Background informationOrigin, , , , , Years active1989–1998, 2004–present, , , Work Song RecordsAssociated acts, , , , , , , , , , , WebsiteMembers
Kyle Stevenson
Dave Case
Dan BeemanPast membersSee
Helmet is an band from formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist , 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 , which debuted at number 68 on the , with singles "" and "In the Meantime". After the release of (1994) and (1997), Helmet broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2004. The band released their fifth album, , later that year and it was their last release on their longtime label . They were briefly signed with , who released their sixth album, , on July 18, 2006. Currently, Helmet are signed to Work Song Records, who released their seventh album .
History[]This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help by . Unsourced material may be and . (February 2013) Early years (1989–1991)[]After Hamilton had left the , Helmet formed in early 1989. They were spotted by and signed to , releasing their debut , "", later that year. AmRep released their first album, , in 1990.
Helmet was acclaimed as a "Thinking person's 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, , guitar riffs, often in distorted , and almost always in a with 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 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, , was released in 1992 and certified 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 , guitarist of hardcore band . The band's third album, , was released in 1994. Despite managing the band's highest-ever chart position on the 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 ; however, his departure was much more amicable than Mengede's.
The band elected to push on and record 1997's as a three-piece. After recording was complete, guitarist (formerly of ) 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 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 to and became involved in many different projects, from playing guitar for to doing sessions for film scores, working with composer on the 1999 soundtracks to and ; Hamiltons second time working with Goldenthal, the first being the 1995 soundtrack to the movie . 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 , which is where several of the songs appearing on began.
Bogdan formed the Moonlighters, for which he played , in New York with , 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 , and .
Reunion (2004–present)[]After moving to Los Angeles, Hamilton began working with drummer (formerly of and ) on a new project. After searching for a record label and a name for the project, Hamilton was urged by of 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 in early 2004. was later recruited to play bass on the supporting tour; however, he left before its conclusion to reunite with his original band, . replaced Bello for the duration of the tour. John Tempesta left in early 2006 to join .
In late 2005, Helmet parted ways with Interscope. Helmet then signed with and announced that a new album was in the works. Helmet performed at the 2006 festival in , with a temporary lineup consisting of Charlie Walker on drums, Chris Traynor on bass, and Anthony Truglio (formerly of ) on guitar. The new album, , was recorded and co-produced by , 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, (formerly of ). Helmet headlined the 2006 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 . A few days later, 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 , 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 and . Helmet opened up for for the remaining dates of their tour in December 2006. The band toured 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 as the title of its new album. It was released September 7, 2010 via Work Song, the label imprint shared by singer/songwriter 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 titled . On the album, Helmet covered the song "Crazy Nights" by .
On 20 November 2011 Helmet announced the European 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 album.
Musical style[]The majority of critics mainly agree that Helmet are an alternative metal band, however the band have been categorized under many genres over the years, including , , , , and . Jim Farber of the New York Daily News has labeled Helmet as smart rock.
Legacy and influences[]The called Helmet "a band that made important connections between indie-rock and metal." They have had a large impact on many and groups, with bands such as , , , , , , , , , and citing Helmet as an influence. Helmet have also influenced modern and groups, such as and .
They are considered early pioneers of the 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."
Discography[]Studio albums[]Members[]Current membersFormer membersSee also[]References[]External links[]Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Studio albumsOther releasesSinglesLabelsRelated bandsRelated articles
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