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Size Matters
Size Matters is the fifth album by the American alternative metal band Helmet, released in 2004 on Interscope Records. It is the first new album since the band ended with a bitter break-up in 1998, and it is also their final album to be released through Interscope.
Page Hamilton, the band's founder and chief songwriter, is the only original member appearing on the album. Therefore, some fans object to it being called "Helmet" and consider it to be a Page Hamilton solo project. According to Hamilton, founding members John Stanier (drums) and Henry Bogdan (bass) both declined the invitation to reunite. Rhythm guitarist Peter Mengede, another founding member, had moved back to his native country of Australia in late 2001. Stanier publicly criticized Hamilton and the new Helmet in 2004, and has not kept in contact with him since their original split.
Despite any objections, the album carries on in the Helmet tradition with Hamilton's trademark staccato sound. Hamilton said to Deseret News in October 2004, "I can see why John is upset. There are some people who feel that only the original lineup can constitute a group. But then there are others who don't care. What I'm more concerned with is the fact that the music is good." He further added, "I'm not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. This is a new Helmet." In 2003, Hamilton had been entertaining offers from two major labels to release a solo album. He only decided to make new music under the Helmet moniker after Interscope founder Jimmy Iovine called him and encouraged him to make another Helmet album. Interscope had released the band's three previous albums in the 1990s, and Hamilton has spoken positively of his relationship with the label during both the 1990s and the Size Matters era.
The album was recorded as a three-piece with ex-White Zombie drummer John Tempesta and Chris Traynor (guitarist on the Aftertaste tour) on bass. After recording was done, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello was brought in so Traynor could return to guitar for live performances. Bello is included in promotional images from the Size Matters era, and several reviewers mistakenly claimed that he performed on the album. Unlike with previous Helmet albums, Size Matters was made with the assistance of digital editing software Pro Tools.
Many of the album's lyrics were inspired by Hamilton's year long relationship with actress Winona Ryder in 2003. Hamilton has since commented that Ryder was a fan of Helmet and that she has heard the album, saying in 2007 that she didn't like their next album Monochrome because "it didn’t sound like her favorite song on Aftertaste, or her favorite song on even Size Matters." "Smart" (a.k.a. "Opportunity"), "Enemies" and "Unwound", were originally recorded as Gandhi tracks, Page Hamilton's previous band.
The album cover features a black and white photo of a young girl holding a magnifying glass. The photo was taken by Frances Murray. Regarding the cover, Page Hamilton said in a 2005 interview, "the initial attraction was that it was a beautiful photo, this sort of innocence and open mindedness that kids have about things. She's got a magnifying glass up to her eye so you can see her eyeball enlarged. Kids I believe start out with a natural inquisitiveness and a natural open mindedness, and they will do the right thing. Eventually if we continue to fill them full of shit they will be swayed."
The album was scheduled to be released on September 14, 2004, but was pushed back to October 5 after Hamilton broke his collarbone in a mountain biking accident, delaying the band's touring schedule that was supposed to begin three days after the planned release. The Size Matters tour would instead start in mid-October, with these shows being Helmet's first since December 10, 1997. Earlier in 2004, a greatest hits album titled Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997) was released by Interscope, although it had already been in the works prior to Helmet's official reunion, with the album originally being announced in August 2003.
Size Matters debuted at #121 on the Billboard 200, selling 9,723 copies in its first week. Size Matters had two singles; "See You Dead" and "Unwound". The track "Throwing Punches" was also included on the film soundtrack for Underworld, and "Crashing Foreign Cars" was featured in the video game Need for Speed: Underground 2.
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Size Matters
Size Matters is the fifth album by the American alternative metal band Helmet, released in 2004 on Interscope Records. It is the first new album since the band ended with a bitter break-up in 1998, and it is also their final album to be released through Interscope.
Page Hamilton, the band's founder and chief songwriter, is the only original member appearing on the album. Therefore, some fans object to it being called "Helmet" and consider it to be a Page Hamilton solo project. According to Hamilton, founding members John Stanier (drums) and Henry Bogdan (bass) both declined the invitation to reunite. Rhythm guitarist Peter Mengede, another founding member, had moved back to his native country of Australia in late 2001. Stanier publicly criticized Hamilton and the new Helmet in 2004, and has not kept in contact with him since their original split.
Despite any objections, the album carries on in the Helmet tradition with Hamilton's trademark staccato sound. Hamilton said to Deseret News in October 2004, "I can see why John is upset. There are some people who feel that only the original lineup can constitute a group. But then there are others who don't care. What I'm more concerned with is the fact that the music is good." He further added, "I'm not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. This is a new Helmet." In 2003, Hamilton had been entertaining offers from two major labels to release a solo album. He only decided to make new music under the Helmet moniker after Interscope founder Jimmy Iovine called him and encouraged him to make another Helmet album. Interscope had released the band's three previous albums in the 1990s, and Hamilton has spoken positively of his relationship with the label during both the 1990s and the Size Matters era.
The album was recorded as a three-piece with ex-White Zombie drummer John Tempesta and Chris Traynor (guitarist on the Aftertaste tour) on bass. After recording was done, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello was brought in so Traynor could return to guitar for live performances. Bello is included in promotional images from the Size Matters era, and several reviewers mistakenly claimed that he performed on the album. Unlike with previous Helmet albums, Size Matters was made with the assistance of digital editing software Pro Tools.
Many of the album's lyrics were inspired by Hamilton's year long relationship with actress Winona Ryder in 2003. Hamilton has since commented that Ryder was a fan of Helmet and that she has heard the album, saying in 2007 that she didn't like their next album Monochrome because "it didn’t sound like her favorite song on Aftertaste, or her favorite song on even Size Matters." "Smart" (a.k.a. "Opportunity"), "Enemies" and "Unwound", were originally recorded as Gandhi tracks, Page Hamilton's previous band.
The album cover features a black and white photo of a young girl holding a magnifying glass. The photo was taken by Frances Murray. Regarding the cover, Page Hamilton said in a 2005 interview, "the initial attraction was that it was a beautiful photo, this sort of innocence and open mindedness that kids have about things. She's got a magnifying glass up to her eye so you can see her eyeball enlarged. Kids I believe start out with a natural inquisitiveness and a natural open mindedness, and they will do the right thing. Eventually if we continue to fill them full of shit they will be swayed."
The album was scheduled to be released on September 14, 2004, but was pushed back to October 5 after Hamilton broke his collarbone in a mountain biking accident, delaying the band's touring schedule that was supposed to begin three days after the planned release. The Size Matters tour would instead start in mid-October, with these shows being Helmet's first since December 10, 1997. Earlier in 2004, a greatest hits album titled Unsung: The Best of Helmet (1991–1997) was released by Interscope, although it had already been in the works prior to Helmet's official reunion, with the album originally being announced in August 2003.
Size Matters debuted at #121 on the Billboard 200, selling 9,723 copies in its first week. Size Matters had two singles; "See You Dead" and "Unwound". The track "Throwing Punches" was also included on the film soundtrack for Underworld, and "Crashing Foreign Cars" was featured in the video game Need for Speed: Underground 2.