The genre of Jazz Fusion is often simply known as “Shred” to the average metalhead. It makes sense, as us metalheads connect with music through primarily the instrumental performances of the musicians involved. With Nuclear Power Trio in particular, I have seen the term “Sega Genesis Metal” been thrown around more than once as well. It makes sense, as a big part of the DNA of your average Shred band nowadays is inspired by the “Big Dick Lick” Shredders of the 80s. The Satrianis, Gambales and Vais of the world are the usual prototypes of this sound, but even more recently, guitar nerds (myself included) have been smitten by the wave of late 70s/early 80s Japanese Fusion guitarists, including the race car aesthetics of Cassiopeia and the more laid back attitude of faux-Brasilian Surfer Boy Masayoshi Takanaka—a favorite in the house of Goat. Originally, I was tepid on the debut EP by the band but in the pursuit of catching up with what I missed during our summer break, I gave Nuclear Power Trio another chance. Luckily, I must add, as Nuclear Power Trio have discovered a sense of fun previously unheard of from the band.
More so than in the past, the Nuclear Power Trio lads show how much they enjoy braggartly showcasing their instrumental skills, but without ever losing a sense of thematic coherence and structure. You would be forgiven for believing all of this to be mostly improvised, but I believe the interplay between the musicians is carefully curated, giving each musician moments to shine without ever forgetting to play together as a band. The musicians support each other during their respective solo bits and only through that cooperation it is clear that this trio is an actual band and not a showcase for a singular musician. One could argue that the Internet-Age political “satire” (airquotes doing a lot of work here) is an attempt at demystifying the personalities of the musicians, putting the music front and center. Beyond the simplistic puns and the silicone masks worn by the musicians, there really is nothing much satirical to be found here. This doesn´t mean that the album doesn´t have a sense of humor, which it indeed has in spades. The way the band utilizes brass reeks of irony to me, and the occasional faux-Flamenco sections and Neoclassical quotes – involving Debussy´s Clair de Lune being transformed into an anime style power ballad in the closer – can hardly be taken seriously, either. I appreciate a sense of humor, though and Shred as a “genre” has little need for any profound messaging. Humor can be a good way to showcase creativity, more often than not and through this, the album achieves the rare feat of being a Shred album that does not overstay its welcome.
