.
I think Tosin sits in the same guitar realm as Robert Fripp - It's experimenting and then repeatedly testing how far a concept can go, which is really sick to see! I'm not a diehard AAL fan, and I'm not a big fan of this style of technical playing in general, but it's incredible to listen to nontheless!
One of my favorite things Tosin has ever done was the Reflux album Illusion of Democracy. The riffs are killer, and iirc this is before he went to Berkeley.
I simply lobe what he and AAL are doing its different and challenges my brain and ears. Many times I don't like it and love it in the same time I know it doesn't make sense but its just how it is. The best part he is authentic and you hear it in his music and playing.
Tosin is one of a kind. He’s kinda like Eddie Van Halen: not SUPER technical like Paul Gilbert or John Petrucci, but rather does something truly unique and takes advantage of the fact.
I still vividly remember when I first heard Tempting Time and then CAFO for the first time back in 2010. To me it felt like one of those pivotal moments in guitar playing where someone comes along and just raises the bar for what's possible and changes the entire guitar playing landscape. There's only been a handful of times this happened in history. Hendrix, Van Halen, Malmsteen (yes, I know most hate him), and then Abasi. Personally I still listen to AAL quite a bit and love the music (though that first album is till the best IMHO). To me it just sounds sonically, and rhythmically rich and interesting. Some people interpret complexity as automatically meaning the music is soulless but I disagree. You can have both.
SAME, I agree with all that. CAFO was something else, glad to be a young adult when it dropped as the other pioneer shredders were already known. I'm a big fan of rhythmic bands like deftones and Meshiggah as well as all the shredders like Death, Pantera, Archspire... but Tosin does it all and once you get those gateway AAL grooves it's on like Donkey Kong hey. 🎉
I'm not a particular fan, but they are genius. This is a special level of excellence. It is an example of how a person was able to discover a talent given to them by God or nature (depending on your views). I am sure that most people have some talent for something. More often than not, even several. But only a few manage to open the most important one. Tosin and Xavier are grandiose musicians. 0:47 - absolute truth. Genre subjectivism is the main obstacle for a person who wants to understand music. The fact that I can listen to, for example, pygmy music now and, later on, harsh noise and enjoy both of them is better than having a head full of prejudices about certain genres.
when it comes to prog there's always going to be people that don't think it has feel or emotion. animals as leaders in my opinion has the perfect balance of technicality and feel. i'm into other genres like grindcore and mathcore as well and a lot of people feel the same way about that music.
Tosin delivers what Polyphia tries to deliver. Something complex and masterful, while retaining enough structure to carry the listener through the textures in a meaningful way.
Great video, Mon. Easy sub, looking forward to viewing your other work. One thing that I'd like to better understand is musical lineage behind Tosin's approach to music making. You note that AAL has similar song structure / tone to Tool, but I also hear earlier roots of prog (e.g., King Crimson, Rush, Dream Theater) in some of their mid-song grooves (e.g., the 2-min mark of Brain Dance--you'll hear what I mean). Tonally, he borrows a bit from heavy metal (e.g., all of the harmonic pings sound like Eddie Van Halen imo), a bit from Steve Vai / Yngwie Malmsteen (those whackier/shriekier tones), etc. And the next generation is picking up what Tosin's putting down in terms of picking technique: Roopam Garg (aka "the Surrealist"), who is signed to Tosin's guitar line, has been releasing some interesting pure-pick tracks that completely change the texture of the instrument. In short, would love to hear your views on which artists Tosin/AAL draws on, and who they're influencing next. Thanks.
The thing is not about being technical is about the music in harmony with the technique and to make this sounds you have to be completely enveloped in it or it wont sound as good and yes there is a lot of people that can do the techniques but can't push it like he does because that is where he shines above the rest is that he actually trying to make music with this sounds and concepts
It's the musical equivalent of a pissing contest, and as soon as the next guy comes along who can piss a little bit higher, then Tosin will be relegated to the same ranks as Michael Angelo Batio or The Great Kat
Its definitely incredible but i think hes still building his skills. Maybe one day he will pour his heart into something without consideration to technicality. A magnum opis after a long journey to his own standard of mastery
Hot take: I think Tosin would benefit from playing in a band with a vocalist because it would require him to make more space in his music. I love Animals as Leaders but a lot of it is busy beyond need.
I'm only recently learning to hear more emotion within music, but I think AAL def have some really emotional passages. As soon as that lead guitar in Red Miso comes in, it is dripping with emotional impact to me. And that main recurring riff sounds so stoic but with an underlying sadness to it. Idk, maybe it's just me
