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Led by ex-Band of Susans guitar monster and university-trained musician Page Hamilton, Helmet boils away nearly all of the excess of hard rock and heavy metal and serves up a thick wad of aural assault that values power, volume and simplicity. It's a concept that makes for compelling music, and Hamilton does a great job of creating songs that emphasize lacerating riffs, hypnotically repetitive distortion, and, at times, slower-than-a-lingering-death tempos. When the gears mesh on this monstrous machine, Helmet is one intimidating proposition. But by distilling hard rock to its feral core without the wit and panache that mark the careers of other, better, like-minded bands (e.g., Motorhead, the Melvins), one may not need a lot of Helmet to live a long and happy life. Hamilton does deserve credit for coming up with one killer record and scoring a sizable contract with a major label after the buzz surrounding their 1990 indie-label debut, Strap It On. Their 1992 major label bow Meantime won critical acclaim, and was followed by 1994's Betty and 1997's Aftertaste. |
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