Helstar - Glory of Chaos

Another one of those bands from my distant youth is still plowing through the metal milieu with reckless abandon. Helstar sets out to prove that 29-years after its birth in 1982 there’s no slowing down in sight for these Texas bashers. Far from being typical good ol’ boys from the Lone Star state, James Rivera and company pile on the speedy power grooves like syrup over hotcakes - good and heavy! Glory of Chaos pinpoints the thrashy side of power metal perfectly, combining the two sub-genres so intricately that to categorize this album one way or the other is a disservice to the music and the band.

The opening track “Angels Fall to Hell” literally creates the mood generated for the rest of the album, one of relentless and caustic assault. “Pandemonium” is a mosh-worthy track that can easily get a few hundred people slamming into one another in an open field with its incredible Micheal Lewis drumming. Glory of Chaos encompasses everything necessary in a metal album in the current day: speedy riffs, intelligent, structured drumming, powerful, yet realistic vocal styles, and, most importantly, songs that are both resonating and memorable. Rivera’s voice is as strong and as lifting as ever, hitting highs when needed and lows when called for accordingly.

This album could easily stand up against 1986’s Remnants of War or even the more current The King of Hell from ’08. It’s especially gratifying when a classic band comes up with music that is both modern in design and flavor, yet remains obligingly antiquated in all the right spots. “Bone Crusher” reminds me of the time when I first bought Nosferatu from my local metal section back in ’89 - it spells out aggressive metal fury tempered with varying degrees of power metal the likes of which Hammerfall or current Blind Guardian really can’t grasp, in my ever humble opinion. This here is what ‘power metal’ is supposed to be: powerful, often speedy metal music that can generate feelings of introspection and entertainment in one happy setting without relying on generic devices for compliments or ideas. Where we now have too-high vocals and silly, criminally overused keyboards in place of guitars creating a plasticity too often regarded as advancement in the genre, we have bands like Helstar to keep us oldsters happy by not giving in to formulaic pressure.

I really like “Summer of Hate” which begins with the classic Charles Manson narrative from an old Geraldo Rivera interview in which he rather famously declares “If I started killing people…there’d be none of ya left.” Where these little sound bites have become tired and vastly overused by too many a band, Helstar does it correctly by using it once to set the stage, then leaving the music to pick up the pieces and create the puzzle rather than having more inane bites scattered within to ruin the mood. “Anger” also allows the fan a seasonal outlet for aggressiveness and rage by giving us a new-classic Helstar track to put up there with “Destroyer” or “Perseverance and Desperation.” There’s not one weak track on Glory of Chaos and you really should hear this record for yourself. 

Over the top and in through the bottom, Glory of Chaos is a top effort all over and should please fans of pretty much any genre from power to speed, to thrash to progressive-groove. I’m glad to see James and the boys still kicking it around like a childhood soccer ball that still have many good years left in it.      

Release Date: November 5, 2010
Label: AFM Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Angels Fall to Hell
2.  Pandemonium
3.  Monarch Of Bloodshed
4.  Bone Crusher
5.  Summer Of Hate
6.  Dethtrap
7.  Anger
8.  Trinity Of Heresy
9.  Alma Negra
10.  Zero One

Total playing time:  44:35

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*Comments:

Reviewer: Chris

January 18, 2011