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Helstar: This Wicked Nest

Heavy/Power/Thrash Metal

3.0/5.0

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AFM Records
Words by Craig Hartranft,  24.04.2014

This year is another milestone for the legendary Texas metal band Helstar. Thirty years ago they released their first album, Burning Star. To celebrate, on the tour in support of This Wicked Nest, their eighth studio album, Helstar will perform songs from that classic album.

Helstar: in the flames of Hel.

As for This Wicked Nest, it's basically The Glory of Chaos Part 2. That album was heavy and basically raging from start to finish. Ditto for this one. Helstar throws classic heavy, speed, and thrash metal into their blender pours out true Texas power metal. Get you earplugs because the rhythm section is thundering, the twin guitars blistering. Solos fly with technical thrills, and are likely the best part of the tunes.

Along the way, all this, especially the barrage of twin guitar riffage, basically crushes James Rivera's vocals. Either he didn't bring his A-game, getting weak in his middle age, or somebody didn't twist the knobs correctly. On Isla De Las Munecas (Island of the Dolls), his vocals are completely silenced. Just kidding. It's a metal instrumental. You actually do her him quite clearly in the opening moments of Cursed, but that's your best case scenario. It all seems rather strange, since Bill Lionel has always been considered one of the notable vocalists of American heavy metal. Nevertheless, if you've liked recent Helstar activity of blistering and raging, ice pick to the eardrums, sledgehammer to the skull, American thrash power metal, you'll probably like This Wicked Nest.

Helstar - Fall of Dominion

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

If you've liked recent Helstar activity of blistering and raging, ice pick to the eardrums, sledgehammer to the skull, American thrash power metal, you'll probably like This Wicked Nest.

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Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and ... [ Read More ]