Ladies and djentlemen, the weeks of March 25 & April 1 marked the release of albums from two prominent metal bands in the metal style known as ‘djent.’
Scene progenitors from Sweden, MESHUGGAH, have released their ninth studio album with Immutable on Atomic Fire Records. Meshuggah is often known for their complex song structure and technical prowess. This is still the case.
Polyrhythmic grooves and angular guitars give the feeling of looking at a complex equation with your ears. On the surface, it sounds like music made by robots, but drummer and songwriter Tomas Haake proves otherwise, giving it depth. Taking a deeper dive, one can even hear the influence of tribal polyrhythms from traditional African music.
The wide spectrum of influences has allowed Meshuggah to become the originators of its own progressive metal subgenre—djent. The name djent imitates the high-gain, distorted and palm muted signature guitar sound developed by Meshuggah guitarist Mårten Hagström.
Immutable is a strong release to compliment a discography that has influenced a generation of musicians. It is also a contender for Top Metal Albums of 2022. Rating: 4 out of 5.
Washington, DC-based ANIMALS AS LEADERS goes beyond metal with their sixth studio album Parrhesia on Sumerian Records.
Animals As Leaders defies the progressive metal moniker as a thought-provoking, story-laden journey into sound. Nigerian-American Tosin Abasi is the guitarist and primary songwriter of this instrumental outfit. He seamlessly blends the progressive stylings with technical might—he even has his own guitar company!
Simply watching Abasi on his 8-string guitar is a treat in and of itself. He started Animals As Leaders as a solo project, but quickly made it a collaborative project with Javier Reyes on guitar and bass, and Matt Garstka on drums.
His playthrough and music videos validate the sometimes super-human sound of tracks like “Micro-Aggressions.”
The latest album, Parrhesia, still has the Animals As Leaders signature sound of musically-proficient and memorable hooks, but seems to have more of an electronic tone. The futuristic soundscapes take you into the depths of space and allows you to explore other worlds, while exploring the possibilities of the guitar.
Parrhesia is so far my favorite album this year, and can be enjoyed by those who simply have a love for music. Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Russ Slaten, KRUA Loud Rock Director, writes Metal Reviews based on new, heavy music at KRUA 88.1FM (kruaradio.org), UAA’s student-run radio station in Anchorage, Alaska.
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