Echobrain

Posted by Aldo Pusey on Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Echobrain, the Bay Area rock band featuring former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, has made an unexpectedly creative and accomplished recording that stands apart from the prefabricated corporate rock that dominates the contempo landscape. The act delivered a fresh and exciting sound and a level of musicality all too rare these days.

Echobrain, the Bay Area rock band featuring former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, has made an unexpectedly creative and accomplished recording that stands apart from the prefabricated corporate rock that dominates the contempo landscape. For its long-awaited SoCal debut, the act delivered a fresh and exciting sound and a level of musicality all too rare these days.

The dynamic opening stanza of first song “Colder World” — from the band’s self-titled Chophouse/Surfdog Records release — was greeted by a wave of cheering that seemed to catch the players by pleasant surprise. “We’re just trying to get this thing started,” Newsted told the crowd, but it was very obvious these guys are well on their way.

Front man Dylan Donkin, who handles lead vocals and plays guitar, has an excellent and flexible singing voice, and he easily tackled a variety of styles with a distinct bluesy flavor.

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Newsted and funky drummer Brian Sagrafena made for a formidable rhythm section, providing a propulsive anchor to the powerful and exhilarating songs, which alternately included shades of classic, acid, alternative, psychedelic, acoustic and hard rock, all combined and delivered in a thoroughly original manner.

“Dogfight,” which does not appear on the CD, recalled vintage Cream and finished with a hefty guitar jam, while the liquid groove of “Sucker Punch” suggested latter-period Led Zeppelin.

Echobrain begins a full U.S. tour April 26 in Utah, and plays Gotham’s Bowery Ballroom May 21.

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Echobrain

Roxy; 395 capacity; $15

  • Production: Presented inhouse. Reviewed April 12, 2002.
  • Cast: Band: Dylan Donkin, Jason Newsted, Brian Sagrafena, Chris Scianni, Dave Borla.

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