There's No 666 In Outer Space

Hella

If you're not familiar with the groundbreaking band Hella, then I hope you'll stop and take the time to hear me out. Comprised of drummer extraordinaire Zach Hill and guitar god Spencer Seim, the duo are responsible for crafting some of the most puzzling, mesmerizing, and unique experimental, math rock dating back to the early 2000s. I could talk about the duo's most beloved work, Hold Your Horse Is, but I'll save that for another time and talk about 2007's There's No 666 In Outer Space; simply because it is sort of the odd man out in the Hella discography. I also happened to add it to my collection recently and have been playing it quite a bit as of late.

So what makes this stand out from other Hella records? Well on There's No 666 In Outer Space, Hella expanded to a full band adding guitarist Josh Hill, bassist Carson McWhirter, and Aaron Ross on vocals. The duo's no frills, strictly just drum and guitar compositions transformed into these fully fledged rock productions. It changed the band dynamic a great deal, but some classic Hella characteristics stayed put. Case in point, Zach Hill’s distinctive and frenetic style of drumming. And even though the guitar riffs are generally not as flashy or intricate on this record, there are still some truly amazing guitar moments. The beginning of Let Your Heavies Out, for example, starts with an insane guitar riff that could've been lifted off of Hold Your Horse Is. The song Anarchists Just Wanna Have Fun also kicks in with a guitar part that sounds like it could've been on The Devil Isn't Red. This is all just to say that even though Hill and Seim were moving forward with something new, they still found ways to reference the sound and style of their earlier works.

What feels the most 'new' is of course the vocals. I believe Hill has incorporated vocals on previous Hella works but it is only on select songs. Here, we have vocals that are front and centre, nasally, and pretty theatrical, appearing on nearly every track. I would liken Ross' vocals on this record to another prog legend, Les Claypool. The vocals are generally alright with a few exceptions on either end of the spectrum. The chorus vocal performances on The Things That People Do When They Think No Ones Looking and Dull Fangs are stellar and are definitely the most captivating moments vocally on the whole record. On the other side of the coin, I don't particularly care for the vocals on The Ungrateful Dead. The drab melodies and theatrical qualities of Ross' voice combine to make a sound I find not at all appealing. I also have to mention the vocal guests on the tracks Hands That Rock the Cradle and 2012 and Counting, as their soulful quality comes off so very bizarre for a record of this nature. Despite this, they sound so incredibly good and add an element of catchiness that is hard to find sometimes amidst the chaos.

If you'll allow me the opportunity to tie off some loose ends, I'll just rapid fire some other notes I would like to mention quickly. Anarchists Just Wanna Have Fun is probably tied with The Ungrateful Dead for my least favourite song, more so for it's technical presentation. The drums are almost hard panned to one side which is an interesting mix choice, but ultimately ends up being quite grating having such a pummelling drum performance focused on one ear. There is also a section on that track where there is this awful stuttering effect that makes the track sound even worse. Lastly, I can't leave without praising McWhirter on bass. He was given so many opportunities to shine on this record. Namely, the crazy drum and bass breakdown on World Series, the absolutely virtuoso playing on the last half of 2012 and Counting, and the really cool riff at the beginning of the title track, which unfortunately doesn't make a return once the song kicks in.

There's No 666 In Outer Space is nowhere near my favourite Hella record, but it is so interesting to see how a full band was able to work around the formula the duo had already formulated up until that point. You would think that adding more members would only detract from Hill and Seim's magic, but I wouldn't really say that is the case for this record. Every one stepped up and I thought they all played nicely together. Even though it's not my favourite, I still really like this record a lot because the incredible level of musicianship is still there. The songs are still chaotic and busy, especially with all the added layers. To be honest, this record probably still has a great deal of room to grow on me as more and more details are revealed to me over repeated listens. Time will tell I guess.