Helmet

Page Hamilton's first big break came in 1992, when his band Helmet's sophomore album, Meantime, went gold and set the template for '90s punk-metal. The front man's second big break happened this past August, when he shattered his collarbone after smashing into a tree while mountain biking in Oregon, thereby delaying Helmet's comeback tour and the release of Size Matters, the band's first album in seven years. "The first things in my mind were, 'Wow, this hurts,' and, 'Oh boy, this thing's stickin' up through the skin,' and then, 'Goddamnit, am I ever gonna be able to play guitar again?'" he says, laughing. Fortunately, surgery, painkillers and physical therapy have gotten Hamilton nearly back to normal, and now he's finally back out on the road with the new Helmet, which features former members of Anthrax, Orange 9mm, and White Zombie. Don't worry, though -- it sounds just like the old Helmet: down-tuned, muscular, riff-happy, catchy, and loud. Or, as Hamilton once had it described to him, "Like a big ball of ice cream coming at you, but then there's spinach inside of it."