# Alek Darson's Inner Child Project

> Alek Darson mixes progressive metal with his inner child.
- Title: Alek Darson's Inner Child Project · Guitar World | Shortify
- Summary: Alek Darson mixes progressive metal with his inner child. Alek Darson recorded Inner Child's debut album with Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka…
- Keywords: alek darson, inner child, animals as leaders, matt garstka, progressive metal, guitar, fractal axe-fx, Alek, Darson's, Inner, Child, Project
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/alek-darson-inner-child
- Published: 2026-10-09T09:19:06+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alek darson, inner child, animals as leaders, matt garstka, progressive metal, guitar, fractal axe-fx
## Alek Darson mixes Inner Child
Alek Darson mixed and mastered demos for Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka's progressive metal project Inner Child.
## Darson contributes to Inner Child
Darson played lead and rhythm guitar, bass, keyboards and programming while producing, engineering, mixing and mastering the album.
## Inner Child's musical style
Inner Child uses odd meters, jazz-fusion phrasing, heavy riffing and quieter passages with string arrangements beyond a standard trio.
## Darson's guitar choices
Darson uses an unusual E-A-D-A-D-G-B-E tuning and a WoodGuerilla Ghost of Isabel eight-string guitar for clean, edge-of-breakup tones.
## Darson's amp setup
Darson uses Fractal's Axe-Fx platform for guitar tones, saying they've 'nailed it in the box' despite missing physical amp rituals.
## Darson's toughest challenge
Darson struggled to play a complex guitar passage he calls 'the hardest he's ever tackled' at tempo.
## Inner Child's personal meaning
Darson connected with the title Inner Child as an only child who spends much of his youth looking inward.
## Key takeaway

Alek Darson recorded Inner Child's debut album with Animals As Leaders drummer Matt Garstka, struggling to play a complex guitar passage he calls 'the hardest he's ever tackled'.