Hella as a two piece blew my mind. This album though, them as a full fledged band, takes it to another level. It's a shame they only made one album in this particular configuration, but I will keep spinning it and will never get bored of it. Zach hill will always be the ultimate idiosyncratic drum Lord, Spencer Seim will always be the ultimate technical guitar weirdo that complements his playing best, the extra pronounced bass melody lines just makes it all the more tasty and the singing is just so different and fluid too: like some kind of mad preacher. The lyrics are very thought provoking as well. This album is just a one of a kind spastic progressive trip with one tasty moment after another. A true stankface album which is super intricate but with so much great original winding melodic ideas and hooks to make it worthwhile for those that aren't easily impressed by technicality. So fun to sing along as well!
@@Lupine. You're in luck then, because all of their others albums are instrumental! 😉 But yeah, I think Hella is probably close to not the entire world's cup of tea. 🍵 It's an acquired taste or you need a very specific musical disposition to appreciate it.
For the record, Hella opened for System of a Down along side The Mars Volta around 2005, this probably nudged this album out a little more in terms of sound. The album content itself in terms of song structure had existed in some capacity since Zach and Spencers first band, Legs on Earth, disbanded in 2000-2001, they wanted to revisit those ideas with more members which inherited a Volta-like sound.
Love how these guys skirt that edge between complete chaotic nonsense and coherency. I think I said on the last listen they reminded me a bit of Behold... The Arctopus, but this does have a punkier TMV vibe. I think I liked the last track a bit better, but this one does indeed have some sick drum patterns.
It's funny you mention Mars Volta because Zach Hill, Hella's drummer, collaborated with Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala once for the El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodríguez-López' album Cryptomnesia! It's an insane, math-punk psychedelic ride that's less like listening to music and more like injecting it violently in your system, it's definitely more like this sound right here than TMV but it's also completely new and unique, I highly recommend.
I've been waiting for this particular album by Hella reacted to. And you are among the few who can appreciate it. The album is a bit more digestible cause it has they have song format.
Love this album. And my favorite band is The Mars Volta, so go figure! In fact, about when this record came out, Omar and Cedric teamed up with Zach Hill for an album called Cryptomnesia-I highly recommend you react to it. The songs “Puny Humans” or “Elderly Pair Beaten with Hammer” are wild. If you liked this song, I think you’d enjoy it. A lot of fans essentially consider it a “secret” Volta record.
Wow, such an amazing reaction! You almost seem to get really emotional and vulnerable reacting to this song. I haven't really seen this in any other video of yours. I applaud you. And hella is the best! Zach hill is drum god!
This wouldn't have happened a few years ago as Bryan said. His brain has been during his journey with this channel to see the beauty through the chaos and loudness without being overwhelmed!
@@CriticalReactions nice, I've been able to tell ppls zodiac sign based on physical features and tone of voice. You look like my Scorpio drummer buddy kinda.. was just curious. Still gonna check this out later. Check legs on earth. Zach's first band w Spencer and Julian. Used to live w Julian
