The hometown heroes show you how it's done in Clutch City with some killer thrash.Helstar are legends of the Houston metal scene circa the early 80s. I grew up listening to and seeing these guys monthly during my high school years. My buddies and I would pile into the car, grab a 6-pack 12 pack case, and head to Cardi's (or wherever the band was playing). I can remember after one show I had banged my head so hard that the next day I practically needed a neck brace to hold my head up. Good times.
Helstar was homegrown and went through the same musical evolution that many of the bigger names out there today did. It's a shame they never made it on the world stage because they had so much going for them back in the day - Remnants of War still stands up as one of the classic thrash albums of the era. The band has been on and off again over the last several years, but it looks as though they're gonna give it one more shot before they hang up their axes. Officially reunited with the majority of the Remnants of War lineup in 2006, Glory of Chaos is their second offering since their reunification.
Glory of Chaos sees the band moving into the new era of thrash and death metal with the band adopting some new techniques. This is evident especially on the lead track in which vocalist James Rivera has gone for a guttural/death metal vocal approach. I have to say that I didn't really dig him doing this sort of vocal style; James is strongest when he is belting it out in his clean vocal. It wasn't until the second track Pandemonium that I really started getting into the record - no, it didn't take long. Pandemonium is a mid-tempo rocker that is more reminiscent of the Helstar of old. The song has some cool heavy riffs and a great mid-section. Also, Rivera is back singing the way I like it. The next track to kick my ass was Summer of Hate. It's a straight ahead mid-tempo rocker driven by a cool riff reminiscent of Judas Priest's One on One; a great melody with a chugging rhythm that you know would "blow your Aunt Connie's socks off" (Dice!).
All in all, a solid record from the stars of the Houston strip (what strip?). The band has evolved and moved into the new millennium nicely. Most of the elements are still intact, with the exception of the technical riffing that they became known for in the late 80s. The band are still thrashy, but not as technical as they were back in the day. Not a bad thing though, because the songs on this disc rock (but I do miss it).
Bottom Line: Metal vets showing that they can still hang with the best of them. A nice variety of thrash and mid-tempo rockers that will have the head banging in no time. This one grows on you more and more with each spin.
Standout Tracks: Pandemonium, Monarch of Bloodshed, Summer of Hate, Deth Trap
- Ragman is wishing Cardi's was still around... (Genghis - "NO SHIT!")