If there was ever an album that defied expectation, this is it. From the strangely serene, catalogue pose cover to the enlistment of rap guru T-Ray as a producer, all the signs point to a band trying to shed their college-boy, hardcore image. What could have been an unholy alliance between the polar opposites of rap and metal emerged as a career defining move for one of rock's pioneering and innovative bands.
The first thing that strikes you about 'Betty' is the truly astonishing drum sound. Without a doubt, the most beautifully crisp, powerful drums of any rock album ever made. Helmet have managed to maintain the uncompromising grind of 'Meantime' but have sharpened their sound thanks to Page Hamilton's ever-more avant garde lyrics, a hint of more melody and those pristine drums driving everything along. Witness 'Biscuits For Smut', a song the Chilli Peppers could have penned if they had any balls, the sliding bass of Henry Bogdan making it sound like the older, wiser more streetwise brother of 'Give It Away'!
In the past, Helmet have been stamped as being the epitome of the hardcore sound, but whilst other bands continue the same well-worn path (hello Biohazard, Cro-Mags etc) 'Betty' branches out, slotting some surprising influences in along the way. 'Beautiful Love' is a delightfully smooth, languid Jazz groove featuring Hamilton's much vaunted guitar skills, that is, until the truly nasty bass and drums kick in, transforming it into a sonic-youth style noise fest. Likewise, 'Sam Hell' the final track, is a warped blues song, all slide, distorted electric guitar and voicebox vocals. There are no one-trick ponies here.
The standout track is 'Speechless', featuring one of Helmet's many massive "riffs with gaps". It also contains a truly glorious catchy chorus, one that could have seen them reach the charts. It's as song that will live on long beyond Helmet themselves. The lyrics are a true mystery:
"Shine the Baptist and debank the log."
Answers on a postcard. It does make a welcome change from the usual bullshit hardcore lyrics.
For a band that apparently has influenced more people that most, it is astonishing that so few people know anything about Helmet. Imagine nu-metal with brains, hardcore with melody, metal without cliché, well here it is. Find out where all that great music you've been listening to over the years, actually came from. Discover Helmet.
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