''Size Matters'' is the fifth album by Helmet, released in 2004 through Interscope. It is the first new album since the band ended with a bitter break up in 1998. Page Hamilton, the band's founder and chief songwriter, is the only original member appearing on the album. Therefore, many purists object to it being called "Helmet" and consider it to be a Page Hamilton solo project. According to Hamilton, John Stanier (drums) and Henry Bogdan (bass) both declined the invitation to reunite.

Despite the purists' objections, the album carries on in the Helmet tradition with Hamilton's trademark staccato sound. The album was recorded as a three-piece with John Tempesta on drums and Chris Traynor (guitarist on the ''Aftertaste'' tour) on bass. After recording was done, bassist Frank Bello was brought in so Traynor could return to guitar.

''Size Matters'' had one single in "See You Dead." The track "Throwing Punches" was also included on the film soundtrack for ''Underworld'', and "Crashing Foreign Cars" was featured in the video game ''Need For Speed: Underground 2''. - Wikipedia

Irresistible force meets immovable object-quick, who wins? Page Hamilton has defied the laws of physics by releasing another Helmet record, even though drummer John Stanier and bassist Henry Bogdan haven't spoken to the guitarist since the tour following 1997's Aftertaste. Sucks to see them go, though the group hadn't charted a clear course since 1992's Meantime. Besides, autocracy has always been Hamilton's style; Helmet was in its finest form (first two records) when Hamilton delegated authority only circumspectly, and its worst (last two records) when latent nice-guy tendencies undercut his judgment.

Latter-day touring guitarist Chris Traynor (who switched to bass for the recording sessions) and metal refugees Frank Bello and John Tempesta help Hamilton realize his seven-year itch on Size Matters. A few sessions of intensive group therapy, a la Metallica's Some Kind of Monster, might've set Hamilton, Stanier and Bogdan straight; instead, Hamilton has been left to sort out his feelings about the erstwhile rhythm section on excessively aggro tracks like "Crashing Foreign Cars" and "Enemies." Stanier and Bogdan are only granted a brief reprieve on those few cuts where Hamilton catalogs perceived slights and scars from other relationships. As a window to the psyche, this is one giant leap for Hamilton; for the rest of us, it's only fun if you close your eyes and pretend that's just Josh Homme with a sore throat on "See You Dead." A little gloom and doom has opened the door for a more piercing narrative, though Size Matters suggests that's he has simply traded the predictable rut of grungy minimalism for the predictable rut of playing catch-up to the whippersnappers who swallowed Helmet and vomited up nu metal. Hooray for catharsis.

"Irresistible force meets immovable object-quick, who wins? Page Hamilton has defied the laws of physics by releasing another Helmet record, even though drummer John Stanier and bassist Henry Bogdan haven't spoken to the guitarist since the tour following 1997's Aftertaste. Sucks to see them go, though the group hadn't charted a clear course since 1992's Meantime. Besides, autocracy has always been Hamilton's style; Helmet was in its finest form (first two records) when Hamilton delegated authority only circumspectly, and its worst (last two records) when latent nice-guy tendencies undercut his judgment.

Latter-day touring guitarist Chris Traynor (who switched to bass for the recording sessions) and metal refugees Frank Bello and John Tempesta help Hamilton realize his seven-year itch on Size Matters. A few sessions of intensive group therapy, a la Metallica's Some Kind of Monster, might've set Hamilton, Stanier and Bogdan straight; instead, Hamilton has been left to sort out his feelings about the erstwhile rhythm section on excessively aggro tracks like ""Crashing Foreign Cars"" and ""Enemies."" Stanier and Bogdan are only granted a brief reprieve on those few cuts where Hamilton catalogs perceived slights and scars from other relationships. As a window to the psyche, this is one giant leap for Hamilton; for the rest of us, it's only fun if you close your eyes and pretend that's just Josh Homme with a sore throat on ""See You Dead."" A little gloom and doom has opened the door for a more piercing narrative, though Size Matters suggests that's he has simply traded the predictable rut of grungy minimalism for the predictable rut of playing catch-up to the whippersnappers who swallowed Helmet and vomited up nu metal. Hooray for catharsis.

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