Review by Andrew Bansal, photos by Robert DeAnda
December 1st 2016, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Longstanding New York based group Helmet has been highly influential in the hard rock/heavy metal realm through the nearly three decades of their existence, the ’90s in particular. Led by guitarist/vocalist Page Hamilton, they are still going as strong as ever, constantly pushing the creative envelope. Their eighth full-length studio album ‘Dead To The World’ was released on October 28th 2016, the first in six years. Having recently toured to perform the ’94 ‘Betty’ album in its entirety, Helmet set out on the road this time to present new material as well as selections representing their entire career. Combining with sole support act Local H for what promised to deliver quite the treat for ’90s heavy rock fans, Helmet brought their six-week North American headline tour to the Los Angeles area for a gig at the Roxy last Thursday December 1st.
Promptly at 8:15, Local H took the stage for a set that lasted an hour, which is unusual for an opening act, but when it’s just a two-band lineup, the bands fit together perfectly and share similar demographic, why not? As the Roxy filled in, Local H put on a compelling performance and engaged the audience, instigating mosh pits on quite a few occasions as well. Having been around since ’87 themselves, Local H are veterans in their own right, and their brand of grungy alt/indie/punk rock was well-orchestrated on this stage. Frontman Scott Lucas showed his class, not only on vocals but more so with his exploits on bass and guitar through his truly unique setup which allows him to play both using the same instrument. It really makes the two-piece Local H sound like a full band, and is undeniably impressive in itself. Besides his musicianship, Lucas also endeared the crowd by offering a little girl in the front row to sit on the side of the stage to protect her from the mosh pit. This kind of gesture early on in the set, even though it had nothing to do with the music, went a long way towards creating a longlasting impression on the audience, who loved this moment. Local H were loud, heavily distorted and highly energetic, and made it worthwhile for the attendee just as much as Helmet did.
More Local H photos:
Shortly after, Helmet quietly arrived onto the stage in the utmost low-key manner, gently picked up their instruments, and proceeded to unleash an avalanche of sonic heaviness which only got heavier as the 90-minute set progressed. They put their heads down and delivered the goods song after song, in a no-frills, no-bullshit manner, at times playing several songs back to back without taking even a single moment to talk to the audience. Page Hamilton did address the fans, but on occasions very few and far between. The beers were flowing and the heads were banging at the Roxy, and the band kept playing.
The 56-year old Page Hamilton was absolutely flawless and stood tall as a tower of sonic power, but was well assisted by his three band mates. In all honesty, there isn’t much from the ’90s era of heavy music that really stood the test of time beyond mere nostalgic value, but Hamilton and his band were always ahead of their time with the various experimental touches they put on their music. This is why Helmet remained relevant, important and influential. Every new album of theirs is still eagerly awaited, and every subsequent tour presents a more well-rounded and dynamic slab of Helmet, as these new songs find their way into the set list. This crowd at the Roxy enjoyed every moment of this Helmet set, and based on the excellent turnout here as well as on the past few tours, it is clear that Helmet will have a fan base as long as they’re still active.
Helmet and Local H joined forces to treat the Roxy to one hell of a heavy evening.
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More Helmet photos:
Helmet set list:
01. Give It
02. Life or Death
03. So Long
04. Enemies
05. Bad News
06. Drunk in the Afternoon
07. Overrated
08. I ♥ My Guru
09. The Silver Hawaiian
10. Red Scare
11. Blacktop
12. On Your Way Down
13. Bury Me
Encore:
14. Rude
15. Milquetoast
16. Sam Hell
17. Wilma’s Rainbow
18. Ironhead
19. Just Another Victim
20. Unsung
21. Speechless
22. Turned Out
23. In the Meantime
Remaining Tour Dates:
12/06/2016 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s
12/07/2016 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
12/09/2016 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station
12/10/2016 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
12/11/2016 – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
12/13/2016 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
12/14/2016 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
12/15/2016 – Madison, WI @ High Noon
12/16/2016 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
12/17/2016 – Saint Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall