Helmet / Crashing Foreign Cars / Live Bio Part 2

Helmet appeared on the New York underground scene in 1989 after Hamilton had left Band of Susans. They were spotted by Tom Hazelmyer and signed to his Amphetamine Reptile Records label, releasing their debut 7 inch single, “Born Annoying” later that year. AmRep released their first album, Strap It On, in 1990. Helmet was acclaimed as a “Thinking person’s heavy metal band.” Eschewing the traditional heavy metal image of long hair and black clothing, the band stood out with their preference for simple t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers, along with short haircuts. Their music is characterized by repetitive, syncopated, staccato guitar riffs, often in odd time signatures, and almost always in a minor key with drop-D or drop-C tuning. The guitar sound is heavily distorted and dissonant, with choruses that often involve guitar feedback waves. Before Hamilton had settled on a name for the group, Peter Mengede’s then-girlfriend suggested the name “Helmut”. Opting for the Anglicized spelling, Hamilton thought Helmet “sounded like a cool name for a band.” Other names considered were “Cry Ruth” and “Poly Orchids”, along with the more esoteric “Tuna Lorenzo” and “Froth Albumen”.
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