From: larry@csccat.cs.com (Larry Spence)
Newsgroups: rec.music.industrial,alt.thrash
Subject: Re: HELMET
Date: 22 Jul 92 01:57:07 GMT
Organization: Computer Support Corporation,  Dallas,Texas

In article <1992Jul21.062408.1357@NeoSoft.com> rperkins@NeoSoft.com (Rodney Perkins) writes:
>> FC9.. i aGREE aBSOLUTELY wITH 99% oF tHIS pOST eXCEPT fOR tHE pART aBOUT 
>> FC9.. <<HELMET>>, tRUE tHEY uSED tO bE aWESOME bOTH iN rECORDINGS aND lIVE
>> FC9.. aND tHEY dID rEMIND mE a lOT oF <<GODFLESH>>, eVEN <<hEAD oF dAVID>>
>> FC9.. oN tHEIR fASTER tRACKS, (yOU aRE tHE oNLY oTHER pERSON i kNOW oF 
>> FC9...wITH tHIS oBSERVATIION),bUT hAVE yOU hEARD tHEIR nEW aLBUM.........
>> FC9.. iT sUKS sO bAD iT bLOWS cHUNKS, fROM tHE sOUND oF iT tHEY wANT tO bE
>> FC9.. tHE nEXT bIG tHANG( iT iS oN INTERSCOPE; a mAJOR lABEL),

Ah, the major-label kneejerk reaction.  Does this mean that you won't even
listen to the new Sonic Youth because they're on DGC?

>> FC9.. mETALLICA/nIRVANA eNROUTE oF aLICE iN cHAINS,____ (i wILL lET yOU fILL
>> FC9.. iN tHE bLANKS,  tHERE iS aCTUAL gUITAR sOLOS oN tHE aLBUM,nEED i sAY
>> FC9.. mORE). 

Ah, the if-it's-got-solos-it-can't-be-cool kneejerk reaction.  You're missing
a lot of good music if you automatically write off any band that does guitar
solos.  I thought the old-school line on solos (circa late 70s/early 80s) was
that they were excessive, masturbatory, egotistical, self-indulgent, etc.
Just listen to a Godflesh or Zeni Geva CD -- they've mastered the art of
being grossly self-indulgent without playing a single solo.  Don't misunder-
stand, I love it, but to take the position that Godflesh is "better" than 
Helmet due to the latter having solos... you don't like _any_ bands that
have _any_ guitar solos in their songs?  Really?

>> tHE oNLY hOPE fOR uS nOISE fANS wOULD bE tHE sTUFF oN tOUCH 
>> FC9.. aND gO i gUESS(>>tULIP<< bY STEEL POLE bATH tUB iS tHE lAST tHING 
>> FC9.. i hEARD aND hAD mE sWIMMING iN tOXIC cRYOGENS fOR wEEKS, hEARD aNY tHING
>> FC9.. nEW? 

SPBT is "noise?"  Compared to Nirvana, maybe... What about all those bands
on T&G with (gasp!) solos, like Butthole Surfers, Chrome, etc.?  

>> aNY rECOMMENDATIONS? 

Sure.  If you feel a need to "stand out," or "be unique," do it via what
you write, rather than by using f*cked-up capitalization.  It's just too
much like some geek BBS style.  Oh, you meant about bands... sorry.

>> pLEASE i aM dESPERATE!)

I've noticed that. %)  If you can't tolerate any guitar solos, maybe try
some Zeni Geva or similar Japanese sludge.  If you want noise, there's
Merzbow, etc.  Ask Mason for a canonical list of noisy things with no solos.

>> FC9.. i dIDN'T mEAN tO oFFEND oR dISAGREE wITH tHIS pOST bUT tHE lAST
>> FC9.. <<HELMET>> wAS sO dISAPPOINTING i hAD tO lET iT oFF mY wEARY cHEST.

I thought the new Helmet came across as nearly a repeat of their previous
disc, maybe a little bit more accessible (mainly the vocals, but do you 
really want every Helmet song to have angry-shout vocals?).  Hey, there's
even a track called "FBLA II."  Sort of like the first album was a warmup
that the fervent fans heard, and now they're playing a second set where
they've got the routine down pat.  Kinda boring if you already sat through
the first set, but not fundamentally different IMHO.  So I'm a little dis-
appointed too, but not for the same reason at all.

>	Sorry to disagree but I think your totally wrong on the newest Helmet
>album. Better done than the last one and definitely more powerful. 

I think it's OK, but was disappointed that there seems to be a very limited 
range of things they do.  Maybe they'll surprise us with the next one... 
BTW, I saw Helmet last year and they were great.  I missed them the last time 
they were here, but I was told that they were even better.  Have you (FC9) 
seen them recently?  Do they suck (iYHO) now?

-- 
Larry Spence
larry@cs.com
uunet!csccat!larry or sun!texsun!csccat!larry