Helmet (band)
Helmet | |
|---|---|
| File:Helmetphoto.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, United States |
| Years active | 1989 – 1998, 2004 – |
| Members | Page Hamilton John Tempesta Chris Traynor Jeremy Chatelain |
Helmet is an American rock/heavy metal band formed in New York City by Page Hamilton (vocals/guitar) with Henry Bogdan (bass), Peter Mengede (guitar) and John Stanier (drums) in 1989.
Early years
Helmet appeared in the New York underground scene in 1989 and quickly rose into the top ranks. They were spotted by Tom Hazelmeyer and signed to his Amphetamine Reptile Records label, quickly releasing their debut 7 inch single, Born Annoying. AmRep released their first album, Strap It On, in 1990.
Helmet was acclaimed as a thinking person's heavy metal band. The members' appearance was a shock to many as they were all clean-cut, the antithesis of the heavy metal stereotype. They have been credited with (and sometimes criticized for) creating or paving the way for Nu Metal. Their music is characterized by repetitive, sludgy, and dissonant riffs often augmented by a chorus that involve guitar feedback waves. Hamilton was hailed as one of the more innovative metal guitarist of the 1990's.
Before Hamilton had settled on a permanent name for the group, a friend suggested naming it after German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. While Hamilton didn't care for the idea, this is where the name Helmet originated. Another name in the running was Cry Ruth.
In the meantime
The group rose to international stardom in 1992 after signing to Interscope Records. With the record industry hot to pick up burgeoning metal acts, Helmet was courted by a number of major labels. 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, 1992's Meantime, was produced entirely by the band and was certified gold in the US by 1994. The album has sold over 1 million copies worldwide and remains Helmet's top-selling album.
Helmet toured relentlessly and internal tensions rose high at times. By the time 1994's Betty appeared, guitarist Peter Mengede had left and been replaced by Rob Echeverria. After recording and touring in support of Betty, Echeverria left to join Biohazard. Now a three-piece, the band elected to push on and record 1997's Aftertaste without looking for another guitarist. After recording was complete, guitarist Chris Traynor (formerly of Orange 9mm) was recruited for the supporting tour. Unfortunately, the Aftertaste tour in 1997-98 would prove to be the band's last. Little information about the split has ever surfaced, other than to say it was supposedly amicable and they just don't speak to each other much anymore.
Aftermath and reformation
Henry Bogdan moved to Hawaii. Page Hamilton relocated from New York City to Los Angeles and has been involved in many different projects, from playing guitar for David Bowie to doing sessions for film scores. He periodically returned to New York for his band Gandhi, which was the precursor to the reformed Helmet (several of the new Helmet songs began as part of that project). John Stanier took a break from drumming for over a year, but returned to play drums for Tomahawk, The Mark of Cain and Battles.
For more on each member's current whereabouts, see his individual article.
After moving to Los Angeles, Hamilton began working with drummer John Tempesta (formerly of Testament and White Zombie) and was searching for a record label and a name for the project. By 2003, he had acquiesced to Jimmy Iovine's urging that he release music through Interscope under the established Helmet moniker (to which Interscope held the rights). Hamilton felt that Helmet's music (if not its personnel) still had life left, and yearned to return to it. He had resisted for some time, under the belief that without Stanier and Bogdan it couldn't rightly be called Helmet. However, after Bogdan and Stanier both refused offers to reunite, along with the fact that he had always been the principal songwriter, Hamilton became convinced that he was justified in moving on and putting out more music as Helmet. He called up Chris Traynor, whom had played guitar on the Aftertaste tour, and the three recorded new songs with Traynor on bass. Frank Bello (of Anthrax) was later recruited to play bass so Traynor could return to guitar.
New developments
Frank Bello has left Helmet to reunite with his old band, Anthrax. Jeremy Chatelain had been filling in for Bello on tour, and will continue to handle bass duties.
In an odd twist of fate, Helmet has parted ways with Interscope. The label was an integral part of the reformation of Helmet, but the group is now searching for a new home. They are in talks with several labels, and this will likely be a positive change for the band.
The band is working on a new album, to be released sometime in 2006.
Discography
- Size Matters (Interscope 2004)
- Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991-1997) (Interscope 2004)
- Aftertaste (Interscope 1997)
- Betty (Interscope 1994)
- Born Annoying (AmRep 1993)
- Meantime (Interscope 1992)
- Strap It On (AmRep 1990, Interscope 1992)