During the short-lived heyday (now, seemingly, past) of the so-called "brutal prog" movement, Sacramento's drums/guitar duo Hella didn't garner much attention as one of the fold. On the surface, they met the criteria: fast music, sudden tempo changes, high levels of both complexity and intensity; but Hella never really seemed to fit in with the likes of Orthrelm, the Flying Luttenbachers, and Grand Ulena. Drummer Zach Hill and guitarist Spencer Seim struck out on their own path, one that found them more connected to the ideals of good ol' rock and roll. Seim has unquestionable ties in his playing, though sometimes admittedly pretty twisted ones, to classic rock riffage and melodies, and more than many of their contemporaries, Hella aren't afraid to clean things up, slow things down or ride a simple groove.
The Devil Isn't Red, the group's newest full-length, is no different. While it begins with "Hello Great," a relative barnburner (and possibly the best track on the disc), it's not long before Seim treads into more mellow territory or concentrates on ringing chords more than clusters of single notes. Hill's impressive, as usual, managing to fill almost every empty crevice in the music with a fill of some sort, smooth and calculated, and never sounding superfluous in his technique. "Brown Medal 2003," "Except No Subs," and, even more so, "You DJ Parents" visit the world of synthetic beats and synth melodies that Hella might be better off avoiding, though the former's mix of synthesized sounds and lo-fi drums isn't without worth. The majority of The Devil Isn't Red, though, finds Hella just where they should be, with starkly produced guitar and drums, minimal effects, and enough gasoline in their tanks to ensure that they'll be taking this ride to its conclusion. There's a simplicity and purity to Hella's work that, when all of the quick fire notes, spastic beats, and lurching momentum shifts begin to become familiar, helps sustain interest past the band's technical prowess. This prowess, however, shouldn't be taken into question. Seim, though he has the tendency to occasionally sound clichéd or a bit hokey, cleverly bends rock language with ease, and Hill's drumming is nothing short of stupendous. The Devil Isn't Red is the best work yet from a band who have really begun to step into their own.
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