Animals As Leaders in Norfolk
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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 + Norfolk
Animals As Leaders have a sparse but memorable history with Norfolk. Their last visit was November 2017 at The NorVa, where they brought their virtuosic instrumental prog to a packed room. It's been a few years since the math rock architects graced the venue, making any return a genuine event for the local progressive music crowd.
Animals As Leaders in Norfolk News
- Dance Gavin Dance Book 2020 Tour With Animals As Leaders + More [Update] Loudwire · Nov 12, 2019
- Animals as Leaders and Periphery announce co-headlining tour The Prog Report · Jul 25, 2017
- Tours: Between the Buried and Me / Animals As Leaders / The Contortionist Punknews · Mar 17, 2015
- BTBAM, Animals As Leaders, The Contortionist tour Lambgoat · Mar 17, 2015
- Between The Buried And Me Going On A Summer Tour For Coma Ecliptic With Animals As Leaders And The Contortionist Heavy Blog is Heavy · Mar 17, 2015
Live Music in Norfolk
Norfolk's metal and progressive rock scene tends toward the underground but loyal. The city's military presence and working-class character have shaped a crowd that appreciates technical musicianship without pretense. Animals As Leaders' math-metal complexity and instrumental prowess should resonate with the kind of listeners who care more about what a band can actually play than what they look like.
Norfolk road trip to see Animals As Leaders?
Stay in the Ghent neighborhood — it's got actual character with tree-lined streets and converted warehouses. Dinner at Commune, which does locally-sourced food without the pretense. After the show, grab late-night food at d'Egg in Ocean View. Spend a day at the Chrysler Museum of Art if you want something substantial, or walk the waterfront at Town Point Park. Norfolk's food scene has gotten genuinely good in the last five years. The military history is everywhere if you're interested in that angle too.
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