The Lynx, The Walrus, The Skunk, and the Nightingale are animals, but they’re also the masked humans who make up the core of the Los Angeles collective The Sound of Animals Fighting. Members of Rx Bandits, Circa Survive, Chiodos, and others are included in this roster, but the sprawling, progressive-influenced playing on albums like THE OCEAN AND THE SUN and THE TIGER AND THE DUKE has little precedent in their respective resumes. Concentrating on texture and feel, their songs defy easy categorization while remaining within listeners’ grasp. Despite the open nature of the group’s roster, they have managed to organize live shows.