Music

Strap It Back On: The Return of Helmet

By Zach Braden

Helmet, resurrected with an entirely different supporting cast, still able to make an album both true to its roots and able to fit with today's heavy alternative music scene, is a credit to Page Hamilton who created the modern standard.

The brunt of this album was written by Sir Hamilton and another equally accredited individual - Charlie Clouser, former multi-instrumentalist for Nine Inch Nails. Once the songs were ready, the necessity for a band (although I will always have my inklings, it is unlikely that Page can play guitar, bass, and drums while singing) became clear. Former Orange 9mm and Helmet touring guitarist Chris Traynor was happy to assume bass duties, and Ex-Zombie (be it White or Rob) drummer John Tempesta, presumably tired of wearing spooky make-up, signed on as skinsman. Thus, Helmet reincarnate was born. And the songs that Hamilton and Clouser came up with, be it the snarl of "See You Dead" or the groove and bounce of "Crashing Foreign Cars," utilize a blend of vintage Helmet riffs and hooks and a newly energized voice on that guy. what was his name? You know, the singer.

The table was set for naysayers and past-dwellers to bash whatever Page Hamilton did under the Helmet banner after the 1998 dissolution of the band. It was to be expected that plenty of jackasses would be quick to point out this isn't really Helmet. However, if you ever believed that the functionality of Henry Bogdan on bass and John Stanier on drums was derived from anything outside of Lord Hamilton's own brain, you should really go listen to Alter Bridge or Manowar or something and leave all of us alone. Besides, Stanier's work in Tomahawk and Battles, particularly the latter, are probably better than anything he did with Helmet. So get over it. Size Matters is a Helmet album in the truest form. Page Hamilton is Helmet and that's all that matters.