Helmet (band)

Helmet

Helmet The Hifi Bar, Melbourne May 2008
Background information
Origin New York City, New York, US
Genres
Years active 1989–1998, 2004–present
Labels Amphetamine Reptile, Interscope, Warcon, Work Song Records
Associated acts Band of Susans, Handsome, Anthrax, White Zombie, Rob Zombie, Scum of the Earth, The Cult, Exodus, Testament, Biohazard, Battles, Tomahawk
Website www.helmetmusic.com
Members Page Hamilton
Kyle Stevenson
Dave Case
Dan Beeman
Past members See Members

Helmet is an American alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member.

Helmet has released seven studio albums and two compilation albums. The band found mainstream success with their 1992 major label debut Meantime, which debuted at number 68 on the Billboard 200, with singles "Unsung" and "In the Meantime". After the releases of Betty (1994) and Aftertaste (1997), Helmet broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2004. The band has since released three more albums―Size Matters (2004), Monochrome (2006) and Seeing Eye Dog (2010). Helmet is currently working on a new album, which is due for release in 2016.[2]

History
"Bad Mood" (1990)
30 second sample of the Strap It On track "Bad Mood".
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Early years (1989–1991)

After Hamilton had left the Band of Susans, Helmet formed in early 1989. They were spotted by Tom Hazelmyer and signed to Amphetamine Reptile Records, releasing their debut 7 inch single, "Born Annoying", later that year. AmRep released their first album, Strap it On, in 1990.

Helmet was acclaimed as a "Thinking person's heavy metal band." Eschewing the traditional heavy metal image of long hair and black clothing, the band stood out with their preference for simple T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers, and short haircuts. Their music is characterized by repetitive, syncopated, staccato guitar riffs, often in unconventional time signatures, and almost always in a minor key with drop-D or drop-C tuning. The guitar sound is heavily distorted and dissonant, with choruses that often involve guitar feedback waves.

Before Hamilton had settled on a name, the guitarist Peter Mengede's then-girlfriend Reyne Cuccuro [3] suggested the Germanic name "Helmuth". Hamilton misinterpreted her and mistakenly believed that she was referring to the form of protective gear. Hamilton then thought excitingly that Helmet had "sounded like a pretty cool name for a band" and opted for the Anglicized spelling. Other names taken in consideration were "Cry Ruth" and "Poly Orchids", along with the more esoteric and obscure "Tuna Lorenzo" and "Froth Albumen".[4]

Success (1992–1998)

The band achieved success after signing to Interscope Records in early 1992. It is rumored that the members received in excess of $1 million at signing, along with an unprecedented amount of control over their work. Their first Interscope release, Meantime, was released in 1992 and certified Gold in 1994. The album has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and remains Helmet's top-selling album.

Former drummer John Stanier.

Helmet toured the United States, Brazil, Europe, and Asia relentlessly, generally with other AmRep recording artists. Internal tensions rose high at times. In early 1993, guitarist Peter Mengede left the band and formed Handsome which only released one album in 1997. He was replaced by Rob Echeverria, guitarist of hardcore band Rest in Pieces. The band's third album, Betty, was released in 1994. Despite managing the band's highest-ever chart position on the Billboard 200 at number 45, the album failed to sell as much as Meantime. In 1995, the band appeared in The Jerky Boys: The Movie, covering Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe," and featuring a cameo by Ozzy Osbourne as their manager. Later, after recording and touring in support of Betty, Echeverria left to join Biohazard; however, his departure was much more amicable than Mengede's.
"Overrated" (1994)
30 second sample of the Betty track "Overrated".
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The band elected to push on and record 1997's Aftertaste as a three-piece. A first version of the album was withdrawn at last minute in the fall of 1996 when promotional activities had already begun. Eventually, release was delayed to March 1997 for a new audio mix, and the guitarist Chris Traynor (formerly of Orange 9mm) was recruited for the supporting tour. Although the song "Exactly What You Wanted" became a moderate radio hit, the album spent only a few weeks on the Billboard 200 and has sold 135,000 copies as of April 2006. The Aftertaste Tour in 1997–98 would prove to be the band's last. Amid long-standing private disputes, the members decided to call it quits. Asked about the breakup, Hamilton replied, "9 years, 1,600 shows, 5 albums, and we found it hard to look at each other anymore"[5]

Aftermath and subsequent projects (1999–2003)

After the dissolution of Helmet, the members went on to numerous different projects.

Hamilton relocated from New York to Los Angeles, California and became involved in many different projects, from playing guitar for David Bowie to doing sessions for film scores, working with composer Elliot Goldenthal on the 1999 soundtracks to In Dreams and Titus; Hamilton's second time working with Goldenthal, the first being the 1995 soundtrack to the movie Heat. When working on film scores, he was part of a "guitar orchestra" called "Deaf Elk"[6] with other guitarists of which he was the primary. He periodically returned to New York to work with his band Gandhi, which is where several of the songs appearing on Size Matters began.

Bogdan formed the Moonlighters, for which he played steel guitar, in New York with Bliss Blood, before returning home to Oregon to play for the Midnight Serenaders. Stanier took a break from drumming for over a year, but returned to play drums for Tomahawk, The Mark of Cain and Battles.

Reunion (2004–present)
"Drug Lord" (2004)
30 second sample of the Size Matters track "Drug Lord".
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After moving to Los Angeles, Hamilton began working with drummer John Tempesta (formerly of Testament and White Zombie) on a new project. After searching for a record label and a name for the project, Hamilton was urged by Jimmy Iovine of Interscope to release the new project under the established Helmet moniker, to which Interscope held the rights. Hamilton had resisted for some time, but since his relationships with Stanier and Bogdan had not improved since 1998, and his previous offers to reunite had been rebuffed or ignored, he decided to move on and release more music as Helmet without them.

Page Hamilton circa 2008.

Chris Traynor, still on good terms with Hamilton, soon came on board to cover bass and guitar parts. With Tempesta on drums and Hamilton covering vocals and guitar, the three recorded Size Matters in early 2004. Frank Bello was later recruited to play bass on the supporting tour; however, he left before its conclusion to reunite with his original band, Anthrax.[7] Jeremy Chatelain replaced Bello for the duration of the tour. John Tempesta left in early 2006 to join The Cult.

In late 2005, Helmet parted ways with Interscope. Helmet then signed with Warcon Enterprises and announced that a new album was in the works. Helmet performed at the 2006 SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, with a temporary lineup consisting of Charlie Walker on drums, Chris Traynor on bass, and Anthony Truglio (formerly of Gandhi) on guitar. The new album, Monochrome, was recorded and co-produced by Wharton Tiers, who recorded Helmet's first two albums, Strap It On and Meantime. For the album, Hamilton and Traynor returned to the studio with newly recruited drummer, Mike Jost (formerly of Adair). Helmet headlined the 2006 Warped Tour in support of Monochrome, with Jeremy Chatelain reprising his role from the 2005 Size Matters tour.

In September 2006, Chris Traynor announced that he had left the band after nearly a decade of working with Page Hamilton. A few days later, Mike Jost also left the band to attend to his duties as a new father. Jeremy Chatelain also made other commitments. Hamilton announced in early October 2006 that the new drummer and bassist was Kyle Stevenson and Jon Fuller, respectively, both from Milwaukee, and both previously members of The Big Collapse.[8] Australian Jimmy Thompson (formerly of Full Scale) also joined the band on guitar in 2006, but was replaced by Dan Beeman by late 2008. Due to line-up changes, Hamilton was forced to cancel many shows scheduled for late 2006 in the U.S. and Europe. Helmet opened up for Guns N' Roses for the remaining dates of their tour in December 2006. The band toured Australia in April and May 2008, playing shows throughout the eastern and southern coasts.

In 2007, the band recorded the song called "Revenge Destroys Everything" for the movie soundtrack, TATUA. Based from the comic book of the same name by Paul Jenkins. A music video was made for the song. Helmet did another music video on "Money Shot" from their album, Monochrome, for another movie soundtrack, The Dreamless.

Helmet set Seeing Eye Dog as the title of its new album. It was released September 7, 2010 via Work Song, the label imprint shared by singer/songwriter Joe Henry and Helmet front man Page Hamilton's manager. Stevenson and Beeman both reprise their roles for Seeing Eye Dog along with new bassist Dave Case.

Most recently, Helmet have contributed to a compilation album released by Engine Room Recordings titled Guilt by Association Vol. 3. On the album, Helmet covered the song "Crazy Nights" by Loudness.

Betty 20th Anniversary European Tour. Opening concert - 11-Sep-2014, Lucerna music bar, Prague - Czech Republic.

On 20 November 2011 Helmet announced the European Meantime Anniversary Tour running from 5 March to 8 April 2012 encompassing 28 shows in Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and the UK during which they intend to play the whole of the 20-year-old Meantime album.[9]

Their latest tour was in December 2013 in Australia where they toured with the Melvins.[10]

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Betty, Helmet will be touring this fall across Europe throughout September and October. Helmet will perform the album start to finish, followed by a second set.

As of July 2014, Helmet has been working on new material for their eighth studio album, which is due for release around the spring of 2015.[2]

Musical style

The majority of critics mainly agree that Helmet are an experimental[11] and alternative metal band,[12][13][14] however the band have been categorized under many genres over the years, including post-hardcore,[15] alternative rock,[13][16] noise rock, post-metal[17] and groove metal.[13] Jim Farber of the New York Daily News has jokingly labeled Helmet as smart rock.[18]
"Ironhead" (1992)
30 second sample of the Meantime track "Ironhead". Helmet's riffing style proved highly influential to various nu metal groups.
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Legacy and influences

The New York Times called Helmet "a band that made important connections between indie-rock and metal."[18] They have had a large impact on many heavy metal, hard rock, nu metal, post-hardcore and metalcore acts, with bands such as Tool, Pantera, Mastodon, Converge, Meshuggah, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Queens of the Stone Age, Sepultura, At the Drive-In, System of a Down, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Silverchair, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Lostprophets, Papa Roach, Slipknot, Staind, Three Days Grace, Static-X, L7, Chevelle, Deftones, Killswitch Engage, The Devil Wears Prada and Norma Jean all crediting Helmet as an influence.[16][18][19][20] [18] Music artist Mike Patton has also cited Helmet as having a significant influence on his solo career; with original drummer John Stanier and Patton actually having played in the music project Tomahawk together. Chevelle,[21] Deftones,[22] Faith No More,[23] Pig Destroyer[24] and Soulfly[25] have covered Helmet songs.

They are considered a big influence on the nu metal genre,[26][27] with the band's use of drop d tuning influencing many in the genre. Frontman Page Hamilton somewhat displeased with this assertion, responded "it's frustrating that people write [us] off because we're affiliated with or credited with or discredited with creating nu-metal and rap metal or whatever the fuck it is, which we sound nothing like."[28]

Discography

Main article: Helmet discography

Studio albums

Members

For more details on this topic, see List of Helmet band members.

Current members
  • Page Hamilton – vocals & lead guitar (1989–1998, 2004–present)
  • Kyle Stevenson – drums (2006–present)
  • Dan Beeman – rhythm guitar (2008–present)
  • Dave Case – bass (2010–present)
Former members

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Helmet". AllMusic.
  2. 1 2 "Interviews: Helmet Talks About Making 'Betty' and Why Playing The Album Live Is Difficult". New Noise Magazine. July 29, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Interview - Rolling Stone". bluecricket.
  4. ↑ "Interview - Rolling Stone - Helmet". bluecricket.
  5. ↑ "Web Chat with Page Hamilton". Bowie Wonderland. September 28, 2000. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Deaf Elk". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Former Anthrax bassist Frank Bello joins reunited Helmet". Blabbermouth.net. April 17, 2004. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Helmet mainman announces new rhythm section". Blabbermouth.net. October 13, 2006. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Tour Dates - Helmet". Helmetmusic.com. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  10. ↑ http://www.helmetmusic.com/2013/09/melvins-helmet-australian-tour-2013/
  11. ↑ Senft, Michael (6 July 2006). "Warped Tour a hit in new digs". The Arizona Republic. Gannett Company. Retrieved 28 March 2012. Early arrivals were able to see experimental metal pioneers Helmet as well as retro punks the Casualties.
  12. ↑ "Alternative Metal". Allmusic. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  13. 1 2 3 Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Helmet". MusicMight. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  14. ↑ SPIN - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
  15. ↑ "Music - Review of Helmet - Seeing Eye Dog". BBC. Retrieved 2013-02-21.
  16. 1 2 Meredith, Bill. "Helmet". Allmusic. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Helmet Rediscovery". X-Press Online. March 28, 2007. Archived from the original on August 31, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2012.
  18. 1 2 3 4 comments policy  4  comments posted. "Helmet Return With 'Monochrome' | News @". Ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
  19. ↑ Official Biography Retrieved October 10, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Helmet Biography - Music Artist Band Biographies - Artists Bands Bio - FREE MP3 Downloads". Music.us. Retrieved 2012-12-19.
  21. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/wonder-whats-next-deluxe-version/id270139029
  22. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/song/sinatra-mt0014612934
  23. ↑ http://old.fnm.com/statistics.html
  24. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/song/in-the-meantime-mt0009135472
  25. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/song/in-the-meantime-mt0007442894
  26. ↑ Condran, Ed. "Nu metal pioneer Helmet returns". Courier Times. Retrieved 2012-10-17.
  27. ↑ Prato, Greg (2006-07-18). "Monochrome - Helmet : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
  28. ↑ comments policy  155  comments posted. "Helmet: We're Better Than 99.9% Of The Other Bands Out There | News @". Ultimate-guitar.com. Retrieved 2013-02-21.

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