Helstar – Black Wings Of Solitude

Helstar
Black Wings Of Solitude
Massacre Records
October 2, 2020
13:02

Until a few months ago I was not familiar with the band Helstar. That changed last summer. Singer James Rivera wanted to thrill the summer festival of the Bambi galore in Hamburg Billstedt with his tribute project “Sabbath Judas Sabbath”. But it turned out differently. Due to the illness of a band member, he and his guitarist Gabriele Palermo (Tragedian) presented an acoustic set lasting several hours. But the singer has not been idle with his main band either, although the band has become a little quieter. But in October they are back with the single ‘Black Wings Of Solitude’.

And the title song is also a premiere. The first metal ballad the band ever wrote. Here James Rivera can demonstrate his great singing skills. In addition, doomy-sounding, lower-pitched guitars. The song could be from the Dio era of Black Sabbath. It is well known that Ronnie James Dio is a great idol of the singer. And because it’s so beautiful, there’s a Sabbath cover right after it. The song “After All (The Dead)” was also on the acoustic setlist last year. Now you can enjoy it with full metal power.

The single was recorded in several studios in Texas, the home of the band. The final editing took place in Germany, in studios in Wilhelmshaven and Solingen. There the two songs were given an extremely fat sound. Hopefully this will not remain a one-off event. But that “Black Wings Of Solitude” is a foretaste of a possible successor to the 2016 album “Vampiro”.

Lineup:

James “Vampiro” Rivera – Vocals
Larry Barragan – Guitars
Andrew Atwood – Guitars
Garrick Smith – Bass
Mikey Lewis – Drums

Track list:

• Black Wings Of Solitude
• After All (The Dead)