Octave of the Holy Innocents

The “power trio” is a concept with somewhat fuzzy boundaries, but generally it’s defined as a guitar-bass-drums trio consisting entirely of not just virtuosic but also famous members, all of whom are usually best known for their work in other groups. This album, though generally filed under Jonas Hellborg’s name, fits the classic definition of a power trio release: bassist Hellborg is teamed up with Michael Shrieve (famous for his work with Santana) and guitarist Buckethead (famous both for his otherworldly guitar skills and his extremely odd self-presentation). In addition to the sounds of their instruments in avant-funk and rock settings, you’ll hear what sound like obscure vocal samples, though they could theoretically be the singing of one of the musicians – and at one point someone seems to be playing a flute. The music ranges from frantic to contemplative, and is always thrilling.