Recently playing to a capacity crowd at Slims in San Francisco, Trez Maschine took the stage and ended all concept of 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. Quickly alternating to these downbeat pulses of wild string bends in time with the drummer Kyle Malone, answered by bassist Brian Kenney’s upbeats of what can only be described as bass heroics, . . . and that was just the beginning of their first song, a warning to the masses that “It’s Gonna get Loud”.

Just as you find yourself categorizing their sound, they seamlessly cross into another genre, divergent yet harmonious. Their most often comparison being a mad mix of Queens of the Stone Age, 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 on 4AD Records, critically acclaimed for some of the most beautiful guitar-scapes 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 stages with the likes Skanking Pickle, NOFX and Suicidal Tendencies. Brian playing with Backward Mask, Adverse Side-FX and Degenerate Elite. Kyle branching off into psychobilly with Ghost Town Hangmen and hard rock band Five Against One. You’d think that this contrast of styles should not work, but good music has never been a combination of similarities. It is these differences that make Trez Maschine such a great band.

They waste no time in between songs, driving one song into the next. 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 for which the Beatles required a symphonic orchestra. They slam into the mid section, “woke up, dragged a comb across my head” and closed the song to an entranced and screaming audience held firmly in their grasp.

Trez Maschine went on to perform four more original songs, vocals trading back and forth between Gorden and Brian with some great 3 part vocal harmonies interspersed. Each member’s 25+ years music experience well on display, while staying tightly focused on delivering powerful songs that make you tap your feet while awestruck by their technical prowess.