Die Kantine, Cologne, Germany11th March 2025
Animals as Leaders - “10 Years Of The Joy Of Motion” Tour 2025 - Support: Night Verses
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of their second full-length album ‘The Joy of motion’, Washington D.C.’s instrumental progressive djent metal advocates ANIMALS AS LEADERS led Europe on a journey, playing the full album live from front to back.
Night Verses
Kicking it off in the venue that was changed last minute to the slightly smaller Kantine, the Cologne audience would gladly welcome the 3-piece instrumental Metal / Post-Hardcore band NIGHT VERSES. Starting their set with a performance of sheer dexterity, musical technicality and utmost headbang-able beats with their song ‘Arrival’. The whole show was a feast of breakdowns and riffs to make the whole audience bow down and come back up in sync with the sound of the drummer’s cymbals. Songs would go seamlessly into each other, then there is tension, then there is release. All of the sudden, ‘No. 0’ marking the bands last song creates a wave of awe in the crowd, as their drummer jumps up onto his drum throne multiple times, whilst fiercely banging his sticks on the drums.
What an opener for a band that is deemed one of the most technical and complicated amongst its peers. Definitely a band to remember and to add to your metal-playlist. https://nightverses.com / https://www.facebook.com/NightVerses
Setlist
01. Arrival
02. Vice Wave
03. Desire to Feel Nothing
04. 8 Gates of Pleasure
05. Åska
06. Rose Wire
07. Karma Wheel
08. Infinity Beach
09. No. 0
Animals as Leaders
With their music, ANIMALS AS LEADERS have significantly shaken up the Modern Metal scene since the late 2000s. The experimental sound, which blends virtuosic guitar playing, Jazz, and Metal, has made guitarist Tosin Abasi world-famous and a brand ambassador for Ibanez’s 8-string guitars. Their debut album, ‘Animals As Leaders’, released in 2009, caught the attention of the entire Djent scene and has had a lasting influence on many bands. With the release of ‘The Joy of Motion’ in 2014, the band ultimately succeeded in combining a modern and mature Metal sound characterized by complex virtuosity and easily digestible catchiness. This sound has been steadily developed over their five albums in the past fifteen years. After a headline tour in the fall of 2023, the band will return to Europe in the spring of 2025 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their album ‘The Joy of Motion’ by performing it in its entirety live.
ANIMALS AS LEADERS was formed in 2007 at the suggestion of Prosthetic Records as a solo project for guitarist Tosin Abasi, whose band Reflux had previously disbanded. Together with Navene Koperweis (drums) and Javier Reyes (guitar), they released their debut album ‘Animals As Leaders’ in 2009, which was highly regarded for its unconventional sound. The single ‘Cafo’ went viral within the Metal community and was celebrated for its innovative sound, blending instrumental Metal, progressive Rock, Jazz, and Djent. After participating in the Summer Slaughter Tour, ANIMALS AS LEADERS toured with bands such as CIRCA SURVIVE, UNDEROATH, THURSDAY, and DREDG, showcasing the versatility of their sound.
In 2011, they released their second album ‘Weightless’, which debuted at number 92 on the Billboard charts and marked the band’s first European tour as support for BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. In 2012, Navene Koperweis left the band and was replaced by drummer Matt Garstka, whose unique groove was featured from then on. ‘The Joy Of Motion’ was released in 2014 and marked the trio’s most successful album to date, reaching number 23 on the Billboard 200, number 4 on the US Rock charts, and number 2 on the US Hard Rock charts. The single ‘Physical Education’ became the band’s biggest hit with its catchy melodies and infectious grooves. However, the complexity and virtuosity in ANIMALS AS LEADERS’ sound continue to play a significant role in tracks like ‘The Woven Web’ and ‘Kascade’.
With their fourth studio album ‘The Madness of Many’, released in 2016, ANIMALS AS LEADERS once again evolved, delivering a highly complex album that showcased an even more playful modern production than its predecessor. Songs like ‘The Brain Dance’ allowed the band to debut at number 1 on the US Hard Rock charts with their fourth album. After a longer creative break, the current album ‘Parrhesia’ was released in 2022, once again showcasing the trio in top form. As expected, ‘Monomyth’ stands out with complex rhythms and mysteriously sounding synthesizers amidst playful riffs and intricate drumming. Over the years, ANIMALS AS LEADERS have lost none of the magic that often leaves their audience in awe at live shows due to their high virtuosity. ANIMALS AS LEADERS are primarily known for their high virtuosity during live shows, which never fails to leave the audience in awe. It’s an experience that should be witnessed live! https://animalsasleaders.org / https://www.facebook.com/animalsasleaders
Music & Performance
When the evening’s main band finally stepped up onto the stage, all of the anticipation and euphoria was transferred in a massive cheer and applause from everyone witnessing. Here are three of the best musicians on the planet, so you immediately expect them to be perfect at any moment during this concert. And they were perfect all the way through. ‘Ka$cade’ starting off pretty mellow in the first few seconds, the so-called calm before the storm. The storm being Matt Garstka, the bands drummer, interrupting each and every breath in the room, the minute he started hitting his massive drum set. I have to mention the 3rd and a half member of the band, the lighting operator. This guy knows all of the band’s songs front to back and shows it in a cascade (pun intended) of well-timed strobe lights, blinders that are in sync with the uncountable beats and a great atmospheric layer, adding to the experience for everyone.
Of course, the audience was hooked in by the perfectionists that are ANIMALS AS LEADERS. And throughout their whole set it looked so effortlessly, so easy for them, while the contrary is the case for most of their songs. Even straighter songs like ‘Physical Education’ or the acoustic-guitar driven ‘Para Mexer’ are so difficult to comprehend fully, without having a degree in advanced mathematics. Hearing the whole album ‘The joy of motion’ live is something very unforgettable and overall, a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Closing their set with the most complicated song ‘Mind-Spun’ (as a sidenote, the songs bridge alone is counted in 11/8 – 13/8 – 11/8 – 10/8 and then a bunch of 7s) and the almost anthem-like ‘Nephele’, written by the most overlooked musician of the trio JAVIER REYES, the band leaves the stage.
Only to return a few minutes later to give us some encores from their newest album ‘Parrhesia’, including ‘Micro-Aggressions’ and the beat-avalanche that is ‘Monomyth’. That was almost one and a half hours of time well spent.
Setlist
The Joy of Motion
01. Ka$cade
02. Lippincott
03. Air Chrysalis
04. Another Year
05. Physical Education
06. Tooth and Claw
07. Crescent
08. The Future That Awaited Me
09. Para Mexer
10. The Woven Web
11. Mind-Spun
12. Nephele
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13. Micro-Aggressions
14. Zum Geburtstag Viel Glück (Performed by the crowd for the birthday of the guitar technician)
15. Red Miso
16. Monomyth
All Pictures by Daniela Vorndran (http://www.vorndranphotography.com / http://www.facebook.com/blackcatnet)
