Hella purists, if you even exist, beware: the tweakiest instrumental duo in the land is now a quintet… with vocals. In theory, this move toward musical normalcy might be construed as a misstep, but for Hella it was simply the most unexpected path they could have taken at this point. They’ve already pushed out a dozen random releases including live singles, acoustic EP’s, and even a member-splitting-double-disc affair…expansion was the only option left. And so the core of devilishly skilled drummer Zach Hill, and guitar spazz Spencer Seim have added members of side project the Advantage to their crew, and the results, while still hard to follow and comprised of A.D.D.-fueled beats and changes, also contain what could be considered hooks. ‘The Ungrateful Dead’, for instance, is certainly Hella at their most accessible, meaning you still have to be on drugs to get it, but less drugs than usual. If Mars Volta has gone too AOR on you, this is the antidote — it may not be what you expect from the band, but then that’s the point.
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