Helmet
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The release of HELMET’s MONOCHROME finds the band’s full circle return to the sonic template that cemented the band as one of the primary forefathers of the post-hardcore/punk genre. With the return of producer Wharton Tiers to the fold, a lineup shift, and a headlining slot on this summer’s Warped Tour, Helmet and founder and vocalist/guitarist Page Hamilton are in prime fighting shape.
For MONOCHROME, Hamilton enlisted collaborator Wharton Tiers to co-produce with the intention of a return to the organic sound the band is known for. Tiers recorded the band’s first two releases Strap It On (1991) and Meantime, (1992) the latter of which sold over a million copies and defined the brusque element of American’s underground rock scene.
“Wharton was my only choice to co-produce this project with me,” said Hamilton. “Apart from the sounds he can get in his studio, he was also a major influence in terms of helping me shape my guitar playing.” On this, the band’s sixth full-length, Hamilton knew what he wanted otherwise. “This album was made quickly, like the first two Helmet records and I didn’t want anybody else’s opinions to slow me down. I’ve done this before and I wanted to do it my way.”
To support MONOCHROME Helmet were tabbed as headliners of the 2006 Warped Tour. After introducing a new generation to the originators of a sound which may inform most of their record collections, Helmet slated worldwide headlining dates and festival appearances. In the Winter of 2006 the group was handpicked by Axl Rose to support of slate of Gun’s and Roses arena dates.
HELMET’s catalog also includes Betty (1994) Aftertaste (1996), and Size Matters, (2004). Helmet’s forward fusion of metal, punk, indie-rock, and jazz has inspired countless bands- many that have come to define their own disparate threads of heavy rock. The HELMET sound sparked a new brand of metal, crossing all traditional music boundaries, paving the way for bands like Chevelle, Deftones, Killswitch Engage, Norma Jean and Silverchair, among many others. The New York Times called HELMET “a band that made important connections between indie-rock and metal…” (September 12, 2004).
“I’m always stoked when people tell me that they do what they do because of my music,” says Hamilton. “I’m always surprised. People like David Bowie and Gene Simmons are fans of my band. That’s as good as it gets.” Hamilton attributes much of the band’s success to his uncompromising search for self-satisfaction. “Only 20% of the music I listen to is rock, and of that an even smaller percentage is new music. I try to stay focused on creating my own music.”
HELMET formed in New York City in 1989 by founding members Page Hamilton, Henry Bogdan, Peter Mengede and John Stainer. The group signed to Amphetamine Reptile Records, and released their first full-length album, Strap It On, in 1991. Interscope Records soon came calling and signed the band in 1992. Monochrome is Helmet’s first release for Warcon Records, one of the leading post-hardcore/punk labels in the industry today.