Dark Art: The Madness of Zach Hill

Album: Astrological Straits
Artist: Zach Hill
Genre: Schizodelic/Experimental Rock
Year: 2008
Label: Ipecac/Anticon

Necromancy is an art form that has fallen out of favor in recent years. Most people frown on bringing the dead back to life as it’s unsanitary, frightening and generally just gross. But Zach Hill is bringing Necromancy back in style. According to the Dresden Files, to summon the dead, one needs a pulse, usually provided by drums. Zach Hill is a drummer extraordinaire and while pulse isn’t the correct word to describe his schizophrenic staccato beats, the kind of invocation it provides will certainly suffice.

For those of you who don’t know, Hill is the drummer for the possibly defunct Hella, a math rock duo that in recent years expanded its line-up and went “Mars Volta light” according to some fans. But to say that would completely write off the fact that Hill’s drumming makes The Mars Volta look like the White Stripes. I first heard about him as a member of Chino Moreno’s band Team Sleep. When I saw Team Sleep live, one of the major highlights was Hill’s performance. Watching the man is like watching a whirlwind with a thousand arms. It seems impossible that anyone could move that fast, that deftly and manage to make every blow count. There are no excessive hits with Hill, everything is ultra precise.

On Astrological Straits, Hill’s first solo album, a two disc set, he’s in top flight mode, banging, beating and otherwise smashing his merry way through an hour and thirty-three minutes of percussive madness. The drums are the leading instrument and main area of focus, but not the only presence. Hill, on many tracks, also sings and plays all the other instruments. God bless multi-tracking. And the album is not without structure; most of the tracks have very strong song structure, with the exception of tracks like “Street People” and “Uhuru” which are both drum solos, and even those are tightly composed. And there are guests: Chino Moreno, Les Claypool and the guys from No Age are just a few of the names on the album. The good thing is that, while these artists are all big names, they don’t steal the show from Hill. I didn’t even recognize Moreno’s vocals as he sings them through a voice distorter on his song. The album is not a showcase for anyone but Hill and he uses his time very well.

The second disc is even more ambitious than the first as it takes Hill’s foray into the dark arts even further then before, with his Necromancer composition. At thirty-three minutes long, composed for Drums and Piano, the piece is a marvel to hear. You think, “He has to take a break eventually, doesn’t he?” But no, he just keeps going. Hill is touring a solo show now, expressly to perform his Necromancer piece. Everywhere he goes the dead are rising from the grave, flocking to the venue of his performance and moshing. How Hill manages to keep this up night after night is beyond me, but I’m sure it’s spectacular.