Every now and then you get a band who are underground but at the same time people know who they are. They also can fit into both metal, punk , and rock genres. The band I’m talking about is the band Helmet and they are up,for review. They’re one of those bands whose name I had heard for years and finally got around to seeing them live and became a fan ever since. So let’s take a look…..
Strap It On- so this being their debut album, I would probably say that the best way to describe it would be a noise rock meets punk album. It’s got this raw and almost angry sound to it with Page Hamilton doing this screaming/singing thing. It took me a couple of listens to get into it but I can appreciate it for what it is. Overall an interesting start and I was fortunate enough to see them play this whole album at their most recent show in LA. I give it 7/10
Standouts: Rude, Repetition, Sinatra
Meantime- so here is the album that made them a bigger success. This has the perfect blend of punk and hard rock. I’m pretty sure everyone knows their two hits from this album Unsung and In the Meantime and both of those are total jams especially In the Meantime. Here the songs are more focused and refined and the band seems like it’s tighter and they’ve definitely dialed it in. This is one of those records that I would say is the perfect place to start if you are just getting into Helmet. I was also fortunate enough to see them play this whole album at the first Metal Alliance show at the House of Blues in Hollywood and it was awesome. Now it’s not a perfect album but it is a great album. I give it 9/10
Standouts- In the Meantime, Iron Head, Better
Born Annoying- now normally, I don’t review compilation albums but here I’ll make an exception. There isn’t a lot to say except that this one is essentially a collection of B-sides, rarities, and a couple covers taken from the last two album sessions. It’s worth checking out if you are curious and want more of their early stuff. I’m also pretty sure they have played the title track live before. Anyway, I give it 7/10
Standouts: Born Annoying, Taken, No Nicky No
Betty- now if you’re expecting Meantime part 2 then look elsewhere. This is an interesting follow up because the songs seem like they aren’t as “punky” on this. Here they kind of go for more of a heavy rock sound with some of the songs being slowed down. Like I said an interesting follow up but another classic Helmet record nonetheless. I give it 8/10
Standouts: I Know, Biscuits For Smut, Wilma’s Rainbow
Aftertaste- so take elements of Betty and Meantime and what do you get? You get this album. Before I bought this album I had read some reviews saying to skip this album. For me personally, that is not the case and I actually really like this album. Now it seems like with Helmet you are getting a different album each time and this one is no different. I do think that it flows better than Betty and overall I just prefer it to that one. This would also be the last album to feature original bassist Henry Bogdan and drummer John Stanier. Rob Echeverria who played guitar on Betty would also leave to join the band Biohazard so this album was recorded as a three piece. This one is definitely not one to skip and I give it 9/10
Standouts: Pure, Crisis King, Driving Nowhere
So after tensions within the band, they broke up in 1998 and of course everyone decided to venture off and do other things. One thing I know is that Page Hamilton formed the side project Gandhi and has also done work for movie soundtracks such as Heat and The Crow. Anyway, he reformed the band with guitarist Chris Traynor (who played with Helmet on the Aftertaste tour) and drummer John Tempesta. Now originally, he wanted to reunite with the original lineup but the offers were either turned down or ignored. So in 2004, we got this album….
Size Matters- now I’m pretty sure this was suppose to be a Page Hamilton solo project but instead he used the name Helmet for label purposes. Either way, when I heard it the first time, I wasn’t that impressed. When I heard it now, I kind of liked it a little better but at the end of the day, this one is kind of bland. There are a couple songs worth listening to but as a whole, this album kind of falls flat. It’s not unlistenable just not their best and that’s too bad because the touring lineup on this is killer. I mean you’ve got John Tempesta (White Zombie/The Cult), Chris Traynor (Orange 9mm), Paige Hamilton, and Frank Bello (Anthrax). I give this 4/10
Standouts: Smart, Crashing Foreign Cars, See You Dead
Monochrome- so here, now we’ve kind of gone back to their roots a little bit here. It’s not a full on return to form but it’s a step up from their last album. This time around, John Tempesta is out and drummer Mike Jost (Adair) is brought in and Frank Bello left because of the 2005 Anthrax reunion so Chris Traynor is on bass. I remember seeing them for this first time at the 2006 Warped Tour and thought that they were amazing and the one or two songs they played from this album live were excellent. Another thing is that the title track is the single from the movie Saw 3 and it’s basically people in various traps with Page Hamilton on tv screens but Billie the puppet is singing along to the song. That being said, it’s not as good as say Aftertaste or Meantime however, I actually really like this one and I give it 7/10
Standouts: Swallowing Everything, Gone, 410
Seeing Eye Dog- this one seems to have elements of say the last three records mixed together. It’s kind of hard to describe because there seems to be kinda of a lot going on here. On one hand you’ve got nods to albums like Aftertaste and you’ve got nods to albums like Size Matters and Monochrome. I do like the guitars on this one for the most part but again this album to me is just ok. They also do a cover of the Beatles song And Your Bird Can Sing. This would also be the last to feature Chris Traynor who would again play bass on the album. Anyway, this one has its ups and downs but like your typical Helmet record nowadays, that isn’t anything new. I give it 6/10
Standouts: So Long, Seeing Eye Dog, And Your Bird Can Sing
Dead to the World- I think at this point it’s safe to say that every Helmet album is different than the last. This one seems to slow things down here however, while it is slow, it feels very much like a Helmet record. I don’t know maybe Page and company are going in a different direction but here while it does feel like a Helmet record, I just wish that they’d kind of speed things up here a bit. Yes the album does flow and like I said earlier each Helmet record is different but I miss the 90’s sound of Helmet. The album itself is not a bad or unlistenable album but it’s just ok nothing special. I give it 5/10
I definitely feel like after the Aftertaste album, something seems to be missing especially with their last two albums. I don’t know maybe it’s the different lineups who knows? However, they are still a good band and still put on a great live show. Like I said earlier, I think I miss the older, more angrier, more aggressive sound that they used to have in the 90’s and even early 2000’s. That’s not to say that Page Hamilton is not talented or underrated. I mean Helmet has influenced so many bands like Korn, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails, etc. so they are a legendary band who at times I feel like don’t get enough credit.
Helmet: A+
Album Rankings:
- Aftertaste
- Meantime (can be flipped with 1)
- Betty
- Monochrome
- Born Annoying
- Strap It On
- Size Matters
- Seeing Eye Dog
- Dead To The World
Sinister Reviews 