American instrumental progressive metal band Animals As Leaders were set to touch down in Australia in September, but the tour has been cancelled after drummer Matt Garstka sustained a “serious injury.”

Garstka has suffered a serious arm injury that requires surgery. Sharing the news on Instagram on Thursday (31 July), the band stated that their upcoming dates not only in Australia, but also in Mexico and South America, would be cancelled.

As Garstka recovers, the band will continue to work on a forthcoming album. You can read the statement below.

To our fans in Mexico, South America, and Australia,

We have some unfortunate news. We’re going to have to cancel our upcoming tour dates. Matt sustained a serious arm injury that requires surgery, and there’s no way we can perform without him.

Rather than leave things up in the air, we’re calling it now and putting our full focus into writing the next Animals As Leaders album. New material is already in the works, and we’ll have more to share soon.

We know this news sucks - especially for those of you who’ve been waiting a long time to see us live. Canceling isn’t something we take lightly. Thank you for sticking with us. We’ll make it back to your cities with new music and a set that hits even harder.

Respect,

Animals As Leaders.

Animals As Leaders last toured Down Under in April 2023. The September tour would’ve seen them celebrate the tenth anniversary of their seminal third album, The Joy Of Motion.

The album redefined progressive metal with its unique coupling of technical precision and emotional depth. With tracks like Kascade, The Woven Web, and Physical Education, the album has brought tens of millions of streams to the band’s name.

Upon its release, the album landed at #23 on the US Billboard 200 chart and received praise from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, and Modern Drummer.

The tour would have also marked the debut visit Down Under for support act Car Bomb. A band known for their aggressive, experimental approach to metal, Car Bomb have earned a devoted following.

Car Bomb said of the tour cancellation, “Due to the unfortunate incident of Matt Garstka suffering an arm injury, our upcoming tour with Animals As Leaders has been cancelled. This would have been our first time playing Australia, so it pains us to say we will not be performing for y’all this September.

“We wish our brother Matt a quick and full recovery and hope we’ll be able to finally make it over to Australia soon.”

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