From the moment 'In the Meantime' comes crashing out of your speakers, it is clear you are onto a winner. To the casual listener, it is a raw, stripped-down slab of root aggression, topped off by unrelenting shouted vocals. Those who listen closely, though, will find that, built around the fantastic staccato guitar work that makes up the framework for the song, is a whole range of underlying noise and riffs that come in from different tangents.
It is not only the opening track where this attention to detail is evident. It is a recurring theme throughout, and is what really elevates Helmet to their near-legendary status as one the pioneers of the hardcore genre. Well, that and the masterful riffs that songwriter and frontman Page Hamilton is able to churn out with such conviction.
The hardcore genre has since reached new heights and extremes, and has spawned many sub-genres. However, Helmet still have so much skill and passion behind their own music that 'Meantime' acts as far more than merely a foundation or stepping stone to modern hardcore, but remains a classic in its own right. The band have now split, but 'Meantime' catches them at their very best.