Seabrook Power Plant

What do you call this? The people whose groups Brandon Seabrook plays with would largely be considered jazz. But Seabrook Power Plant sure isn't your grandpa's jazz. First off, Brandon Seabrook plays mostly banjo (also guitar), and he isn't exactly traditional about it. Then there are the occasional piledriving blastbeats: not very jazz. He's not the most conventional guitar player either: you won't hear extended guitar soloing or almost any single-string playing at all, preferring odd chords and double stops. And he's not afraid of making a racket either. A couple of tunes are close to math rock, while "I Don't Feel So Good" is Black Sabbath heavy with a speed shredding solo that's as close to a conventional guitar solo as it gets. Drummer Jared Seabrook is an agile drummer who not only stays on top of some tough rhythms, he also impressively plays off the banjo picking at times. Tom Blancarte on bass handles everything from super-heavy to some nice arco work on "Occupation 1977." It might take a couple listens to really get what they're doing and a couple tracks might last a little longer than they need to, but when it all comes together it makes for a pretty great sound. This is probably the most in-your-face banjo thrashing you're likely to have heard.