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In their two and a half decades spent rocking like nobody’s business, Helmet have cultivated a reputation as “the thinking man’s metal band”. A band that dials down the silliness and excess often associated with riffs the size of planets and plays it a lot straighter than most bands do.
This is nothing if not a risky move; ironically enough leaving them open to more derision than most metal bands are. So it’s just as well that Helmet are an absolutely sensational band that more than lives up to the “Thinking man’s metal band” tag and then some.
Hamilton formed the band in 1989 after leaving his previous group Band of Susans. They were an immediate success, with Halo Of Flies frontman Tom Hazelmyer spotting them perform live the same year and signing them to his record label Amphetamine Reptile Records very soon after. 1990 saw the release of their debut album, the critically acclaimed and highly influential “Strap It On”.
Such a band could only have been a success in the early 90’s. It was a time when a band as profoundly straight-laced, intense and straight up heavy as Helmet could command a million dollar record deal with Interscope Records while still retaining almost total creative control over their records. An even better sign of the times though? It paid off.
The first album the band made on the label, 1992’s “Meantime”, was certified Gold in the States and sold over 2 million copies worldwide. However, come the mid 90’s and friction between the band members was starting to become a legitimate problem and after two albums that failed to live up to the commercial success of“Meantime”, the band split in 1997.
However, the Helmet story was far from over. The band came back together around Hamilton and bassist Chris Traynor when Hamilton was convinced by Interscope to take a solo album of his and release it under the more commercially viable Helmet moniker. Since then they’ve released a further two albums and counting, and led by Hamilton, they continue to be one of heavy metal’s modern masters to this day. Highly recommended.
Page Hamilton’s band, Helmet, has had a strong influence on the metal genre and the band’s concerts convey why they are such a highly respected band.
Although Helmet hasn’t quite retained the commercial success that they garnered from the Steve Albini produced album, Meantime, they are still powering on and creating great albums that their loyal fan base respects. Helmet had the rage and intensity behind their music that was comparable to Nirvana, but their delivery was very structured and formalized, which would be expected from a band like Wire or Big Black.
Page Hamilton plays with his guitar with lots of gain and cranked up to the highest level. He plays in a rhythmic and machine like pattern, intensely playing down strokes in perfect tempo. Hamilton’s education as a jazz guitarist also is shown in his music. He is frequently seen playing complex chords and avant-garde styles that were inspired by his jazz training. Hamilton was also notable for incorporating the drop D tuning into his music that created a heavier sound. Hamilton’s voice is also very dynamic and he is able to quickly jump between different vocal ranges. The drummer of Helmet plays as if he is pounding steel in the most intense way possible, giving the music an industrial sound.
There is no doubt that Helmet’s concerts are wild and rowdy. Page Hamilton can be seen jumping around the stage and head banging to the music. The crowd is just as wild as the band, starting up mosh pits and crowd surfing all over the venue. Helmet’s setlist contains songs spanning through most of their albums and they are sure to play hit songs such as “Unsung”. Helmet is currently working on new material for their upcoming album and are still touring pretty regularly. There is a reason why that so many bands like Nine Inch Nails, System of a Down, and Tool cite Helmet as a major influence and to see them live clearly conveys their excellence in performance and songwriting.
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