Helmet-Aftertaste

By David Bright

Copy Editor

elmet have always been more a band I admired than one I always wanted to listen to. I used to always say "They're a great band... for five songs." Many of their previous songs were made up of good riffs bridged together by choruses and melodies that go nowhere. Since they first gained wide attention with "Unsung", from their sophomore album Meantime, their influence has been heard in hits such as 311's "Down" and Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot", and at times, Silverchair sound like they're reusing old Helmet riffs.

So why hasn't Helmet reached the same level of success? Their problem has been their songwriting. While those other bands don't do Helmet's sound as well, catchy songs are what sell records and gain a wider audience. "Unsung" was a masterpiece, with good, unpretentious lyrics and all the elements of Helmet's sound, from the tight, crunching guitar riffs, to the crack of the snare drum that pokes through the silence after each guitar phrase, to the weird, jazzy harmonization that shows up at the end. Meantime contained other great songs, and while Betty was a strong follow up, it contained to many experiments that weren't that fun to listen to, and even the stronger songs didn't deliver on the promise of "Unsung". On Aftertaste, their new album to be released on March 18, they show an improved sense of melody and have finally produced an album that one can easily listen to from start to finish.

Guitarist Page Hamilton is not a great singer, but he is perfectly suited to the music. He usually sings in an average, flat voice, somewhat like Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, though sometimes he sings in a more gruff barking tone. Hamilton does all the songwriting, but the rhythm section has always been the real strength of the band. John Stanier plays drums like Bonham would have had he lived to hear hip hop. Henry Bogdan's bass usually doubles the guitar riff with a sharp, rumbling tone, perfectly locked in with the drumbeat. Hamilton's solos on Aftertaste show less of his noise-jazz influences and more punk minimalism, and on some songs, such as "High Visibility" they are very dramatic.

Many of the new songs have elements of some of the more popular music of today. "Driving Nowhere" sounds somewhat like Bush. On "Exactly What You Wanted", Hamilton sings like Trent Reznor, and the lyrics are like Nine Inch Nails as well. "Birth Defect" and "Diet Aftertaste" sound much more punk than anything they've ever done before. There are still some songs, like "It's Easy to Get Bored", that just aimlessly drone on, but the weak points are more than bearable.

Aftertaste is the album where Helmet finally make good on their promise.