Helmet gets overdue respect
KG | Cincinnati, OH United States | 06/25/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It's amazing what time, studio remastering, and a well-constructed " best of" can do for a defunct rock band. In the case of Helmet, it gives them a second life - not that they weren't vibrant in their first run. It's more that their musical prowess went under-noticed.
Lead singer Page Hamilton often commented about the band's lack of market appeal - a quality in their time that prohibited their explosion ie being all over the radio, etc. The move doesn't seem by accident. They didn't want to be THAT popular band that exploded then fizzled. Instead, the New York band played hard, driving rock in the vein of punk and hardcore, helped pioneer the "nu-metal" sound(a tag the band despised), ignored trends and never fully exploded commercially.
What mattered to them was the music. Hearing this compilation is a reminder of how good they were; they sound muscular and very hard-rocking. Track for track, the strongest from major label albums Meantime ("In the Meantime", "Give It" "Unsung"), Betty ("Wilma's Rainbow", "Milquetoast", "Rollo"), and Aftertaste ("Pure", "Renovation", "Like I Care," "Driving Nowhere," "Exactly What You Wanted") are here. There's even two lesser-known soundtrack tracks ("Disagreeable" - Feeling Minnesota ; "Just Another Victim" - Judgment Night).
Unsung is an excellent starter for the casual fan and a nice set for the die-hard who want all Helmet's best in the same spot. And while there are missing tracks ("You Borrowed", "Biscuits for Smut", "Speechless"), they're so few that it's easy to overlook. Ultimately, a band overlooked by many have been given a strong compilation, and a second chance at discovery by those who missed them the first time.
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I originally got it for 'Unsung,' but...
Johnny Boy | Hockessin, DE | 05/17/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"...I figured I should try the whole thing. And I did. And I LOVED it. I became a Helmet fan almost overnight! 'FBLA,' 'Exactly What You Needed,' 'Sinatra,' 'Meantime' and 'Unsung' are all '90s alternative masterpieces that are well worth listening to. I'm just sorry I didn't listen to these guys sooner!
Overall, if you like good '90s alternative, than don't make the same mistake I did. Don't ignore Helmet or listen to them just for that one song, 'Unsung.' Buy 'Unsung: The Best of Helmet 1991-1997' and see what '90s alternative is supposed to sound like. Well worth owning.
Highly recommended. ENJOY!!!"
Better than a kick in the balls
T. Blake | Missouri | 11/20/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"if you think helmet and pantera suck and system of a down is good you are severely retarded and should be committed"