The American instrumental jazz rock band Animals as Leaders were formed in Washington D.C. in 2007 after guitarist Tosin Abasi's previous group Reflux disbanded. After Reflux split up Abasi was approached by the group's record company to record a solo album, an invite he initially declined whilst he took a year 's sabbatical during which he studied music. When Abasi felt ready to return to recording and playing he chose the name Animals As Leaders as the title for his new project.
The band have an intriguing sound and many early jazz rock influences can be detected within the band's music as well as contemporary ones. Shades of Billy Cobham and John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestras can be heard alongside modern metalcore and jazz fusion.
The band are currently structured around Tosin's precise and distinctive guitar riffs underpinned by the precision drums and bass rhythms laid down by Matt Garstka and Javier Reeves respectively. They have a small but loyal following which is growing as their music gains wider acceptance outside the narrow genre of jazz fusion and threatens to cross genres and appeal to a more mainstream audience.