Strap It On

Strap It On is the debut album from Helmet, the American alternative metal band, and it arrived in 1990 on Amphetamine Reptile Records. It was reissued in 1993 through Interscope. The record sits at the start of a run of studio albums that continues through Meantime in 1992 and Betty in 1994, and it shows the band arriving with their sound already in place.

That sound is built on explosive, propulsive and often staccato riffs, leaning heavily on drop D tuning. Critics saw it as innovative, and it blends elements of hardcore punk, noise rock and post-hardcore with a metal weight. It has grown into a cult favourite in post-hardcore and has influenced the metal scene, which makes it a rewarding listen if you only know the band's later, bigger records.