I've always wanted to be a mod of this forum,because my life is in fact music. 48,000 songs on my external, 600+ vinyls, 400 cds. I can play 7 instruments fluently, and a few others with moderate skill. I help run a independent music venue in my town (for 4 years now) and i'm basically at a show every weekend. I listen to everything, and i DO mean everything. From every recorded decade, from folk to ambient to black metal to math rock to hip hop and everything in between, not excluding music from other cultures (especially east Indian orchestral).
So I was thinking of what I could do most to contribute to the forums, and the site, instead of bitching and contributing to the chaotic bickering.
and It hit me.
From today on, I will (TRY) every day to introduce the forums to a new band that you have probably never heard of, a local band, an underground band, a missing gem from years past, In an attempt to open up music lovers eyes to great music that they may miss otherwise.
Today's band is a Chicago based 2 piece math rock band, who have arguably the fastest drummer around, and play at such lightning speeds with pinpoint accuracy that it is some times mind boggling.
the band in question is
Hella
http://www.hellaband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/realhella
The band consists of Spencer Seim on electric guitar and Zach Hill on drums. The duo were highschool friends and had been making music for years before hella burst onto the scene, Their first musical project being "legs on earth" (with josh hill on guitar and Julian Imsdahl on bass and vocals) which gained moderate local success in the Chicago area. After problems in the band resulted in Josh and Julian leaving to pursue endevours with other bands, Spencer and Zach started work on what would be known as Hella, and they meant
business.
After a few years of playing small shows and releasing now out of print albums, Hella came on the scene with a front to back mindfuck cd titled "hold your horse is".
After a short 40 second intro (that is nearly silent) the album kicks off with "biblical violence", a song that is an excellent example of Hill's ludicrous speeds on his kit. The album continues on uphill from here, with a plethora of insane time changes, odd riffs, a terrific use of fretboard tapping, and an overall speed and precise execution that is sometimes hard to believe could come from 2 people. They bring a new brand of Math rock to the table, influenced highly by avant-garde music of the 70's. The drumming gets so fast that occasionally he is more like a drum machine then a person. Highlights of the album include "Republic of the rough and ready", "1-800 Ghost dance", and a 7 minute ode to rocking out titled "city folk sitting,sitting". The album closes with a (comparatively) short 4 and a half minute track called "better get a broom" that is nothing but nonsensical key and time signature changes that are so well strung together that it is hard not to give some segments multiple dozens of listens. All together, the album is a firm statement. "we are hella, we are fast, and we will only get faster."
Their second studio release (after 2 ep's where they tooled with the idea of vocals and other instruments) was "The Devil Isn't red."
By comparison, this album would prove to be faster and more technical, with more Electronic 8-bit influence.
( In fact, Hill plays in a band called "The Advantage" which exclusively covers NES songs; mega man 2, contra, ect) This album was far more obscure then their first effort and was met with a somewhat critical fallout, while true fans of the band saw that this was the natural progression of the Duo, and liked it. Highlights of this album include "Women of the 90's" , "Brown medal 2003" (a follow up to "Brown metal" from Hold your Horse is), and the hilariously titled "Welcome to the Jungle Baby, Your Gonna Live!" which closes the album.
The next Hella release would come as 2 separate albums, Chirpin' hard/Church gone wild,
written by Siem and Hill respectively. Each was more of a Solo effort, and strayed violently from the bands sound, while still retaining the technical precision and driving rhythms that made the band so interesting. Each album is at least worth a listen, but in my opinion doesn't really qualify as a True Hella album. Ironically enough, this would be the last major studio effort with only the Duo.
The next album, "there's no 666 in outer space"
Introduced a plethora of new members, growing hella into a 7-8 member band and expanding their sound beyond the origins of the band, while still retaining their unique sound. The new members include; Aaron Ross on vocals, Josh Hill (from legs on earth) returning on guitar, Carson McWhirter on Synth and bass, with appearances by Thom and Greg Moore on backup vocals, Skerik on Saxaphone, and Nick Julian on Cello.
This studio effort would prove to be their strongest since "hold your horse is" and is a powerhouse from beginning to end. The album opens with "world series" which is a wonderful showing of the new members of the band and what they bring to the table. It sets the tone of the album as a well thought out and technically sound Rock-avant garde record with hectic buildups and driving vocals, while still holding true to the band's original speed and odd time signature changes. The album continues with "let your heavies out", a song that could have fit right in on their first effort. It is a statement to the fans that says "regardless of new members,we are as we have always been" and is a fantastic,speedy track. The album staggers on, increasingly more hectic and loud, Ross's vocals proving to fit well with Siem and Hill's artistic vision.
The album closes with 3 tracks that are important to mention; "Dull fangs" , the only song in Hella's history that may be described as Catchy, with fantastic breakdowns, Thoughtful lyrics, and perfect composition. "Soundtrack To Insecurity", a quick, loud, chaotic testament to metal. And the final track for which the album was titled, "there's no 666 in outer space" which is simply too odd for me to even begin to describe.
All and all, the album DOES stray from the band's previous efforts, in both good and bad ways, but establishes itself as a solid, well thought out album that produces intrigue as to what the band will come up with next,and where their new members will take their sound.
All and all, Hella are a great listen regardless of your musical tastes, and are certainly worth a listen. Here are a few videos to get you started, and to show you just how fast they can really be.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jdMDcG3zAEI - Hella -Biblical Violence
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RdPIfMO28ck -Hella -Republic of the Rough and ready
http://youtube.com/watch?v=X7zJIdBBuy0 -Hella- 1-800-Ghost Dance
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eta_VVu2t5A - Hella- city folk,sitting,sitting
Unfortunately the sound quality in all of the videos is moderate at best, and On cd they sound much better and it is easier to hear how fucking amazing they really are.
This has been B.B's superfantastic Musical Review. Tune in next time where I will review a trashy, Thrashy, euro-rock band called "Whirlwind Heat".
(p.s syd, would it be possible for me to get a bit of hosting space to put up a couple songs for each review so I don't have to rely on Live videos to prove my points?)
