OK, so yes, I do love good instrumental guitar music, having seen Joe Satriani live on many occasions, with and without his G3 touring summit. Do not, however, let my personal predilections diminish the weight of my praise for Animals As Leaders' sophomore release, "Weightless".

Its 8-string depth is more rooted in the heavy crunch of Petrucci or Loomis than Satch, but throughout, AAL's guitarist/frontman, Tosin Abasi, exhibits a greater range of divergent playing and songwriting styles than any of those guys.(!)

This album's relentless parade of diverging styles, fresh ideas, smart songwriting, and passionate, skilled execution is guaranteed to slap away your ADD and hold your attention - - well, unless you're one who needs vocals to hold your interest. If that's you, then stop reading this review. Who's left? Right.

Abasi's personal signature is damned impressive. The guy plays with a ravenous appetite for the notes and the patterns of the songs, which sprinkle toppings of jazz, funk, electronic, dance, and ethereal over a solid, ever-present, prog-metal core. Javier Reyes is also credited with eight-string rhythm and lead guitar work, so he is due some secondary credit as well. The beats from the band's former drummer, Navene Koperweis (Yes, his name sounds like a delicious Oktoberfest brew), are equal to the music's complexity and endlessly intriguing passages. It's tough to pick favorite songs, this album is so densely packed with brilliant material. ‘Do Not Go Gently’? ‘New Eden’? The title track? I can't decide. . .

"Weightless" was released late enough in 2011 to count toward 2012. Doesn't matter. This is one of the best albums of either year.