"Spencer Seim and Zach Hill are on a mission..."Make noise with structure" is their credo and they actually get away with it. The musicianship on this, their 1st CD, is beyond-beyond the pale of what can be done with an electric guitar and drums...
If you're a Hella fan...check out their side projects. Spencer Seim's "The Advantage" is a kick. Spencer has arranged all of your favorite Nentendo 16 bit tunes on an album..."Castlevainia" being my favorite.
Zach Hill can be heard on 'Team Sleep' (Deftones off-shoot) and "Crime and Choir" Albums.
Just-a-note--
Before there was "Hella" there was the band "Legs on Earth". They recorded one album "Lasers and Saviors" (para-sight.com) which Melody Maker called "legendary"...Rumor has it that it may be available on Amazon soon...I have a copy and it lives up to its reputation."
Holy hell.
B. Cowe | southern california, USA | 08/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i'm not a fan of the name of this band o_0
but..
here's the thing:
intensely technical drumming can be put into an album in bad ways, and in good ways. this is good.
drummer zach hill [possibly not a human?] manages to pull off mind blowing structures in the midst of a chaotic, yet very well put together album. the duo do a hot job of balancing eachother out. it makes me want to run around in circles.
very stimulating. something tasty and new with each listen."
My favorite math rock album
J. Cacciola | USA | 03/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is insanely brilliant and will introduce you to one of the greatest bands in the 21st century, Hella. I'm sure many people are turned off by their almost incomprehensible structure, but there's so much to love here. Even after 40 listens, I'm still finding more to love about them. I can't even imagining learning to play these songs.
If you want something completely unorthodox, I highly recommend these guys. Spencer and Zach coordinate so well that it sounds like at least four people are in the band. But no, it's just them two.
I love "Biblical Violence", "Republic of R&R", and "City Folk Sitting, Sitting"."
Hold your horses!!!
liquid_fist | Retropolis | 01/23/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Sick, jamming, flamboyant but at the same time ridiculously catchy math-rock. The drummer must be on all the most intense pharmaceutical drugsknown to mankind as you simply can't play tihs stuff in a sober state bcuz no matter how skilled you are it would only sound mechanical and processed; just look at the legends like Mitchell, Baker or Moon. Keep IT leeglized!
Fans of Ruins, Upsilon Acrux, early Don Cab or Iceburn will eat this up like the daily cornflakes.
Also recommend for all teh Crimheads, mad scientists and just plain folk with GOOD TASTE in music."