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''Size Matters'' is the fifth album by the American
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
band
Helmet A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
, 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.


Background

Page Hamilton Page Hamilton (born May 18, 1960) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet. Most of his work has been in the hard rock and alternative metal styles, though he ...
, 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 Henry Bogdan (born February 4, 1961 in Riverside, California), is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as the original bass guitarist and a founding member of the alternative metal band, Helmet. Henry Bodgan played bass for all of Hel ...
(bass) both declined the invitation to reunite. Stanier even publicly criticized Hamilton and the new Helmet in 2004. 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." The album was recorded as a three-piece with ex- White Zombie drummer
John Tempesta John Tempesta (born September 26, 1964) is an American drummer known for his work in hard rock and heavy metal. He has been a member of the Cult since 2006. Biography Previously, Tempesta played with several bands including Exodus, Testamen ...
and Chris Traynor (guitarist on the ''
Aftertaste Aftertaste is the taste intensity of a food or beverage that is perceived immediately after that food or beverage is removed from the mouth. The aftertastes of different foods and beverages can vary by intensity and over time, but the unifying f ...
'' tour) on bass. After recording was done, Anthrax bassist
Frank Bello Frank Bello (born July 9, 1965) is an American musician who plays bass for the thrash metal band Anthrax. Early life Bello is the nephew of Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante. He had a younger brother Anthony, who was murdered in the Bronx, New Yo ...
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 Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture ( sound design, audio post-produ ...
.''Size Matters'' booklet. Interscope Records, 2004.


Composition


Music and lyrics

Many of the album's s lyrics were inspired by Hamilton's year long relationship with actress
Winona Ryder Winona Laura Horowitz (born October 29, 1971), professionally known as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Originally playing quirky roles, she rose to prominence for her more diverse performances in various genres in the 1990s. She has recei ...
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 A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochrom ...
'' 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 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...
tracks, Page Hamilton's previous band.


Artwork

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."


Release

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 album 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 The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
'', and "Crashing Foreign Cars" was featured in the video game '' Need for Speed: Underground 2''.


Critical reception

''Size Matters'' was met with "mixed or average" reviews from critics. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, it received an average score of 52 based on eight reviews. At ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' writer David Raposa gave the album a mixed review. He criticized the band's change in sound writing, "Helmet attempt to diversify their portfolio, offering dynamics and approachable melodies and other types of listener-friendly capitulations one wouldn't associate with the folks that dropped '' Meantime'' and 'Unsung'." Johnny Loftus of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...
gave the album 3 stars and wrote in his review, "''Size Matters'' emphasizes for the bloated alt-metal elite what it means to have craft and a little self-control. It isn't necessarily memorable, but as an exercise in measured, even artistic rage, it's classic Hamilton." Josh Zanger of ''
LAS Magazine ''LAS Magazine'', also known as ''Lost At Sea'' or ''LostAtSea.net'', is a daily online magazine founded in 1998 by Eric J Herboth. An online social group for the magazine list it in the "Entertainment & Arts - Online Media" category with a descr ...
'' explained, "''Size Matters'' seems to come up a little short in certain areas though. The overall sound is a bit too polished and loses some of the raw power edge that previous albums rode to critical success. This slickness also makes the weaker songs forgettable and bland, and a few of the choruses are forced into overextensions. At times, elated melodies contradict the darker pounding force of previously established riffs and sound like unnatural ideas that never fully blossomed."
In Music We Trust ''In Music We Trust'' is a music webzine, publicity company, and record label based in Portland, Oregon. It was established as a webzine in July 1997 by Alex Steininger and his friend Ryan O'Neill. Its original goal was to help promote work by new ...
also noted the more polished sound, in addition to the lineup changes, stating in their review, "Page Hamilton has embarked on a comeback with ''Size Matters'', but, like
Dave Mustaine David Scott Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician. He is the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the thrash metal band Megadeth, as well as their sole consistent member. Mustaine has relea ...
, he keeps the band name yet changes the entire lineup sans himself. Armed with Frank Bello ( Anthrax), John Tempesta ( White Zombie), and Chris Traynor ( Orange 9mm), the '04 Helmet lineup reads like the New York Metal All-Star team." In a review with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'', Christian Hoarde gave the release 2 stars out of 5, explaining, "On their first disc in seven years, the manicured riffs remain, but the sludge is so overbearing that anyone born during the Eighties will wonder what once made them special." ''Scene Point Blank'' wrote in their November 2004 review that, "On one hand, we have songs such as 'Smart', 'Everybody Loves You', and 'Throwing Punches'. These songs find Hamilton utilizing his 'red-neck truck driver' voice. Musically, these songs feature the more aggressive riffs and fast-paced drumming that rekindle thoughts of Helmet material found on '' Strap it On''. On the other hand, we have 'Crashing Foreign Cars' and 'Unwound' that feature the softer and more accessible Hamilton. As a whole, these types of songs are much more prevalent on ''Size Matters''." They concluded their review by stating, "while it's nice to have a solid rock band like Helmet around again, the cohesion from albums like ''Meantime'' and ''
Betty Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beat ...
'' is lacking on this latest effort. But despite the sub par return endeavor, Helmet still executes alternative metal superior to that of the 'nu-metal' parade that they involuntarily influenced."


Legacy

In 2011, ''
Decibel Magazine ''Decibel'' is a monthly heavy metal magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media since October 2004. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame. The magazine's tag-line is currentl ...
'' gave the album a critical reappraisal, and claimed "''Size Matters'' was not only a more cohesive and confident return from the break-up than some of their contemporaries (looking at you,
Prong Prong or Prongs may refer to: * Prong, synonym of tine (structural), a branch or spike of various tools and natural objects * Prong (band), an American metal band * Prong (company), an iPhone accessories company in New York City * Prongs, British ...
, ndlame-o supergroups), but also offered some killer live shows with Frank Bello on bass. It was and is a natural sequel to ''Aftertaste'' and a valiant fuck-you to the
emo Emo is a rock music genre characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of and hardcore punk from the Washington D.C. hardcore punk scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore and pioneered b ...
foppishness and
Maiden Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
esque fret-wankery that was invading metal at the time, despite it sharing emo’s preoccupation about women ruining your life." Shortly after the release of their eight album '' Dead to the World'', Page Hamilton reflected in an interview, "I would say that I like the first four albums best, ''Strap It On'' (1990) ''Meantime'' (1992), ''Betty'' (1994) and ''Aftertaste'' (1997), because they were created with the original line-up in a natural way. I still like those albums a lot. The comeback album, ''Size Matters'', was also a great experience for me, but we had a lot of pressure on us because it was the first Helmet album after eight years." Frank Bello has since spoken positively of his brief stint with Helmet. In a 2014 interview with ''
Louder Sound ''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...
'', Bello reflected, "I went to go jam with Helmet for a year and a half of fucking the best fun. Page Hamilton, John Tempesta and Chris Traynor, we had a ball. Great musicians in that group — absolutely great musicians. And you know what? I think it made me a better bass player. It made me dig in with a pick, and it was a different form of playing for me. And I really enjoyed it." Norma Jean vocalist Cory Brandon picked "See You Dead" and "Throwing Punches" as among the ten best Helmet songs in an article written for ''
Louder Sound ''Classic Rock'' is a British magazine and website dedicated to rock music, owned and published by Future. It was launched in October 1998 and is based in London. The magazine publishes 13 editions a year, mainly covering rock bands from the 60, ...
'' in 2017.


Track listing


Personnel

Credits adapted from
Tidal Tidal is the adjectival form of tide. Tidal may also refer to: * ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple * Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim * TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music * Tidal (servic ...
. Musicians *
Page Hamilton Page Hamilton (born May 18, 1960) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet. Most of his work has been in the hard rock and alternative metal styles, though he ...
– vocals, guitar * Chris Traynor – bass, guitar, vocals *
John Tempesta John Tempesta (born September 26, 1964) is an American drummer known for his work in hard rock and heavy metal. He has been a member of the Cult since 2006. Biography Previously, Tempesta played with several bands including Exodus, Testamen ...
– drums, vocals * Frank Bello – bass *
Rob Nicholson Robert Douglas "Rob" Nicholson (born April 29, 1952) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Niagara Falls in the House of Commons of Canada from 2004 to 2019 as a member of the Conservative Party. Under Prime Minister Stephen Ha ...
– vocals Production * Page Hamilton − producer * Mark Renk − producer * Jay Baumgardner − producer, mixer * Charlie Clouser − producer * Christopher Holmes – engineer * Dan Certa – engineer * Ryan Boesch – engineer


Chart positions


References


External links

* {{Authority control 2004 albums Helmet (band) albums Interscope Records albums Albums produced by Charlie Clouser