Animals as Leaders

Members

• Tosin Abasi

Studio Albums

1. 2009 Animals as Leaders
2. 2011 Weightless
3. 2014 The Joy of Motion
4. 2016 The Madness of Many
5. 2022 Parrhesia

Source: MusicBrainz

Deep Dive

Overview

Animals as Leaders is an American instrumental progressive metal band from Washington D.C. that emerged from guitarist Tosin Abasi’s solo project in 2007 and solidified into a full ensemble by 2012. Operating without a vocalist, the trio—Abasi on guitar, Javier Reyes on guitar, and Matt Garstka on drums—communicates through pure instrumental virtuosity, deploying complex time signatures, extended-range guitars, and intricate interplay to create a sound that fuses progressive rock architecture with heavy metal aggression. The band stands as a prominent force within the djent movement, a subgenre defined by heavily distorted, syncopated guitar riffing and instrumental precision.

Formation Story

Animals as Leaders began in 2007 as Tosin Abasi’s personal project, reflecting his experimental approach to guitar composition and extended-range instruments. By 2012, Abasi expanded the concept into a collaborative unit, adding Javier Reyes on second guitar and Matt Garstka on drums. The Washington D.C. origin positioned the band outside the West Coast metal establishment, yet the city’s growing progressive and metal scenes provided fertile ground for an uncompromising instrumental act. This trio formation marked the band’s transition from Abasi’s solo endeavor to a full ensemble capable of the interplay and dynamic control their compositions demanded.

Breakthrough Moment

Animals as Leaders’ debut self-titled album arrived in 2009 via Prosthetic Records, introducing their approach to listeners and establishing a foothold within underground metal communities. The record’s unvarnished technical execution and willingness to abandon traditional rock song structures resonated with a growing audience of guitar enthusiasts and progressive metal fans. The band’s emergence coincided with the djent scene’s rising profile in the late 2000s, positioning them among its most skilled practitioners. With the 2011 release of Weightless, they consolidated their standing, demonstrating that instrumental metal could sustain listener interest across full-length albums without relying on vocal hooks or radio-friendly structures.

Peak Era

The 2014 album The Joy of Motion represented Animals as Leaders at their creative and commercial zenith, arriving at a moment when progressive metal had cultivated a dedicated international fanbase hungry for technical innovation. The record showcased the band’s expanded dynamic range, balancing passages of delicate arpeggiation against moments of crushing rhythmic weight. Following this success, The Madness of Many (2016) continued their trajectory, further refining their compositional approach. This period—roughly 2012 to 2016—saw Animals as Leaders transition from underground phenomenon to recognized leaders within instrumental progressive metal, with their albums serving as reference points for emerging instrumental acts and attracting listeners specifically seeking complexity and technical mastery over mainstream accessibility.

Musical Style

Animals as Leaders operate in the intersection of progressive rock’s structural ambition and heavy metal’s sonic brutality, filtered through an instrumental-only lens. The band’s foundation rests on extended-range guitars tuned lower than standard tuning, allowing for the syncopated, heavily distorted riffs characteristic of djent. Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes engage in complex interplay, trading melodic and rhythmic responsibilities across compositions that frequently eschew verse-chorus structures in favor of suite-like progressions. Matt Garstka’s drumming emphasizes polyrhythmic sophistication, supporting odd time signatures and uneven phrase lengths that would be difficult or impossible to anchor with vocal phrasing. The production aesthetic emphasizes clarity and separation, allowing each instrument’s contribution to remain audible even during densely layered passages. Across their discography, the band has gradually expanded its palette, incorporating subtler dynamics and quieter interludes alongside their signature heavy sections, avoiding monotonic heaviness in favor of tonal and textural variety.

Major Albums

Animals as Leaders (2009)

The band’s debut established their foundational sound: extended-range guitar work, intricate rhythmic interplay, and a refusal to compromise technical sophistication for accessibility. It introduced Prosthetic Records’ audience to an instrumental metal act of uncommon ambition.

Weightless (2011)

This second record solidified Animals as Leaders’ identity within the djent movement, demonstrating that the band could sustain listener engagement across multiple albums without vocal content, while continuing to explore compositional depth.

The Joy of Motion (2014)

Arguably their peak commercial and critical moment, this album showcased expanded dynamic range and refined compositional control, balancing moments of delicate detail against passages of overwhelming weight and establishing the band as leaders within instrumental progressive metal.

The Madness of Many (2016)

Further refining their approach, this release continued the band’s artistic progression, deepening their exploration of polyrhythmic sophistication and instrumental interplay while maintaining the clarity and precision that defined their earlier work.

Parrhesia (2022)

The band’s most recent album marked a return after several years, demonstrating their continued relevance within progressive metal and their evolution as composers and players.

Signature Songs

• Cafo — A showcase for the band’s ability to sustain listener interest across extended instrumental passages without structural scaffolding from vocals.
• Tooth and Claw — Representative of their rhythmic sophistication, emphasizing the polyrhythmic interplay between drums and guitars.
• The Joy of Motion — The album title-track exemplifies their balance between technical precision and compositional architecture.
• Arithmophobia — Demonstrates the band’s capacity for subtle dynamic variation and textural nuance within heavy instrumental music.

Influence on Rock

Animals as Leaders occupy a pivotal position within progressive metal and the broader instrumental metal landscape. Their success proved that uncompromising instrumental complexity could sustain a career and attract a substantial fanbase, opening pathways for subsequent instrumental acts. Within the djent movement specifically, they became reference points for technical execution and compositional ambition, influencing younger musicians exploring extended-range guitars and syncopated rhythmic approaches. The band’s international touring and strong Prosthetic Records backing elevated djent from a regional internet-driven phenomenon into a documented and recognized subgenre. Their albums circulated widely within online progressive metal communities, attracting listeners who might have dismissed instrumental metal as one-dimensional or technical exercise, instead discovering that Abasi, Reyes, and Garstka brought compositional depth to a genre often dismissed by mainstream critics.

Legacy

Animals as Leaders remain active and touring, with their 2022 album Parrhesia extending their discography into the 2020s. The band’s sustained output and touring schedule have solidified their position as elder statesmen of instrumental progressive metal, referenced by emerging acts and respected within their community. Their albums maintain steady streaming and sales presence, with earlier records continuing to introduce new listeners to their catalog. The band’s example—that instrumental music could sustain international attention across multiple albums and decades—reshaped expectations for what instrumental metal could achieve commercially and creatively. Tosin Abasi’s extended-range guitar work and compositional approach remain studied by aspiring metal musicians, while the band’s insistence on technical precision without sacrificing musicality has influenced the broader trajectory of progressive metal.

Fun Facts

• The band’s name references philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein’s concept of animals as non-rational beings, reflecting their artistic approach of communication through pure instrumental expression.
• Tosin Abasi began the project as a solo endeavor in 2007, releasing early material online before expanding it into the trio configuration that defined the band’s recorded output.
• Animals as Leaders signed to Prosthetic Records, an independent metal label, and have remained with the label throughout their entire discography, avoiding major label pressure to compromise their instrumental approach.