Biography
The roots of EchoBrain trace back to a 1995 Super Bowl gathering where Metallica bassist Jason Newsted hosted several local neighbors for the game and an impromptu studio session at his home facility, The Chophouse. Veteran musician Newsted took note of 16-year-old jazz/funk drummer Brian Sagrafena from the area, and the pair devoted the evening to running through Tower of Power numbers together, ultimately forgoing the conclusion of the football broadcast. Though Sagrafena, whose father had played drums in the 1970s San Francisco funk/soul outfit Sassafras, held no particular interest in Metallica, his friend and creative partner Dylan Donkin experienced notable nerves upon encountering Newsted. The three maintained sporadic contact through the remainder of the decade, during which Newsted produced a demo for Donkin and Sagrafena’s funk group the Discojefes.
Sagrafena and Donkin drove to Baja, Mexico, in 1999 to compose fresh material and refine earlier compositions. Upon returning stateside they captured several new tracks on eight-track and shared the results with Newsted after his tour commitments ended. The preliminary recordings piqued his interest, prompting an offer to join the project on bass while contributing to songwriting. In May 2000 the three entered a Northern California studio to lay down the material that formed their first album, enlisting additional players such as Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin on banjo and guitar, and musicians from the San Francisco Symphony.
Metallica vocalist James Hetfield had long enforced a strict prohibition on side projects for band members, reasoning that such efforts would dilute the full commitment he required. Internal strains intensified until Newsted declared his departure from Metallica on January 17, 2001, citing “private and personal reasons.” Although he alluded to “the physical damage” accumulated during his tenure with the high-profile group, observers widely attributed the exit partly to Hetfield’s “with us or against us” stance.
EchoBrain made its first public appearance in August 2001 during a showcase for Bay Area acts, augmented onstage by guitarist Chris Scianni and keyboardist David Borla of the New York duo Dangerman. The self-titled Chophouse/Surfdog album appeared in 2002 and drew favorable critical response. Two years later the band issued Glean. While Newsted received an executive producer credit, bass responsibilities shifted to vocalist Dylan Donkin’s brother Adam Donkin, and guitarist/keyboardist Andrew Gomez joined the lineup.
Sagrafena and Donkin drove to Baja, Mexico, in 1999 to compose fresh material and refine earlier compositions. Upon returning stateside they captured several new tracks on eight-track and shared the results with Newsted after his tour commitments ended. The preliminary recordings piqued his interest, prompting an offer to join the project on bass while contributing to songwriting. In May 2000 the three entered a Northern California studio to lay down the material that formed their first album, enlisting additional players such as Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, ex-Faith No More guitarist Jim Martin on banjo and guitar, and musicians from the San Francisco Symphony.
Metallica vocalist James Hetfield had long enforced a strict prohibition on side projects for band members, reasoning that such efforts would dilute the full commitment he required. Internal strains intensified until Newsted declared his departure from Metallica on January 17, 2001, citing “private and personal reasons.” Although he alluded to “the physical damage” accumulated during his tenure with the high-profile group, observers widely attributed the exit partly to Hetfield’s “with us or against us” stance.
EchoBrain made its first public appearance in August 2001 during a showcase for Bay Area acts, augmented onstage by guitarist Chris Scianni and keyboardist David Borla of the New York duo Dangerman. The self-titled Chophouse/Surfdog album appeared in 2002 and drew favorable critical response. Two years later the band issued Glean. While Newsted received an executive producer credit, bass responsibilities shifted to vocalist Dylan Donkin’s brother Adam Donkin, and guitarist/keyboardist Andrew Gomez joined the lineup.