Yesterday (December 19), Sumerian Records founder Ash Avildsen revealed via tweet that he had signed “some of my best friends of 10+ years,” and promised to reveal the signing the following day. While some outlets easily guessed who the band was, it’s now been confirmed that Sumerian Records has signed Animals As Leaders.
An official statement is expected to come shortly. However, a certain picture posted on Sumerian’s Facebook page (featuring the group’s Tosin Abasi and Matt Garstka) is pretty telling. In case you still needed convincing, the picture included the caption “Looks like Christmas came early this year. This is much better than stuffed ANIMALS.” It’s unclear as to when we can expect Animals As Leaders’ first release via Sumerian.
All things considering, this signing shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, the instrumental prog metal group is managed by Sumerian Entertainment, while Avildsen and The Pantheon Agency also handle their live booking. And let’s not forget that Abasi’s side project T.R.A.M. is already signed to Sumerian. However, this does mark another big loss for Animals As Leaders’ previous label home, Prosthetic Records (who lost both Gojira and The Acacia Strain over the past year). Now Sumerian’s roster boasts a major up and coming player in the prog metal world (along with the recently added The Dillinger Escape Plan AND Ice T).
