From sweeping guitar riffs to powerful drum solos, progressive-rock band Brazil punched through a deafening set Sunday at the Maintenance Shop.

Brazil, who is headlining a tour that also features Wax On Radio and Forgive Durden, was formed in 2002, but has since suffered numerous lineup changes. But despite this, the band’s sound has remained consistent from the beginning.

“We play ambitious music that challenges and pushes boundaries,” said Jonathan Newby, lead vocals. “It’s like getting your ears drilled out with an eight-inch drill bit.”

The tour, which started in August 2006, features songs from Brazil’s sophomore album, “The Philosophy of Velocity.”

Newby said inspiration for “Philosophy” came from a mix of experiences they had while on tour and, strangely, movies – namely David Lynch films.

Lynch’s films, which focus on surrealism and darker subjects, share similarities with Brazil’s lyrics.

“Our songs are mostly about darker subject matter that is allegorical and has a lot of absurdism,” Newby said. “Along with that comes the quasi-philosophical tone.”

For those wondering how the band chose its name, Newby said they wanted something simple and not too melodramatic.

“With a lot of the band names you can basically surmise what they are going to sound like by just looking at the name, but we wanted something different,” Newby said. “We named it after a location like a lot of the old ’70s bands used to.”

Although its name may favor simplicity, Brazil’s stage presence is anything but.

“One of the best parts of the show is how they tried to involve the audience as much as possible – you just don’t see that with most other bands,” said Harrison Kelner, freshman in animal ecology.

Kelner said Brazil’s interactive tactics included everything from wearing audience members’ coats to walking around in the crowd while performing.

While Brazil may offer a completely unique performance, future plans for another album have not been finalized.

“We have one week left in the tour then a short break,” Newby said. “After that it’s just a real fluid cycle of touring, writing and pushing the record.”