Animals As Leaders

In the organizer's words:

Animals As Leaders

The instrumental prog metallers celebrate 10 years

"The Joy Of Motion"

Presented by curt

Animals As Leaders have been shaking up the modern metal scene with their music since the late 2000s. The experimental sound between virtuoso guitar playing, jazz and metal made guitarist Tosin Abasi world-famous and a brand ambassador for 8-string guitars from Ibanez. His debut album "Animals As Leaders" made the entire djent scene sit up and take notice in 2009 and had a lasting influence on many bands. With "The Joy Of Motion" , released in 2014, Animals As Leaders ultimately succeeded in reconciling a modern and adult metal sound between complex virtuosity and easily digestible catchiness. A sound that they have been able to steadily develop over the past fifteen years on their five albums to date. After a headline tour in fall 2023, the band will return to Europe in spring 2025 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their album "The Joy Of Motion" and perform it live in its entirety.

Animals As Leaders was founded in 2007 at the suggestion of Prosthetic Records as a solo project by guitarist Tosin Abasi, whose band Reflux had previously disbanded. Together with Navene Koperweis (drums) and Javier Reyes (guitar), they released their debut album "Animals As Leaders" in 2009, which was highly acclaimed for its unconventional sound. The single "Cafo" went viral within the metal community and was celebrated for its innovative sound between instrumental metal, progressive rock, jazz and djent. After participating in the Summer Slaughter Tour, Animals As Leaders toured with bands such as Circa Survive, Underoath, Thursday and Dredg, proving the versatility of their sound. The second album "Weightless" followed in 2011, which entered the Billboard charts at number 92 and brought the band on tour in Europe for the first time as support for Between The Buried And Me. In 2012, Navene Koperweis left the band and was replaced by drummer Matt Garstka, whose unique groove came to the fore from then on. "The Joy Of Motion" was released in 2014 and marked the trio's most successful album to date, reaching number 23 on the Billboard 200, number 4 on the US rock charts and number 2 on the US hard rock charts. The single "Physical Education" became the band's biggest hit with its catchy melodies and infectious grooves. But the complexity and virtuosity of Animals As Leaders ' sound also continues to play a key role on tracks such as "The Woven Web" and "Kascade" . With their fourth full-length album "The Madness Of Many" , Animals As Leaders continued to develop in 2016 and released a highly complex album with a modern production that is even more playful than its predecessor. Songs such as "The Brain Dance" allowed the band to enter the US hard rock charts at number one for the first time with album number four. After a longer creative break, the current longplayer "Parrhesia" was released in 2022, which once again shows the trio in top form. As intricate as ever, "Monomyth " stands out with its complex rhythms and mysterious synthesizers amidst playful riffs and tricky drumming. Over the years, Animals As Leaders have lost none of the magic that often leaves audiences open-mouthed at live shows due to their high level of virtuosity.