The progressive metal trio Animals As Leaders are beloved by metalheads, jazz fanatics and casual listeners alike thanks to their unique take on conventional rock that disregards the rules and traditional limitations of the genre.
While formed in 2009 and releasing the debut self-titled album as the solo project of Tosin Abasi after his previous band Reflux disbanded, guitarist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka joined the ranks in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The 2011 sophomore release Weightless, which featured new bandmate Reyes, was included in Kerrang's Best Albums of 2011.
However, they found widespread success in 2014 as a band with their third album The Joy of Motion which climbed all the way to No.1 on the Billboard hard rock charts and No.23 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Their fourth album Madness of Many was released in 2016 and was described by Garstka as their "most collaborative effort" as a band and embraced more jazz elements. They would go on to release their first concert album Animals As Leaders Live in 2017 before taking a six-year break.
Returning in 2022, the trio treated fans to Parrhesia after leading out with the single 'The Problem of Other Minds'.
