Cโmon now, whatโs occurring in this band? Aliens? Octopus-fingered robots? Interdimensional time architects?
Nope. Just three blokes making music so otherworldly and mathematically ridiculous that even NASA said, โWe canโt keep up, mun.โ ๐ง ๐๐ฅ
Animals As Leaders isnโt just a band โ theyโre an experience.
Thereโs no singer because vocals would only get in the way of the eight-string insanity, jazz wizardry, and polyrhythmic sorcery they bring to every track.
This is music for prog nerds, shredheads, and aliens in disguise. ๐ธ๐ค
๐ง WHO (OR WHAT) IS ANIMALS AS LEADERS?
Genre: Instrumental Prog Metal / Djent / Fusion / Jazz Metal / Tech Wizardry
From: Washington, D.C., USA ๐บ๐ธ
Formed: 2007
Created by: Tosin Abasi โ the guitar god your guitar god prays to.
Name Meaning: Inspired by Daniel Quinnโs novel Ishmael โ a deep philosophical jab at human arrogance.
Translation: Weโre not the only leaders on this planet, butt.
๐ THE MEGA-BRAINED TRIO
- Tosin Abasi โ Guitar Overlord / Eight strings, zero limitations. Invented new ways to play.
- Javier Reyes โ Guitar Extraordinaire / Textural genius, fusion master, riff whisperer.
- Matt Garstka โ Drum Wizard / Time-bender, groove-sorcerer, half-human metronome.
Together, they make music that sounds like AI evolved a soul, went to Berklee, and started a jazz metal band. ๐๐ฅ
๐ฟ DISCOGRAPHY โ PLANET-MELTING TECH METAL
๐ Animals as Leaders (2009)
๐ง CAFO, Tempting Time
Vibe: The beginning of the end for normal guitar playing.
๐ง Tosin plays EVERYTHING. A genre-defining debut.
๐ฅ โCAFOโ = certified tech metal anthem.
๐ป Weightless (2011)
๐ง An Infinite Regression, Do Not Go Gently
Vibe: More glitchy, more ambient, more brain melting.
๐คฏ This album feels like being inside a computer made of riffs.
๐ The Joy of Motion (2014)
๐ง Tooth and Claw, The Woven Web
Vibe: Groovier, jazzier, catchier (yes, catchy!).
๐ Possibly their most accessible album. Still utterly wild.
๐น๏ธ The Madness of Many (2016)
๐ง Arithmophobia, Ectogenesis
Vibe: Less metal, more prog-fusion. Raw, organic, unrelenting.
๐งฌ Feels like Tosin and Javier hacked into your DNA.
๐ฅ Parrhesia (2022)
๐ง Monomyth, Gordian Naught
Vibe: Short, focused, brutally tight.
๐ฏ Every track is a precision-guided groove missile.
๐ก โParrhesiaโ means fearless speech โ fitting for fearless music.
๐งช THE RIFF REPORT’S TECH-WIZARD ESSENTIALS
๐ธ CAFO โ A rite of passage for any prog nerd.
๐ธ Tempting Time โ The blueprint. The beast.
๐ธ Tooth and Claw โ Heavy, groovy, and fun(ky).
๐ธ The Woven Web โ Textural heaven. Headphone essential.
๐ธ Monomyth โ The music video alone is a fever dream of choreography and madness.
๐ฅ WHY AAL STILL MELT BRAINS IN 2025:
Because they:
- Redefined what the guitar could even DO
- Made instrumental metal accessible without dumbing it down
- Inspire thousands of YouTubers to break their fingers daily
- Blend jazz, metal, djent, and ambient into one seamless cosmic noodle soup
- Can groove HARD even in 17/8 time signature with a sideways key change
Also, Tosinโs tone could make angels cry.
๐ง LIVE SHOWS โ NO VOCALS. JUST SHREDDING TRANSCENDENCE.
If you think itโs all nerd stuff, go see โem live.
Expect:
- Guitar solos that make the audience levitate
- Drum fills so fast they enter another dimension
- Moments of silence as everyone tries to count the time signature
- A sea of stunned faces mouthing โHOW!?โ
It’s less a gig, more a masterclass from the future.
๐ค FINAL VERDICT FROM THE RIFF REPORT:
**Animals As Leaders are metalโs mind-bending, soul-healing, genre-redefining astronauts.
They donโt need lyrics โ the music says everything.
Want music that rewires your brain?
Want guitar playing that borders on sorcery?
Want a sonic journey that feels like travelling through a wormhole made of jazz and djent?
Then plug in, zone out, and let AAL guide you.
๐๐ธ Animals As Leaders โ because sometimes, words just get in the way.
Only in this dimension, mun. ๐๐ง โจ
