3 out of 5

Label: Interscope

Producer: Dave Sardy

Another album rescued by its producer.  But look – I’ve never really been fully sold on Helmet.  I totally avoided them due to the type of fanbase they attracted (many books judged by covers when I was in high school), but was eventually roped in when I learned they’d worked with Sardy and SORT OF worked with Steve Albini.  But even the album that pretty much made them the progenitors of nu-metal – Meantime – doesn’t do much for me.  I read about dual vocals and “jazz-influenced chords” on the wiki page about the album, and I’m sure I’m just jaded ’cause I didn’t hear it at the time, but it’s sort of like the extolled genius virtues of Sonic Youth… I guess I get it, but it doesn’t scream out of the speakers in any way brand-spankin’ new.  Plus – I’ve always found Page Hamilton’s verse-chorus chorus chorus-slight variation on verse song structure a bit lacking, along with the “I’m serious” delivery of pseduo-intellectual lyrics.  I don’t really sound like I like Helmet much, eh?  And so Aftertaste – that opening riff is pure Sardy.  Whereas Page’s productions (I’m thinking of the later “Interstate” project) take a page from the big name producers from the scene he helped spawn – Andy Wallace, Gggarth – playing the guitar up heavy and mainlining the beats, Sardy has this way of cleaning and dirtying things up at the same time.  He always just makes everyone sound like they’re playing their hearts out, and since Helmet’s other albums sound only inspired at moments, and then lackluster at others, that all-out boost that Sardy gives the recording (or that I’m attributing to him…) makes Aftertaste work as a head-banger.

But he can’t change lyrics or song structure.