Artist: Exotic Animal Petting Zoo Album: I Have Made My Bed in Darkness

Year: 2008
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Review of Exotic Animal Petting Zoo's I Have Made My Bed in Darkness

Exotic Animal Petting Zoo is a progressive metal band known for their unique sound that incorporates odd time signatures, technical guitar work, and complex drumming. Their second album, I Have Made My Bed in Darkness, released in 2012, showcases the band's immense talent and creativity. This album is an excellent representation of their ability to create a complex sound, but it also shows their capability to be playful and experimental. In this review, we will analyze the album, discuss its genre, identify the best tracks, highlight the most innovative aspects, and provide a critical evaluation.

Genre: I Have Made My Bed in Darkness is a progressive metal album that experiments with different genres, such as jazz, post-rock, and experimental music. The band combines these genres to produce a sound that is uniquely their own. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo draws inspiration from bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Between the Buried and Me. The album is defined by its intricate musicianship, odd time signatures, and complex structures.

Best Tracks: The album's opening track, The Great Explainer, sets the tone for the record. The song starts with a complex and dissonant intro that leads into catchy guitar riffs and intricate drum patterns. The song's breakdown is incredibly intense and showcases the band's excellent chemistry. Another highlight of the album is Apis Bull, which features a beautiful post-rock section that transitions into a heavy and chaotic breakdown. Whores of Babel is another standout track with its beautiful clean guitar melodies, odd time signatures, and trippy vocal effects.

Innovative Aspects: The most innovative aspect of the album is the band's ability to combine different genres seamlessly. The band experiments with jazz in Apis Bull and The Last Second Before Departure, and the atmospheric post-rock section in Apis Bull is a standout moment on the album. The album is also innovative in its use of odd time signatures and complex song structures. Each song on the album has its unique identity and never becomes repetitive or predictable.

Critique: The only criticism I have of I Have Made My Bed in Darkness is that the album can be overwhelming to listen to at times. The band's technicality and complexity can be exhausting, and the album would benefit from more atmospheric and melodic sections that give us a break from the chaos. Additionally, the album's production can be a bit too clean and could benefit from a rawer sound that would match the intensity of the music.

Exotic Animal Petting Zoo's I Have Made My Bed in Darkness is an excellent example of a progressive metal album that experiments and pushes boundaries. The album showcases the band's immense talent and provides a unique listening experience. While the album can be overwhelming to listen to at times, it still deserves recognition for its innovation and musicianship. If you're a fan of bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Between the Buried and Me, this album is a must-listen.