Hella -- There's No 666 In Outer Space

Hella has had a rebirth. After becoming established as a frantic menagerie of guitar and drums, guitarist Spencer Seim and drummer Zach Hill have opted to expand the group and concoct an even more dynamic (if that's possible) five-piece musical onslaught. The most glaring addition to Hella is vocalist Aaron Ross. It's easy to fall under the presumption that injecting a voice into the hectic, technically astounding musicianship might only convolute the music and take away from the intricate labor of the frenzied guitar and schizophrenic drums. But the droning, slightly demonic vocal melodies add a beautiful cohesiveness. There's No 666 In Outer Space (try and swallow that title) is an apocalyptic narrative of sound that drummer Hill touts as being, "Easily the best thing we've done under the moniker, for sure." You know what? He's right. Standout tracks like "World Series" and "Let Your Heavies Out" create an overall musical movement that toils to hunt you down and cunningly lure you into a sonic massacre. Damn, it's delightful. The instrumentation of the album feels like a chain of strobe lights flashing directly into your eyes, and Ross' vocals accentuate the hysteria without playing too much in the traffic. There's No 666 will no doubt alienate some devoted Hella fans who will be quick to cringe at the band's abandonment of their purely instrumental heritage. Just allow the chaos to take form without any preconceptions. Serve and enjoy. (Kevin Warwick) Grade: A