Recently playing to a capacity crowd at Slims in San Francisco, Trez Maschine took the stage and ended all conceptions about what a power-trio is supposed to sound like. Gorden Mack ripped into the crowd with a sonic wall of blazing guitar, delays and synth tones, stunning the standing-room only crowd. He quickly alternated to these downbeat pulsed string bends in time with the drummer, answered by bassist Brian Kenney’s upbeats of what can only be described as bass heroics, . . . and they were just plowing into their first song of the night, a warning to the standing-room only crowd that “It’s Gonna get Loud”.
Just as you find your self categorizing their sound, they seamlessly cross into another genre, divergently different, yet somehow harmonious. The most often comparisons seem to be a mad cross section of Primus, King Crimson, Rush and Oingo Boingo. Hard, fast and dizzyingly technical.
Guitarist, Gorden Mack, originally gained fame as the guitarist behind Red House Painters, known for some of the most beautiful guitar soundscapes to come out of the bay area music scene. Bassist Brian Kenney and Drummer Kyle Malone made their mark in the Santa Cruz Punk scene, sharing the stage with the likes Skanking Pickle, NOFX and Suicidal Tendencies. Brian playing with Backward Mask, Adverse Side-FX and Degenerate Elite. Kyle most recently playing psychobilly with Ghost Town Hangmen and alt rock band Five Against One. You’d think that such a mixture of styles should not work, but good music has never been a combination of similarities. It is their differences that make Trez Maschine such a great band.
They waste no time in between songs, quickly going from one musical trip into another. Their third song, the only cover song of the evening, was the epic Beatles song “A Day in the Life”. At first you might think you’re listening to Radiohead until you hear the haunting voice, “I read the news today, oh boy”. Somehow the 3-piece band pulls off the ascending bridge piece which in the studio required an entire orchestra. Then they slam into the mid section, “woke up, dragged a comb across my head” and finish the song to a screaming crowd that are now wholly focused on this amazing band.
Trez Maschine went on to perform four more original songs, vocals going back and forth between Gorden and Brian with some great 3 part harmonies interspersed. Each member’s 25+ years music experience was well on display, while staying tightly focused on delivering these powerful songs that make you tap your feet while awestruck by their technical prowess.
Just as you find your self categorizing their sound, they seamlessly cross into another genre, divergently different, yet somehow harmonious. The most often comparisons seem to be a mad cross section of Primus, King Crimson, Rush and Oingo Boingo. Hard, fast and dizzyingly technical.
Guitarist, Gorden Mack, originally gained fame as the guitarist behind Red House Painters, known for some of the most beautiful guitar soundscapes to come out of the bay area music scene. Bassist Brian Kenney and Drummer Kyle Malone made their mark in the Santa Cruz Punk scene, sharing the stage with the likes Skanking Pickle, NOFX and Suicidal Tendencies. Brian playing with Backward Mask, Adverse Side-FX and Degenerate Elite. Kyle most recently playing psychobilly with Ghost Town Hangmen and alt rock band Five Against One. You’d think that such a mixture of styles should not work, but good music has never been a combination of similarities. It is their differences that make Trez Maschine such a great band.
They waste no time in between songs, quickly going from one musical trip into another. Their third song, the only cover song of the evening, was the epic Beatles song “A Day in the Life”. At first you might think you’re listening to Radiohead until you hear the haunting voice, “I read the news today, oh boy”. Somehow the 3-piece band pulls off the ascending bridge piece which in the studio required an entire orchestra. Then they slam into the mid section, “woke up, dragged a comb across my head” and finish the song to a screaming crowd that are now wholly focused on this amazing band.
Trez Maschine went on to perform four more original songs, vocals going back and forth between Gorden and Brian with some great 3 part harmonies interspersed. Each member’s 25+ years music experience was well on display, while staying tightly focused on delivering these powerful songs that make you tap your feet while awestruck by their technical prowess.
