| Aftertaste | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 18, 1997 | |||
| Studio | Capitol, Hollywood (Los Angeles) RPM (New York City) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 40:42 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Producer | Dave Sardy, Helmet | |||
| Helmet chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Aftertaste | ||||
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Aftertaste is the fourth studio album by Americanalternative metal bandHelmet, released in 1997 onInterscope. It was the band's final album with original membersJohn Stanier (drums) andHenry Bogdan (bass). GuitaristRob Echeverria, who appeared on Helmet's previous outing,Betty, left the group to joinBiohazard. Subsequently, the album was recorded as a three-piece, withPage Hamilton covering all the guitar parts. GuitaristChris Traynor (formerly ofOrange 9mm) came on board for the supporting tour.
Aftertaste harkens back to Helmet's earlier sound, omitting some of theexperimental/jazz tendencies ofBetty.[1] The album met with a mixed critical reaction from some critics, and a relatively poor commercial response, going out of print in 2006.[2]
Hamilton claimed in July 1997 that his goal when writing the album was to create a greater mix between smarts and crunch:
"I don't want to say that I'm sick of the visceral animal response that we get - I'm not, But I need more than that. I need more than seeing a bunch of kids jumping around and breaking each other's noses. I feel like I really need to communicate with an audience who will listen. I'm painted into a corner. Whatever I write in a rock 'n' roll context will elicit a conditioned response, unless I quit rock and make a country record or something."[3]
In another interview from November 1997, Hamilton said that he and producerDave Sardy initially wanted to make, "the Helmet-est Helmet album" and "not think about the past or the future or anything, just sort of write Helmet songs."[4] He added that he ended up discovering more about himself as a musician during the recording, and that, "together we came up with this thing that's distinctive and sounds like Helmet."[4] John Stanier said toDRUM! Magazine, "forAftertaste, we wrote a few of the songs as a band, but as far as the arrangements go, no one tells me what to play. I have complete freedom. I pretty much can do whatever I want, and luckily, everyone seems to like it. Of course we all toss around ideas."[5] During the recording ofAftertaste, Stanier syncopated a solo on "Harmless", and he claims that he had the most trouble tracking the bridge to "Birth Defect".[5]
The penultimate track "Insatiable" is noted for being the heaviest on the album. There was only one known performance of the song in 1997, with its next known performance coming 22 years later in 2019. According to Hamilton, it has almost never been played live since he has difficulty hitting the vocal notes required for the screams.
The album was close to being released in late 1996, and promotional interviews were held (such as for theVisions Magazine 09/1996 cover story), while advance tapes were also sent to journalists. A 1996 version of the track "Insatiable", featuring the same intro that appeared as the final album's intro to "Pure", was released on the GermanMetal Hammer's magazine CDOffroad Tracks Vol4 in the fall of 1996. The album release was withdrawn and the mix duties were handed from producer Dave Sardy toTerry Date, with the recording process not being completed until a few months later. The version of "Pure" that appeared on the "Exactly What You Wanted" CD single in 1997 appears to be taken from this early version of the album. The track list of the early version would've held "Insatiable" as the opening track and "Pure" as the album closer. "Renovation" at the time was not included in the album as it was to be contributed exclusively to a soundtrack compilation album.
Aftertaste was a disappointment compared to the band's previous albums; it debuted at number 47 on theBillboard 200 chart, and fell off a mere five weeks later.[6] By September 1997, it had sold 100,000 copies according toSoundScan.[7] By 2004, it had sold 132,000 copies.[8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10[10] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [11] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[12] |
| MusicHound Rock |  [13] |
| Pitchfork | 8.4/10[14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [16] |
| Select | [17] |
| Wall of Sound | 68/100[18] |
The album was met with mixed to positive reviews from music critics.
AllMusic staff writerStephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album a negative review, writing "Without the invention ofBetty or the gut-level force ofMeantime, Helmet is simply a bland alternative metal band, lackingriffs,hooks, and purpose and relying only on volume. It's a shocking and disheartening turn of events for one of the more intriguing metal bands of the '90s."[9] Kevin Templeton, writer forVancouver music publicationDrop-D, remarked in July 1997 that, "Although I consider myself a fan of Helmet's riffs... er, music, I can't help feeling that they could sound a little more dangerous than this."[19] Robert Parsons ofLollipop Magazine wrote in June 1997 that, "Aftertaste brings us back to square one. After a not-so-Helmet effort with 1994’sBetty, Page Hamilton and company come back with full knuckle-busting, abrasive force", also praising the "incredibly tight bass and drums on 'Insatiable' and 'Crisis King'".[20] He noted Helmet's influence on the contemporary music scene by saying, "Silverchair cite the band as a major influence, while both Korn (who toured with Helmet) andPantera borrow from Helmet’s stripped down metal, open-shut timing, and detuned guitars", and claimed, "for Helmet fans,Aftertaste is a much-anticipated album that lives up to all expectations."[20]
Rolling Stone in 1997 compared it to theRollins Band albumCome In and Burn, which was released the same month, and which would also turn out to be the last album with most of their original lineup. The review remarks, "Helmet'sAftertaste and the Rollins Band'sCome In and Burn are prime examples of the '90s brand of paramilitary headbanging. With their drillsergeant demeanors and drill-press riffs, the Rollins Band and Helmet typify this Spartan approach to hard rock."[15] Gabo Ronson ofThe Daily Eastern News gaveAftertaste four out of five stars in his 1997 review, labelling it a "riff-heavy collection of songs that satisfies the headbanger in all of us." He observed that the album was "pretty much heavy as hell all the way through", but noted that the track "Renovation", "strays from the hard-rocking stomp of 'Pure' and attempts to delve into the world ofpunk/pop a laGreen Day." He additionally wrote, "the one thing I noticed after listening to this CD was the fact that there were a number of mainstream bands out right now that completely rip off Helmet."[21] In April 1997,CMJ New Music Monthly writer M. Tye Comer characterized the album as having "rough, masochistic guitar grooves that pummel with jackhammer intensity." Comer went on to add, "while tracks like 'Driving Nowhere' and 'It's Easy to Get Bored' hint at the melody-conscious outfit we saw on 1994'sBetty,Aftertaste is a more direct, more focused and less 'adventurous' outing (i.e. there are fewer tracks to skip over)."[22]Entertainment Weekly wrote that the band, "maintain a metal-machine beat as precise as their crew cuts", but criticized Hamilton's vocals for making the songs "cold and humorless".[12]
The album generally continues to divide listeners of the band, with some considering it comparable to Helmet's earlier work, and others viewing it as the "black sheep" of their original 1990s discography. In a 2004 review of Helmet's comeback albumSize Matters,Blabbermouth.net labelledAftertaste as "okay but somewhat unsatisfactory", and "an album that in some ways sounded as defeated as the band, wracked by inner turmoil".[23] On the album's 20th anniversary in 2017,Diffuser.fm stated that "Aftertaste was less musically adventurous thanBetty, going for more crunching, immediate riffing."[24] They also observed that, "The music scene had shifted somewhat dramatically in the nearly three years sinceBetty, and 1997 would ultimately be remembered for bands likeLimp Bizkit andCoal Chamber creeping into the spotlight under the rise ofnu metal which, incidentally, was a genre Helmet would end up credited by many to have primarily influenced."[24]Kerrang! commented in 2019, "had they stayed gone it would have made for a fine headstone."[25]Louder Sound claimed in 2019 thatAftertaste,Betty andMeantime were in a "straight knife-fight" for the title of the best Helmet album.[26]Muse bassistChris Wolstenholme has mentionedAftertaste as his favourite album.[27]
The songs "Pure", "Renovation", "Like I Care" and "Exactly What You Wanted" were included on the 2004 compilation albumUnsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997).[28] The track listing for the compilation was chosen by Page Hamilton.[29] Instrumental versions of "Pure", "Like I Care", "Driving Nowhere", "Birth Defect" and "Broadcast Emotion" also appeared on a promotional 2003 release titledThe Instrumental Music of Helmet (1992–1997). A cover of "(High) Visibility" appears as a bonus track onChevelle's 2002 albumWonder What's Next.[30] "Like I Care" was covered bypost-metal bandRosetta as part of the 2016 Helmet tribute albumMeantime (Redux).[31]
Helmet's first shows following the release ofAftertaste were withKorn andLimp Bizkit in North America and Europe, from March 1997 to June 1997.[32] Limp Bizkit'sturntablistDJ Lethal had earlier worked with Helmet in 1993 on the song "Just Another Victim" for theJudgement Night soundtrack. Touring forAftertaste continued through to December 1997, and other artists that Helmet performed alongside during the tour includeCoal Chamber,Marilyn Manson,Melvins,Rasputina,Skeleton Key, Australian bandRegurgitator and Swissnu metal band Shovel.[32][1] On June 13, 1997, they played at theHultsfred Festival in Sweden, which featuredHandsome (formed by ex-guitaristPeter Mengede). However, Handsome performed the day after Helmet at the festival. The run of shows with the Melvins occurred from July to October 1997, and were Helmet's final shows in the USA before their 2004 reunion. Melvins memberBuzz Osborne later recalled that his band received a hostile reception from Helmet's fans at some shows. From October 22 to November 1, 1997, Helmet performed seven shows across Australia, and a single show inAuckland, New Zealand. After the Australia/New Zealand leg of the tour, the band went back to Europe for further shows.[33] The band's final performance prior to their breakup occurred in Italy on December 10, 1997.[34] Helmet were inactive throughout 1998, with their breakup being officially confirmed towards the end of that year.[34]
TheAftertaste tour was Helmet's first with guitaristChris Traynor, who had recently leftOrange 9mm. In a 2018 interview, he said he believed that the original members, who were significantly older than him, had lost their enthusiasm for the band at that point. At their final show in Italy for example, Traynor claimed the audience wanted an encore, but that the other members refused.[35] Traynor also recalled crying in a hotel room after a show inManchester, England, since he knew it was inevitable that Helmet was going to breakup and that he would be left with no other band to play in.[35] While the band never explicitly stated among themselves that it would be their last tour, Traynor claims, "I knew it was over. It wasn't said but you could feel that."[35] Stanier reflected on the split in January 2004, saying, "Helmet broke up and basically it was a really bad break up. It left a bad taste in my mouth. I wanted to get into another band, but not right away. There weren't really any [new gigs] popping up and from a combination of that and just wanting to take some time off, I accidentally turned into a DJ."[36] Stanier along with Henry Bogdan declined Hamilton's invitation to join Helmet's 2004 reunion, Traynor however did join the reunion. At the time, Stanier publicly criticized Hamilton's new Helmet in the media, and over the years has not kept in contact with him.[37]
So far, no live recordings from theAftertaste era have ever been officially released on B-sides or elsewhere. For the 20th anniversaries ofMeantime andBetty in 2012 and 2014, the newer Helmet lineup performed those albums live in their entirety. This did not occur for the 20th anniversary ofAftertaste in 2017.
All tracks are written byPage Hamilton, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pure" | 3:32 | |
| 2. | "Renovation" | Bogdan, Hamilton, Stanier | 2:55 |
| 3. | "Exactly What You Wanted" | 2:36 | |
| 4. | "Like I Care" | 3:19 | |
| 5. | "Driving Nowhere" | 4:19 | |
| 6. | "Birth Defect" | 2:31 | |
| 7. | "Broadcast Emotion" | 2:44 | |
| 8. | "It's Easy to Get Bored" | 3:26 | |
| 9. | "Diet Aftertaste" | 3:16 | |
| 10. | "Harmless" | 2:58 | |
| 11. | "(High) Visibility" | 2:58 | |
| 12. | "Insatiable" | Bogdan, Hamilton, Stanier | 2:31 |
| 13. | "Crisis King" | 3:54 | |
| Total length: | 40:42 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Complete" | Bogdan, Hamilton, Stanier | 2:50 |
| Total length: | 43:32 | ||
Band
Guest musician
Production
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | ARIA Charts (Australia) | 20 |
| 1997 | Billboard 200 (United States) | 47 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Exactly What You Wanted" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 19 |
