This Wicked Nest

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艺人: Helstar
语种: 英语
厂牌: AFM Records
发行时间: 2014年04月25日
专辑类别: 录音室专辑

专辑介绍

Defying the swarms of conformity. - 85%

hells_unicorn, April 25th, 2014

When evolving a sound, as with anything else, there are a number of right ways and even more wrong ways in going about it. Naturally, many would prefer it if a band widely held as a significant forerunner and important historical contributor to a style would stick to their guns (*cough* Metallica), but while this is usually the best way to go, it is possible to revamp a sound without completely losing your target audience in the process. Helstar proved that one can change a bit with the times without sacrificing one's core back in 2008 with their well regarded comeback album The King Of Hell, which introduced a heavier, modern thrash metal element into their power/speed metal equation, and have stuck with it consistently up to and including their latest effort This Wicked Nest.

Assuming that one isn't familiar with the modern, revamped character that has dominated Helstar's present sound, it might be best likened to a halfway point between the post-Painkiller aggression of many recent German speed/power outfits and the pile-driving, percussive character of modern thrash albums such as recent Exodus and Overkill (think Killbox 13). When being pummeled by monster thrashers with just a tad bit too much melody and formulaic speed metal quirks to fully qualify as pure thrash metal in “Fall Of Dominion” and “It Has Risen”, it actually almost sounds like these Texans were listening to a fair bit of Demolition Hammer's seminal albums, though not quite taking the speed factor to the same exaggerated speed.

Just about everything that bursts from the speakers while this album is in play screams unfettered rage and revulsion, befitting the obvious political undertones hinted in the album art. But nowhere is the point made clearer than in James Rivera's spellbinding vocal performance. He's evolved a bit since the days of Remnants Of War and has mixed in some extreme shouts and blackened shrieks to complement the obvious Rob Halford and Ronnie Dio gymnastics that he can still belt out as if he were rivaling Harry Conklin and Geoff Tate back in the mid 80s, making for a perfect match with the heavier, mechanistic style being employed. His versatile abilities are further underscored by a soulful croon during the ballad sections of “Cursed”, a song that hearkens back a little closer to the semi-modern character of his work with Destiny's End.

But in spite of Rivera's forbidding vocal presence, This Wicked Nest proves to be a powerful collective effort that bridges the divide between thrash and power metal. It includes a rather impressive array of technical lead guitar breaks in every song (heavily reminiscent of Alex Skolnick and Kirk Hammett actually), to speak nothing for the instrumental display of riff wizardry with a slightly progressive edge “Isla De Las Munecas”, as well as some top notch drum work out of Michael Lewis, who is the lone newer member in the lineup. It might be a let down for some of Helstar's older fan base who want them to embrace the retro-character that has been heavily prominent in thrash metal circles of late, but anyone wanting a bone-crushing, modern take on metal that stops just short of leaving the power metal paradigm completely.

This Wicked Nest

专辑介绍

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