Aftertaste by Helmet (CD, May-2005, Interscope Records USA)

Helmet is a cool rock/metal band that plods its way through each and every song. This album is more of the same. They do their own thing rocking out with heavy monotonous guitar riffs and straight ahead drumming. Most of the time if you have this type of repetitive music it gets kind of old, but Helmet does it with style and the more they play the same riff, the cooler it gets. I don't know how to explain it to someone who hasn't listened to Helmet before, because usually repetitive things in songs usually suck after awhile, but Helmet pulls it off brilliantly.

Helmet starts out with Pure, and they don't stop rocking and plodding pretty much through the whole album. My favorite song is the second song Renovation which starts off with a cool bass line then hits the ground running. Diet Aftertaste is an excellent song that's a little off track for them, because there are weird timings and starts and stops in that song, but it turns out pretty cool. The only tune I don't really care for on the album is It's Easy To Get Bored. It's easy getting bored listening to that one, it's slower and I don't like the vocals as much. I don't know, it's just kind of a boring song. Other than that, this is an excellent album. Helmet does an excellent job writing and putting their heavy riffs in action with Page Hamilton's ripping vocals. I don't know how mainstream these guys are. I don't hear them too much on the radio or TV, but then again I don't hear too much Korn on the radio (and this is the band that most resembles Helmet, or possibly Ministry), and I know Korn is really popular. So who knows? Maybe I'm listening to the wrong radio station, or I just miss it when I go to or leave work. Anyway, this album rocks pretty hard, and I don't think you'll be disappointed if you buy it.