Attack of the Killer Track! is a series that explores tracks from artists from a variety of genres. Some of the tracks were singles, some of them were obscure b-sides or long forgotten album tracks. One thing is certain – all of them are killer tracks.
The summer of 1992 found me at an odd juncture – trying to find my place in this world as a disillusioned 15-year-old. Fortunately, 1992 was the summer of The Cure (Wish) and Helmet (In The Meantime). Two bands that were / are on the opposite ends of the spectrum – The Cure brooding and melancholy, Helmet reveling in pure metallic aggression. At the time, it all seemed to be labeled “Alternative”. The most notable single pulled from Helmet’s album was Unsung – an unusual song from the band due to the increased focus on melody during the verses. It features a memorable thrash based guitar riff, enveloped in staccato. Page Hamilton’s vocals provide the melodic contrast needed to make it one of the best singles of the 90’s. MTV played the video non stop throughout the 2nd half of 1992 and it never failed to keep me enthralled. I like quite a few records by Helmet, but honestly – this is the song I absolutely love. Everything works perfectly – from the menacing bass riff that opens to the military-like drum fills (I’ve already touched on guitar & vox). The song was recorded by Steve Albini and remixed by Andy Wallace, lending the song an odd mix of feeling raw AND polished. The track hit #29 on the Alternative charts and #32 on the Rock charts and proved to be a huge influence to the band Pantera. As for The Cure? Well, that is a story for another day. These words will get stuck in your head after listening to Unsung just once: “Your contribution left unnoticed some / Association with an image / Just credit time for showing up again / Attention wandered I’m left with it”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBfygUiS50g]