Hell Is Here

Description

HIDE's sophomore album, Hell is Here on Dais, is set for release on August 23rd. The band will evolve even further. The tone is sick and heavy. Utilizing their complex drum programming model, sub-bass, and aggressively expressive vocals, Gabel and Sher juggle the perception of musical context and remind the listener that feelings of anxiety, pain, and discomfort are just as important as those of resolution. Perhaps the most potent tool employed here is the dichotomy of the material between abrasive and sterile. Beneath the noisy and overwhelming exterior, the familiar human voice sparkles. Divorced from their caustic counterparts, Gabel's vocals play a decisive role in consolidating the narrative for the uncompromising assault on the senses found on this material. The opening track "Chainsaw" immediately sets the stage for the excursion to come. Twisted, cold, and dry repetitive soundtracks comprise a cataclysmic verbal assault. The theme of objectification carries over to the next track "999" with the use of a well-placed vocal sample that states "...when you depersonalize another person... it seems to make it easier, which you shouldn't do." This sentiment is expertly reiterated throughout the rest of "Hell Is Here" and attempts to forcibly remind the listener of the absurd and animalistic nature of humanity. "Pain" arrives at the end of the arduous trek, which is arguably the record's most formidable use of space. The call and response nature of the two percussive elements, combined with the imminent vocals, effectively induce a deafening anxiety that can only be rivaled by the lyrical content of Gabel's howling vocals.