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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Album of the decade, 20 Feb 2002
Helmet should go down as one of the best and most important alternative bands of the 1990's. In a decade where bands would swing from brilliant to mediocre in the matter of a single, bands like Helmet kept on churning out good stuff with a cynical reliability. This album is the pinnacle of that good stuff.As an album, it strikes you at first as being very heavy, but in an unfamiliar, welcoming manner. The guitars and riffs are as heavy at times as anything 'Metal' at the time, but Page Hamiltons's almost slurred vocals remind you that this is laid-back 'cool' metal, not hyper-violent thrash. Once the first riff of Wilma's Rainbow kicks in (after the surreal opening), you can feel your speakers vibrate with the bassy goodness. It's like the pleasure of an orgasm, sneezing, eating chocolate and urinating after a long wait, made into a single musical outburst... and it doesn't stop there. The album doesn't have a bad song on it. True, there are some ambient and even bizarre songs on here, but the general feeling is one of pure rock joy. It will remind you of summer, and it will remind you of Hell at the same time. Sam Hell (final track) is a great and quirky little bluesy number, with presumably just Page Hamilton's vocals along with his guitar and a slide. It ends the album on a humorous and light note, whereas songs like Overrated just make you feel like there are no other rock bands in existence. Helmet are no more, but it is comforting to know that Page Hamilton is probably soon to return in some musical form or other. I, personally, cannot wait for it.
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