Released October 28th, 2016 via earMUSIC
This is the first album for Helmet in 6 years. This is the 8th studio album of the band. Nowadays Page Hamilton is Helmet and Helmet is Page Hamilton. The front man and leader of the group has been in charge of the last four albums besides all his numerous projects. Accomplished producer - "Dead to the World" has been produced by the man himself.
Originally from New York, the group is highly respected by the HC community but their music is more considered as being part of the alt rock movement, post HC or experimental HC. Labels aside, this LP album is, while not being as heavy as its predecessors, still a sonic wall of death in its own right.
I love My Guru. It is a wicked track with an insane guitar, great riffs, soft breaks and this nervous and possessed trademark voice that Hamilton has on every record. You may read in the press that Bad News has a Beatles feel and no one can deny this when you hear the track. It would be reductive to leave it, it is an engaging and melodic Helmet track.
Drunk In The Afternoon is a traditional Helmet title with a typical Helmet sound introduced by a heavy intro. Red Scare could probably be considered as the best song of the album insofar as it does encompass some recognizable Helmet components, such as strong riffs, possessed drums and onvincing voice - the whole together leading to an hypnotic deluge of sound. Die Alone, the following track, will not give you the opportunity to recover from the previous punch and it is more than likely that the guitar solo will ultimately terminate any predispositions you had towards an attempt to listen to the latest Bon Jovi.
Call it faux pas or experiment: Green Shirt, the unexpected pop song, sounding like a d-list track from Elvis Costello, is a bit like a UFO on this album. But this is not overly important as the remainder of the album is solid, nervous, agitated and cohesive.
If I was to pick 3 only: I Love My Guru, Die Alone, Red Scare
Live Test: Guess what, they are not coming in Ireland. :(
Review by Pascal Derrien
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