Rating: NN
Helmet’s defining moment was the 1992 release of Meantime, an album that blended the aggressive heaviness of hardcore and the angst of grunge with the controlled virtuosity of the classically trained musician. That disc’s clean, intentional precision made Helmet shine. Size Matters is as close as they’ve come to recapturing the spirit of that early effort. Unfortunately, whether because of the changing times or the continued absence of some rarefied ingredient, the album comes off as dated and unimpressive. Their lyrics, which came off like brilliant flashes on Meantime, thud like oafish jabs here, while musically this sounds like so much undirected energy.
Helmet hit the Mod Club Wednesday (November 10).
