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The Sound of Animals Fighting biography
Vocalist Rich BALLING's THE SOUND of ANIMALS FIGHTING is less a band and more an underground rock circus; barring guitarist Matt EMBREE and drummer Chris TSAGAKIS (who played with Balling in the ska outfit RX BANDITS back when the man was a trombonist), and vocalist Anthony GREEN of CIRCA SURVIVE, SoAF's lineup is constantly evolving and always filled with willing members of the experimental indie scene. As if to doubly state the lack of consistency between albums, all members and guests in the band adopt animal names (and masks)-- for example, BALLING is known as 'Nightingale'.

In 2004, the core four members of the band started recording their first album. Grabbing a couple members of the alternative band FINCH as well as various mixers, engineers and PR peoples, Animals Fighting released their first record, the foggy concept album 'Tiger and the Duke' in early 2005. The release confused most critics, who didn't know what to do with its bizarre recording methods (supposedly BALLING locked individual band members alone in the studio to record their tracks without listening to the other musicians, and then mixed it at a later date). The second album, 2006's 'Lover the Lord Has Left Us', had a totally overhauled lineup except for the four core members (more RX Bandits, less Finches, some other indie bands), focused less on the hard rock side of the band and more on the electronic aspect. The album resulted in the group's only foray onto stage - complete behind their trade mark animal masks - resulting in Residents-style theatrics on the West Coast.

Their third album, 'The Ocean and the Sun' (2008), returned to the harder, tighter sound of the first release but not without its rap sheet of guests, including BALLING's father.

The style of THE SOUND of ANIMALS FIGHTING certainly reflects their collaborative method of recording. The staples of experimental hard rock and trip-hop run across the music, but BALLING's ska history provides a funky backbone, and his jazzy and theatrical sides are allowed to shine too. The result could be compared to a less disciplined MARS VOLTA.



The Sound of Animals Fighting\2005 - Tiger and the Duke (2007 Re-Issue)

The Sound of Animals Fighting\2006 - Lover, the Lord Has Left Us

The Sound of Animals Fighting\2007 - We Must Become the Change We Want to See

The Sound of Animals Fighting\2008 - The Ocean and the Sun



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