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Class 6(66)
Helmet: Strap it on
21/01/10 || Khlysty
Introduction
You know Helmet, now, don’t you? At the very least, you’ve heard of them, since back in the early ‘90s they were supposed to be the next big thing; the band that would be the “new Nirvana”; the saviors of hard rocking music. The band that went from Amphetamine Reptile to Interscope for a supposed round million bucks in advance. C’mon, they’re the guys who wrote the “Unsung” song that everybody liked so much, although it wasn’t grunge at all, you MUST remember them… Yes, yes, that’s exactly them.
Well, what you might not know is that Helmet started of as a bizarre, extremely confrontational metal/noise rock band that came from an equally bizarre musical background (the band’s leader, Page Hamilton, has studied jazz, played with Glenn Branca and was a member of Band Of Susans; drummer John Stanier studied orchestral percussion; bassist Henry Bogdan has a background in jazz; and guitarist Peter Mengede is Australian…) and that their first record, “Strap It On”, is considered as one of the mini-masterpieces of the era for metal and is supposed to have influenced a jillion of bands and genres. And, although “Meantime”, Helmet’s magnum opus, usually takes the spotlight, for me “Strap It On” is a record that’s essential to anyone who claims to be even marginally interested in what we call “heavy music”. Why? Well, just read on…
Songwriting
9. Look, I’ll shit you not, OK? Even today this shit sounds completely far out and, well, alien, even to ears that are accustomed to noise and distortion. Helmet’s m.o. was simplicity itself, but, at the same time, it was real hell. Imagine two guitars, tuned in drop-C and drop-D, playing exactly the same thing with robotic rigidity; the bass does the guitar thingy, filling even more the huge sound, while the drummer economically, brutally and punctually hits the strangely-tuned skins.
Imagine simple-yet-alien riffs repeated with razor-sharp precision, over a rigid-as-fuck bass-and-drums base. Imagine start-stop parts, executed with indifferent ease. Imagine small time-signature fuckery done with relentless inhumanity. Imagine more-noise-and-feedback-than-solos coming, adding to the super-heavy, super-oppressive ambience and stopping as abruptly as they started. Does this sound like a band of human beings to you, or like a fucking machine, doing the watushi on hapless listeners’ skulls? The only thing that sounds remotely human in this record is Hamilton’s angst-ridden howls.
The rule of thumb here goes like this: simplicity, rigidity, repetition, ultra-distortion, almost-atonal riffing and extremely jagged guitar-noise slathers. The songs don’t play out, they stomp, pound and grind the listener and they are kept in tight time-frames, obviously for more damaging effects. You know, “Strap It On” can be a pretty exhausting listen, albeit its short length, BUT –and here lies the wisdom of Helmet- each and ever song has at least one hook –be it a simple but catchy single-note riff, a break, a start-stop part- that will keep the listener interested, even when he continues to be punched and kicked by the songs’ force.
Production
8. This is as raw as the meat that you buy from your local butcher. No-frills, no-overproduction, no effects, no nothing; just brutal sound coming out of your speakers and threatening your life. It’s a bit muddy, but that’s of no consequence as the lack of clarity adds to the killing force of the music. I like this no-prisoners, death-before-dishonor approach and it fits the record like an iron glove. Also of note is how uniform the sound is, which to some may provoke headaches, but to me is pure, unadulterated bliss.
Guitars
10. Or, maybe, 11, or 12. The guitar-playing of Hamilton and Mengede is truly phenomenal here, as the two of them continually produce deceptively simple, pounding riffs of the highest, most fucked-up caliber imaginable. The downtuning of the instruments and the primitive, yet effective, distortion, the strict, military discipline and precision with which the two guitarists execute the riffing, the totally-controlled noise-bursts that represent soloing, the incredible grasp of space and timing the duo displays are mind-boggling enough. The fact that this is the FIRST outing of Helmet, who existed as band for only a year up till then, is almost unbelievable. The fact that these guys were trained NOT to play music such as this is just the stuff legends are made of (as a sidenote, listen to this record and then compare it to Metallica’s “And Justice” and THEN tell who accomplices heavosity through rigidity…).
Vocals
8. Page Hamilton is no metal growler, but his raspy bellowing roars pack more punch and more hate-induced venom than many a “pure” metal screamer. If you want an analogue, think of Justin K. Broadrick’s shouts and screams when he played with Godflesh and you won’t be off-center. His singing style is perfectly suited for such confrontational music.
Bass
9. Henry Bogdan riffs with the guitars. No root notes, no chord-bashing, no show-offy thingies: just riffing with deathly precision and total control. The perfect bassist for the outfit and a great musician to boot.
Drums
9. Stanier’s precision (yes, this word again, fuck off and read what I’ve said before…) economy, power and sheer brutality cannot be overstated here. Whether playing straight 4/4, or adding counterbeat (as on “FBLA”), or slashing his cymbals and beating his drums to death (see the ending of “Sinatra”), he’s always on top of the mayhem, usually supporting it and sometimes propelling it forward.
Lyrics
8. “ Down and right/Did it wrong/Self-obsessed/Time to kill you’re so depressed”. Also, “FBLA” means “Future Business Leaders of America”, so that you know…
Cover art
4. A metal cage which exudes S/M overtones, in a bizarre background. Don’t like it, but that’s me…
Logo
4. No logo, just the band name in a simple font.
Booklet
4. Got the AmRep vinyl…
Overall and ending rant
This is one of the most-overlooked metal gems of the ‘90s. It’s heavy as all fuck, relentless to the point of being oppressive and executed with power, conviction and pure genius. Helmet’s stylistic devices have been ripped off by a legion of other bands and have created entire micro-genres, while their musical prowess remains untouchable even today. “Strap It On”, although not as fully-formed as “Meantime” or as experimental as “Betty” remains Helmet’s most impressive record, because of its raw, devil-may-care attitude and of its alien nature, when compared with what metal was way back when it came out. Helmet now are but a shadow of its former self; but back in 1990 the band was unfuckwithable and “Strap It On” remains a testament of jarring, noisy, ugly and creative revelation.
- Information
- Released: 1990
- Label: Amphetamine Reptile Records (1991 Interscope re-issue)
- Website: www.helmetmusic.com
- Band
- Page Hamilton: guitar, vocals
- Peter Mengede: guitar
- Henry Bogdan: bass
- John Stanier: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Repetition
- 02. Rude
- 03. Bad Mood
- 04. Sinatra
- 05. FBLA
- 06. Blacktop
- 07. Distracted
- 08. Make room
- 09. Murder
