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If you've been living in a monastery for the last 30 years and have never heard of Texas' Helstar, allow me to introduce you. Helstar is commonly regarded as ground-zero for the "Power/Thrash" hybrid but I don't really hear it. To my ears, Helstar plays a particularly virulent yet melodic version of Bay Area Thrash led by the ubiquitous James Rivera on vocals. After a period of inactivity that coincided with the heights of grunge and nu-metal, Rivera and crew have been releasing solid albums every few years and 2014's This Wicked Nest is the ninth over the band's 30+ years in existence. Razor-edged guitars, hyper-speed drumming and the distinctive gritty wailing of Rivera, all classic Helstar calling cards, are present in full-force and if you've heard any of the prior couple of albums from this band, you'll know exactly what This Wicked Nest will provide. I can't really say there are any standout tracks and, for that reason, I found it a bit less engaging than its predecessor, Glory of Chaos.

If you like what Helstar has been serving over the last few years, belly up to the bar as the drinks keep flowing. If, as I said at the beginning, you've just come out of the monastery and want to know what the fuss it, This Wicked Nest is as good a place to start as any, though you may ultimately find previous albums a little better. Regardless, Helstar is one of the more consistent, and consistently good, bands out there today.