Helmet (band)

Helmet
Helmet The Hifi Bar, Melbourne May 2008
Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, USA
Genres	Alternative metal, noise rock post-metal, experimental metal, alternative rock, groove metal
Years active	1989–1998, 2004–present
Labels	Amphetamine Reptile, Interscope, Warcon, Work Song Records
Members	Page Hamilton Kyle Stevenson Dave Case Dan Beeman
Past members	See Members
Website	www.helmetmusic.com

Helmet is an 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 release of Betty (1994) and Aftertaste (1997), Helmet broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2004. The band released their fifth album, Size Matters, later that year and it was their last release on their longtime label Interscope Records. They were briefly signed with Warcon Records, who released their sixth album, Monochrome, on July 18, 2006. Currently, Helmet are signed to Work Song Records, who released their seventh album Seeing Eye Dog.

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 distorted 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 suggested the name "Helmut". Opting for the Anglicized spelling, Hamilton thought Helmet "sounded like a cool name for a band." Other names considered were "Cry Ruth" and "Poly Orchids", along with the more esoteric "Tuna Lorenzo" and "Froth Albumen".

Mainstream success (1992–1998)

The band rose to the mainstream 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.

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 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. Total U.S. sales of Betty are just over 275,000 as of April 2006. After recording and touring in support of Betty, Echeverria left to join Biohazard; however, his departure was much more amicable than Mengede's.

The band elected to push on and record 1997's Aftertaste as a three-piece. After recording was complete, 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"

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; Hamiltons 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" 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)

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.

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. 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. Jimmy Thompson 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 frontman 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.

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.

Legacy and influences

The band have had a large impact on many alternative metal and nu metal groups, with bands such as Tool, Pantera, System of a Down, Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Chevelle and Deftones citing Helmet as an influence. They are considered early pioneers of the nu metal genre, with the band's use of drop d tuning influencing many in the genre. Frontman Page Hamilton said "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."

In media

Helmet's "Ironhead" appeared in the 1992 film Guncrazy. In 1993, Helmet recorded "Just Another Victim" with hip-hop group House of Pain for the soundtrack to the film Judgment Night.

In early 1994, prior to the album Betty being released, an alternate version of "Milquetoast" (titled "Milktoast") appeared on the motion picture soundtrack of The Crow.

Helmet contributed a cover version of the theme to the cartoon Gigantor to the tribute album Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits, produced by Ralph Sall for MCA Records.

Helmet appeared in the 1995 film The Jerky Boys performing a cover of Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe".

The song "Complete" appeared in the soundtrack to the 1995 movie Johnny Mnemonic.

In 2006, the song "Monochrome" was featured in the soundtrack of the movie Saw III.

The videos for "Unsung" and "Wilma's Rainbow" have been featured on the 1990s MTV series Beavis and Butt-Head. The instrumental version was played on MTV as well on the premiere of Nitro Circus when Travis Pastrana jumps out of a plane without a parachute.

The band Soulfly feature a cover of the song "In the Meantime" on their 2004 album Prophecy.

In 2004, the song "Unsung" appeared on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack, playing on fictional alternative radio station Radio X.

"Crashing Foreign Cars" appeared in 2004 on the Need For Speed: Underground 2 soundtrack.

In 2005, "Unsung" was used in the PlayStation 2 game Guitar Hero as well as True Crime: New York City.

"Unsung" also appeared in 2008 on Saints Row 2 on the in-game radio station Krunch 106.66; was featured on Madden NFL 10; and as a live recording on Guitar Hero Smash Hits in 2009.

Deftones have done a cover of the song "Sinatra" which is on their compilation album B-Sides & Rarities .

Discography

Main article: Helmet discography

Studio albums

• Strap It On (1990)
• Meantime (1992)
• Betty (1994)
• Aftertaste (1997)
• Size Matters (2004)
• Monochrome (2006)
• Seeing Eye Dog (2010)

Compilations

• Judgment Night (1993) – "Just Another Victim" (with House of Pain)
• Volume Eleven: Reading Special (1994) – "Lord of This World" (Black Sabbath cover)
• Born Annoying (1995)
• Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits (1995) – "Gigantor" (theme)
• Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin (1995) – "Custard Pie" (Led Zeppelin cover) (with David Yow of The Jesus Lizard)
• The Jerky Boys (1995) – "Symptom of the Universe" (Black Sabbath cover)
• Feeling Minnesota soundtrack (1996) - "Disagreeable"
• Music for Our Mother Ocean (1996) – "Army of Me" (Björk cover)
• Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997) (2004)
• Guilt by Association Vol. 3 (2011) "Crazy Nights" (Loudness cover)
• Johnny Mnemonic soundtrack (1995) - "Complete"

Members

Further information: List of Helmet band members

Current members

• Page Hamilton – vocals/guitar (1989–present)
• Dan Beeman – guitar (2008–present)
• Kyle Stevenson – drums (2006–present)
• Dave Case – bass (2010–present)

Former members

• Peter Mengede – guitar (1989–1993)
• Rob Echeverria – guitar (1993–1996)
• Chris Traynor – guitar/bass (1997–2006, 2010)
• Henry Bogdan – bass (1989–1998)
• John Stanier – drums (1989–1998)
• Frank Bello – bass (2004–2005)
• John Tempesta – drums (2004–2006)
• Mike Jost – drums (2005–2006)
• Jeremy Chatelain – bass
• Jimmy Thompson – guitar (2006-2008)
• Jon Fuller – bass (2006-2010)

See also

• List of alternative metal artists

External links

• Official website
• Official Myspace