Left Band of Susans

Hamilton formed Helmet in early 1989 after leaving the alternative rock group Band of Susans , with whom he had recorded two albums. Having originally moved to New York to study jazz guitar at the Manhattan School of Music , the Oregon born guitarist recruited bassist Henry Bogdan who was also from Oregon, Australian guitarist Peter Mengede and Floridian drummer John Stanier as the group’s first official line-up. Before Hamilton had settled on a name, the guitarist Peter Mengede’s then-wife Reyne Cuccuro suggested the Germanic name ” Helmuth “. Hamilton misinterpreted her and mistakenly believed that she was referring to the form of protective gear . Hamilton then thought excitedly that Helmet had “sounded like a pretty cool name for a band” and opted for the Anglicized spelling. Other names taken in consideration were “Cry Ruth” and “Poly Orchids”, along with the more esoteric and obscure “Tuna Lorenzo” and “Froth Albumen”.