All parts of the album Tiger and the Duke were recorded individually and each member was only able to hear the part they contributed to the album. The only member who heard the whole album during its recording process was Balling. The group released their next album Lover, the Lord Has Left Us... on May 30th, 2006.
Keith Goodwin was announced as one of the vocalists for the next album, taking on the pseudonym of 'The Penguin'.
The Sound of Animals Fighting have only performed live four times, all of which were released on a DVD, entitled "We Must Become The Change We Want To See". Three of their four shows took place in California (Anaheim, L.A., and San Diego), USA, and one in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
With the release of The Ocean And The Sun, the band issued a series of 400 masks, 100 of each of 4 designs, paired with a 7" for a limited preorder of the album. This was the first and only vinyl release and novelty item sold by the band.
In 2022 the band would be revived with a similar line-up as before, and would release the 4 track EP "APESHIT" (their first musical content in 14 years) to promote their 13 date tour across the US in January of 2023.
Original Lineup(Tiger And The Duke):
The Nightingale - Rich Balling (Vocals), formerly of the Rx Bandits.
The Walrus - Matt Embree (Lead Guitar), Lead Vocals/Guitar for Rx Bandits.
The Lynx - Chris Tsagakis (Drums), Drums for Rx Bandits.
The Tiger - Randy "R2K" Strohmeyer (Guitar), Guitar for Finch.
The Tortoise - Derek Doherty (Bass), Bass for Finch.
The Skunk - Anthony Green (Vocals), Vocalist for Circa Survive.
The Bear - Chris Fudurich (Mixing and Programming), Produced for Rx Bandits, Nada Surf, and Allister.
The Raven - Marc Mcknight (Artwork), Bass for Atreyu.
The Swan - Vanessa Chibba (Public Relations)
The Dog - Chris Haynie (Author of Story that Accompanies the Music)
The Ferret - Kyle Homme (Engineer)
The Octopus - Charlie Adams (Patrone)
The Armadillo - Rich Zahniser (Engineer, Vocals), Ex-Hippos
The Llamma - Matthew Kelly (Vocals), Vocalist for The Autumns
Previous Lineup(Lover, The Lord Has Left Us...):
The Nightingale - Rich Balling (Vocals), formerly of the Rx Bandits.
The Walrus - Matt Embree (Lead Guitar), Lead Vocals/Guitar for the Rx Bandits.
The Lynx - Chris Tsagakis (Drums), Drums for the Rx Bandits.
The Hyena - Ryan Baker (Recording, Mixing).
The Skunk - Anthony Green (Vocals), Vocalist for Circa Survive.
The Giraffe - Stephen O'Malley (Album Artwork), Guitarist for Sunn O))).
The Ram - Craig Owens (Vocals), former Vocalist of Chiodos and Cinematic Sunrise.
The Penguin - Keith Goodwin (Vocals), Vocalist for Days Away and Good Old War.
The Wolf - Matthew Kelly (Vocals), Vocalist for The Autumns.
Previous Lineup (The Ocean and The Sun):
The Nightingale - Rich Balling (Vocals), formerly of the Rx Bandits.
The Walrus - Matt Embree (Guitar, Bass, and Production), Lead Vocals/Guitar for the Rx Bandits.
The Lynx - Chris Tsagakis (Drums), Drums for the Rx Bandits.
The Skunk - Anthony Green (Vocals), Vocalist for Circa Survive.
The Wolf - Matthew Kelly (Vocals), Vocalist for The Autumns provides guest vocals on "On The Occasion Of Wet Snow"
Current Lineup (APESHIT):
The Nightingale - Rich Balling (Vocals), formerly of the Rx Bandits.
The Walrus - Matt Embree (Guitar, Bass, and Production), Lead Vocals/Guitar for the Rx Bandits.
The Lynx - Chris Tsagakis (Drums), Drums for the Rx Bandits.
The Skunk - Anthony Green (Vocals), Vocalist for Circa Survive.
The Wolf - Matthew Kelly (Vocals), Vocalist for The Autumns
The Penguin - Keith Goodwin (Vocals), Vocalist for Days Away and Good Old War.
Jonathan Hischke (Bass) and Steve Choi (Guitar and Keyboard) are also in the touring lineup, however have not been listed with monikers.
Act II: All Is Ash Or The Light Shining Through It
The Sound of Animals Fighting Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may open up whenever you're lonely
You know, there's nowhere left to go:
You magnify the evidence
It correlates the angles
I'm staring in the wrong direction
Well take back
It's so hard reading you...
When she's heretic
My body is a wage
I am burning in
Wake up for this wish
And I resignate
I have seen my fate
I am sinking
Oh, captain I am sinking
Well take back
When it's time for relief it's so...
It's so hard reading you...
For if I leave your empty smile
Explode into four
And on the last I will
For our eyes, one by one
While everybody else could be fighting out
For all this, for all this
Well everybody else could be fighting
For all this, hope for all this, hope for
Secrets and irises open the door
To a pride of lions and murder of crows
No one knows how I begin
But how I'll end...
You're focused in the reason why
I'm far beneath the answer
You're acting like a separation
Well take back
When it's time for relief it's so...
It's so hard reading you...
For if I leave your empty smile
Explode into four and on the last I will
For our eyes, one by one
The Sound of Animals Fighting's Act II: All Is Ash or the Light Shining Through It is a song that explores themes of isolation, despair, and hopelessness. The lyrics of the song evoke a sense of alienation and impotence, ultimately expressing the futility of trying to understand or connect with others. The opening lines of the song, "This box is lovely that I made / You may open up whenever you're lonely / You know, there's nowhere left to go," suggest a sense of confinement or entrapment, while also offering a possible source of comfort.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more and more disoriented, struggling to make sense of their experiences and emotions. The lines "I'm staring in the wrong direction / Well take back / When it's time for relief it's so... / It's so hard reading you..." suggest a sense of disconnection from others, as well as a frustration with the difficulty of trying to communicate or connect with them. The lines "When she's heretic / My body is a wage / I am burning in" suggest a sense of guilt or shame, as if the singer is being punished for their perceived transgressions.
As the song reaches its climax, the lyrics become more surreal and abstract. The lines "Secrets and irises open the door / To a pride of lions and murder of crows / No one knows how I begin / But how I'll end..." suggest a sense of chaos and unpredictability, as well as a rejection of conventional norms or standards. Ultimately, the lyrics of Act II: All Is Ash or the Light Shining Through It suggest a sense of hopelessness and despair, as if the singer is powerless to change their circumstances or find meaning in their experiences.
Line by Line Meaning
This box is lovely that I made
I have created something beautiful, an intricate and delicate box.
You may open up whenever you're lonely
I offer this box as a source of comfort when you feel alone and isolated.
You know, there's nowhere left to go:
Life has not provided any other solutions or ways out of this situation.
You magnify the evidence
You focus solely on the negative aspects of life and ignore anything positive.
It correlates the angles
This negative perspective distorts reality and creates a skewed perception of the world.
I'm staring in the wrong direction
I am looking at the world from the wrong perspective, and it is causing further harm.
When it's time for relief it's so...
When the time for relief comes, it can be difficult to find.
It's so hard reading you...
It is difficult to understand someone who is constantly focused on the negative.
When she's heretic
When she speaks or acts in a way that defies societal norms or expectations.
My body is a wage
My physical being is a means of exchange or payment for the pains and struggles I endure.
I am burning in
I am consumed by the intensity of my emotions and experiences.
Wake up for this wish
Wake up and bring this desire to fruition.
And I resignate
And I succumb to the inevitability of the situation, giving up hope.
I have seen my fate
I have a clear understanding of the outcome that awaits me.
I am sinking
I am gradually sinking under the weight of my struggles and negative thoughts.
Oh, captain I am sinking
I call out for help as I struggle to stay afloat in the tumultuous waters of life.
For if I leave your empty smile
If I distance myself from the superficial and insincere nature of your smile...
Explode into four
...it will shatter into four different components or meanings.
And on the last I will
I will hold on until the very end.
For our eyes, one by one
We will face the consequences of our choices, one by one, until the end.
While everybody else could be fighting out
While others may be engaged in their own struggles and battles...
For all this, for all this
...we are all fighting for some underlying purpose or reason.
Well everybody else could be fighting
Others may be battling and working towards their own goals and aspirations...
Hope for all this, hope for all this
...but we must hold onto hope that everything will work out in the end.
Secrets and irises open the door
The unveiling of secrets and concealed motivations allows access to new opportunities.
To a pride of lions and murder of crows
These opportunities can lead to interactions with powerful and dangerous forces.
No one knows how I begin
The beginning of this struggle or journey is unknown, even to myself.
But how I'll end...
However, the conclusion of this journey is within my power to determine.
You're focused in the reason why
You are fixated on the negative reasons for why this is happening.
I'm far beneath the answer
I feel as though the solution or reasoning for my struggles is out of my reach.
You're acting like a separation
Your actions and attitude are creating a divide between us, making it difficult to work together towards a solution.
Contributed by Jason W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@schlittaj
Anyone else remember when this band was an enigmatic mysterious super band?? Like, they used to wear animal masks and only refer to themselves by animal names?? And the only way you found out about this group was through word of mouth and knowing your favorite artists voices/musical nuances?? Those were the days….
@brynlpz83
yaaassss!!!!!
@caseyparker2219
They should have kept the masks on.
@schlittaj
@@caseyparker2219that would’ve been the most badass thing. Like a Super Band that never released their identities to the public over the course of their entire existence and only made music together out of pure enjoyment of making great music, not chasing fame….that’s the dream!
@JoshBrak
Thank you Jacob Drawfee for reinvigorating my love for this band.
@Childofbhaal
This song is straight baller
@GabeothyVids
so true oomfie! sheesh!
@kimatronxx
This song is glorious.
@brynlpz83
🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
@SmileThumbsUp
Holy crap. I wrote these guys off as "teenage heartthrob music" back in '07. Couldn't have been more wrong.