Do you become enticed every time you hear the instrumental introduction to “Upsung”? Or, do you find yourself rocking out hard every time Page Hamilton belts out “In the meantime?” If you do, then there’s some good news for you! Hamilton and his band Helmet have announced a cross country tour to help promote the group’s new studio album, Seeing Eye Dog. Seeing Eye Dog will be released on Tuesday, September 7^th. The following day Helmet will begin touring in Sacramento, CA. For Helmet fans in the Santa Ana area, have no worries. Helmet will make their way to Santa Ana, CA on Friday, September 24^th to play a show at the Galaxy Theatre.    

Helmet has created opportunities for several musicians, as the lineup has gone through many changes since Hamilton founded the group in 1989. Besides Hamilton, the current band members include Kyle Stevenson (drums), Dan Beeman (guitar), and Chris Traynor (bass). Traynor, however doesn’t tour with Helmet, giving bassist Dave Case the opportunity to play with the group on the road.

Stevenson, who has been the drummer for the band Helmet since 2006, serves as one of the highlights of Helmet’s live shows. Stevenson plays the drums with such intensity you can’t help but be entertained by his performance. Together with the guitar riffs of Beeman and Case, plus the talents of Hamilton, Helmet leaves crowds pumping the rock n’ roll hand symbol up in the air.

For dedicated alternative rock enthusiasts, seeing Helmet in concert is a “must have” experience because of the influence Helmet has had on the alternative rock genre. Hamilton, who studied jazz music in New York back in the 1980s, created a realm of new musical possibilities by fusing jazz with the underground music style of grunge. Highly successful bands, like Pantera and the Deftones, have cited Helmet as a musical influence. Additionally, the musical innovation of Helmet can be heard in the styles of other successful groups, such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, and System of a Down.

Helmet, however, is no stranger to success themselves. Seeing Eye Dog will be the band’s seventh studio album, and the first one in close to four years. The group broke into the mainstream music scene in 1992 with their sophomore record Meantime. Meantime went gold and earned a Grammy nomination. The single “Unsung” became a staple in the play lists of alternative rock radio stations everywhere.

A recent press release for Seeing Eye Dog demonstrated the enthusiasm Hamilton has for the upcoming album. Hamilton’s enthusiasm stems from the freedom he had in producing Seeing Eye Dog. The album will be released on the independent label Work Song. The press release notes that Work Song practically allowed Helmet to self-release the new album. Hamilton did however consult with music producers Toshi Kasai and Mark Renk on the album.   

What you hear on Seeing Eye Dog is what you should expect from Helmet on Friday, September 24^th at the Galaxy Theatre. Hamilton explains in the press release “This album is human and honest. People have always commented that we sound like our albums live, and our recording approach has a lot to do with that. Humans playing music will always be better than chop-shop rock.”

For all that Helmet has done for the alternative rock genre, the Galaxy Theatre concert should be a special night for alternative rock fans. Tickets for the show are currently available for presale at www.helmetmusic.com for $24.00. Included with the show’s presale ticket is a download of Seeing Eye Dog and Helmet’s live performance in San Francisco from the 2006 Vans Warped Tour. The concert will start at 8:00pm on Friday, September 24^th.