Strap It On is the debut album by alternative metal band Helmet. It was first released in March 1990 through Amphetamine Reptile Records, and later Interscope Records in 1991. Strap It On‘s original release came through independent noise rock label Amphetamine Reptile Records in March 1990.
In November 1991, it was re-released by their new label Interscope Records, approximately one month before the band started recording Meantime for the label. Some sites such as AllMusic list its year of release as being 1991, as does the 2004 compilation album Unsung: The Best of Helmet 1991–1997 (although in the booklet of the compilation itself the year is 1990). Spotify and Apple Music list its year of release as being 1992, which corresponds to neither the original release date nor the Interscope release date. The album received positive reviews, with critics praising the band’s fresh, raw and innovative sound. In November 1992, the original Amphetamine Reptile release was estimated to have sold 10,000 copies; this figure does not take into account the 1991 Interscope reissue. In 2004, the songs Repetition, FBLA, Blacktop and Sinatra appeared on the compilation album Unsung: The Best of Helmet 1991–1997. The track listing for the compilation was chosen by Page Hamilton. Deftones covered the song Sinatra, with it appearing on their 2005 compilation album B-Sides & Rarities.
Tracklist:
- Repetition
- Rude
- Bad Mood
- Sinatra
- FBLA
- Blacktop
- Distracted
- Make Room
- Murder
Japanese bonus track - Impressionable
Helmet
Page Hamilton: vocals, guitar
Henry Bogdan: bass
Peter Mengede: guitar
John Stanier: drums
Technical
Wharton Tiers: mixing, engineering, production
