Animals As Leaders in Sacramento

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 + Sacramento

Animals As Leaders brought their instrumental prog-metal precision to Heart Health Park back in April 2022, running through nine tracks that showcased their technical mastery. The Sacramento stop was a chance for the Bay Area outfit to flex their virtuosity in front of Northern California fans who've watched them evolve from djent originators into something more expansive and exploratory.

Animals As Leaders in Sacramento News

• Tour news: Missy Elliott, Cat Power, Gogol Bordello, PartyNextDoor, Animals as Leaders, more BrooklynVegan · Apr 30, 2024
• The lead singer of Dream Theater talks with SN&R as band readies for its only Nor Cal stop on July 24 - Sacramento News & Review Sacramento News & Review · Jul 20, 2023
• SWANFEST, Sacramento, CA, Heart Health Park, 04.23.22 Outburn · May 19, 2022
• Dance Gavin Dance Book 2020 Tour With Animals As Leaders + More [Update] Loudwire · Nov 12, 2019
• Tours: Between the Buried and Me / Animals As Leaders / The Contortionist Punknews · Mar 17, 2015

Live Music in Sacramento

Sacramento's live music scene tends toward indie rock and hip-hop, which means progressive metal and djent instrumentalists like Animals As Leaders operate in less crowded territory here. That actually works in their favor—they'll stand out. The city's venues have hosted heavier acts before, but Animals As Leaders represent a different kind of technical precision that Sacramento crowds might not see often.

Sacramento road trip to see Animals As Leaders?

Stay in Midtown Sacramento, where the neighborhood actually feels alive—walk to restaurants, bars, and galleries without planning logistics. Dinner at The Kitchen restaurant offers precise, ingredient-focused cooking that pairs well with the area's wine bar culture. Spend an afternoon at the Crocker Art Museum, one of the country's oldest art institutions, or wander the American River Bike Trail if you need to clear your head before the show. The neighborhood's tree-lined streets and vintage architecture beat anywhere else in town.