Album Cuts: EchoBrain

Metallica fans who rush to their local record stores to purchase EchoBrain because it happens to be the former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted's latest work are in for a little surprise.

In lieu of the piercing lead guitars, in-your-face vocals, and heart-palpitating rhythm section of Metallica, EchoBrain utilizes a more subtle approach that conjures thoughts of the Beatles and Jeff Buckley.

EchoBrain traces its beginnings to a Super Bowl party in 1995, where Newsted was first introduced to drummer Brian Sagrafena. Newsted was impressed with the then 16-year-old's play and invited Sagrafena to his home studio, the Chophouse. Sagrafena brought singer-songwriter-guitarist Dylan Donkin to one of these sessions in 1996 and EchoBrain was born.

The San Francisco trio's self-titled first album draws the listener in and clutches tightly from start to finish. Traditional rock and blues harmonies intermingle with tangent chord sequences that give the album a feel fans of George Martin will enjoy.

Because of the untraditional chord progressions and lack of silence between tracks, however, the songs on the album tend to blur together.

Until you've listened to it while watching the track display on your CD player a few times, EchoBrain remains an essay without punctuation.

With tracks such as "Spoonfed," a grungy appeal for independent thought, and "Keep Me Alive," a deviously sweet story of need, EchoBrain caters to an audience willing to pay attention.

In an age when rock and pop music are drifting toward simple harmonies and lyrics, EchoBrain provides an escape to the surreal.

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