Animals as Leaders is an American

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to inst ...

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...

band from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

It currently consists of guitarists

Tosin Abasi Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide Abasi (born January 7, 1983), is an American musician, best known as the founder and lead guitarist of the instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. He has recorded and released five albums with Anim ...

and Javier Reyes and drummer

Matt Garstka Matthew Wolfgang Garstka (born April 27, 1989) is an American drummer, best known for his work with instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. Biography Garstka, son of professional guitar player Greg Garstka, was born in Hopew ...

, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent band within the

djent Djent () is a subgenre of progressive metal characterised by its use of off-beat and complex rhythm patterns. Its distinctive sound is that of high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, down-tuned strings. The name "djent" is an onomatopoeia of this s ...

scene.

Prosthetic Records Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and Animals ...

released the band's eponymous debut album in 2009. They went on to release the albums '' Weightless'' (2011), ''

The Joy of Motion ''The Joy of Motion'' is the third studio album by American instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. It was released on March 24, 2014, in Europe, March 25, 2014, in North America and on March 28, 2014, in Australia and New Zealan ...

'' (2014), ''

The Madness of Many ''The Madness of Many'' is the fourth studio album by American instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. It was released on November 11, 2016. Track listing Personnel Animals as Leaders * Tosin Abasi – guitars * Javier Reyes � ...

'' (2016), and ''

Parrhesia In rhetoric, parrhesia is a figure of speech described as "speak ngcandidly or ... ask ngforgiveness for so speaking". This Ancient Greek word has three different forms, as related by Michel Foucault. ''Parrhesia'' is a noun, meaning "free speec ...

'' (2022).

History

Animals as Leaders formed after guitarist Tosin Abasi's previous metalcore band, Reflux, disbanded. The heavy metal

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

saw Abasi's guitar work and asked him to create a solo album for them. Abasi initially declined, feeling such an endeavor would be "...egotistical and unnecessary." Abasi decided to take a year off to study music, as he felt he was unable to reach his peak at guitar playing. After Abasi had completed his course, he took up the label on the offer of a solo project. The name ''Animals as Leaders'' was inspired by

Daniel Quinn Daniel Clarence Quinn (October 11, 1935 – February 17, 2018) was an American author (primarily, novelist and fabulist), cultural critic, and publisher of educational texts, best known for his novel ''Ishmael'', which won the Turner Tomorrow ...

's 1992 novel '' Ishmael'', which addresses anthropocentrism. Abasi coined the name as a reminder "that we're all essentially animals".Allyn, Bobby (February 9, 2009).
Q&A: Animals As Leaders
" ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focu ...

''.

Animals as Leaders @ The Forum, Tunbridge Wells 28082011 (18)

The project's first album, ''

Animals as Leaders Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington, D.C. It currently consists of guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, having been formed by Abasi in 2007. They are a prominent b ...

'', was recorded in early 2008. Abasi recorded most guitar and bass tracks on the album; a few guitar solos, drums and various synthesized effects were programmed by

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the limit ...

Misha Mansoor Misha Mansoor (born October 31, 1984), also known as Bulb after the name of his solo project, is an American musician, best known as the founder of and one of the three guitarists in the progressive metal band Periphery. He is also a part of ...

Periphery Periphery or peripheral may refer to: Music *Periphery (band), American progressive metal band * ''Periphery'' (album), released in 2010 by Periphery * "Periphery", a song from Fiona Apple's album '' The Idler Wheel...'' Gaming and entertainm ...

and Haunted Shores. The album was released April 28, 2009, by Prosthetic Records.Animals as Leaders Unveils Artwork, Track Listing for Debut Album
" (March 20, 2009). ''

Blabbermouth.net Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...

''. In 2010, the band toured extensively, including the 2010 Summer Slaughter Tour with such acts as

Decapitated Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

Vital Remains Vital Remains is an American death metal band from Providence, Rhode Island, formed in 1988. History Formation and early years Guitarist Paul Flynn formed Vital Remains in 1988. Vital Remains' first line-up included Paul Flynn on lead guitar, ...

, Carnifex,

The Faceless The Faceless are an American technical death metal band from the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. They released their debut album, ''Akeldama'', in November 2006, and a follow-up, ''Planetary Duality'', in November 2008. The band's third a ...

All Shall Perish All Shall Perish was an American deathcore band from Oakland, California, formed in 2002. The band was signed to Nuclear Blast and have released four full-length albums through the label. Their final album, '' This Is Where It Ends,'' was releas ...

The Red Chord The Red Chord is an American metal band from Revere, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The group comprises vocalist Guy Kozowyk, guitarist/vocalist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie, bassist Greg Weeks and drummer Jon Rice. The band gained a fanbase with its ...

Cephalic Carnage Cephalic Carnage is an American death metal band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1992. The band comprises vocalist Lenzig Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Cephalic Carnage has re ...

Veil of Maya Veil of Maya is an American metalcore band, formed in Chicago, Illinois, by members Marc Okubo and Sam Applebaum in 2004. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released six studio albums. Their first four albums are considered ...

, and Decrepit Birth and since Summer Slaughter have toured with more mainstream acts like Circa Survive and Dredg. They uploaded a non-album digital single called ''Wave of Babies'' to iTunes later that year. The band embarked on a tour alongside

Circa Survive Circa Survive is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 2004. The band, led and founded by Anthony Green, consisted of former members from This Day Forward and Taken. Circa Survive quickly made a name for the ...

Dredg Dredg (stylized as dredg) is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band's lineup consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer and pianist Dino Campanella. Originally st ...

, and

Codeseven Codeseven was formed in 1995 as a melodic hardcore band in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Their first "official" release (their actual first release was called ''Paper or Plastic'' 996 released through a small Winston-Salem-based label called H ...

from mid-2010 to early 2011, and in early 2011, toured alongside

Underoath Underoath (stylized as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton on November 30, 1997, in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional memb ...

Thursday Thursday is the day of the week between Wednesday and Friday. According to the ISO 8601 international standard, it is the fourth day of the week. In countries which adopt the "Sunday-first" convention, it is the fifth day of the week. Name ''Se ...

, and A Skylit Drive to promote Underoath's latest release, ''

Ø (Disambiguation) ''Ø (Disambiguation)'' is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Underoath. Released on November 9, 2010, through Tooth & Nail Records, the album was the band's only without founding member Aaron Gillespie, and is the first an ...

''. On May 26, 2011, Animals as Leaders took part in a

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and ...

benefit show titled "

Josh Barnett Joshua Lawrence Barnett (born November 10, 1977) is an American mixed martial artist, submission grappler, professional wrestler and color commentator currently signed to Bellator MMA, where he competes in their Heavyweight division. Barnett p ...

Presents The Sun Forever Rising" at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. Shortly thereafter, they headlined their first tour, which included opening acts

Intronaut Intronaut is an American progressive metal band from Los Angeles, California, that incorporates complex polyrhythms, progressive rock, and jazz. History Intronaut formed in 2004, and their initial line-up included guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunabl ...

Dead Letter Circus Dead Letter Circus are an Australian alternative rock band from Brisbane, Queensland. Their 2010 debut album ''This Is the Warning'' debuted at No. 2 on the Australian album charts and spawned a number of singles that were played heavily o ...

Last Chance to Reason Last Chance to Reason is an American progressive metal band from Augusta, Maine. Their debut album, '' Lvl. 1'', was released through Tribunal Records in 2007. Their first major label debut, '' Level 2'', came in 2011 through Prosthetic Record ...

, and

Evan Brewer Evan Brewer (born September 23, 1981) is an American musician from Nashville, Tennessee. He is the current bassist of Fallujah and formerly played bass for Entheos and technical death metal band The Faceless. He has also been involved in other ...

. On July 27, 2011, during a show at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia, Tosin Abasi announced that they were recording the show for a live DVD. The band has been billed as the first support of

Between the Buried and Me Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr. (lead vocals, keyboards), Paul Waggoner (lead guitar, backing ...

on their European tour in September 2011, also with the French band Doyle. That same year, as a follow-up to their self-titled album, the band released their LP, entitled '' Weightless'', on November 8 in the United States, November 4 in Europe, and November 7 in the UK. Animals as Leaders @ The Forum, Tunbridge Wells 28082011 (16)

Animals as Leaders @ The Forum, Tunbridge Wells 28082011 (16)

In Spring 2012, Animals as Leaders embarked on a headlining tour of Europe, then returned to North America to open for

Thrice Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school. Early in their career, the band was known ...

Navene Koperweis Navene Koperweis (born May 31, 1985) is an American drummer, best known as the former drummer of Animosity (band), Animosity, Hoods (band), Hoods and Animals as Leaders. He currently plays for Entheos, and serves as session drummer for Job for ...

left Animals as Leaders that March. Prosthetic Records then announced on March 23 that drummer

would join them on tour. "We see nothing but great potential with Matt, and look forward to performing with him on the upcoming tours," Abasi says. "We feel very excited for the future of AAL, which is brighter than ever. I'm beyond excited for our fans to hear some of the new music we already have brewing for the future!" On November 28, 2012,

, the producer for the first Animals as Leaders album, announced that he had begun writing riffs with Tosin Abasi, intending to start recording on their third album. Two days later, it was confirmed that Mansoor was recording the band after the completion of two songs. On February 14, 2014, the band announced their third studio album, ''

'', which was released via

Sumerian Records Sumerian Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London. The label was founded in 2006 by Ash Avildsen.Instagram
that they were working on their fourth studio album. On September 22, they revealed that the album would be titled ''

'', and would be released on November 11, 2016. On September 30, they released a single from the album, "The Brain Dance". On October 18, they released another song from the album, "Arithmophobia". This song features extensive use of odd metered

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...

, hence its name. On September 1, 2021, the band released "Monomyth" as a single. It was elected by '' Loudwire'' as the 20th best metal song of 2021. On November 18, 2021, the band announced their fifth studio album titled ''

'' and released a single from the album, "The Problem of Other Minds." The album was released on March 25, 2022.

Style

Animals as Leaders is a progressive metal band whose style draws from

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...

, jazz fusion, funk, and electronica. Drummer Matt Garstka has called the band's style "metal fusion". They are a prominent band within the

scene. The band is notable for its absence of a bass player, who is "replaced" by two eight-string guitarists.

Members

Abasi and Reyes are also members of the supergroup TRAM, alongside former Mars Volta wind instrumentalist

Adrián Terrazas-González Adrián Terrazas-González is a Mexican multi-instrumentalist who plays flute, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and percussion. He was a member of the progressive rock band The Mars Volta from 2005 to 2008. Discography As leader *''Cu Taan'' ...

and

Suicidal Tendencies Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stor ...

drummer Eric Moore. Reyes also has his own side-project, Mestis. Current *

– guitars (2007–present), bass (2008–2012) * Javier Reyes – guitars (2009–present), bass (2015–present) *

– drums (2012–present) Former * Chebon Littlefield – bass, keyboards (2007–2008) *

Matt Halpern Matt Halpern (born June 21, 1983) is an American drummer best known for his work with progressive metal band Periphery. Biography Born in Baltimore, Halpern took an interest in music at a young age and got his first kids drum set aged 3, befo ...

– drums (2009) *

– drums, keyboards (2009–2012)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

* "Wave of Babies" (2010) * "Monomyth" (2021) * "The Problem of Other Minds" (2021) *"Gordian Naught" (2022)

Re-releases

* "Animals as Leaders - Encore Edition" (2015)

Live albums

* "Animals as Leaders - Live 2017" (2018)

Videography

References

External links

* * Marsicano, Dan (April 2009).
Animals as Leaders – ''Animals as Leaders''
" ''

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...

''. {{Authority control Heavy metal musical groups from Washington, D.C. American progressive metal musical groups American musical trios Musical groups established in 2007 American instrumental musical groups Djent Instrumental rock musical groups