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Live Reviews : Periphery & Animals As Leaders @ The Hifi, Brisbane 31/01/2014

By on February 1, 2014

Images: Amanda Brenchley
Words: Andrew Kapper

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Opening up this epic progressive double-bill, Animals As Leaders are greeted by a jam packed Hi-Fi Bar. It is a sweatfest inside the venue, but the heat is further turned up by the absolutely face-melting instrumental talents on stage, with arguably this generation’s most technically gifted guitarist, Tosin Abasi, leading the trio through an airtight set.

With tracks lifted off both studio albums, as well as a new yet to be released song to boot, it is musician nerd heaven with the guitar and drum wizardry served up. The usage of two 8 string guitars is great for the crushing Meshuggah styled riffs the American’s deliver, ultimately the extended range instruments help create a fuller sound, comfortably making up for the lack of a bass player in the group. While they certainly are a ‘metal’ group, at many times Animals As Leaders’ sound verges on that of jazz fusion, as obtuse rhythms meld with odd note choices and hand-stretching chords. Abasi is without doubt the band’s main ‘guy’, but it’s drummer Matt Garstka that is the band’s MVP tonight; his flailing playing style almost distracts from his jaw-dropping ability, with the blistering hand speed mesmerizing at times, and he particularly cuts loose during the outro of “Weightless”.

It’s little surprise that almost all of Periphery are standing side of stage during Animals As Leaders’ slot, as these three musicians are absolute masters of not only their respective instruments, but also at turning their stunning abilities into fantastic songs. With a flurry of sweep picking the band’s biggest tune “CAFO” closes of the three-piece’s set, and it’s clear that the Hi-Fi Bar patrons have witnessed a masterclass this evening.

The first time this reviewer witnessed Periphery live was years ago, opening up this very same venue for Dillinger Escape Plan and Maylene And The Sons of Disaster. To see them co-headline the jam-packed Hi-Fi is proof on how the band has evolved into on the biggest progressive metal groups of this generation – silly sub-genre names aside *cough* ‘djent’. While Animals As Leaders were awesome in their own inhuman way, they don’t come close to having the amount of live energy and physical power as the Maryland six-piece do.

The opening one-two of “Muramasa” and “Ragnarok” is monstrous, with the pit coming to life instantly, as the band hammer through the massive low end riffs and layered guitar lines. After losing his voice half way through the Auckland show only two nights ago, frontman Spencer Sotelo is fantastic this evening, hitting every clean vocal line and punishing scream, all while tearing around the stage like a world class frontman should.

Setlist wise it is very heavy on the “Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal” release, with “Luck As A Constant” and “Have A Blast” obvious highlights. The trifecta of guitarists are as talented as one another, all being able to fire off a tasteful solo at whim, and the amazing Matt Halpern is a staggering player behind the kit, especially because his set simply comprises of a kick, snare, floor tom and a few cymbals – the drummer even improvises a loose groove to the audiences chants of “one more song!” during the encore break. It’s strange to see a stage set up without any guitar amplifiers (only bassist Adam Getgood as a bass cabinet) as Periphery are well known for their usage of Axe-FX equipment, and their tone is pretty damn impressive, although at times the more intricate riffs are lost in the mix – alas, that’s the live music game for you.

One of the best parts of their performance is that there is never a quiet moment, with synth and guitar loops running between songs, keeping the show constantly flowing from one track to the next. It’s plain to see that the group are having great fun onstage as well, with “Make Total Destroy” unexpectedly segueing into a brief cover of Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “By The Way”, before launching back into the heaviness.

As the final notes of the riff-fest “Icarus Lives” ring out, it’s pretty obvious that tonight as been a great evening for heavy progressive music – not only by the fantastic music on display, but by the droves of enthusiastic punters in attendance in tonight. Do not miss this tour when it rolls into town.