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.
Animals As Leaders is an instrumental group from Washington, DC, formed in 2007 around guitarist Tosin Abasi. Abasi plays extended-range seven- and eight-string guitars, using tapping, slap technique and unusual harmonic voicings; the band also includes guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka.
The music combines progressive metal and djent rhythms with jazz harmony, electronic textures and shifting time signatures, and it carries entirely without vocals. The band 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.
Festivals Animals As Leaders is playing
Animals As Leaders at a glance
What festivals is Animals As Leaders playing in 2026?
Animals As Leaders is booked at 1 festival: Louder Than Life 2026.
Is Animals As Leaders playing Louder Than Life 2026?
Yes — Animals As Leaders is on the Louder Than Life 2026 lineup, September 17–20, 2026 at Highland Festival Grounds, Louisville, KY. They play Sunday, September 20.
Where is Animals As Leaders from?
Animals As Leaders is from Washington, DC.
What kind of music does Animals As Leaders play?
Animals As Leaders is tagged instrumental prog.
Also on these bills
My Chemical RomanceIron MaidenToolLimp BizkitPanteraPierce The VeilGojiraDanny ElfmanThe ProdigySublimePapa RoachA Day To Remember
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