Helstar "The King Of Hell" CD (Bonustracks)

Old school Heavy Metal in the vein of Judas Priest "Painkiller" and Ripper Owens period!!!

First of all, Helstar was one of the most talented bands in the mid-late 80s; they successfully mixed the darkness and intensity of thrash metal with the technicality of speed/power metal adding that unique Classical touch especially in their outstanding 89 release “Nosferatu” which is in my opinion one of the best releases in history of Rock/Metal.
I couldn’t believe it when I read that Helstar re-united and they intend to release an album close to “Nosferatu”. I kept waiting for that to happen until I got the album “The King of Hell”. Just looking at the title and the cover, as first impression, I was blown away.
The title track “The King of Hell” is a song that I’ve been waiting for maybe since the early 90s, I really couldn’t believe my ears how powerful, dark, technical, melodic and tight this song is. “The Plague Called Man” the second track of the album is the closest song to “Nosferatu” style with noticeable speed metal and classic influence. “Wicked Disposition” is an excellent song, Rivera being at his best here delivers some killing lines along the different parts of the song, this one is indeed a bit progressive mixing many styles including crazy “headbangeable” riffs. “Caress of the Dead” is another “Nosferatu” style song, with great lyrics and amazing guitar works. My favorite track from this album is “Pain Will Be Thy Name”; a thrash/speed song that includes high-pitch vocals, aggressive guitar riffs, and amazing drum beats. “In My Darkness” reminds me a lot of “The Curse Has Passed Away” mainly because of the acoustic intro and the downbeat mood, but the chorus has a super catchy thrash riff that I can’t out of my head. The final track “The Garden of Temptation” has another killer riff in the intro and just can’t be described in few words, it’s a must-listen for every metal listener, a true metal epic, hence the lyrics!
I really can’t get enough of this album; I wish I can shake hands with everyone who worked hard to accomplish this masterpiece. The band members are truly amazing musicians, I like especially “Jerry Abarca” which has a unique touch, I’ve heard nothing like it in metal yet. All of us have been waiting for our favorite bands from the 80s to come back, and many did, but many were very disappointing and some are still trying and failing. But no, not Helstar, these guys did it, they’re here and they’re stronger than ever. Once again “The King of Hell” is a must-have for every single metal listener.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...