Enough with all the pansy Emo crap on a website that proves to be questionably artsy time and time again! It’s time for someone to post some manly metal for once. What’s inspired this shift of focus my readers? Well, the newly remastered vinyl reissue of Helmet’s breakthrough masterpiece, Meantime (1992 Interscope Records), of course. I just grabbed my copy the other day, and yes, it sounds amazing and heavy as ever. (They recently rereleased their debut, Strap it On [1990 Amphetamine Reptile/Interscope], as well....)
Helmet formed in 1989 in NYC, disbanded in 1998, and then reunited in recent years. The frontman, Page Hamilton, previously played in the Noise Rock group, Band of Susans, before forming Helmet. Like the Melvins and other post-hardcore noise bands, Helmet rode the commercial coattails of 90s Grunge rock success, receiving a 1 million dollar signing bonus for their debut recording sessions with the corporate behemoth, Interscope. In this context, they recorded and released one of Post-Hardcore’s finest albums, Meantime (1992 Interscope). The opening title track, “In the Meantime,” was recorded by the kingmaker of noise rock, Steve Albini. Andy Wallace, famous sound engineer for groups like Nirvana, mixed the track, causing so much controversy and conflict with Albini that the producer insisted that his future contract with Nirvana (for recording In Utero) stipulate that Wallace would have no part in the mixing process of the album. Apparently, the dispute had much to do with Wallace’s post-production tweaking of John Stanier’s drum sounds; personally, I love the sound of Stanier’s drum hits.... Here’s the opening track, “In the Meantime”:Gotta love those staccato metal riffs! My favorite track on the album is the song, “Give It.” I love its more lackadaisical rhythms; check it out:
The most famous song of the album is the successful single, “Unsung”:
Is it a stretch to say I hear similarities here to Stoner Rock acts like Homme’s Kyuss or the Queens of the Stone Age? I think the case could be made. That's something I've only noticed in recent years... Helmet’s early albums are definite classics, and the vinyl reissue of Meantime is an undisputed must-have. Check out their third full length, Betty (1994 Interscope Records), as well; it’s equally as good as Meantime. Here’s the opening track, “Wilma’s Rainbow”:
NYC's Quicksand
Quicksand was another staple of the New York Post-Hardcore scene. The group formed in 1990, and all members had participated in previous projects of the infamous, tough-guy Hardcore scene of NYC. Frontman, Walter Schreifels, played in Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today, for instance, before forming Quicksand. Also, Alan Cage was in Burn, and member, Tom Capone, played in the Hardcore act, Bold. Quicksand, however, was a very different project from all their previous acts. There is a maturity and melody to their music that was never developed and explored in the aforementioned groups. Quicksand was a later endeavor by smarter, more seasoned players, and their music resisted the complacency of hardcore cliches and conventions, making Quicksand one of the innovative pioneers of the Post-Hardcore movement. Their debut Lp, Slip, is an undisputed classic, equal to Helmet’s Meantime in terms of significance and influence.Here’s the most popular, successful single, “Fazer,” from the debut album, Slip:
Quicksand often reminds me of another Post-Hardcore pioneer: San Diego’s Drive Like Jehu; I’ll post on the California legends as well at a later date. Here’s another great song from the debut full length; it’s called “Dine Alone”:
Quicksand only released two full length albums before disbanding in 1995. (The band did reunite in 1997 only to break up again in 1999 without releasing any new albums.) Their 2nd full length was entitled Manic Compression (1995 Island Records), and it’s another intelligent rock record definitely worth hearing. It fails to measure up to their debut masterpiece, however, but it’s a worthy addition to the rock library all the same. Here’s one of the better tracks, “Thorn in my Side”:Quicksand made a lot of music videos, but they never had the mainstream budget like that of Helmet. Regardless (or perhaps because of this), they recorded some great-sounding rock records...
Helmet + Quicksand = NYC's Handsome
**P.S. In 1996, Jeremy Chatelain and Peter Mengede, one time members of Helmet, joined Pete Hines of Cro-Mags and Tom Capone of Quicksand to form the Post-Hardcore supergroup, Handsome. They recorded one self-titled album in 1997 with Sony Music Entertainment, and they quickly disbanded in 1998 to form other projects. (Chatelain, for instance, went on to play in the indie rock group, Jets to Brazil...). Handsome recorded a really solid rock album that’s worth a spin, but it’s no Meantime or Slip.... Here's the opening track, "Needles":
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