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Do you remember the duo named Hella? Remember Zach Hill and Spencer Seim making wild acrobatics with their instruments and playing their technical arse off? Of course, not many even know of what the heck I'm talking about, but for those who do: They're back with a new bag of tricks (and friends) up their sleeves. Watch and be amazed.

First and foremost I would like to point out that they aren't a duo anymore. They are now accompanied by a bass player, another guitarist and a vocalist. This may seem either intriguing or just plain wrong, but believe me that its all intriguing and so much more. The new members add a new dynamic to their sound, specially the vocalist, Aaron Ross, which is the most notable improvement. I couldn't think of a better singer that fits their style of playing. He's very energetic and charismatic (at least by listening to him). He's perfectly incorporated into their sound and that's one of the things I really enjoy about this reincarnation of the band. Don't worry about the lyrics though, try to pay attention to his way of singing rather than what he's saying.

The band doesn't suffer any changes in their sound with the new additions of members either. There's no simplicity, no chorus-verse-chorus and definitely no single. Their trademark sound is still intact and jaw dropping as it ever was. The new members of the band may have a hard time keeping up with Zach and Spencer, but in the sound of the album they aren't any slouches. Both, guitarist Josh Hill (Zach's brother) and bassist Carson McWhitrter, help to make the Hella sound richer and fuller than before while contributing with their own tricks as well.

Their songs are, as always, an unstoppable tour de force. There aren't that many places where you can take relaxing breath of fresh air and your blood will most definitely be boiling from start to finish. Their sporadic, complex and furious style is always fun and very entertaining to listen to. They do have catchy melodies in most cases and they help keep the accessibility of their sound intact. My personal favorite song on the album is "The Ungratefull Dead". It was the first song that caught my attention on the album with its overtly complex playing and strong sense of melody which is a thing not many bands managed to do, and you can rest assured that all of the song on the album has those two great qualities.

This is my first big surprise of the year and it'll definitely be one for you as well if you give them a chance. If you're a fan of complex music and energetic playing then give this guys a try, and even if you're aren't then give them a try as well. Chances are that with their nice combination of melody and complexity they'll appeal to prog fans everywhere.

Back on solid ground.

After completely missing the mark with their third album, Chirpin' Hard/Church Gone Wild, this album returns back to their sound established on Hold Your Horse Is, but with much more. For starters they are no longer a duo, having brought on another guitarist in Josh Hill ( Zach's brother ), Bassist Carson McWhirter, and Singer Aaron Ross. Rest assured that their sound is still very much intact and in some ways boosted by the new members. The vocalist is a really great additioon that adds a whole new level to Hella's sound in that it really works very well. The singing never gets in the way off the muscians performances at all, and the way he sings fits the music very nicely. There also is a lot more variation between songs. The opener World Series, has a saxophone solo in it, courtesy of Skerik, who has worked with a ton of bands including Les Claypool, Kayo Dot, and toured with Roger Waters to name a few. Hand That Rocks The Cradle is a lot more electronic than anything else on this cd, but it is not the type that was on the previous albums, it is less video game like, and more synth like, and a lot smoother sounding. 2012 And Countless starts off with some electronic noise washs, before exploding into more familar Hella territory.

All the songs on this are a favorite of mine, and once again Hella have proven what a amazing and rather versatile band they are.