Helmet – Seeing Eye Dog
According to Wikipedia, an acquired taste “often refers to an appreciation for [something] that is unlikely to be enjoyed by a person who has not had substantial exposure to it.” Well, that’s the way I feel about Helmet and their lengthy career. I remember grabbing a copy of Strap It On back in high school and thinking, “Wow, these guys really have something cool going.” Releasing two of the MOST innovative, groundbreaking and gritty (yet catchy) albums with Meantime and its follow up Betty, Helmet were well on their way to becoming the kings of metal, or so I thought. And after twenty one years, six major releases, countless lineup changes and a few gray hairs later, Helmet are back with a new album Seeing Eye Dog. The million dollar question, though, is can they even begin to recapture what they had, or will they be destined for dinners at five o’clock, dusty ol’ rockers and an all expenses paid stay at Shady Oaks Retirement Home for has-been musicians?
Seeing Eye Dog opens with the poppy “So Long.” If you’re a newcomer to the band, one thing that you have to understand is that founder and frontman Page Hamilton is one eclectic guy. In the band’s last three releases, Hamilton threw everything but the kitchen sink at you, and Seeing Eye Dog is no different. “So Long” comes out with a Queens Of The Stone Age style backdrop, Hamilton’s trademark vocals and downtuned Helmet riffage. This song reminds me of something that would have come straight off of Aftertaste. So if you’re a fan, this could either be a good or a bad thing.
For original fans who like to get down and dirty, don’t worry because this album does have songs that will definitely fill that need. Tracks like “Seeing Eye Dog”, “Welcome To Algiers” and “In Person” all have that “punch you in the mouth” mentality. “Seeing Eye Dog” features the gritty snarls and slower paced, off time grooves that you’ve grown to love from Helmet. “Welcome To Algiers” is very Betty-esque with its punchy riffs, driving drums and overall catchy sound. “In Person” is a really cool track because of how abrasive, yet ear catching it is. What I enjoyed so much about it is that Hamilton and the boys mix those patented Helmet grooves with Foo Fighters style choruses. It’s a great song that has all the intangibles for commercial success.
Unfortunately though, Seeing Eye Dog has some songs that I found bland, and totally not my taste at all. Even with the really cool strings, I found that “LA Water” just gushes with candy-coated cheeriness. It features bee-bopping drums and sugary sweet guitars, with Hamilton sounding more like Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) than himself. “Morphing” is an instrumental track that accents loads of keys and sounds that, while not unsatisfying to the ear, feels totally out of place on a Helmet record. Apparently the band thought it was a good idea to cover The Beatles’ “And Your Bird Can Sing”, but honestly, it really wasn’t. Hamilton has never been the true definition of a singer; and let’s just say, he still isn’t. While the original version may be a memorable classic, the same cannot be said for this cover. Even at just a little over two minutes, this track can’t end fast enough.
Lastly, both “Miserable” and “She’s Lost” fall into the category of great ideas that never fully panned out. “Miserable” gets off to a good start with raging riffs and chunky verses, but I feel like the songwriting basically stopped there. “She’s Lost” is too slow and methodical for me, but does feature a classic old school Helmet breakdown that really brought back fond memories of the old days.
Thirteen years and four albums later, Helmet still rock, but really haven’t been able to recapture the magic of their first three releases. I do have to say that I found Seeing Eye Dog to be better than Aftertaste, Size Matters and Monochrome combined. This album probably won’t open any new doors for the band. But just like that old dog that you’ve grown up with, even with all their faults, it sure is nice to still have them by your side.
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37 Comments
July 1st, 2010 at 3:23 pm
HELL YEA! Awesome review!
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July 1st, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Ive never been a Helmet fan, but i respect these guys tremendously. Solid review Lee
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July 1st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Helmet is awesome. Their latest stuff isn't anywhere near as edgy as their older stuff, looks like this album is along the same lines. Good review, gave me a good idea of what to expect.
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Lee replied:
July 1st, 2010 at 7:36 pm
Charlie Im with you 100%. Like I said in the review, this album is better than the last three, but its not even close to Meantime or Betty. I will say though that it has its moments where your like HELL YEAH they're back. But I believe the days of "Wilma's Rainbow" or "In The Meantime" are over…
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July 1st, 2010 at 11:07 pm
I wish I could say this album appeals to me, but I just can't get into it. Fantastic review though.
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July 2nd, 2010 at 9:02 am
Wow, pretty early review. Did you get a promo copy or something? Can't wait for September 7th…
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TNR replied:
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:45 am
Yep, just got the promo this week.
Thanks for checking out the review and leaving a comment!
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July 2nd, 2010 at 12:21 pm
I haven't listened to these guys much, but I loved what I heard. "Wilma's Rainbow" is one of the greatest Hard Rock songs ever. Amazing guitar, drums, songwriting, vocals, all playing in harmony. I'll definitely get this album. A catchy song with the title of "So Long" sounds awesome.
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July 3rd, 2010 at 3:05 pm
WTF Is it in fashion to say that new Helmet stuff are not that good ???? Last 3 albums (includes "Seeing eye dog " ) are great composition , but you have to listen to it , again listen to it , to hear it .Other thing is , if you are listen to today's crap you know right away , which bad plays REAL music ….this band is HELMET .
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July 3rd, 2010 at 3:09 pm
"What I enjoyed so much about it is that Hamilton and the boys mix those patented Helmet grooves with Foo Fighters style choruses."
that's a strange comment from my point of view. the only time they ever really had 'foo fighters style choruses' was on 'Size matters'. that's why that album was hated so much.
The last Helmet album i enjoyed as an album was probably 'Aftertaste', and even that was an obvious step down from 'Betty' and 'Meantime'
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Lee replied:
July 3rd, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Hey Bios whats up,
I actually cant stand the Foo Fighters, but I have to admit that they do write very catchy choruses. When or if you pick the album up, you will probably see what I mean. Since you liked Aftertaste, you will like sections of this album as well.
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Jarek replied:
July 3rd, 2010 at 5:18 pm
I heard whole album . Page played it me from his Ipod . I don't think that " LA Water " sounds like Smashing Pumpkins , it sounds more like Gandhi demo songs . "Miserable " – yes the chorus sounds like "Like I Care " from Aftertaste and "Morphing " is a nice piece of music IMO. "Welcome To Algiers " is kind of poppy . "So Long " reminds me a little "On your way down " from "Monochrome " not Queens Of The Stone Age . Finally "Seeing Eye Dog " – 2nd song is great heavy song with cool time signature , I love it , IMO it's the best song on the album .
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Lee replied:
July 3rd, 2010 at 5:56 pm
Hey, that's cool you got to listen to it. That's the beautiful thing about music, we can all hear different things, enjoying them or not. I agree that "Seeing Eye Dog" is a great song though. I also agree that “LA Water” doesn’t sound like Smashing Pumpkins, but his voice does sound like Billy Corgan though. LOL!
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July 3rd, 2010 at 5:20 pm
I'm a long time fan of the band and think I'll probably like this album a lot more than the reviewer. Ironically, the last Helmet album, Monochrome, really didn't appeal to me very much but this one sounds like it will. Helmet just floats my boat. Size Matters and Aftertaste were solid albums to me. At first I was thrown by them but damn they've grown on me over time to the point where I HAVE to have them thrown into my iPod mixes or I'm not satisfied. The sound on Size Matters is HUUUUUUUUGE – I love it! I don't like a lot of Foo Fighters but I love a lot of Helmet!
I must agree with the person above: the choruses have been really good on a lot of Helmet's later albums; a lot of them have been catchy, powerful, and uplifting. Just really damn refreshing. The verses haven't always matched that praise but they do on enough cuts to keep this old dog happy! I'm glad Page has managed to squeeze out another album and I hope he squeezes them out for another decade.
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July 3rd, 2010 at 5:58 pm
I think Helmet sucks ass. Their first few albums were great, but the last few blew balls. The review did keep my interest enough to possibly give this one a listen. Great job!
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July 3rd, 2010 at 6:04 pm
I think its hilarious when people want to bicker about what things sound like. Like the reviewer said, people hear different things, so what does it really matter. So he hears a "Queens Of The Stone Age style backdrop." That does not mean that the song sounds like QOTSA. That merely means there are instrumental parts that sound like it, not the entire song. "Aftertaste" was horrible and "Size Matters" and "Monochrome" were just kind of there. IMO this band will never be what they were. But like I said, Its my opinion.
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July 3rd, 2010 at 7:12 pm
I have to disagree with all the Helmet hating. I just saw them a month ago and they blew me away. As a longtime Helmet fan, I really enjoy all of their albums……..really like "Size Matters" and "Aftertaste". I think their recent music has been some of their best and "Seeing Eye Dog" will continue the trend. 19 years of being a fan can't be wrong can it?
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Lee replied:
July 3rd, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Vincent, I'm with you bro
Love me some Helmet; but even though I'm a huge fan, I have to look at things from a perspective of indifference. I enjoyed this album, but I do miss the raw aggressiveness that the band had early in their career. With that being said, Helmet is an incredible band both live and on record, and I hope they stick around for another 20 years.
Thanks for commenting…
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July 3rd, 2010 at 11:26 pm
If they stay around for another 20 years Page will be 70 : )
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Lee replied:
July 4th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Ha Ha Good point. Maybe Page will just have to play venues that have ramps (built to the stage) for his Rascal (scooter for old people)
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Todd replied:
July 4th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
This is a solid review that genuinely got me interested in Helmet again. My main problem is : Page's vocals on 'miserable' are excellent……why doesn't he stick to what he can do best? His sneer/talk and yell/bark on these 3 sample tracks is unlistenable and embarassing : ( . It's a shame…the music is closer than ever to capturing their brilliance in the 90's. I'll def check out the current lineup live. This at least gives me hope. You're def on point with the " probably best since Aftertaste" statement.
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Lee replied:
July 4th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Thanks Todd for the kind words. Yea bro, give it a listen…its totally worth it.
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July 4th, 2010 at 1:21 am
Diehard Helmet fan. Loved everything they have done, they can do no wrong in my opinion. Found site from the link on other sites and had to check the review out which I think was very well written. I find it unfair Helmet gets ragged on b/c they are not releasing "Meantime II" or "Betty II". It's unfair for a band to have the same rawness well into their 40s as they did in their 20s. They will never release anoter album like those other 2 albums. Just as Slayer is never releasing another "Reign In Blood" or Metallica releasing another "Master Of Puppets". The common bond with all of those albums is they were written by bands in their 20s. Just the nature of the beast. If anybody sees Helmet live they will know that they still bring it live, probably more than alot of bands half their age. Embrace Helmet for what they are now, not something that they were in '92. Again Lee, great review. I'm jealous you got to hear it in full already.
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Lee replied:
July 4th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Fair enough Ryan and thanks
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July 4th, 2010 at 1:35 am
Monochrome was almost universally hated by fans. The worst thing about it is they hooked up with W.Tiers again, the guy that produced Strap It On and Meantime, so the fact that it was a disappointment was really hard to take, especially after 'Size Matters'.
The biggest problem i have now is Page's vocals. even in these samples, the guitars are fine, but his vocals just don't have the same edge to them imo.
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Lee replied:
July 4th, 2010 at 7:42 am
I understand what you’re saying bios. Since you’re a Helmet fan anyway, go ahead and give the album a shot. I'm sure you won’t be disappointed.
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July 7th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Great review. I've been looking forward to hearing opinions on the new album for a while now and you're the first. That being said and after listening to the samples, I think I'm on track to being disappointed again. I have been a Helmet fan for almost 18 years now. I've seen them play live at least 10 or 11 times and I've collected a lot of their rare stuff over the years. But sadly, Page can't seem to capture the magic after the main lineup broke up post 'Aftertaste'. The best, post record IMHO being 'Size Matters'.
In the late 90's/early '00's Page put together a project called 'Ghandi' and recorded a few demos. A lot (if not all) of those demos made onto Helmet records (most notably 'Size Matters' and 'Monochrome') and frankly even these demos sound better than anything on 'Monochrome' and the few I've sampled for 'Seeing Eye Dog'. Frankly, I think it has more to do with the production values than anything else and perhaps the W.Tiers argument bears some merit. The riffs are there on 'Monchrome' and 'Seeing…'and the vox are strong as ever (again, IMHO) but the songs overall just sound, well, muted. Like the heavy-ness was sucked out. The soul is there and it's definitely Page's show, but it just sounds bad. Heck, just listen to 'Smart' off of 'Size Matters' and tell me where a comparable song is on 'Monochrome' or 'Seeing Eye Dog'.
I love Helmet and always will, but maybe it's just time to switch gears and get some pros back in the outfit full time (like Tempasta, Traynor, and Bello et al- if they are willing to do it) because I'm sure there's others out there willing to collaborate and the fans have only gotten good music when that happens.
Whatever you do, just don't stop making music Mr. Hamilton. There's only room for improvement.
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Lee replied:
July 28th, 2010 at 6:58 am
Thanks for the kind words Mongo. Definitely go out and pick up the record when it comes out. There is only one Helmet and they won't be around forever. So we have to support them while they are still alive and kicking.
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July 28th, 2010 at 3:38 am
firstly, been a fan for close to 20 years. secondly, people hate 'aftertaste'?!?! when Helmet lost Bogdan and Stanier, it sucked, BUT i bought 'size matters' immediately on its release date. the production was great and some songs were memorable. the new musicians brought a different style that didn't distract, and they're tight on that album. here's my problem with the last two releases: Hamilton's vocals and his different style approach at writing lyrics. i liked the lyrical content that didn't make sense, blended well with the music, and acted as more of another instrument. the lyrics now are personal and too focused. that's fine, it's his band and that's the way he has evolved, but in my opinion that's why those albums don't get heavy rotation for me. can't believe people didn't like 'aftertaste' but liked these two last releases. i remember someone inspired Hamilton's approach on vocals/writing… Charlie Clouser. still gonna buy anything they put out, because they do DESTROY live and deserve credit for so much of the influence they provided. am i dumb to buy music i don't like? no, because i'll get the album, support the artist, and pull what i can sonically from it. i agree WHOLEHEARTEDLY with the person up there that said something about 'Meantime II' or 'Betty II', i'm not waiting for those releases, but sometimes growing with the artist doesn't come as naturally as you wish it would.
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July 28th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Well said mrpenguin
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July 30th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
"I do have to say that I found Seeing Eye Dog to be better than Aftertaste, Size Matters and Monochrome combined."
To be honest, I think this line will probably force me to try this album, just to see if I feel the same as it's quite a strong opinion to have. It also subsequently eases my worry that I had over whether this album would be something that I would like.
I will openly admit that I really do not like a lot of the stuff that Helmet have produced over the years, but because of my love for 'Meantime' and 'Betty', I have always been interested in what this band would do next. I'm glad that it seems like there is a fair mix on this album, so I guess I'll have to wait and see what I think of it.
On a side note, I checked Wikipedia to see when this album will actually be released and I found it pretty cool how this review was partially quoted on it.
Awesome review, jsyk.
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August 26th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
LA Water is pretty awful. I hope its part of the techno remix of this song and nothing more than that.
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August 27th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Nice review. Though I thought Monochrome was pretty good too. Aftertaste or Size Matters must be the lowest point.
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Lee replied:
September 1st, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Thanks aerialmeds……much appreciated.
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August 27th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
whats wrong with Aftertaste? rofl
i fking love that album. cheers
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September 1st, 2010 at 6:16 pm
Can't wait to hear the album!
I'm a big fan of Helmet, and i'm sure that this new album can't be bad,as long as it has that unique sound.
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Lee replied:
September 1st, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Hey Markoman,
Yea since you're a fan of Helmet, definitely pick this one up.
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