Exotic Animal Petting Zoo - Tree of Tongues
Rating
RIYL
The Dillinger Escape PlanDeftones
Fear Before
Pink Floyd
Release Date
04/24/2012
Label
MediaskareTracklist
1. Thorough.Modern2. Pharmacokinetic
3. You make wonderful pictures
4. Through the thicket...across endless mountains
5. M.U.M.B.
6. Apis Bull
7. The great explainer
8. Kaspar Hauser could see the stars in the daytime
9. Gypsy among the pines
10. Whores of Babel
11. Arcology
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The terms “progressive” and “experimental” get thrown around way too damn much in today’s music scene. It is commonplace to call a band “progressive” just for sounding exactly like a progressive band before them. That doesn’t make them progressive; that makes them a copycat, or at least just another technical band. That’s all fine and dandy, but the terms are overused to the point that it’s rare that bands are actually progressing or experimenting within a given genre.
Rant over.
So how does this all pertain to Tree of Tongues? Well, Exotic Animal Petting Zoo’s sound is actually somewhat progressive. They could be lumped in the “mathcore” genre for a significant portion of the album, and the lazy comparison to The Dillinger Escape Plan is pretty easy to make. The difference is while DEP is bat-shit crazy, Exotic Animal Petting Zoo is the result of two weeks of antipsychotics. The “crazy” is somewhat subdued, but the result is a sound with more focus than futility. There’s no question that Exotic Animal Petting Zoo is comprised of talented musicians, as each instrument seems equally adept at executing the sonically intricate pieces as it is with the calmer, more atmospheric movements. The difference is that Exotic Animal Petting Zoo also injects a considerable amount of melody into the proceedings.
Too often mathcore bands spend so much damn time worrying about how crazy an album is going to sound that they forget to write actual songs (and by sometimes I mean almost all of the time). Exotic Animal Petting Zoo instead writes tracks that ebb and flow and have melodies. Oh, the melodies. Each track features vocal lines that act as hooks, regardless of the existence of actual choruses. For example, “The Great Explainer” is excessively catchy despite the fact that the song doesn’t utilize a typical song structure. Also, the lyrics are quite the eloquent way to tell that bastard who stole your girl that he better watch his back.
In fact, the lyrics are an easy highlight of the album. The intelligent lyrics help elevate the melodies and punctuate the punch in the music. Touching on topics like religious hypocrisy and angst, the poetic nature of the words allows the listener to be pleased whether focusing on the words or the music. Songs like the fuming “Apis Bull” are enhanced by the lyrical immediacy. The words are alternately screamed and dreamily sung, as if the devil and god were indeed raging inside vocalist Brandon Carr.
Once you think you’ve figured out Tree of Tongues, here come two whole tracks that would sound at home on either a Sigur Ros album or in the latter-day catalogue of Pink Floyd. “M.U.M.B.” and “Gypsy Among the Pines” are ethereal, beautiful pieces that, instead of seeming out of place, serve as the perfect repose to the maelstrom that surrounds them. Further, this aesthetic is thrown sparsely into various tracks to allow the calming effect to permeate the entirety of the album instead of just two random songs.
The Pink Floyd influence rears its not-so-ugly head in other random spots of the album. Most notably is the psychedelic guitar solo that is placed at the end of “Through the Thicket… Across Endless Mountains.” It sounds like the ultimate stoned-out ending at a 70s live show. What makes the ending so satisfying is that it just fits so well within the song’s framework. The airy Deftones-meets-Between the Buried and Me style melodies carry the slightly subdued tune until the band seem to be ready to speed up, only to end with the guitar solo. It’s that fact that brings this album above the standard fare: that the listener literally doesn’t know what to expect the first listen through. It’s a feat that many other bands want to claim, but instead of creating disjointed genre shifts mid-song just to come across as “progressive,” Tree of Tongues finds each new sonic shift serving the purpose of creating eleven solid songs, which is actually a fairly progressive idea.
Furthermore, even though the album draws from many different musical influences, the band has found its own sound. Combining progressive metal intelligence, post-rock beauty, post-hardcore energy, and a heaping bit of melody, Exotic Animal Petting Zoo has crafted one of the first great albums of 2012. For those who are looking for something that actually sounds new and unique in the “post” and “prog” realm, welcome to the petting zoo.
--Nick Senior
Comments
London, UK
Didn't even now they had a new one coming out, will have to go listen to the old one assuming this hasn't leaked yet.
Currently listening to:
Of Glaciers - Heart Museum
Cyril Snear - Riot Of Colour
Boy Sets Fire - While A Nation Sleeps
Sleepers Awake – Transcension
Bruce Soord with Jonas Renkse - Wisdom Of Crowds
Best Of 2012 - Best Of 2013
Columbus, OH
It has not leaked. You can stream two of the tracks so far. What'd you think of their last album?
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Minnesota
I have actually heard the whole thing and I'm not quite as keen on it as Nick was. Whereas he sees the band using their mish-mashing of genres to a positive advantage... I see some songs turning into an unfocused mess. Other songs, though, are fan-frickin-tastic.
It's still better than a lot of crap out there, just maybe not quite as amazing as your review states ;-)
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Columbus, OH
Haha, yeah I can see this kind of music being very polarizing, but I think a lot of people will be pleasantly surprised, even if they think they won't like it. There is a lot to like here, even if your rating isn't as high as mine :)
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
London, UK
They're one of those bands I think are good and I definitely like but have never quite fallen in love with. I guess the fact I have to go back to their first album to remind myself how much I like it, says something. Either I haven't spent enough time with it, or they don't quite have the songs to keep me coming back. I'll listen to the old one a few more times off the back of this review and will definitely give the new one a try.
Currently listening to:
Of Glaciers - Heart Museum
Cyril Snear - Riot Of Colour
Boy Sets Fire - While A Nation Sleeps
Sleepers Awake – Transcension
Bruce Soord with Jonas Renkse - Wisdom Of Crowds
Best Of 2012 - Best Of 2013
Edmonton, AB
Love this band. Can't wait to hear this album
Columbus, OH
Take a listen to their latest song. That'll give you an idea if you'll like their new sound.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Senegal Africa
I enjoyed their first album so much Im glad they are still around. I am really looking forward to checking this out
Listening to:
fuckin african mosques (Tang na bu baax)
Reno, NV
A little off topic, but Max, I checked out that Horizons EP by Tetrafusion that you have currently been listening to, and it is pretty damn awesome. I am not to sure about this band.... I'd be more into an actual, physical exotic animal petting zoo visit.
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
http://bandcamp.com/buck09
London, UK
Staying off topic.....I think Tetrafusion are a really talented band. The new EP is great and was available for free on their facebook. Their previous album 'Altered State' is definitely worthchecking outas well. Strictly speaking I think it was late 2010 but I had it in my top 20 for last year. Prior to that they were an instrumental band andhave one other album called 'Absolute Zero'.
Currently listening to:
Of Glaciers - Heart Museum
Cyril Snear - Riot Of Colour
Boy Sets Fire - While A Nation Sleeps
Sleepers Awake – Transcension
Bruce Soord with Jonas Renkse - Wisdom Of Crowds
Best Of 2012 - Best Of 2013
Baton Rouge
I definitely dig the two tracks they've released, especially the more atmospheric sections, BUT THIS DOESN'T COME OUT FOR ANOTHER TWO MONTHS! Dagnabbit.
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Lehigh Valley, PA
Yea, no thank you.
Infinitely Inwards
dis is my shit
You should never be surprised when you get attacked, you'll know all the freedoms they took from you when you get em back, when in fact they were never yours to begin with, this is a prison planet, you're servin a life sentence.
Baton Rouge
We just got seriously spammed. Does anyone
A. Know how to make a mail bomb, and
B. Know how we can get this person's address?
Boobs
http://thenicsperiment.blogspot.com/
Columbus, OH
Mediaskare is seriously screwing these guys... Now the album's release date is being pushed back to July 17th. I'm no industry exec, but I'm not sure what good reasons a label has to delay an album's release almost three months. People need to hear this album.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
El Paso, TX
Yeah I noticed that too, I was really looking forward to the album ever since this review and now mid July appears to be the release date. Wtf?
Columbus, OH
Yeah, hopefully you'll enjoy it, if it's ever released...
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Columbus, OH
Now that some people have heard this, what do you think? Was it worth the multi-month wait?
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Reno, NV
It's still not out Nick, not all of us steal shit on the internet.... Haha, but I do and I quite enjoyed the album to be honest. Not something I normally like, but this was a very interesting and unique blend that works and flows together quite nice.
Top Weekly Artists Last.fm
http://bandcamp.com/buck09
Columbus, OH
Ok, now that Tree of Tongues has finally been released, has anyone given this a listen yet? I highly recommend this for fans of Deftones, Between the Buried and Me, or D.E.P. I don't go back to this album as often as I used to, but it's really really great for what it is.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Quakertown, PA
I'm about halfway through it right now on Spotify and I must say, it's very good so far. I'll probably need a few listens to say more about it so I'll post again once I have more of an opinion.
How does this compare to their previous release? I never heard it so I'm just curious if it's any different.
Columbus, OH
I only heard it on Spotify after I reviewed this. They are similar yet different. I think this is a better representation of what the band is going for, but there are some great moments on the first album.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Edmonton, AB
Absolutely amazing album. Love every second of it