Review Summary: Maintain high visibility.
After the experimental but alt-rockish Betty, Helmet could have followed three paths: Full experimental, full Alternative Rock or going back to their roots and, well, they choose the Alt-Rock one. But, don't panic, it actually works better than the idea sounds. Rob Eccheveria, second guitarist on Betty, left the group, so Page Hamilton covered all the guitars, making them more straightforward and clean than the rest of the discography. Page said he wanted to balance the heavy and mellow parts of the band, making the music more relatable for the masses. And I know that it sounds like a bad idea, but it works in every way possible.
The album has a more direct sound, with catchy riffs and clean vocals, but without losing the groove and aggressive sensibilities. Page's vocals are top notch here, sounding more reflective and clever, but still aggressive when it needs to be. We have some of his softer(Easy To Get Bored), his harder(Crisis King) and the mix of both (Diet Aftertaste), and in everyone of them it sounds great. This mix is present in the instruments too, they are harder or softer when they need to be, but without losing the band's trademark sound, like in (High) Visibility or Driving Nowhere, both of the best songs on the album.
Their formula is still respected, but with an greater attention with the catchy sensibilities that they always had, but now it's the priority in the compositions. Even the songs that resemble the early albums(Crisis King) have a sense of catchiness that revigorates the band's sound, giving it new a new dynamic without sounding forced or pop. Songs like Pure and Driving Nowhere have an impressive accessibility and a strong groove, but they still sound like Helmet and something new at the same time, putting every member in the spotlight. Stanier's drums collaborate with that groove, leading to an much more organic feeling in the songs' structure. Bogdan's bass is much more aggressive, but sometimes it hides itself behind the guitars, making it a little more unnoticeable. Page's catchy-but-heavy approach is great, with cleaner effects but a little more predictable turns than the previous album.
Helmet achieves a more friendly sound without losing their riff centered approach, making it enjoyable and pumping at the same time. Working on a more catchy sound, they reformed their sound and restored their abilities, proving that even with less members, Hamilton, Stanier and Bogdan are the only force Helmet needs... But, well, in the next albums that changes a little.
Standout Tracks:
Driving Nowhere
(High) Visibility
Crisis King
Pure
