Animals As Leaders
Eight-string instrumental wizardry: Tosin Abasi rewrites what a guitar can do nightly, prog-metal precision that draws musicians the way other bands draw fans.
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About Animals As Leaders
Animals As Leaders is an instrumental prog band from Washington, DC, formed in 2007.
Animals As Leaders began in Washington, DC, in 2007 as a solo studio project for guitarist Tosin Abasi, after his metalcore band Reflux broke up. Prosthetic Records had noticed his playing and asked him to record on his own; Abasi initially declined, feeling it would be egotistical, and instead spent a year studying music before returning to record the band's debut.
The name comes from Daniel Quinn's novel "Ishmael," coined by Abasi as a reminder that people remain animals despite their pretensions. On the self-titled debut, released in 2009, Abasi played most of the guitar and bass parts himself, with some solos, drums and synthesized effects programmed by engineer Misha Mansoor of Periphery.
Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, who replaced original drummer Navene Koperweis in 2012, rounded the group into its lasting lineup. Abasi plays extended-range seven- and eight-string guitars, using tapping, slap technique and unusual harmonic voicings, and the band's music combines progressive metal and djent rhythms with jazz harmony, electronic textures and shifting time signatures, carried entirely without vocals.
Following the debut, the band released "Weightless" in 2011, "The Joy of Motion" in 2014, "The Madness of Many" in 2016 and "Parrhesia" in 2022, touring steadily behind each. Animals As Leaders is widely cited within guitar circles as a reference point for modern extended-range playing, and its audience includes an unusually high proportion of other musicians.
Instrumental prog
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Questions about Animals As Leaders
Where is Animals As Leaders from?
Animals As Leaders is from Washington, DC.
Who is in Animals As Leaders?
Animals As Leaders is Tosin Abasi (guitar), Javier Reyes (guitar) and Matt Garstka (drums). Former members include Chebon Littlefield, Matt Halpern and Navene Koperweis.
When did Animals As Leaders form?
Animals As Leaders formed in Washington, D.C. in 2007.
What was Animals As Leaders's first album?
Animals As Leaders's first album was Animals as Leaders (2009). The latest is Parrhesia (2022).
What kind of music does Animals As Leaders play?
Animals As Leaders plays instrumental prog.
What festivals has Animals As Leaders played before?
Animals As Leaders has played Louder Than Life 2026.