Sound of Animals Fighting Roars

with

Unique Release

 Jonathan Seaborn, staff writer

The Sound of Animals Fighting’s “Tiger and The Duke” is simply amazing.

The 14-person line-up includes famous musicians such as guitarist Matt Embree and drummer Chris Tsagakis of the Rx Bandits, Randy “R2K” Strohmeyer of Finch, and Circa Survive’s Anthony Green. The group’s members, in an attempt to remain anonymous, have dubbed themselves the walrus, the lynx, the armadillo, the tiger, the tortoise, the nightingale, the skunk, the llama, the dog,  the swan, the raven, the octopus, the hyena, the bear, and the ferret. To completely remain anonymous, they also wear masks that represent these animals.

For those thinking that this is a Finch side project, you are going to be very disappointed. There are no pop-guitar riffs or catchy lyrics. “Tiger and The Duke” is a space-rock opera with an acid-jazz/hardcore twist. Blasting drums and over-the-top-guitar-riffs with vocals as high-pitched as those of The Mars Volta’s Cedric Rodriguez make this a unique CD.

The space-opera is in a four-part movement with amazing electronic interludes between each movement. The band has described their sound as somewhat like “the soundtrack to the apocalypse” which is fitting with their soft/load and slow/fast dynamics, along with aimless breakdowns.

I would compare this masterpiece to The Mars Volta’s “De-loused in the Comatorium” and Q and not U’s “No Kill No Beep Beep.” Another unique part of this work is that throughout the entire EP the lyrics tell an interesting story of the tiger and the duke. Yes, “Tiger and The Duke” is only a four-song EP, but the band is also in the studio working on a new piece of art, “Lover the Lard Has Left Us,” which is due out late this year.

In all honesty, I believe this is the greatest project any of the members has recorded. So if you’re a fan of music in any form, you need to buy this right now. There will be a problem that one will most likely face in trying to purchase this CD. It can only be found on the Internet because of limited release. Other than that though, this CD is flawless.