Meantime (album)

This article is about the album. For other uses, see Meantime.

Meantime
Studio album by Helmet
Released	June 23, 1992
Recorded	December 1991 – February 1992 at Fun City, New York City except "In the Meantime" recorded at Chicago Recording Company, Chicago, IL
Genre	Alternative metal, post-hardcore, noise rock
Length	36:56
Label	Interscope
Producer	Helmet
Helmet chronology
Strap It On (1990) Meantime (1992) Betty (1994)

Meantime is the second album and major-label debut by Helmet, released in 1992 on Interscope Records. Meantime has continued to sell consistently well in the years since its release,^{[citation needed]} and in 1994 was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Helmet released one single from Meantime, "Unsung", which was a charting success on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart, and remains their best-known song. The album itself reached #68 on Billboard's Top 200; an unexpected success for the band. Music videos were also made for "Unsung", "Give It" and "In the Meantime".

Musical style

The sound of Meantime, with Page Hamilton's staccato riffs, jazz-influenced chords and solos, and dual-voice singing style, proved influential to both post-grunge bands and later alternative metal bands such as Chevelle and Deftones. This album along with Betty and Aftertaste is considered a definitive text in post-metal.^[1]

Recording and production

After signing to Interscope for a reported budget of US$1 million, Helmet entered a studio in New York City in December 1991,^[2] booking two months of studio time in which to record the album.

The song "In the Meantime" was recorded by Steve Albini and later remixed by Andy Wallace. The contrast between Wallace's style of mixing, which involves (among other things) triggered samples (leading to the album's distinctive half wood, half metal snare drum sound), and Albini's style of recording, irritated Albini. Later, when in negotiations to record Nirvana's In Utero (album), he stipulated a clause be added to his contract stating that Wallace would not be allowed to remix the album, although he had mixed Nevermind, which came out a year before Meantime's release.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Entertainment Weekly	(B-)[5]
Robert Christgau	[6]
Kerrang!	[7]

Meantime was Helmet's first breakthrough album. Upon its release in June 1992, Meantime peaked at number 68 on the Billboard's Top 200 album chart and number one Top Heatseekers chart. The album granted Helmet international recognition. To date, Meantime is the only Helmet album to go Gold in the United States.

The album received positive reviews, John Franck of Allmusic labeled Meantime "arguably one of the most influential and overlooked rock records of the '90s". He praised the music "colored by Teutonic riffs, with only 'Unsung' hinting at a gasp of commercial accessibility". In regards to the album's success, he also claims that Helmet "were curiously touted as the next big thing". Meantime received a rating of four and a half out of five stars, while "Unsung", "Give It" and "In the Meantime" earned Helmet its heaviest airplay on MTV and radio stations.^[3] Steffan Chirazi of Kerrang! defined the album "a wall of angry, bitter and agonised New York street cries", giving it maximum ratings.^[7]

Album cover

The album cover features an image of a man in a white protective suit shoveling some substance on the ground.

The album is available with one of two reversely-colored covers; one has a blue background with a white-on-red Helmet logo, and the other has a red background with a white-on-blue Helmet logo (pictured above).

Track listing

(All songs written by Page Hamilton)

1. "In the Meantime" – 3:08
2. "Ironhead" – 3:22
3. "Give It" – 4:17
4. "Unsung" – 3:57
5. "Turned Out" – 4:14
6. "He Feels Bad" – 4:03
7. "Better" – 3:10
8. "You Borrowed" – 3:45
9. "FBLA II" – 3:22
10. "Role Model" – 3:35

Chart positions

Album Chart Peak Billboard Top Heatseekers 1 [8] U.S. Billboard 200 68 [9]

Singles Single Chart (1992) Position "Unsung" US Modern Rock Tracks[10] 29 US Mainstream Rock Tracks[10] 32

Personnel

Band Peter Mengede - Guitar Henry Bogdan - Bass Page Hamilton - Guitar, Vocals John Stanier - Drums

Technical crew Steve Sisco - Assistant Mix Engineer Steve Albini - Recording, "In The Meantime" Wharton Tiers - Engineer Andy Wallace - Mixing Howie Weinberg - Mastering

References

1. ^ "HELMET Rediscovery". X-Press Online. 2007-03-28. Archived from the original on 2007-08-31. http://web.archive.org/web/20070831112757/http://www.xpressmag.com.au/archives/2007/03/helmet_rediscov.php. Retrieved 2007-03-31. "Albums such [as] Meantime (1992), Betty (1994) and even Aftertaste (1997) eschewed the traditional concept of heavy music, trademarked the drop-d power-groove in 5/4, and pioneered a whole new trend in music. Even now, these albums stand on their own as definitive texts in post-metal." 
2. ^ The exact date that the recording of Meantime began is uncertain.
3. ^ ^{a b} Franck, John. "allmusic ((( Meantime > Review )))". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r9190. Retrieved March 18, 2010. 
4. ^ Brackett, Nathan. "Helmet". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 373, cited March 18, 2010
5. ^ Browne, David. "Meantime". Entertainment Weekly. August 1992. pg. 62, cited March 18, 2010
6. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Helmet". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 18, 2010.
7. ^ ^{a b} Chirazi, Steffan (20 June 1992). "Helmet 'Meantime'". Kerrang!. 397. London, UK: EMAP. 
8. ^ "Helmet;– Billboard Albums". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r9190/charts-awards/billboard-album. Retrieved December 20, 2007. 
9. ^ "Helmet album charts [albums]". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/#/artist/helmet/chart-history/4811. Retrieved December 20, 2007. 
10. ^ ^{a b} "Helmet;– Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r9190/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved December 8, 2007.