LightningRider Helstar reached a creative peak with their third studio album, A Distant Thunder" which was quirky and diversified much like "Deep Purple in Rock" was. The follow-up, Nosferatu, was different. It focused on the brutality of speed metal and US Power Metal, and the album was much darker because of its vampyric lyrics and more well-produced, as well as more technical. Some of the band's most incredible solos are featured on this album, notably on "Baptized in Blood" and "The Curse Has Passed Away."

Having said that, I prefer A Distant Thunde" because the album was more diverse and unpredictable. Many of the songs on "Nosferatu," while brilliantly played, sound the same. Their overall goal is shared: be a dark and well-produced metal album with neoclassical technicality.

Ironically, this is considered to be Helstar's best album because of the technicality. To say that this isn't one of US power metal's greatest technical achievements would be a fallacy. There are plenty of moments of sheer brilliance in Nosferatu that many guitar players can only hope to compose. If this artistry was paired with the variety featured on A Distant Star, it would have been US power metal's crowning achievement.

LightningRider One of power metal's greatest accomplishments is the unique, diversified and purely epic "A Distant Thunder" by Helstar, which took all of the strengths of their first two albums and mixed them with the extensive progginess that was becoming more and more apparent in metal since the likes of Dream Theater showed up for the game. And in the end, we have an album that is much more creative than the average power metal album, and something that can stand with the giants of Germany.

The first three songs gradually get better, with "A Bitter End" being one of the band's best, never overdoing the incredible aggression and speed, and "Abandon Ship" is even better molding a sorcery of progression and atmosphere into the mix. The second half of the album is a fantastic half on its own, but it's a little more repetitive thanks to the good but somewhat pointless midtro "Whore of Babylon." The album ends with a progressive mix of ballad and speed called "Winds of War" and a speed metal cover of "He's a Woman, She's a Man" by Scorpions. The cover is about as good as the original.

I'd say this Helstar album is purely essential for anyone looking to explore metal in general. And as far as getting into Helstar, it's a fantastic entryway for exploring the band.

LightningRider Helstar started out as a typical metal band with a lot of built-up energy that they needed to get rid of, so they started as soon as their debut album came out. A Burning Star is a collection of eight dark and mystic heavy metal songs that are all about the tropes of heavy metal being blasted out at full force. Basically, the album is all about jamming. However, not only does this mean that the album is talented enough to overcome some of the derivative behavior, but it also means that you essentially know what's coming. After the opening title track, the songs gradually get worse with mild fluxuations. By the time Dracula's Castle began, I was glad that the album wasn't longer than that, despite the fact that I had fun. Essentially, this is a fun album to look at for early examples of heavy metal and speed metal, but otherwise it's a decent enough album that I think is a little overrated. But Helstar fans will be pleased enough.

UMUR "Nosferatu" is the 4th full-length studio album by US heavy/power metal act Helstar. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in September 1989 (which is less than a year after the release of "A Distant Thunder" from November 1988). The lineup who recorded the predecessor is intact, which was a first between two Helstar albums at that point. It wouldn´t last long though, as Helstar went on a hiatus after the release of the album, until reforming again in 1995 with a new lineup.

The tracks featured on the first half of "Nosferatu" form a concept piece following the storyline from the Bram Stoker novel "Dracula". Some tracks feature audio samples of Frank Langella's performance in John Badham's film adaptation of "Dracula" from 1979. Stylistically the material on the album continue the US heavy/power metal style of "A Distant Thunder (1988)", but with a few additional thrash metal leanings. And I emphasize a few here, because this is predominantly US heavy/power metal and not thrash metal.

The musicianship is strong, with two guitarists playing powerful riffs, blistering guitar solos, and the occasional neo-classical influenced harmony lead part, a powerful pounding rhythm section, and James Rivera´s distinct sounding voice and commanding delivery in front. I can hear why some people would call his vocal style an aquired taste, but he has got a powerful set of pipes and a personal style that are hard not to find at least a little charming. Or in the case of the fans awe inspiring and praise worthy.

"Nosferatu" features a raw and organic sounding production, which suits the material on the 11 track, 42:50 minutues long album well. The rhythm guitar tone could have been a bit more powerful, but it´s not a major issue, and the production is generally of a good quality. The material are well written too with decent variation and intriguing moments throughout the album, so upon conclusion "Nosferatu" is a strong release by Helstar. This particular lineup may only have recorded two albums, but both are strong releases worth investigating for fans of US heavy/power metal. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "A Distant Thunder" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US power/heavy metal act Helstar. The album was released through Metal Blade Records in November 1988. Prior to the release of "Remnants of War (1986)" almost the entire lineup was changed, and again on "A Distant Thunder", there have been a couple of lineup changes as guitarist Rob Trevino has been replaced by André Corbin, and drummer Rene Luna has been replaced by Frank Ferreira.

Stylistically we´re more or less treated to a natural continuation of the US power/heavy metal style of "Remnants of War (1986)". James Rivera´s strong vocals and commanding delivery is the main focus of the music (he sings both raw and high pitched screaming vocals), but the instrumental part of the music is skillfully delivered too. A powerful pounding rhythm section, hard edged heavy metal riffing and melodic lead guitar work are some of the ingredients of the band´s sound.

While most tracks on the 9 track, 43:13 minutes long album are energetic and hard edged US power/heavy metal tracks, the album also features a couple of more mellow melodic parts, and a cover of "He's a Woman - She's a Man" by the Scorpions. The latter closes the album and fits well with the rest of the tracks. Some of the highlights include "The King is Dead", "Abandon Ship", and the epic "Winds of War", but all material on the album are of a high quality. "A Distant Thunder" is well produced too, featuring a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production, which brings out the best in the material. Upon conclusion it´s a high quality US power/heavy metal release and a 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.