Helmet - Size Matters

Strap it on again baby!

I believe alot of the previous reviews made alot of good points. I will admit upon first listen, this release had to grow on me and it has! The more I listened the more I enjoyed it, even to the point where I got my hands on the Japanese version for the extra tracks. I actually dig the addition of some more melody while the groove and drop d slam we all know and love still takes out your knee like it always did. I find I enjoy Monochrome even more so for more of a return to roots so to speak but I enjoy size matters in a different way. I can hardly wait for the next release which is rumored to be slated for next year. September 11, 2007

Give it a second chance - As good as Aftertaste/Betty.

For those that like Helmet, read on. For those not wanting the details, skip to the bottom.


I loved Betty, Aftertaste, & Meantime. Strap It On had vocals too rough for my taste, though a couple of the songs had riffs great enough to overcome that. Meantime had some rough vocals on several songs, but a more in-your-face I-wanna-break-stuff riffage, that it was all good.

Then they broke up. A sad day indeed. Lo and behold, Helmet has been resurrected by Page Hamilton (vocals, guitar). Awesome! Helmet has always been about great guitar work, unique stopping, and shifting parts of a song into unexpected notes and half-steps.

The bass & drums were only there to compliment him, and they did good. At no point on a previous Helmet track did I say: "Damn! That bassline/drum part was just so awesome, I have to listen to it again!" No, they're not Tool, but we only need one of them anyway.

Their first album after the resurrection, is SIZE MATTERS.
1. It is a great album. The excellent guitar work is still there.
2. A more melodic album, in line with Aftertaste and parts of Betty. If you liked either of those albums, you'll like this one as well.
3. I thought it was "okay" after one listen, and didn't give it a second chance until not too long ago. It is awesome! Don't expect it to be Meantime Part II, or you may do the same thing.
4. Great riffs aside, the drumming and bass are tight as well.
5. Several of the more rockin' tunes are front loaded, which may leave you feeling 'let down' half way through. After which it gets more melodic, still great riffs, but not as heavy.










Helmet is awesome. Their new stuff rocks. Go buy it if you like Helmet, or like to rock. The end. October 27, 2006

The underpinnings of Helmet still solid, slight let down

This is the first album from Helmet (well at least Paige Hamilton) in several years. With the help of John Tempesta (Testament) and Frank Bello (Anthrax), Helmet lays down 11 heavy tracks in the mechanical metal, on/off fashion that is helmet. Unfortunately, there were not many variations in tempo or rhythm/melody like in previous Helmet ventures. At times, all I find myself just hearing mentally sleeping because the guitar is mixed in a way that it sounds like white noise, drowning out any underlying bass/drum work. Paige's vocals are mixed similar to past albums, and work for this setup well.

Highlights: Smart,Surgury, Throwing punches, Crashing Foriegn Cars.

If you have to pick one of the two new albums (Monocrome vs Size Matters) as a come back album...Monocrome wins. Helmet fans, get this album, you will not be completely dissapointed, new fans, check out Monochrome, Meantime, or Betty.

Overall, I believe this is not an attempt to "Milk the Name", but an honest attempt to please helmet fans for many years of loyal support, and bless us with fresh tunes to flaunt at the Nu-metal/punk whiners of today. Hamilton may be the old man on tour, but he can still outplay/outwrite most of the music out there today. Plus, his behind the scenes studio work further bolsters his credentials as a legend in the metal world.
July 31, 2006

Crunch-A-Thon rock

Helmet will never eclipse their high water mark, the classic "Meantime" that thundered through the speakers and inspired a million migraines. Not that this is a bad thing.
Paige Hamilton, who at times sounds eerily like Ozzy Osbourne, is the heart and soul behind Helmet. Like the late Denis D' Amour (Piggy) of Voi Vod, Hamilton infuses his demolition yard guitars with jazz, especially in his soloes that somehow harken back to bebop. Imagine Wes Montgomery in a food processor.
"Size Matters" is a big improvement over the muddy production of "Betty", and is driven by the excellent drummer John Tempesta of White Zombie fame and anchored with the help of Anthrax bassist Frank Bello. The songs are lyrically smart, the arrangements clipped and guitars up front.
It's metal on the edge of chaos, and with Helmet's musical cousins Prong, the aforementioned Voi Vod and the late great Pantera, the last bastion of dangerous rock and roll left.
Get "Meantime" too, while you're at it. March 22, 2006

It's called maturity...

As a Helmet lover right from the beginning, I've enjoyed all facets of Helmet from their hard and edgey stuff from the early years to more refined sound as it stands today. As people grow older, tastes change. For a musicain not to grow is faulty. You couldn't expect Page as a artists not to grow. Now I know some people might say he's gotten soft or kinda sold out but I understand his reasonings. I also have mellowed out overs the years, not wussed out.

Also keep in mind, Page has done a lot of work not just dealing with rock. He's worked with Charlie Clouser of NIN, has done some film work and scores. As anyone would to expect, diversifing your understanding of your field brings a whole new view of what you do and I think that's what we're seeing here.

If you didn't noticed his lyrics, listen again. They're sarcastic, very tongue-in-cheek. If you don't get them, maybe you don't really understand Page or even Helmet. So listen with an open mind and enjoy the experience he's gathered over the years. I know if I was the same person as I was when "Unsung" came out, I'd be a very unhappy and frustrated man.

I dig the album. And if you want to hear those old songs with better sound engineering, go see a show. So, for all intents and purposes, Helemt Rock! Always have, always will! February 18, 2006

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