Animals as Leaders is the debut studio album by American instrumental progressive metal band Animals as Leaders. It was released on April 28, 2009 by Prosthetic Records. In 2015, a reissue titled Animals as Leaders – Encore Edition was released with bonus tracks.
Animals as Leaders | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 28, 2009 (2009-04-28) | |||
Recorded | 2008 | |||
Genre | Progressive metal, djent, instrumental rock | |||
Length | 52:00 | |||
Label | Prosthetic | |||
Producer | Misha Mansoor | |||
Animals as Leaders chronology | ||||
|
Before Animals as Leaders Tosin Abasi was a member of metalcore band Reflux that had been disbanded.[1] Reflux's former record label Prosthetic Records saw Abasi's guitar work and asked him to create a solo album for them. Abasi initially declined, feeling such an endeavor would be "egotistical and unnecessary".[2] Afterwards, Abasi enrolled in the Atlanta Institute of Music which helped give him new creative ideas for music composition.[1] Abasi later changed his mind saying that "doing a solo album seemed to make a lot more sense", and decided to take the label's offer.[1] However, he did not want the project's new album to just represent the idea of one person.[3] Abasi's school experience aided him in developing ideas for the album. While at school he learned fundamental harmony, jazz playing standards, and improved on playing classical guitar.[4]
Animals as Leaders was recorded in early 2008. Abasi recorded all guitar and bass tracks on the album; drums and various synthesized effects were programmed by engineer Misha Mansoor (Periphery, Haunted Shores).[2]
Abasi and Mansoor are credited for composing the music for all tracks on Animals as Leaders.[3] All twelve tracks on the album are guitar driven instrumentals that are intended to showcase Abasi's guitar skills.[3] Abasi uses techniques such as tremolo picking, sweep-picking, two-handed tapping, fingerpicking, and slapping throughout the album.[3]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rock Sound | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The album was released on April 28, 2009 by Prosthetic Records,[7] and was met with positive reviews. It was also called "the 12th best album of 2009" by metalsucks.net[8]
Ken McGrath of Rock Sound described the album as "a space-prog head-trip" and compared its sound to Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, 65daysofstatic, and Meshuggah.[6]
All tracks written by Tosin Abasi.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Tempting Time" | 5:23 |
2. | "Soraya" | 4:27 |
3. | "Thoroughly at Home" | 4:02 |
4. | "On Impulse" | 6:09 |
5. | "Tessitura" | 1:06 |
6. | "Behaving Badly" | 4:26 |
7. | "The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing" | 5:32 |
8. | "CAFO" | 6:41 |
9. | "Inamorata" | 6:08 |
10. | "Point to Point" | 1:44 |
11. | "Modern Meat" | 2:06 |
12. | "Song of Solomon" | 4:16 |
Total length: | 52:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
13. | "Wave of Babies" | 5:29 |
14. | "Kalimba" | 6:38 |
15. | "Orea" (Demo) | 1:57 |
Total length: | 66:04 |
| |
---|---|
| |
Studio albums |
Authority control ![]() |
|
---|