Animals As Leaders and Periphery Bring a Progressive Night to Brooklyn Bowl at the Linq

Combine complex polyrhythms, the technical precision of a fine-tuned engine of sensational progressive metal, add humor and brutality, and you would have described the show in Las Vegas at the Brooklyn Bowl with Animals As Leaders and Periphery.

Animals As Leaders is an instrumental band from Washington, D.C, formed in 2007 by 8-string guitar shredder Tosin Abasi, along with his co-shredder Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka. Animals As Leaders instrumental Prog metal assault at the Vegas show was a mix of songs from their latest CD Madness of Many from 2016 as well as multiple tracks from The Joy of Motion along with "Tempting Time" and "CAFO" from their debut self titled release.

Animals As Leaders Setlist

Arithmophobia

Tempting Time

Ectogenesis

Cognitive Contortions

Tooth and Claw

Nephele

Physical Education

The Brain Dance

Private Visions of the World

Ka$cade

Inner Assassins

The Woven Web

CAFO

Animals As Leaders Photos: Paul Rock Santos

Periphery took the stage for the final act of the night, a band also from Washington, D.C and are considered one of the pioneers of the djent movement in progressive metal. The band line up has a vocalist, three guitarists and a drummer, which creates an interesting combination of dark and progressive songs using a range of guitar tunings in 6, 7, and 8-string instruments and drop keys predominate throughout. I liked there was no bassist, just all guitars and machine like beats, with lots of moshing and head banging from the fans for the bands set, that covered songs from their 2016 release Periphery III: Select Difficulty as well as earlier material off their prior four records from their Sumerian Records Label.