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Animals As Leaders in Milwaukee

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Animals As Leaders
Riverside Theatre - WI — Milwaukee, WI
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About Animals As Leaders

Animals As Leaders is Tosin Abasi's instrumental progressive metal project that basically redefined what guitar-centric metal could be. Starting as a solo endeavor in 2007, the band evolved into a full unit with bassist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, creating some of the most technically demanding and rhythmically complex music in modern metal. Their self-titled debut introduced a sound built on extended-range guitars, polyrhythmic foundations, and zero reliance on vocals—just pure instrumental storytelling. Albums like "Weightless" and "The Joy of Motion" cemented them as the thinking person's metal band, pulling equally from jazz fusion, prog rock, and metal traditions. Tracks like "Cafo" and "An Infinite Regression" showcase their ability to balance inhuman technical precision with actual emotional weight. They're the kind of band that makes you realize how limiting conventional song structures are. Their influence on progressive music over the last 15 years is hard to overstate.

Animals As Leaders shows are dense, focussed experiences. The crowd tends toward musicians and serious listeners who actually track the time signatures. There's an intensity that comes from watching people execute this level of technical material live without a net. Energy builds through precision rather than spectacle.

Known for Tempting Time, An Infinite Regression, The Brain, Cafo, Lippincott

Animals As Leaders + Milwaukee

Animals As Leaders has built a steady presence in Milwaukee's progressive music scene. The band most recently stopped by The Rave in November 2024, running through 16 tracks including "Ka$cade" for a crowd of math-rock devotees. They've consistently drawn the city's instrumental guitar nerds and complex-time-signature enthusiasts whenever they roll through.

Animals As Leaders in Milwaukee News

Live Music in Milwaukee

Milwaukee's got its roots in metal and hardcore, which gives Animals As Leaders decent footing here. The city bred bands like Converge and produced metal-friendly crowds, but AAL operates in a different universe—technical, precise, and more interested in guitar math than brutality. Still, there's overlap in the audience that appreciates musicians who refuse to take the easy path.

Milwaukee road trip to see Animals As Leaders?

Stay in Whitefish Bay or the East Side — quieter, tree-lined neighborhoods with actual character. Dinner at Colectivo's sister restaurant Odd Duck for inventive local cooking, or hit up Uchi if you want something more refined. Spend your day at the Harley-Davidson Museum if you're into American icons, or walk through the Milwaukee Public Market for the best cross-section of local food producers. The lakefront is worth an afternoon, and if blues is the point of the trip, catch a set at Colectivo or one of the Walnut Street venues while you're in town.

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