Tuesday, March 29, 2005  1:34 pm 

Hella Good

WHO?

Hella, that is, Spencer Eim (Guitar & Vocals) and Zach Hill (drums), a what the fuck maybe guess we can call it rock duo from Sacramento.

I must say that I knew next to nothing about them before getting my hands in their last album (more about it later gators). I had read about them, but had not paid enough attention until their madness grabbed me by the lapels and threw me against the wall.

A slap in the face, I’m listening Hella.

You got me.

WHAT?

Hella- I’m Quitting the Cult (Movement 1)

Hella- W

WHERE?

In Church Gone Wild/Chirpin Hard.

The album came out in Suicide Squeeze last week and actually contains two cds, one of them (Church Gone Wild) was written by Hill, the other (Chirpin Hard) by Eim. I know what you think, but this ain’t Outkast.

Church Gone Wild is a raging storm of distortion, incandescent drones, hellish vocals and rattling percussions, a monster of a bastard that under its sharp scales hides free jazz bones (forget the *urgh* Mars Volta, these guys are the real thing) and a beautiful heart of spazzing fury. Think Comets on Fire or Oneida.

Chirpin Hard is the above’s nerdy brother, more structured and restrained, still the buttons of the synths have been pressed with enough bad education to make the listener wee himself or herself with excitement and fear. Abrupt, angular rythms and scary video-game melodies, that’s where it’s at (plus more than a nod to krautrock). Think Add (n) to (x)

WHY?

Because this is the sound of rock and roll in 2005, planned and executed with ambition, urgency and passion.

Scratch the inside of your ears with the mind-poisoning intensity of ‘I’m Quitting the Cult’ or nod to the uneasy, shifting eeriebeats of ‘W’, both songs are faces of a black and gargantuan record, go out there and buy it, support these guys, we need more people like ‘em.

labels >> xxjfg