Meantime

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, 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 “Give It” and “In the Meantime”.

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 Deftones.

After signing to Interscope for a reported budget of US$1 million, Helmet entered a studio in New York City in December 1991, 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, 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.