Hella

Item: The Devil Isn't Red
Author: Mike Leech

The Devil Isn't Red

(2004)

Reviewed by Mike Leech

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Label 5 Rue ChristineDecapolisJanuary 2004

experimental math rock noise rock

Wow! You should probably take a seat and drop any heavy machinery you may be operating before you decide to listen to Hella's newest math rock masterpiece The Devil Isn't Red. This Sacramento twosome packs more intensity into their music than most bands with twice the members can. Having never experienced them live, I can only assume that drummer, Zach Hill, has at least three or four arms. He is without a doubt one of the fastest and craziest percussionists you will ever hear. He never slows down once and never misses a single sliced-up beat. Guitarist Spencer Seim's skills, while not as instantly captivating, complement the drumming perfectly. His frenzied and creative playing takes a while to appreciate but definitely makes an impression. The eleven songs on The Devil Isn't Red fluctuate from eerie to triumphant to just plain odd. There are no vocals on any of the tracks, which is understandable. Even the most veteran vocalist would be hard-pressed to fit their voice into such loosely structured music. The entire album is a bare-bones mix of just guitar and drums using little to no effects, but with a sprinkling of electronica thrown in for good measure.

The only problem I had with this album was its lack of catchy melodies. I understand that catchiness probably wasn't what Hella was going for in writing music so all-over-the-place like this, but it would have been nice to hear a few hooks with the ability to stick in my head more than just a few minutes after the CD is done spinning. Many of the songs on the album run together and sound too much like their previous track for the casual listener to be able to distinguish between the two. I hope on Hella's next outing they can change it up a little and arrange a few more tunes that stand up on their own. But as for now there is very little else to complain about. Hella has created a monster of an album that math rock enthusiasts will be dissecting for years.

3/4