ZZ Arlington doesn’t hang his hat anywhere for very long. He’s lived in 10 different locations in the past 15 years and been in countless bands and projects including but not limited to Cult Ritual, Neon Blud, Destruction Unit, The Ukiah Drag, Coco Leaf, ZZ Ramirez & Carrie Keith, Tropical Skin Byrds and American Snakeskin. With CC Heaven, ZZ enlists some of his closest musical allies: Rene Nunez (vocals), Ben Greenberg (guitar), Carson Cox (drums), David Vassalotti (guitar), to record their version of an 80’s L.A. metal record.
This crew arranged and tracked See You in Hell over 3 feverous days using ZZ’s lyrics and sketches to guide them. Greenberg (Uniform, Hubble) recorded the album at Brooklyn’s Strange Weather Studios, capturing a wall of sound that does not relent from the moment that Cox’s (Merchandise, Too Free) drums match the quickening pace of the revving motorcycle engine that kicks off opening track, “Rainbow Kiss.” Vassalotti (Merchandise, Carnivorous Bells) and Greenberg shred all over See You in Hell, layering nasty finger picking over blown-out metal riffs and wah-wah noise squalls. Nunez (Horoscope) alternates between a devilish, rhythmic croon and the depraved howl that kicks off the album, perhaps his take on Axel’s iconic screams on Appetite for Destruction.
See You in Hell revels in its twisted darkness with every riff, drum beat and scream taking the intensity higher, only letting up for the ballad, “Silhouette,” and sound collage “Burnt,” the track on See You in Hell that is most akin to Nunez’s solo project, Horoscope. These songs explore Arlington’s most enduring themes: not giving a fuck and getting the hell out of town. Unsurprisingly, as this album drops, CC Heaven’s members have no idea where ZZ is. He skipped town once again, leaving a dust cloud and See You in Hell in his wake.
- Format Type: 12"