05-26-2009, 11:27 AM
Helstar has always been one very special, sentimental favourite band of mine. I could have put them in the Thrash forum as well, since Helstar were so gifted and multi-faceted in their influences and individual playing style that I always felt this was one band that was never really about being a straight-up, one-style metal act. They superbly merged some of the coolest speed metal/thrash/power/punk etc and frankly, I'd simply call them a heavy metal heavy-hitter that was generally very under-rated and overlooked. Sadly, I never had the chance to watch their highly-praised live shows, when they were at the peak of their powers, in the mid-80s---at a time when the Big Four of Thrash and some of their other rivals seemed to be getting much more press and praise in the metal community of fans and "experts". 
As an avid Helstar fan, I'd readily recommend at least--what I still rate---as their three best discs: the debut, Burning Star, the follow-up, Remnants of War and Nosferatu (probably my favourite on most days). The other albums are pretty solid as well, Distant Thunder and the latest, King of Hell. They also released an excellent release (Sins of the Past) of a full album's worth of 're-recorded' songs plus a few 'new' songs and a DVD of the making of the album. If you can get past (I sure did) some of lead singer, James Rivera's periodically high-pitched power-metallish, almost Halford-like screams, on the early albums that I said I love best, you'd realise that the vocals are, in fact, pretty catchy and cool in their own right. Exciting lead guitars with plenty of memorable riffs and solos and some consistently inventive drumming make the music quite intense, aggressive, stylish and addictive. Helstar are currently touring Europe and playing heavy metal havoc at those venues, as I'm singing their praises, right here, down under in Australia.
Newbies, please try them out and talk about how you feel on these first listens.
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.myspace.com/helstar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false">www.myspace.com/helstar</a><!-- w -->
As an avid Helstar fan, I'd readily recommend at least--what I still rate---as their three best discs: the debut, Burning Star, the follow-up, Remnants of War and Nosferatu (probably my favourite on most days). The other albums are pretty solid as well, Distant Thunder and the latest, King of Hell. They also released an excellent release (Sins of the Past) of a full album's worth of 're-recorded' songs plus a few 'new' songs and a DVD of the making of the album. If you can get past (I sure did) some of lead singer, James Rivera's periodically high-pitched power-metallish, almost Halford-like screams, on the early albums that I said I love best, you'd realise that the vocals are, in fact, pretty catchy and cool in their own right. Exciting lead guitars with plenty of memorable riffs and solos and some consistently inventive drumming make the music quite intense, aggressive, stylish and addictive. Helstar are currently touring Europe and playing heavy metal havoc at those venues, as I'm singing their praises, right here, down under in Australia.
Newbies, please try them out and talk about how you feel on these first listens.
<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.myspace.com/helstar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false">www.myspace.com/helstar</a><!-- w -->