Animals as Leaders

Animals as Leaders is an instrumental progressive metal band that hails from Washington, D.C. Formed in 2007 after the guitarist Tosin Abasi's band Reflux broke up, the band originated out of Prosthetic Records' idea for Abasi to front his own solo project. Under the moniker Animals As Leaders, Abasi recorded an eponymous album with the help of engineer Misha Mansoor and embarked on an extensive tour after adopting a live backing band and dropping the album in 2009. Though the band hasn't necessarily found enduring commercial success, the group is composed of three virtuosic musicians who have collected pockets of highly dedicated fans with its dexterous tunes.