Page Hamilton remembers when his seminal metal band Helmet broke up seven years ago.
"The other guys were tired of me and I was tired of them," Hamilton said by phone from Los Angeles. "It was time for it to stop. We needed some time off. We had been together for six years, and it was just time."
In addition to Hamilton's vocals, that incarnation of Helmet included guitarist Chris Traynor, bassist Henry Bogdan and drummer John Stanier. And although the band had broken up, Hamilton continued writing songs. "I remember talking with Jimmy Iovine (president of Interscope Records), and he has supported Helmet throughout all these years. We got to talking, and he asked if I was interested in getting Helmet back together."
Hamilton did some self-examination, and then he remembered why he got into music in the first place. "When Helmet first formed, it was a fun band. We were in it for the music. And after speaking with Jimmy, I thought it would be cool to do another band for fun." (Helmet was one of the forefathers of today's NuMetal movement, which includes such bands as Korn, Incubus, Otep and even Slipknot, as well as Helmet's contemporaries Tool and Faith No More.)
He decided to get the band back together, "but I did know that the lineup would be different."
Hamilton recruited Traynor, and then they discovered that former Anthrax bassist Frank Bello was available, as was former Rob Zombie drummer John Tempesta. "I'm not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes," said Hamilton. "This is a new Helmet."
While Stanier has criticized the new Helmet publicly, aiming his words specifically at Hamilton, Bogdan hasn't commented one way or another. "I can see why John is upset," said Hamilton. "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."
The new Helmet went into the studio and recorded a new album, "Size Matters," which was released earlier this year. "Most of the songs were written in the years that Helmet was not around," said Hamilton. "As you can see, I wasn't ready to call it a day.
"Getting the new band together has given me an opportunity to get the music out. I don't feel any burden regarding Helmet. I just know it's a good band. And the people we have in it today are good to work with."
If you go. . .
What: Helmet, Instruction
Where: In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West
When: Monday, 7 p.m.
How much: $13.50
Phone: 467-8499 or 1-800-888-8499
Web: www.smithstix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com