Astrological Straits

Recording information: Retrofit Recording, Sacramento, CA.
Nimble Hella drummer Zach Hill has been a guest artist on a number of musicians' albums, from The Mars Volta's similarly prog-inclined Omar Rodriguez-Lopez to Joanna Newsom, Mike Patton, and Wilco guitarist Nels Cline. But ASTROLOGICAL STRAITS marks the first time the skilled percussionist is the one recruiting the guests. The album spotlights the non-drumming side of Hill's musical influences and ambitions, on songs written and sung by him. Which is not to say that the drumming is neglected; in fact, his mind-bending beats and aggro-prog time signatures have never been sharper. He's coaxed his kaleidoscopic vision into existence with help from guitar virtuoso Marnie Stern, bass legend Les Claypool, and Deftones singer Chino Moreno, among others. These complex explorations of prog, jazz, acid rock, and metal refuse to go down easy, but remain relentlessly surprising and challenging.

Tracklist

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