Rrrrrright OK so I will continue and conclude my countdown of the top 30 Helmet songs and here I will cover songs 15 down to No.1. So without further ados let's move on....
15. Make room
This is a great little song off Helmet's debut album, Strap it on, which is the penultimate track off the album and its essentially what you could call swing metal, as its played in 3/4 time signature and even though its an early track from the band it is actually very catchy. The song begins with its cool swing style riff and then bursts into a crunching metal section before it goes back to the riff again for the verse and Page sings in his typical passive vocal of the time "Embrace the motivation goes, passed off as unintentional. One look showed you had to think, eat this and say it doesn't reek" and then he barks "RIGHT!!" as it goes into the aggressive metal part again before going into the second verse. And then it goes into the bridge section with Page singing "Taste of the mouth, voice of the cause, make room you come with open arms" after this it builds up into an almighty impressive crescendo and it ends on a very dramatic and crunch metal ending. Make room is easily one of the best early Helmet tracks and for me it deserves to be this far up the list at 15.
14. Rollo
Next we have Rollo, which is a top track off Betty and again it displays Helmet's penchant for unusual riffs that just rock the hell out of you and its a track I've always liked from the first time I heard it. It also has a great intro with John Stanier's snare drum kicking things off followed by one of Helmet's best guitar riffs and throughout there is some great drumming by John. Page's vocals are really good as well as they are flangered, which gives them an unusual feel and his lyrics are pretty good as well as he starts "Sorry for myself, I've lost my Kharmic wealth but I can take from you with antiseptic stealth. I'll dig my own grave, get my front yard paved, there's always a penny earned, another dollar saved!". It then leads into a very cool bridge section which features Henry Bogdan's bass playing and followed by some crunchy guitar work, which soon rises up into another crescendo and the song ends with Page's almost indecipherable vocals and on a rather sudden C5 chord which rings out to end a terrific track.
13. Street crab
And next why not put the immediate song right after Rollo on Betty, which is Street crab and its safe to say this really is a great Helmet song. The way the song starts off is excellent as the guitar quietly plays the opening notes and then slowly the volume builds and swells and it goes into the songs main riff and Page sings "First I'll panic quick and listen to advice. Agree to anything and try to be too nice, then my skin flakes, another allergy. I'm not making sense, just ignore me". After this we get the chorus lyrics "Thirst I had at last, run the water. Shut my mouth and run past, what's the matter? Street crabs buy in fast, infect the water". And prior to the end of the song it has a really strong section with the guitars and Page participating in some yelling in the background and yet again its a song that excels in building and swelling its sound up towards its conclusion as the song ends a strong note, which echoes out as it ends. In short Street crab is a great one to listen to off Betty and its still one of their best.
12. Diet aftertaste
Up next at 12 off the Aftertaste album is Diet aftertaste, which is another excellent track from one of the band's most underrated albums. Diet aftertaste is quite a jarring piece of music, especially the way it starts in a staccato style (i.e. stopping and starting the music, to leave a dramatic pause) but again it really grabs you as the song get's going. Page then sings in his more aggressive vocal style as he does on most of Aftertaste and again he sounds pretty bitter here "You're everything you want to be. Accomplished, gracious and good company, it makes perfect sense you're never hated. But then, appearances are overrated". And after the second verse the song goes into its rockin chorus and Page sings "I'd send that brain you ration, to feed the smallest starving nation! But diet aftertaste is rude and I can't digest a single word!". After this part the song goes in its cool bridge, which features an excellent somewhat slightly staccato-eseque riff, which carries on until it goes back into the chorus and the song soon ends on a great F#5 chord as the top string notes ring out and song carries directly on into the next one (which is Harmless and isn't on the list!). So Diet aftertaste adds up to a blistering track and one of the very best from the album that saw the original line-up regrettably come to an end.
11. Pure
The opening song from Aftertaste is at No.11, Pure, which no doubt is a great track and it sets up the intensity of the album so well and makes for an excellent opener. The intro of the song is also very good as the guitars slowly come in quietly and raise in volume and then begins the songs riff followed by the drums and Page's aggressive vocals. Page's vocals on Aftertaste are generally are far more aggressive sounding and he starts off the song "Affected by what you had lost, they're not the habits at any cost! Blur the details of your hand, anything your barren conscience can't defend!". Then after the remaining verses we get the chorus as Page sings "Because you can't be pure! You're self assured!" which leads into the song's great bridge section and after this then song builds up as Page let's out a loud squeal "YEAHHHHHH!!!!!!" and the song reaches another crescendo (as alot of their songs do!) and it ends on a soaring D5 chord as it leads into the next song (Renovation, which I've already covered). So to sum up Pure is one of the band's most powerful songs and its intensity will blow you away when you first hear it and to this day its one of their best.
10. FBLA
OK those of you who aren't too familiar with Strap it on, Helmet's debut album, shame on you, as it really is great piece of work as well as a rather unique and innovative one as well. And well FBLA II had to come from somewhere, well it came from this track right here at No.10, FBLA and one thing you need to know about FBLA is this: it rocks. Right from the start the song is a blistering assault on the senses as the guitars and drums both play frenetically and then it halts with a great piece of staccato before starting up again and stops again followed by a loud yell from Page. And then Page starts yelling out his vocals "SYMPATHETIC!!! The angry and young! Fellowship did stress virile and so well hung!!" which is followed by the song's opening chord. Then back into the second verse as Page yells some more "Down and right! Did it wrong! Self obssessed! Time to kill you're SO DEPRESSED!!!!". After this.... well the song just completely rock outs with Page playing a frantic guitar solo, followed by a wall of distortion and then the last 20 seconds or so of the song is one of the best pieces of rock you will ever hear as it alternates between two power chords, its so simple but it just rocks through and through and remains one of my very favourite segments of any Helmet song. In short FBLA is a frantic, breakneck song, which alot of people might dismiss out of hand or even some fans of the band as just a very loud din, but I think its much more than that, its one of their very best tracks and so its here right at No. 10.
9. So Long
Right OK time for a newer Helmet track right at No.9 is So Long, which is from their latest album Seeing eye dog and its opening track and its a great opener at that. The song itself is very catchy too and I love the opening riff the way it kicks in and the ringing guitar note that plays through the verses of the song. Page also puts in a good vocal performance here as well and he starts off "Just kicked all my vices, in time for her next crises, shit's crashing around us, no use pretending we trust. She's better, no wonder every day get's longer, you push, I shove, just like we were in love!". And then it goes to its also catchy chorus "Take all, take all my money! Get lost, so long now honey!" and later followed by a fine solo from Page which leads the song into a brief interlude where the guitars switch to clean sound and Page sings softly "Its no better, its no better now". And then it heads back into the verse with Page bitterly singing "It's no better, no wonder, this fucking life get's longer! You push, I shove, just like we were in love!". And the song continues with its chorus before it ends and to sum up So Long is a great way to open any album and it remains one of the new Helmet's best tracks.
8. Unsung
OK so at No.8 is Helmet's most well known song, Unsung, which had to be placed somewhere in the top 10, but out of all their songs I wouldn't quite put it right at the top of the list as there are songs better than it. But Unsung unlike some other band's best known songs is still a real belter and it gets off to a great start as John's drums kick it off and Henry Bogdan's bass comes in followed by the guitars. And Unsung get's going into its verse with the song's main riff and Page's passively styled vocals "You're contribution left unnoticed some association with an image. Just credit time showing up again, attention wandered I'm left with it". And the second verse "to die unsung would really bring you down, althought wet eyes would never suit you. Walk through no archetypal suicide, die young is far too boring these days". And then it goes to the last chorus "Unsung once too often, could not rub off". The song then goes into its bridge which is typically pretty heavy and metal-esque and the song goes on its last hurdle before it finishes up. So while Unsung overall isn't their best song it is still one of the best and the most commercial song they wrote and it was after all the song that introduced me to them so that alone is worth putting it on here.
7. Crashing foreign cars
OK this is probably the last of the newer Helmet tracks but it is arguably (maybe!) the best one which is off Size Matters, Crashing foreign cars, which instantly grabs you by the throat and puts you right in the driving seat (so to speak) right from the offset with its high octane pace (sorry about all those car puns!). The song kicks off very well also with a drum roll then Page's angry lyrics "There's another sucker born every minute Lord! Take her out and pay for a good time, you never know what you can afford! Another wreck and time to collect more souveniers. Gone another million miles, no worse for the wear!". And then it launches into its great chorus (and possibly the most melodic chorus of any Helmet song!) with Page singing "And there's a sucker born, every other minute Lord! He deserves you more, you know I'll only crash this car!". And after the second verse and chorus again the song goes into its bridge section which has a cool and simple riff which leads back into verse and the song ends with a rat-tat-tat snare. At just 2 minutes and 30 seconds, Crashing foreign cars has just about it all (except maybe a proper solo!) great rockin riff, good vocals, killer chorus and a great end, and that's why its in the top 10 at No.7.
6. Turned out
Right at No.6 we have another belter of a song off Meantime, Turned out, which starts off great with a crunchy riff that kicks in and again it has one of the band's best staccato riffs that runs through the first half of the song. Page's bitey vocals are very effective on this track as well and the lyrics are great starting with "Come off crisp and play up to the cynic, cleaned and school right down to the minute! You need to hear that your life is rough, speaking out and cold that you've had enough!". Then this is followed by one of Page's best lyrics "You know how to live and your heart's gone "bi"! Substance rush giving art a try! Your righteous squat has been burned to the ground, pass the back, never utter a sound!". And then there is the pre-chorus build up "Hard times, hard times, downtown Julie Brown!". And then comes in the killer chorus with its terrific crunching riff and Page barks out "You turned out! Wasted time! Need escape me, missed it right?!". And this takes the song into its bridge, which features a great instrumental section with the bass playing then the guitars come chugging in and the drums followed by Page's great solo, then there is short pause, and the song kicks in again and Page songs pre-chorus line again even harder "HARD TIMES! HARD TIMES! Downtown Julie Brown! HARD TIMES! HARD TIMES! DOWNTOWN JULIE!!!". Then back to the chorus and after that the song finishes leaving the listener stunned at one of the band's best songs.
5. In the meantime
Now we get to the opening track of Meantime, which is this one and In the meantime has to rank as one of the most intense and heaviest pieces of rock music ever recorded. The song starts off with a chaotic frenzy of distorted guitars and drum rolls and then it plays the jarring drop D tuned power chord followed by Stanier intense and heavy drums and then we get one of the heaviest riffs Helmet have come up with. And after the incredible start we then get to Page's vocals which are actually quite chilling and it ranks as one of his best vocal performances as he barks out the opening lines "Earth tone suits you, so give it a smile! If I could hold your feet down, get to know for a while! To make due is a promise, hard to keep without help! Never taught to look in, I'm too concerned with my health!!". And after the third verse the song get's to its most thrilling and chilling moment where Page screeches "HOLD IT!!!!!!!!!!" and then there is the chorus "In the meantime!" and the song continues on crunching its heavy riff as the song builds to its noisy crescendo. In the meantime remains one of the band's most intense and unforgettable songs, which has been covered by various bands since (one such band is Soulfly, the spin-off band from Sepultura) and it is more than deserving to be in the top 5.
4. Ironhead
Now we get to my last song from Meantime which is Ironhead, right at No.4, Ironhead is another brilliant track, with its half-throttle pace and yet another one of the band's best ever riffs. And Page barks out more aggressive vocals as he starts "Safe to kill! It all comes back or stick it out and wage my own attack! Lift me up through what I've found. Bite my lip, how far down is down?!". And then the song get's to its chorus riff and Page continues his next verse "Time to take what I know, keep it in and live here all alone. What's the worst better or dead, wear it out the pain is in my head!". The song then has a very cool mid section which leads into a frantic guitar solo from Page and the song continues to gather pace and before Page starts singing (or yelling!) "Ironhead!!!" which leads into the chorus riff again and winds down very impressively before its final chord. So Ironhead is here right at No.4 and it is still flat out one of the band's best.
3. Wilma's Rainbow
OK finally I've finished with Meantime, now get back to Betty and at No.3 is Wilma's Rainbow, which is one of the real highlights from that album. And right from the start Wilma's Rainbow has a great intro with the guitar harmonics starting things off right before the song's main riff kicks in, which is as heavy as anything that Helmet recorded. And yet again the band make great use of little moments of staccato throughout the song as Page begins vocalising "You heard about, be your own man. You talk alot and loud. Illustrate the obvious boy, you're mentally endowed". And getting to the chorus Page continues "Watershed year comes, flushed with fever. The richest junk dealer" after this the next verse and the song stops briefly for a pause and it carries with Page singing the title "Wilma's rainbow of peaceful colours, the richest junk dealer". And from this point on the song goes nuts and there is another insane guitar solo as the song gathers pace and get's faster and faster it then stops, and restarts with another one of the very best moments in any Helmet song as the guitars reiterate the main riff and the whole song ends on a jarring D5 chord with John Stanier's drums crashing through like a sledgehammer to the back of someone's skull (listen to it and you get what I mean!). In short Wilma's Rainbow is an absolute Helmet classic and without a doubt should be very near the top of the list.
2. I Know
Another Betty track right at No.2 is I Know, what to say about it.... well I think its one of the band's most incredible tracks and it features some amazing drum work from John and the guitar work is also great. The opening of the song is one of their very best, if not the best, as John's heavy drums kick in and he plays a very tricky drum track (which no doubt to him is effortless!) and it is joined by the guitars and one of their riffs which can almost be said to be very atmospheric. And just before the song rears up for its first verse we get an unsual bit of feedback and harmonics from the guitars just before the first verse kicks in along with its awesome guitar line and Page's intense vocals "Wafer thing! The waif is in! She's chlorine clean and portion fed! Feed the dog, slap the hog! Shine the baptist and debark the log!" and then its the chorus "IT'S OK! I KNOW! YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SHOW US AT ALL!!". Then the second verse follows, which features one of my favourite lines "So intense, so insensitive! In your head where fashion lives!". Afterward the song has its terrific interlude which has another great windy riff played over and over along with some crazy guitar noise, the song finishes up with Page's manic vocals "IT'S OK, I KNOW! You're mean and hard and bored! IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING!!" and finally the song ends with its winding riff again to finish off one of the band's truly great songs.
1. Blacktop
OK so now we get to the best Helmet song, or at least the best one as I see it in my humble opinion, which is off their first album Strap it on: Blacktop. Blacktop in short is just an amazing track and its not like it is one of their most technical songs as it is fairly simple in comparison to some of their songs. But the riff is just an absolute beast and the start of the song is perfect as the E5 chord chugs away quietly then the drums bring the song to life. The lyrics in the song are terrific as well and typically rather ambiguous and Page's vocals are more shouty than anything and he starts off "You're self control might be a muscle spasm! New direction isn't everlasting though. Grope for straws you've got to plan this week. Then the crutch dissolves when she walks too sweet!". Then this is followed by what is the chorus riff and again it just plain rocks and if you are a fan of theirs and it doesn't want to make you play guitar, then I don't know what will! The second verse however features perhaps my favourite Helmet lyrics "Ration of blacktop on the slope of nowhere, came out to greet the unresponsive stare. Turn green with envy over something you missed" and their best line of all "You didn't know what when you fell down in it!". The song's chorus with lyrics just works perfectly as Page yells "walk on top, you run beneat, the blacktop spreads!" and then we get the solo and after the song builds up to its final run at the chorus riff and that's where the song peaks as it get's louder and louder and Page yells out the chorus line again, which sees the song come to an end. And for me Blacktop is Helmet's best song and I think you will be hard pushed (or just about) to find a better, it also is one of their most enjoyable songs to play on the guitar as well and for me it sits right at the No.1 spot.
And that's it for my look at the top 30 Helmet songs as I see them, hope if you read this and like their music you might agree (although I'm not sure I will get many view for these posts as Helmet aren't the most mainstream of bands!). I may revisit this list and change one or two but for the most part thats' my favs.
And with that I shall say goodnight!
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