Helstar

We were talking a bout underrated bands in another thread, and here is an underrated band if I ever knew one. These guys were so good, both technically and at songwriting, it is a mystery why they never hit it bigtime. Just goes to show that talent doesn't equal success. They were in a league of their own with their unique speed metal style, creating complex music that managed to sound straight forward and heavy.

Any other fans?

Helstar is awesome! My fave album is probably BURNING STAR, with REMNANTS OF WAR in at a close second. Very cool, underrated stuff. Anything that James Rivera sings on is gold, IMHO. He's singing for Vicious Rumors right now and their new CD (WARBALL) smokes too!

Big fan!

I heard they weren't drawing many people on their Nosferatu tour and that album is incredible. In my view, they did acheive success, but it was musical and not commercial.

They are rerecording their old classics for a "greatest hits" album. Should be interesting.

I don't really have high hopes for a new HELSTAR disc of originals though.

Their live DVD "Burning Alive" is really good.

Anyone have a copy of Andre Corbin's solo demo that he recorded with their ex-drummer? It goes for over a hundred bucks on EBay.

Amazing! "A Distant Thunder", when i first heard it, i got hooked instantly. I Love the vocals, James Rivera for the win.

Burning Star is a classic. Does anybody remember where Helstar is from?

Houston,Texas

Saw them in 87 (or was it 86?) on their "Remnants of War" tour with TT Quick headlining on their "Metal of Honor" tour. Great show, no one there to see it but a handful of diehards. After Helstar, the place cleared out and me and about 20 other people stayed to watch TT Quick. They ruled! After their set both bands came out and partied with us.

NOt only HELSTAR is great but also the other JAMES RIVERA bands like DESTINY´S END, DISTANT THUNDER etc...
The only releases of HELSTAR that i dont like are MULTIPLES OF BLACK and TWAS THE NIGHT OF A HELLISH X MAS(very bad sounding live recording, worse then any bootleg).

Outstanding band! And what is amazing is that even though they never achieved the success or recognition they deserved, the band members could hardly move on. Multiples Of Black is not a Helstar album, though it's got the Helstar name on it. Distant Thunder—named after the Helstar classic, of course—had to tour under the Helstar banner just to be able to get shows booked! They weren't Helstar!

It's ridiculous how the music industry and fans operate. Clubs wouldn't book and people wouldn't go see Distant Thunder for their Welcome The End album, but they would for "Helstar" touring for Distant Thunder's Welcome The End album? Makes sense.

Killer band, though. Very hard to upgrade from cassette, though. Haha.

Eyesore wrote:

Outstanding band! And what is amazing is that even though they never achieved the success or recognition they deserved, the band members could hardly move on. Multiples Of Black is not a Helstar album, though it's got the Helstar name on it. Distant Thunder—named after the Helstar classic, of course—had to tour under the Helstar banner just to be able to get shows booked! They weren't Helstar!

It's ridiculous how the music industry and fans operate. Clubs wouldn't book and people wouldn't go see Distant Thunder for their Welcome The End album, but they would for "Helstar" touring for Distant Thunder's Welcome The End album? Makes sense.

Killer band, though. Very hard to upgrade from cassette, though. Haha.

Yes, that is ridiculous because i think that a real fan now for exemple that DISTANT THUNDER is with JAMES RIVERA and they dont have to try to sell them like HELSTAR to me. F*** THOSE PROMOTORS:lol!:

Eyesore wrote:

Outstanding band! And what is amazing is that even though they never achieved the success or recognition they deserved, the band members could hardly move on. Multiples Of Black is not a Helstar album, though it's got the Helstar name on it. Distant Thunder—named after the Helstar classic, of course—had to tour under the Helstar banner just to be able to get shows booked! They weren't Helstar!

It's ridiculous how the music industry and fans operate. Clubs wouldn't book and people wouldn't go see Distant Thunder for their Welcome The End album, but they would for "Helstar" touring for Distant Thunder's Welcome The End album? Makes sense.

Killer band, though. Very hard to upgrade from cassette, though. Haha.

That band played tons of HELSTAR songs though, so that's the difference. When they billed themselves as HELSTAR, that is the material they focused on.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Outstanding band! And what is amazing is that even though they never achieved the success or recognition they deserved, the band members could hardly move on. Multiples Of Black is not a Helstar album, though it's got the Helstar name on it. Distant Thunder—named after the Helstar classic, of course—had to tour under the Helstar banner just to be able to get shows booked! They weren't Helstar!

It's ridiculous how the music industry and fans operate. Clubs wouldn't book and people wouldn't go see Distant Thunder for their Welcome The End album, but they would for "Helstar" touring for Distant Thunder's Welcome The End album? Makes sense.

Killer band, though. Very hard to upgrade from cassette, though. Haha.

That band played tons of HELSTAR songs though, so that's the difference. When they billed themselves as HELSTAR, that is the material they focused on.

But still they are not HELSTAR. They are DISTANT THUNDER and they should be billed as DISTANT THUNDER even if they play only HELSTAR songs because they are just doing covers by HELSTAR, because they are DISTANT THUNDER, even if the singer was in HELSTAR. Did you got my point:lol!:?????

Yeah, stuff like that sucks. Just today my old fart boss was complaining that he went to see "Bllod Sweat & Tears"; and he felt ripped off because he said there were no original members.
Then there's the famous story about Rod Evans getting sued after trying to tour as "Deep Purple". Also I know that for a long time there were two Hawkwinds touring simultaniously; and right now there are essentially two Styx.
But the thing that's always bothered me most is that the record company made Iommi/Hughes market the 7th Star project under "Black Sabbath". I don't know if it was Iommi or the label that decided to call the Tony Martin era Sabbath too; but I wish they had changed the name, as that was a great band that always suffers in comparison to the "real" Sabbath. I think the current Heaven and Hell moniker is a good idea.

"The King Is Dead" was a killer tune...and like mentioned earlier-the new Vicious Rumors "Warball" disc is highly recommended.........Ultmetal-you and the other 20 were obviously the smartest folks in the building that night.

Update on the forthcoming Helstar "Best-Of" disc, fresh from Blabbermouth...

HELSTAR: 'Sins Of The Past' Details Revealed - Oct. 10, 2007

AFM Records has set a November 23 release date for HELSTAR's "Sins of the Past", a "best-of" album featuring re-recordings of the band's classics along with two brand new tracks. The first edition of "Sins of the Past" will come in a special CD layout. A limited picture vinyl version will also be available.

"Sins of the Past" track listing:

01. Burning Star
02. Suicidal Nightmare
03. The King Is Dead
04. Evil Reign
05. Baptised In Blood
06. Witch's Eye
07. Tyrannicide
08. Harker's Tale
09. Angel of Death
10. Dracula's Castle
11. Face the Wicked One
12. Tormentor (new song)
13. Caress of the Dead (new song)

+ Additional video material (approx. one hour in length)

An all-new album of original HELSTAR material is tentatively due next summer.

I dig them.

Love me some Helstar.Criminally underrated band!

I'm wondering about these re-recordings since they are tuning the guitars down and are adding some death metal vocals on some parts but I am sure I will buy it anyway.

1 min clip of re-recorded song here: http://www.afm-records.de/de/home/new_releases.html

Quote :

I'm wondering about these re-recordings since they are tuning the guitars down and are adding some death metal vocals on some parts but I am sure I will buy it anyway.

Temple of Blood wrote:

1 min clip of re-recorded song here: [url=http://www.afm-records.de/de/home/new_releases.html

[/quote[/url]]

That clip sounds pretty good to me... where'd you hear that they were down-tuning and adding death metal vocals?? I can't imagine James Rivera pulling off death vox.

James said it I believe. Somewhere on the net. Can't remember where.

I think they said "Baptized in Blood" would have some backing death growls to it.

I don't know. Maybe that could be cool. I never would've thought it's necessary but I guess if you're re-recording it anyway, why not try something different?

I just can't see DM fans saying "you know, I never liked HELSTAR before but now that they tuned down and added death growls in the b/g, I really like them!"

Temple of Blood wrote:

James said it I believe. Somewhere on the net. Can't remember where.

I think they said "Baptized in Blood" would have some backing death growls to it.

Hmm, odd. I wonder if Rivera himself can do those kinds of vocals, or if they're gonna bring in another guy to do'em?

I guess it might work for a special effect on one track, but it would sound godawful silly for 'em to do full-on death vox throughout the entire album!

Fat Freddy wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

James said it I believe. Somewhere on the net. Can't remember where.

I think they said "Baptized in Blood" would have some backing death growls to it.

Hmm, odd. I wonder if Rivera himself can do those kinds of vocals, or if they're gonna bring in another guy to do'em?

I guess it might work for a special effect on one track, but it would sound godawful silly for 'em to do full-on death vox throughout the entire album!

It does seem like an odd direction to go in for a band like Helstar, but I'll reserve judgement till I hear it.

I only have Nosferatu and Twas the Night..., so I'd be interested in picking this one up.

I dunno. Maybe they'll get that guy from Eternity Black, their side band, to do them.

guesswork below:

I think they didn't get a nibble from EB from labels which is why they decided to reform HELSTAR. Which makes sense if you think about it. Modern popular bands are only popular because ... they're popular! Popularity begats more popularity. An underground band of older guys who aren't touring 365 trying to sound modern and get popular isn't going to work. There is no underground metalcore scene IMHO. No collectors are out there scouting for umndeground high-quality metalcore acts. People like metalcore because it is popular, not because it is good IMHO. In other words, they have no potential audience.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I only have Nosferatu and Twas the Night..., so I'd be interested in picking this one up.

You need BURNING STAR and A DISTANT THUNDER.