Courtesy
Helmet
Saturday, October 3
Helmet performing Betty
Any guitar geek turning abrasion into beauty in 2015 owes something to Helmet, the New York quartet that cut through the cocaine bullshit of ’80s metal with a string of wounded, focused albums in the Clinton years. In an era where record sales and signing bonuses flowed like bagged wine, Helmet was one of the few alt-bands signed to a major label that made a stylistic push forward, with touches of jazz and noise built into their drop-D affront.
For her 21st birthday, Helmet is taking their third record, Betty, out on a spin across America. Head to toe their most ambitious effort, Betty is a thrashing, storming of example of what guitars and angst could do together in the 1990s. Though some touches on the album — overdriven tone, high-pitched snare and roaming bass — would become touchstones of the nu-metal abhorrence, you can hardly blame Page Hamilton for his progenies’ bad taste. After Betty gets her time on the stage, Helmet will run through career hits and material from their newest release, Seeing Eye Dog. $17, 8pm, Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary’s
