Helmet - Strap It On (CD 1993)

I guess bands like Helmet and Prong made an incredible impact upon the development of Heavy Metal back in the 1990's. Helmet made their biggest splash with their 1992 "Meantime" Album.
"Strap It On" is their 1990 release prior to Meantime. This album is fierce, aggressive, and takes no prisoners at all. A lot of scowling/screaming vocals, with very hard-edged guitars and driving rhythms. It is clear to see the potential the band was showing, and it's easy to see how they would progress to the next album. Unfortunately, this brave new approach to Metal does not deliver on the promise and potential it is hinting at. It's gutsy, it's brutal, and definitely intensely heavy. But unlike Meantime, the songs just don't gel together coherently, and unfortunately it leaves the listener able to listen the whole way through; longing for a standout track that never comes. The tracks just lack the focussed, driven and incessant grooves of Meantime. You're left thinking it's an ok album, but are left without the mesmerising / intoxicating songs the band went on to deliver.
A good album showing good potential, but it falls short of the magnificence of subsequent releases.