The Apparatus

 Wednesday, 19 December 2007 Takes a little to get used to the vocals but this is a pretty epic album. There has been debate about 4 piece vs. 2 piece Hella. The bass playing on this is fucking brutal and really completes their sound. It's what Hella always needed. I wish they would have released a instrumental version of this album. It would make for an interesting A/B comparison. I'm not a huge fan of emo vocals but they have moments of being complimentary. They sound like Geddy Lee's emo Nephew. Maybe if he sang 50% of what he sings on the album I'd be 100% down. This album has it's Mars Volta-isms but drummer Zack Hill is out of his Californian mind. "The ungrateful dead" is my favorite track. That's where the bass really shines while the drums are making a solo into a precise song. I like the fact that the keyboards are only used as soundscapes and FX here and there and not over used. The title track is a great exercise in overlapping and sounds soothingly brutal with Voivod-esque robot vocals. Overall this releases' foundation seems to lay on the overwhelming prowess of the drums and bass while the stereo guitars fall right into place to create severe progressive brutality and pop sensibility in a world of soulless "tech" metal. LL