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Hey! Listen to Animus Complex

If life up until this point (and at 28, that’s not saying much) has taught me anything, it’s that you should never quit when you’re ahead. Keeping

8 years ago

If life up until this point (and at 28, that’s not saying much) has taught me anything, it’s that you should never quit when you’re ahead. Keeping that in mind, why in the hell would we stop telling you about great progressive metal? Especially when the Internet is dishing us up such prime and beautiful cuts as these? Truly, we are blessed: Animus Complex apparently released a great record in November of 2015 and we’re here to tell you to listen to it. It’s a mix of what we called the mainstay of progressive today in our taxonomy post. Head on over the break for your first taste.

What you have here is a classic progressive mix: from the intriguing and calculated drum-only intro, to the intricate guitar lines and the soaring vocals, this is progressive metal done right to a tee. Deserving special attention is the bass; utilizing a spotlight/strobe approach, it has a very interesting structure supporting the whole thing. This pleasing mix continues, in Textures like fashion, up until the three quarters time stamp has passed. It then proceeds to breakdown in an approachable and smooth fashion, again using the drums to lead the way for the rest of the instrumentation shift.

The album is replete with these silky smooth passages. It also has more technical passages, appealing to the Animals As Leaders fans out there. “Horizon” for example has a pretty crazy bass line running through it from start to finish, satisfying that progressive penchant for the overly technical. Check out closer “Calypso” for some great harsh vocals as well, which really serve to tie off this mostly melodic album with a bang. These various twists and bends complete the album, elevating it from a one trick pony to a magnificent, progressive stallion. Or something like that. Just go listen to it, will you?

Eden Kupermintz

Published 8 years ago