Helstar - The Wicked Nest

Traditional/Speed Metal
AFM
2014










1. Fall Of Dominion
2. Eternal Black
3. This Wicked Nest
4. Souls Cry
5. Isla De La Munecas (Instrumental)
6. Cursed
7. It Has Risen
8. Defy The Swarm
9. Magormissabib

After The Glory Of Chaos, there's really no overstating how psyched I was to hear more Helstar. That one just knocked it out of the park with it's punishing and memorable riffs. I really enjoyed Helstar mixing it up by throwing some thrash into the mix and the band just sounded fresh and heavy. It seemed like since Nosferatu the riffs just hadn't had the same imagination and Glory Of Chaos solved that issue. I was really hoping Helstar would keep up that level of intensity here and just make another damn headbangable album.

Listening to The Wicked Nest there is zero doubt that this continues in the heavy and thrashy direction established on Glory Of Chaos. The thing is that while the style is similar there doesn't seem to be quite as much substance to this album. Sure things are attacking but I find neither the riffs or the rhythms they establish seem as memorable on this release. It's the sort of thing that's hard to nail down, but The Wicked Nest doesn't seem to have the hooks that drove Glory Of Chaos home for me. The songs sound heavy and often frantic, but they never really settle into a rhythm that sticks in your brain. Also, it seems to me that James Rivera relies to heavily on screeching out his vocals here as opposed to utilizing his mid-range or wailing out some cleaner highs like on the earlier material. I really would have preferred if these shrieks were used more for emphasis and not so heavily relied on. I do have to wonder if James Rivera is more comfortable and able to deliver shrieks rather than clean highs these days.

Gripes aside this is a pretty intense release that does keep the thrashy vibe intact and there are some good, if not quite as mind blowing, songs. Fall Of Dominion and Eternal Black open up the album well with a pounding sort of sound. Also worth noting is the oddball of the album, Cursed. That one is nothing like I would have expected with it's doomy pace and low key melodic passages, but it's also a very pleasant surprise. Think of something like OverKill's Years Of Decay or Horrorscope as it is a slow mover and a long one, but also highly enjoyable for it's moody vibe and also features a strong solo.

Overall, the songs here just don't stick in my brain nearly as much as the songs on Glory Of Chaos and the it lacks grounding in solid rhythms, but it is also pretty good for what it is. In terms of a kind of frantic thrash metal release this is pretty enjoyable. I just can't help being a little let down that it's not as incredible as Glory Of Chaos. I guess the band can't hit a home run every time. This is still a pretty enjoyable speed metal release with flavorings of thrash.

Highlights: Cursed, Fall Of Dominion, Eternal Black

Rating - 3.5/5