ANIMALS AS LEADERS
THE BLACK LAB, 8, RUE DES CHAMPS, 59290 Wasquehal Directions
Tue 04.08.2026 20:00
ONLY YOU PRÉSENTE : ANIMALS AS LEADERSAssociant musique instrumentale et storytelling, Animals As Leaders joue avec les règles, les frontières et les limites du rock conventionnel et plait à la fois aux metalleux, aux virtuoses en devenir, aux fans de jazz mais aussi aux auditeurs occasionnels à l’oreille moins formée à ce genre de musique. Même sans chant, leur musique parvient à être intime et à stimuler l’imaginaire.Animals As Leaders a débuté en tant que projet solo pour le guitariste Tobin Abasi, qui s’est ensuite associé créativement au guitariste classique Javier Reyes et au batteur Matt Garstka (tout droit sorti de Berklee) grâce à leur passion commune pour la musique fusion comme pour le death metal très technique.Après plus de 10 ans de carrière, l’éventail des groupes avec lesquels Animals As Leaders a joué prouve toute la largeur de leur public : la liste inclut Korn, Deftones, Dance Gavin Dance, Thrice, Meshuggah, Underoath, TesseracT et Circa Survive. Lors de grands festivals, le groupe a aussi joué avec Linkin Park, Avenged Sevenfold et Slipknot.Le groupe offre plus qu’une maîtrise technique, en se concentrant sur l’ambiance, la texture et le pouvoir émotionnel, qui leur permet de s’inscrire dans de nombreux sous-genres.Leur cinquième album, Parrhesia (25 mars 2022), est le troisième qu’Animals As Leaders a fait avec le producteur Misha Mansoon, membre fondateur de Periphery. Un album tout aussi efficace que ces prédécesseurs, qui joue encore davantage sur les harmonies.A l’occasion des 10 ans de leur album « The Joy of Motion », Animals as Leaders sera sur la scène du Casino de Paris le 25 février 2025 pour un concert exceptionnel accompagnés de Night Verses en invités spéciaux !
Performers
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Animals As LeadersSometimes, a band’s music registers just as seismically on an emotional wavelength as it does on a sonic spectrum. Animals As leaders—Tosin Abasi [guitar], Javier Reyes [guitar], and Matt Garstka [drums]—reimagine, reinterpret, and refresh instrumental prog, experimental metal, modern jazz, alternative, and even world music to a point where the reaction becomes primal on their fourth full-length album, The Madness of Many [Sumerian Records]. “What you’re hearing is the madness of the band, what happens in our heads, and what it sounds like when you put it all together,” exclaims Javier. “For us, that’s the sound of the new album. It’s simply the madness of these three individuals. We’re trying to create something that only we can do.” That’s why Animals As Leaders have risen to celebrated heroes of their respective instruments since first emerging in 2007. Most recently, 2014’s The Joy of Motion bowed at #24 on the Billboard Top 200, moving 13,000 copies first-week. Along the way, the trio has earned acclaim from the likes of Consequence of Sound, Revolver, Ultimate Guitar, and Rolling Stone who extolled them, “as satisfying in their visceral kick as they are in dazzling displays of dexterity.” Tosin would grace the cover of Guitar World twice, while Matt covered Modern Drummer. Consistently delivering a captivating show, they’ve toured alongside Deftones, Between The Buried And Me, Periphery, and many others in addition to Tosin joining Joe Satriani at the G4 Experience and Steve Vai and Nuno Bettencourt for the Generation Axe Tour. Matt remains a sought-after talent, performing on Late Night With Seth Meyers and at drum clinics and festivals worldwide, and Javier’s solo project Mestis stands out as a fan favorite. When it came time to begin working on new music in late 2015, the musicians possessed a clear vision for their next evolution. “Instead of enlisting a producer, we ended up doing everything ourselves for the first time,” says Javier. “We were really influencing each other, and it’s the most collaborative effort so far.” The band opened up the writing process like never before since Matt joining in 2012. Ideas were flowing freely, and his contributions added another dimension to the group’s signature style. Another first, Tosin and Javier actually wrote guitar to the drums of six-minute album opener “Arithmophobia.” It’s polyrhythmic percussive palette provided the perfect backdrop for distinct dexterous riffing and a hypnotic hummable lead. “That was something I sent the guys, and I sat down and explained it,” reveals Matt. “It turned into a very cool track.” “Eventually, it didn’t seem so foreign,” chuckles Javier. “It challenged us to create a new style while still persevering who we are.” “Most people would expect a heavy song,” he goes on. “It moves like a dance, ballet, or something very theatrical. That’s where the title came from. It’s literally a journey in your head.” Ultimately, The Madness of Many will impact listeners like only Animals As Leaders can. Javier leaves off, “I just want to blow people’s minds and leave them speechless, so they want to share the record.”