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Canadian Classic Rock
Helix
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Formed in 1975 by singer Brian Vollmer and guitarists Paul Hackman and Brent Doerner. they soon recruited Daryl Gray on bass and Doerner's younger brother Brian on drums. Despite the early use of guitar melodies and keyboards, they quickly developed a "rip yer face off" approach to metal and found themselves touring the Ontario bars for the next couple of years. Their style and sheer under-rated musical talent landed them two records released on an independant label. BREAKING LOOSE, recorded in 1980, was definitely nothing groundbreaking, but tracks like "Don't Hide Your Love" did showcase their raw approach. WHITE LACE AND BLACK LEATHER, released a little over a year later, honestly ... again was nothing special. But songs such as "It's Too Late" and the title track did allowed the group a little more exposure and would help form the sophisticated yet raw approach synonomous in later years with the name 'Helix'. They were signed to Capitol Records in '82 and cut NO REST FOR THE WICKED in '83. "Heavy Metal Love" and Eddie Schwartz's ("Hit Me With Your Best Shot" fame, also Canadian) "Does A Fool Ever Learn?" became instant radio staples. Other noteable tracks included the absolutely fantastic "Dirty Dog" and a remake of "White Lace and Black Leather". The airplay earned them gigs opening for the likes of Motorhead, Heart and Molly Hatchet on this side of the ocean, while their European tour with Kiss saw them in 13 countries in a month and a half. '84 saw the release of WALKING THE RAZOR'S EDGE and the hit single "Rock You". Though criticized by some as merely a catchy spelling bee lesson, it shot up the charts. For awhile it seemed like Helix owned the market, with the follow-up "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin" equalling the success of "Rock You". The record also contained some of Hackman's best work, during their remake of A Foot In Coldwater's (also Canadian) "Make Me Do (Anything You Want)" . This exposure took the band overseas touring for the better part of a year, opening for Quiet Riot, Girlschool and Whitesnake. LONG WAY TO HEAVEN hit the stores in '85 and more pandering to the somewhat less sophisticated American metal audience was evident when "The Kids Are All Shakin' (In The USA)" quickly went gold. The album did show a maturity and more of a hard-edged style as well though. "Deep Cuts The Knife" and "Without You" proved they were capable of tender ballads with a rougher edge, while "This House Is On Fire" stayed true to their grab you by the nuts roots. The group also headlined a North American tour for the first time. WILD IN THE STREETS hit the shelves nearly two years later. Leaning more towards their heavy roots, the album failed to build on its predecessors' radio momentum. But backed by the title track, "What Ya Bringin' To The Party?" and the remake of Nazareth's "Dream On", still went gold. Capitol released a compilation in their "Over Sixty Minutes" series in '89 that spanned the group's NO REST, RAZOR'S EDGE and LONG WAY records, as well as the obligatory 'previously unreleased classics' "Everybody Pays The Price" and "Jasmine's Song". BACK FOR ANOTHER TASTE was cut in 1990 and was their heaviest, but most mature record yet. The Doerner brothers left the group midway through the album. With Greg Hinz as the new drummer, Helix was now a foursome. Behind the controls for the album was veteran producer Tony Bongiovi. Raw bar-room guitars were replaced with a slick combination of overdubs mixed with Vollmer's trademark "in your face" singing, most noteable in "The Storm", "Running Wild In The 21st Century" and "Heavy Metal Cowboys". Their shying away from nonsense just to earn a buck and a regular spot on MTV proved disasterous in the long run. Although BFAT is by far the group's heaviest and best record, Capitol was dissatisfied with the group's new approach and quickly stopped promoting them the way the had. GOOD TO THE LAST DROP was released in late '91 and although still holding true to what brought them to the dance, some say it lacked the magic that was Helix. Their cross-Canada toured abruptly in July of '92 when Hackman died after the group's van crashed in BC while the group was in the middle of a tour. The band carried on with Doerner returning on guitars and released IT'S A BUSINESS DOING PLEASURE in '93 on Aquarius Records. The first single, "That Day Is Gonna Come", was a tribute to Hackman with the video footage coming from the guitarist's own home movies shot on the road over the years. Also on the record was a guest appearance by Kim Mitchell on "Sleeping In The Doghouse Again" and a duet with Lee Aaron called "Look Me Straight In The Heart". DEEP CUTS was issued in '95 and was a greatest hits record which nicely packaged the group's biggest hits over the last 20 years, including a re-released version of "The Kids Are All Shakin", complete with a keyboards arrangement. The group hit the road for a few gigs that summer to promote the record and to let the world Helix was far from dead. '98 saw the release of HALF ALIVE. Coincidentally, one side of the tape was live ... one wasn't ... One side showed the group's raw power on stage while the other was 5 new tracks. Featured on the record were Vollmer and bassist Daryl Gray, as well as Archie Gamble on drums and guitarists Mark Chitken and Gary Border. Helix is by far Canada's greatest contribution to the metal scene. Packed with energy, their shows never leave you wanting more. A quarter-century of pounding home the message that Canada rocks has left an indelible mark on people in all four corners of the world. Ambassadors to the heavy metal world, we couldn't have picked better spokesmen that Helix. Written by Dan Brisebois of |
Discography
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I Could Never Leave |
Breaking Loose |
Does A Fool Ever Learn |
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Rock You |
The Kids Are All Shakin' |
Wild In The Streets |
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No Rest For The Wicked |
The Storm |
I Could Never Leave |
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That Day Is Gonna Come |
Shock City Psycho Rock |
Heavy Metal Love |
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Jaws Of The Tiger |
I'm A Live Frankenstein |
Under The Gun |
