Published on Mar 11, 2002
Possibly the toughest thing that anyone can do with the
self-titled debut from Echobrain is to not expect to hear Metallica
Mk. II. It’s an honest trap to fall in; after all, this is the
first major effort featuring former Metallica bassist Jason
Newsted. But Newsted and his bandmates – guitarist/vocalist Dylan
Donkin and drummer Brian Sagrafena – wisely stay away from the
style of music that Metallica is known for.
If only Echobrain knew exactly which style of music they wanted
to follow; this 10-song effort is all over the map musically, and
is more confusing than watching
Twin Peaks with cheat sheets. There are moments this group
seems like it will all click into place; pity they don’t occur more
often.
For the most part,
Echobrain is a collection of listless alternative-jazz songs
which puts an emphasis on minimalistic performances – almost
worrying that any real effort might seem like trying to capture the
limelight of Newsted’s old band. There is no denying that Donkin is
a talented guitarist, and that Sagrafena is a solid enough rhythm
section. One does wish, though, that there was a little more
excitement in their playing.
And Newsted? His bass work is treated almost the same way it was
in Metallica – namely, buried in the back of the mix. Granted, had
Newsted stood out in the mix in the forefront, people would
complain that he was showboating, trying to capitalize on his
previous fame. Fair enough – but when Newsted’s bass lines are
turned up, as they are on “Cryin’ Shame”, the sound becomes that
much richer.
It’s not that
Echobrain is a failure out of the box; indeed, some kudos
have to be given to the band for refusing to take the easy road
with their music. But far too often, what comes forth from the
speakers is anything but interesting. Tracks like “Adrift,” “We Are
Giants” and “SuckerPunch” are far too lethargic for their own good,
daring not to breathe even one note of electric free will. It all
sounds, at times, far too mechanincal. Face it, if you didn’t have
the liner notes in front of you, you’d probably miss the guest
appearances from ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin (“Spoonfed”)
and Metallica axe-slinger Kirk Hammett (“SuckerPunch”).
Personal differences not factored in, it took a lot of guts for
Newsted to leave Metallica and to enter into an entirely new
musical world that is Echobrain. But musically, this band has yet
to come into their own, and Newstead’s talents, like they were in
Metallica, are underutilized far too often. Odds are that there
will be some wonderful material coming from this trio. But it’s far
too early in their career to expect that magic, and
Echobrain definitely lacks it.