#james rivera

Helstar became one of America’s premiere power metal acts in the back half of the ‘80s, but it took an album or two before they found themselves.  As a result, Burning Star’s title track started slow (though it eventually picked up) and James Rivera didn’t sound quite as powerful in this early going, though much of this could likely be attributed to the low-budget recording.  Rivera did go all-in on the screaming, which positioned him as a peer to the Tyrant, but it didn’t totally sync with the grooving rock in the background.  There was promise and potential on “Burning Star”, and an appealing shagginess that made Helstar worth watching, although their best moments would come a bit later.

BLVD East feat. Da Familee - Never Knew (BLVD East Main Mix) (Next Moov Records, 2001)

(The Metal Gods Meltdown)

James Rivera never delivered a less than committed performance, but he began to stretch himself thin with Killing Machine: by 2000 he was running two other bands concurrently (though Helstar was somewhat dormant at the time), and his fronting yet another modern American power metal act was a bit much.  That said, “Vicious Circle” was performed with fury and conviction by everyone involved, including the ex-W.A.S.P. rhythm section of Mike Duda and Stet Howland, who were presumably just glad not to have to deal with Blackie Lawless for a few minutes.  Of course, there was nothing unexpected about this, especially for Rivera, though the man’s penchant for consistency and quality ensured that the track would at least be an enjoyable headbang.  And to the singer’s credit, he actually kept Killing Machine going for another record, albeit with a different rhythm section and after joining even more bands.  Perhaps that latter point finally broke the camel’s back for Rivera, since Killing Machine hasn’t been heard from since 2005.

With their third album- and third lineup- Helstar earned their spot alongside Jag Panzer as a premiere American power metal band.  A Distant Thunder was one of the best albums Metal Blade put out in the ‘80s, weaving thrash elements into a traditional metal framework while maintaining a strong sense of songcraft. And “The King is Dead” was exactly the kind of anthem this newish subgenre needed, a clarion call to arms marked by frenetic but tuneful riffing and the roaring vocals of James Rivera, arguably the greatest American power metal singer of all time (again, the only real comparison is Harry “The Tyrant” Conklin of Jag Panzer).  It may seem obvious now, but Helstar really was straddling two worlds, as thrash and traditional metal were not entirely compatible in the late ‘80s, and while numerous German acts had already found common ground between the two camps, Helstar was one of the first American bands to make the connection.

THAT METAL INTERVIEW presents James Rivera of HELSTAR, JAMES RIVERA'S METAL WAVE, JAMES RIVERA'S METAL ASYLUM  (recorded October 2022). The one & only "Vampiro" James Rivera chats about his new project JAMES RIVERA'S METAL WAVE and it's innovative new mix of new wave & heavy metal. He also chats about the band's fast-rising  recognition for his vampire onstage persona. He  talks about the beginnings of the world-reknown HELSTAR. Donate to the channel to help create new content! https://www.paypal.me/thatmetalinterv... That Metal Interview Podcast is FREE and ON DEMAND, stream now on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Deezer, Bandcamp. Listen to The #ThatMetalInterviewPodcast​​​​​: https://lnk.to/uj7sH3k4 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/InterviewThat Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatmetalinterview/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThatMetalInterview Subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/JrocksMetalZoneSupport the show

THAT METAL INTERVIEW presents Larry Barragan of HELSTAR & SANTA OSCURIDAD (recorded March 2022). Larry chats about Santa Oscuridad's future plans in re-releasing their two existing EPs and the addition of new songs. He speaks about some experiences with HELSTAR then and now. The Texas guitar shredder also reveals new projects. PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE!      Donate to the channel to help create new content! https://www.paypal.me/thatmetalinterv... That Metal Interview Podcast is FREE and ON DEMAND, stream now on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Anchor, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Deezer, Bandcamp. Listen to The #ThatMetalInterviewPodcast​​​​​: https://lnk.to/uj7sH3k4 Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/InterviewThat Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatmetalinterview/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThatMetalInterview Subscribe on YouTube: http://youtube.com/JrocksMetalZoneSupport the show

(The Metal Gods Meltdown)