Remnants of War is my personal favorite one, though the next two are probably about as good or better in some ways. "Evil Reign" and "Angel of Death" were some of my first metal songs and they fucking rule. Especially the Egyptian-style riffs on "Evil Reign."

Like ToB, I also believe you got two masterpieces of metal. The inclusion of Corbin Helstar made all the difference to me. Those two albums are among my favorites ever in metal. Scorcher, what a song...

Yeah, Corbin can never really be replaced, as history has shown us.

I dunno, Vampiro is a hell of an album. The solos on From the Pulpit to the Pit and Repent in Fire are as good as any on the Corbin albums, imo.

I gotta disagree on that one, although I will say that Barragan is amazing in his own right.

You can scroll down here for my review of that album: https://rateyourmusic.com/list/GeneralZ ... -of-art/6/

Hah, I think Malediction is a much more interesting instrumental than Perseverance and Desperation, which imo doesn't have nearly enough rhythmic variation - it's basically up and down scales and arpeggios for most of its length.

Vampiro is great and it's easily the band's best album since Nosferatu, but I agree with Temple of Blood that it's still not as good as A Distant Thunder and Nosferatu, almost certainly because of that duo, at least in part. Nothing on Vampiro grabs me as much as a "Baptized in Blood" or a "Winds of War." I'd probably give it an 80% or so. Clearly they still have a lot of what made 80s Helstar so good, and I'm not completely closed to the idea that they could get on that late 80s level again, but to me it definitely hasn't happened yet.

P.S. I do agree on "Malediction" being better than "Perseverance and Desparation," though, I was never a big fan of that one. It's usually the only song I skip when listening to Nosferatu.

The riffs and energy on Vampiro are so deliciously good, but as I said in my review a few days ago, I still think Rivera brings it down. He just can't sing like he used to anymore. He sounds better here than on the last few albums, but even so, too many choruses are just slow and dragging.

I think Rivera's adapted well to ageing and he was never the most skilled vocalist, anyway. So, the harsher style works very well. Yeah, Vampiro was a big surprise and they really delivered. Let's hope they've got more of that ilk up their sleeve... as we all know, their style, when done right, is pure magic.

Vampiro was great and in the right direction (band was kinda hit and miss over the last records) but the absence of the players in those two albums (starting with Corbin but also Frank Ferreira - ideal drummer for that stuff - and Abarca) is rather noticeable. And I do agree that Rivera doesn't have the same godly chops he used to have.

I love Perseverance and Desperation, it's the simplest one on the album structurally and musically I guess (just a neoclassical shredfest) but it's VERY well done and I love the part where the acoustic rises in the mix and even dominates the solo. And it's an ideal intro to The Curse Has Passed Away.

Corbin/Barragan is among my favorite guitar duos in metal history. Riff machines. And I think Andre is the one responsible for the really speedy, elaborate riffing, at least that's my impression, judging from the works before and after him. That stuff is my favorite thing about Helstar to be honest, I completely lose my shit when I hear the riffage in To Sleep, Per To Scream for example.

Just listened to the new Sorcerer finally. GREAT stuff, very much Tony Martin era Sabbath meets Candlemass, done very well with memorable songs. I'm really glad this kind of doom metal is having a wave of good releases (like Doomocracy, Procession or Crypt Sermon).

I want to love Vampiro so badly but the sound tanks it for me. All these classic/respected metal bands love using that modern guitar sound and it just hits my ears like a nightmare.

edit: WHOA! Did you guys see that Dark Age EP got issued on CD? There's an eponymous bonus track. Never heard it. I bet it's incredible and now I have to buy this.

The production bothered me a lot to start, but honestly I've grown to not mind it on repeated listens. I still don't particularly like the guitar sound, but it doesn't really detract from it for me.

There's just way too much great shit coming from everywhere for me to make time to adjust to awful sounds. Been jamming the fuck out of demos from Manacle and Black Viper.

Not to mention regular spins for Demon Bitch, Legionnaire, Lord Fist, Borrowed Time...Why can't more old/legendary bands be like Satan? They didn't fall for that plastic bullshit.

Lizzy Borden get lost in my collection sometimes. But Rod of Iron won't let me go. Is that a career-defining tune or what? He has to be one of the most underrated vocalists. Really odd character to his voice. It's airy but in a soulful way? I can't quite call it but I love it so much. Rod of Iron is insanely special. Specifically the MMIV version.

Vampiro is the darkest most throat slashingest power metal album and Rivera's vocals STILL sound godlike. His vocals on this really immerse me into the grit and horror of this album's subject matter.

I listened to Love You to Pieces a week or so ago after avoiding the band for several years due to a vague recollection of some kind of bad first impression. Really cool stuff. The combination of hard rock attitude and over-the-top theatrics recall WASP to mind. Definitely going to have to listen to them more. I don't remember Rod of Iron specifically at the moment as I just kind of let the album sink in while doing other things, but it definitely left a better impression this time. No idea if the rest of their discography is any good but the reviews make me cautiously optimistic.

BTW I still haven't forgiven you for leaving Warriors of Metal early and missing Helstar 5 years ago

Yeah, I have to say, Rivera has defied all expectations for me. When the upper part of his tenor range started to get a bit patchy a few years ago, I sort of figured his best days were behind him. When I heard him talk about starting to incorporate a harsher approach in interviews, I was also really skeptical.

But the man still, unarguably, rules. Perhaps not in the same way that he ruled on his earlier work, but he rules all the same. He's got such a variety of "tricks" up his sleeve that he can put into any given track, and he uses them all in ways that I find really convincing and fun to listen to.

I think the one thing that Rivera has that will never really go with age is the ability to really sell a song. He's one of those few vocalists (Perry McCarthy of Warrior and Michael "M.A.J.O.R." Knoblich of Scanner also jump to mind) who can jump into a theme and present it as if it's THE SINGLE MOST AWESOME THING EVER without it seeming forced or cringey or out-of-place. In a band like Helstar, which thrives on being able to embrace those goofy B-movie horror vibes in just that way, it's an absolutely indispensable talent.

I actually agree with Empyreal that Rivera isn't as good anymore. Not that he's awful or anything but that harsh screaming I find somewhat annoying and his higher notes are starting to thin out it seems. Having that said, Vampiro is a change for the better and while I'm just not crazy about it anymore (there's just something about comeback albums that, even if they sound decent, hardly live up to their classic stuff, as the standards have been put way up high for most bands) I can see the band putting out a few more albums in the years to come that might sound even better.

You made me miss Borrowed Time and now they don't exist. Old-ass Helstar are still touring.

Jophelerex: I got you on a Lizzy Borden breakdown, give me a little time. I think I can save you some trouble. You're pretty much only ever going to want their debut I think, if I've got your tastes pinned down.

I tried to listen to the Lizzy greatest hits on Bandcamp the other day and couldn't make it all the way through it. I think you'd have to be a big KISS fan to be into this band. My band was asked to comtribute a song to a LB tribute album many years ago but I couldn't make myself do it. Where are the great riffs? I hate "metal" like this, that is 100% about the vocals with a faceless band behind them. The only songs I like were frankly sung and played better by Deadly Blessing & Faith Factor when they covered them.

Was there much from the debut on there? I would expect any of the regular haunters of this thread to dig that one. It's got a fair bit of killer speed metal and lots of quality riffing. After that they tend to get more and more commercial with each release. This culminates in Visual Lies which I think is actually a pop metal classic that I would put alongside anything from Dokken. KISS probably is a huge influence though. I love how they manage to hit that huge sleazy sound while still retaining some riffing power.

Love You to Pieces has some heat.

Edit: Jesus christ, was it this tracklist? This is AWFUL:

Track List:
1. Me Against the World: - 00:00
2. American Metal: - 5:05
3. Notorious: - 11:00
4. Master of Disguise: - 15:17
5. Psychopath: - 22:39
6. Eyes of a Stranger: - 26:17
7. Red Rum (Live): - 30:45
8. Ultra Violence: - 35:34
9. Live and Let Die (Live): - 39:43
10. Give Em the Axe: - 43:23
11. Love Kills: - 46:17
12. Love Is A Crime: - 51:43
13. Lord of the Flies: - 57:14
14. Rod of Iron: - 01:02:58

That starts with some of their most midpaced "arena oriented" songs. American Metal rules in it's position on the album, but this is a poorly put together best of. NOTHING from Master of Disguise should be on there, it's a god damn concept album! It looks like the second half of this gets a lot more aggressive but still...don't listen to a 'best of'. Check out Love You to Pieces.

Checking out some songs from Love You to Pieces and Visual Lies and I dig them both. The former sounds like rugged old school metal with Geoff Tate-style wails and the latter is super slick, well done polished material - both very cool. I'll get more into this for sure.

Thanks, I'll check out the debut. Yes, that was the track list and "Rod of Iron" was last, which I still need to hear.

Rod of Iron is really special but it builds and builds. I think I love the MMIV version because it's even more vocal-oriented which is not something you'll catch me saying much.

You guys know anything about the Netherlands Attila? They look meaner than a fuck. I just ordered their EP, Violent Streets. I sampled literally 45 seconds of it, just enough to make sure it wasn't a huge miss. There are zero reviews for them. It looks like beyond the first two EPs they may have lost the plot a little, I'm not sure. They look tough as hell though, and billed as power metal.

I actually sampled Triad the other day when I was checking/re-checking some obscure/overlooked USPM, the same day that I listened to Lizzy Borden, and I found it underwhelming, from what I recall the riffs weren't very memorable and the vocals left something to be desired. Maybe that EP is better.

From your description also, yeah, it doesn't sound like I'd probably be into any of LB's other material. Frankly, I'm surprised to hear that you dig something which Empyreal describes "super slick" and "polished," but I guess everyone does experience things a little differently. I'm not a fan of Dokken so I can imagine I'll just stick with Love You To Pieces. Very glad I revisited that one though, there's always new USPM to find even for a veteran like me. One of the most alluring things about it. Every time I do digging into some really obscure bands and/or those I've forgotten about, I seem to find at least one new thing that I dig. USPM 4 lyfe \m/

Love You to Pieces is definitely the essential album from this band. Can't think of a more perfect example of glam sleaze meets true POWER. The WASP debut is the only other one. Lizzy Borden's 2008 album Appointment With Death is worth checking out. I don't think I see any songs from it on the tracklist above. It's their best and most consistent album since at least Visual Lies. Sunset blvd mixed with darker power metal. In fact I think I might go spin it now...

I have a huge soft spot for what I would call "pop metal" that still retains some ballsy riffing. Visual Lies, Dokken's "Beast from the East" double live (That guitar tone, fuck!), Blackout by Scorpions. That type of shit. I love it. I just discovered this last year. Slick and polished in the 80s is a lot more tolerable (even desirable sometimes!) to me than slick and polished in nowadays metal. Blech.

Hmm, okay. I'm not really familiar with Scorpions at all outside of their hits (their discography is daunting, besides the fact that I tend not to be as into more hard rocking stuff than many around here, plus, that album cover on Virgin Killer ....... >_>) and I don't think I've ever heard that live album from Dokken. Stuff that still retains ballsy riffing sounds good, though I suspect we may have slightly different thresholds for what constitutes riffing being "ballsy." I see where you're coming from, though. Feel free to link tracks from that Lizzy Borden album, or for that matter Scorpions or Dokken that you find to be especially ballsy! I haven't explored that side of things as much so I might like it, who knows!

Visual Lies is almost done and yeah, this is super impressive. I wouldn't say it's ballsy in a way Joph would like... this is all about the tremendous vocal performance and those slick, atmospheric but also powerful, clean riffs that are more about quality than quantity. Super 80s style sound but man does it work - maybe one of the better examples of this style I've heard. Can't wait to play this some more.

Glad you dig it man! It took me a few spins to realize I loved it. It's definitely not as heavy or fast as their first two but it does have a certain special quality to it. How fucking great is Den of Thieves though? That speed injection RIGHT when the album needs it. They understand pacing very well I think. Voyeur (I'm Watching You) is also a huge favorite. So catchy.


Jophy boi! Dokken seriously fucking rules. They're like the best possible example of pop metal, in their prime. Beast from the East, literally the only record you ever need from them. I've had a blast listening to these tunes just to pick out a few favorites. George Lynch is an absolute god damn mad man on this recording. He's just as on fire as that guitar tone. Dig the soloing in Kiss of Death!

Tooth and Nail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ysk_NcvPbI

Kiss of Death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D43PaIabX_c

Into the Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEKWFuo98Po

Breaking the Chains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkmNEDkXc1s

I'm not going to pretend like I know the in's and out's of their whole discography but when they're on they are motherfucking ON! I think this live album captures them at their best, with the best possible sound and energy. This shit is just stupidly fun.

The title track, "Lord of the Flies" and "Visions" stuck out. I dig bands that do that super atmospheric style in the context of old rock/metal - something just so chilling and affecting about it. The singer is a lot like Geoff Tate so it also helps - Tate was always one of the more evocative singers.

It's ok, I had already seen Borrowed Time. They were really awesome live.

Fucking love Kiss of Death. My favorite tune of theirs for sure. Saw them live last year... No Lynch but I wanted to hear Kiss of Death live and they nailed it. That riffing is delicious.

OK, yeah, this is pretty cool. Breaking the Chains is a bit too blatantly, stupidly repetitive for my tastes, but the other three rock pretty hard to my ears. I think I'd only heard their debut and that must have been several years ago now. I'll definitely download that live album, you weren't kidding about the guitar tone either! One of the meatiest tones I've heard this side of Skullview's debut. Cheers!

Well I'm glad it's a fun running joke for you or whatever but I'm actually still upset about it to this day. I didn't enjoy being around you at all and I think the whole thing would have been 10,000x better without the meet-up. My wanting to leave early had less to do with Helstar and more with wanting to get the FUCK out of there. I wish I could re-do the entire thing but that's life I guess.

Glad you guys dig on some Dokken! Believe me I was surprised too. You hear a few people call it "hair metal" and just assume man...

I was supposed to go to that WoM but my ride bailed at the last minute and I didn't have a car yet at the time. At least you got to see some of it! >_> If they ever have it again (which definitely doesn't seem like a sure thing), I'll go to make up for my disappointment, although it's unlikely the lineup will be as good as Manilla Road and Helstar.

It was pretty wild. There was a tornado. Manilla Road's set got cut down to about 45 minutes which was lame as fuck, although of course they still killed it. I cried, seeing them for the first time. Of course FSM found it a good opportunity to deride me for "not going crazy enough" during their set. As if my pushing-270-lbs ass was gonna do anything in that humidity but sway and smile.

Yeah, I guess my ride bailing probably had something to do with the weather - my town apparently lost power for like a week, but luckily I didn't have to deal with that shit because I ended up seeing family in New Jersey instead. At least I did finally get to see Manilla Road in 2014 when I got a car. Still need to see Helstar sometime. Once I get in a financial situation where I can actually pay off my ridiculous student loan bills, get a comfortable place, and buy other necessities without stretching my bank account, I'm planning to move somewhere that's not 4-5 hours from seeing bands that I actually give a shit about. I don't go to concerts much still for that reason.

I can't see anything worth seeing without a 4.5-7 hour drive (Chicago, St. Louis, occasionally Ohio). In my old age I'm getting a little more selective about what shows I'm willing to kill myself for, but there are still plenty.

I've seen them 3 times now and each one was amazing. Alehorn of Power VII was the best by a mile though. It was a life-altering experience. They put on a MASSIVE set at my favorite venue on earth (Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago) and I got introduced to Harbinger (Detroit) and High Spirits live, while also meeting Victor Ruiz for the first time who fatefully pressed a Demon Bitch demo tape into my hand and guaranteed that I would love it. He wasn't wrong.