Having given the instrumental prog-metal envelope a serious push with their first two records—2009’s Animals as Leaders and 2011’s Weightless—Tosin Abasi and longtime guitar partner Javier Reyes are taking their virtuoso approach to the next level on their latest effort, The Joy of Motion.
Right now, Animals as Leaders are streaming the entire album at their official YouTube channel. You can check out the playlist below.
This is a nice surprise, since the album won't be released until March 25 via Sumerian Records
“Prog as an ideology should be, in essence, a progression,” Abasi says in the April 2014 issue of Guitar World.
“It should be constantly stepping forward and exploring new territory. We really like the essence of what progressive means, so we want to incorporate cutting-edge sounds and maybe bring elements into progressive metal that are really far removed from metal.
"So for The Joy of Motion, we referenced electronic music, jazz and various other genres, because to us, that really contributes to our sound—and that makes it sound progressive to us, because it’s new.” For the rest of this interview, check out the April 2014 issue of GW at the Guitar World Online Store!
Check it out below — and tell us what you think in the comments or on Facebook!
