Brass Against

Formed in the United States around guitarist Brad Hammonds and saxophonist Andrew Gutauskas, Brass Against took shape from 2017 as a collectively variable lineup, bringing together a brass section, rhythm section and several singers, among whom Sophia Urista often led from the front on stage. The project revisits a politically charged rock and metal repertoire by rewriting it for a brass-dominated formation, between funk-rock, hard rock, jazz brass and the energy of an urban parade. Brass Against first drew attention with filmed covers circulated online, notably around tracks by Rage Against the Machine, Tool, Soundgarden or Black Sabbath, with a dense sound where riffs, groove and brass arrangements hold as much space as the vocals. This approach sits in an explicitly political context tied to the tensions of the late 2010s in the United States, not limited to homage or literal reinterpretation. Over the tours, Brass Against circulated on rock stages, festivals and large-capacity venues, also supporting Tool as an opening act. In 2021, their version of Wake Up was used in the closing credits of The Matrix Resurrections, a landmark in the collective’s trajectory.