“Thirteen years and four albums later, Helmet still rock, but really haven’t been able to recapture the magic of their first three releases. I do have to say that I found Seeing Eye Dog to be better than Aftertaste, Size Matters and Monochrome combined. This album probably won’t open any new doors for the band. But just like that old dog that you’ve grown up with, even with all their faults, it sure is nice to still have them by your side.”

• Digital Only: new album plus 1 live album
• Two-disc CD: new album plus 1 live album plus digital
• Limited Edition Double 180g Vinyl: new album plus 1 live album plus digital
• Limited Edition Deluxe: new album and 1 live album on two-disc CD, new album and 1 live album on double 180g vinyl, custom Helmet USB key with four more live albums, signed package and digital of new album plus 1 live album
• Super Deluxe: same as Limited Deluxe Edition but includes gold laminate/tour access component

Read the full press release at the official site.

Betty Reissue

Helmet’s 1994 album Betty is currently available as a digital-only reissue, featuring bonus tracks Flushings, Pariah and Thick, taken from the original vinyl release, along with two Biscuits for Smut remixes from the Biscuits for Smut CD and 12″ singles. Though the album has not been re-mastered, it is the first time that non-vinyl sourced copies of some of the bonus tracks will be available.

Helmet Crash

Back in September last year, Australian blog GuitarNerd featured an article by original Helmet rhythm guitarist Peter Mengede, in which he told the story of the honeyburst Gibson Les Paul he used on many early Helmet recordings and tours, and related a lot of interesting Helmet trivia along the way.

He’s now written another article for the site, this time focussing on his black Les Paul Anniversary and the road accident that, as well as bringing a Helmet tour to an abrupt end, may also have been the beginning of the end of Peter’s tenure in the band.

The article includes a scan of an original newspaper report on the accident (from which the above photo is taken), as well as video of a TV feature covering Helmet’s tour with Ministry and Sepultura.

Both sources are quoting a release date of June 22, though I gather from Helmet’s management that the release has been put back to August. The report also adds that the release will be made under the Work Song Incorporated imprint, which just so happens to be run by Helmet’s management, Maine Road.

I’m really hoping that the bit about the title is a joke though, on the other hand, I don’t care if it’s called Hermaphrodite Roulade Obelisk if the music is good. Make of it what you will.

Details are still a little sketchy, but I understand from the band’s management that Helmet’s new album will be self-released. They’re working with a newish company called Topspin Media, who provide retail and promotional infrastructure to musicians, and who’ve also worked on, amongst other things, the David Byrne and Brian Eno release Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. You can see an example of how the Topspin thing works at the Everything That Happens… website.

I’ve also gathered that Page Hamilton has regained ownership of the last Helmet album, Monochrome, so it’s likely that this will in future be sold directly by the band.

The Howard Roberts Super Chops book

Those of you who’ve been working through Page Hamilton’s guitar instruction DVD will be familiar with the Howard Roberts “Super Chops” method Page refers to and utilises in the DVD. For the uninitiated (and the forgetful), it’s a programme which entails improvising 8th note lines over quite challenging chord progressions for 50 minutes a day.

Anyway, long story short, if, like me, you’ve tried to find a copy of the book and come back empty handed (it’s long out of print), you might want to know that there’s a group of people over at the Gear Page forum who’re working though it together throughout the coming months. Unfortunately, I found out about this a day after they started working through it and, from the look of things, a good couple of weeks’ run in is required to get to grips with the chord changes (and, if you’re anything like me, several other elements of it too), so joining in with the group is out of the question.

However, there is a scanned copy of Howard’s book available for download from the thread, and it already contains several pages of helpful information and discussion on chord fingerings and approaches to tackling the course, so, for anyone interested in working through Howard’s programme, you’ve got no excuses: you can get straight to work here.