Review Summary: Meets daily quota of broken noses.
Zach Hill is a busy guy; he has been in the music scene for about a decade now and has taken part in upwards of 50 full lengths and EP's across 20-something collaborations. All things considered, that is pretty admirable. It also does not hurt that he can probably school every other drummer out there with one hand tied behind his back. In fact, the only thing that is busier than Zach Hill is the music he produces. Because of his unique, claustrophobic drumming style, he has made some massive name recognition for himself. Subsequently, whenever his name is slapped on an album, you can expect a hoard of Music Theory majors frothing at the mouth. Overflowing with excitement on what poly-rhythmic cluster*** the guy has handed them, they will dissect it over a long, 48 hour Adderall binge, resulting in intense body odor and a five-foot high stack of Monster energy drink cans. If you don't fit into the aforementioned category then congratulations, but more importantly you should not fret because this album is still totally capable of being enjoyed.
For those unfamiliar with Hella, they are a Northern California Math/Noise Rock band whose music consists of the hyper-complex jams of drummer Zach Hill and guitarist Spencer Seim. These jams not only show off both members' musical prowess and virtuosity, but also how it can actually be fun and interesting to let go and follow wherever the music takes you, even if you leave with a broken nose. On
Tripper, Hella deliver yet again with even more psyched out jams and an equally proportional amount of noses to be broken plus an extra dash of crazy. Moments like the end of “Netgear” where the song is digitally slowed down in the studio to make a downright disturbing mind*** of a soundscape is where the listener really starts to question their sanity. However, this provides insight to the madman's borderline nihilistic musical venture.
And therein lies what drives not only this album, but the band's entire career. How far from planet Earth can they get when there is no such thing as too far? While this may seem like a fancy way of saying “weirdness for weirdness' sake” Zach Hill and Spencer Seim try to show that when you have a complete and total disregard for musical standards and normality, it can be a blast. Sure, go ahead and listen to this album for its musicianship or for its ridiculous soundscapes but that is really only a minor source of enjoyment that this album contains. If nothing else, listen to this album for the journey and the feeling of not giving a *** where you go.
