WHERE EXACTLY DOES CHIMP SPANNER’S ALL ROADS LEAD HERE LEAD?
Monday, February 13th, 2012 at 4:00pm by ShanbombSay what you will about djent, but at least one thing is undeniable; the movement has done wonders for the advancement of the instrumental cause. As of just a few years ago the idea of consistently listening to metal or rock bands sans-singer seemed pretty far fetched to many, not the least of which was myself (as someone that plays in an instrumental band!). But then along came Animals as Leaders and a collective realization suddenly dawned on the metal community: chosing to play without a vocalist is very different from “lacking” one.
The consideration for instrumental music has now grown to such an extent that it’s become almost commonplace for bands to put out instrumental versions of their releases. Talk about wishy-washy! One man who certainly cannot be stamped with such a dodgy tag is Paul Antonio Ortiz, a.k.a. Chimp Spanner. Chimp Spanner has been at it for long enough to gain stylistic immunity from anyone who might bemoan another Djohnny-come-lately djent release in 2012. But with the mobs of seven-string-wielding, ToonTrack-sponsored forum rats that have come along since Ortiz’s first record in 2004, one has to wonder: is he still relevant?





















