Hella – Tripper (2011)

If you’re looking for uber-complexity with minimal instruments, then Hella’s Tripper is a wonderful place to start. Do not expect a steady flow of consistent rhythms and catchy hooks; this is raw, ever-evolving, never-revolving mayhem. Rather than adhering to a scrupulous regimen, drummer Zach Hill’s percussion feels like reckless art, almost a stylistic reactionary response to Spencer Seim’s distorted guitar noodling. The opener, ‘Headless’, sets the scene perfectly, laying a burning bag of dog shit outside the house of the 4×4 time signature, and, instead, showcasing oddball polyrhythms, crazy bass drum footwork and furious blast beats. From start to finish, Hella achieve the same degree of noise that an ensemble group like Swans could make. It’s hard to say whether Hella still exist: Seim concentrated on his own project sBACH, and Hill migrated to the equally excellent Death Grips, also lending his bashings to Wavves and Marnie Stern. Whatever the status, Tripper is timeless, brings more noise per capita, and leaves you with a warm sense of nausea.

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