Hella

by Bradley TorreanoIndie rockers Hella consist of guitarist Spencer Seim and drummer Zach Hill. The two first got together in the spring of 2001, developing a following around the Sacramento area that won them a record deal on 5 Rue Christine Records. Their debut LP, Hold Your Horse Is, appeared in 2002, and established Hella's chaotic approach to instrumental noise rock. The duo proved prolific, issuing the LP Total Bugs Bunny on Wild Bass on Narnack in 2003, The Devil Isn't Red for 5RC in 2004, and the double album Church Gone Wild/Chirpin' Hard on Suicide Squeeze in 2005. The CD/DVD combo Concentration Face/Homeboy followed from 5 Rue Christine in November of that year. After releasing the EP Acoustics in late 2006, Hella moved to Ipecac Records -- 5RC had folded after the departure of founder Slim Moon -- and regrouped with guitarist Josh Hill (cousin to Zach) and bassist Carson McWhirter, both of whom had been in a band with the duo before they had become Hella, as well as singer Aaron Ross (it was, in fact, the inability to find a vocalist that caused the initial breakup and formation of the duo Hella). Their first record as a quintet, There's No 666 in Outer Space, was released in January 2007.