There’s greater range in heavy metal than many people give it credit for, as evidenced by bands like Periphery and Animals as Leaders, who’ve teamed up for a tour showcasing the intricate, progressive side of metal. Both bands can be categorized as part of the metal subgenre known as djent, which involves staccato, distorted, often down-tuned guitar riffs, sometimes played on custom guitars with eight or nine strings. For Animals as Leaders, there aren’t even any vocals to get in the way of the elaborate musical compositions, and the band has as much in common with instrumental post-rock acts like Explosions in the Sky or Godspeed You! Black Emperor as with traditional metal bands.
Periphery is a bit more traditional, with vocal melodies and slightly more accessible song structure. Periphery’s Misha Mansoor worked with Animals as Leaders mastermind Tosin Abasi on Animals’ first album, before recording Periphery’s own debut, and both bands originated as solo projects for their founders. Even as Mansoor and Abasi recruited bandmates and toured, their music has remained impeccably crafted in the studio, showing off the sophistication and musical prowess that fans have always known as an integral part of heavy metal.
Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, 6 p.m. Nov. 22, starting at $25 plus fee. 702.862.2695
