| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Genesis Fight For All The Eternity Playing With Fire The One Where You Belong You Are In My Heart Empty Room Leaving Out The Ashes Stay Away Break Your Chains Firesoul Rise & Fall (Bonus track) Neon Knights (Black Sabbath cover) (Bonus track) Release Date: May 5, 2017 Label: AFM Records Website: www.helker.net www.facebook.com/helkermetal |  HELKER IS: Diego Valdez - Vocals Mariano Rios - Guitars Christian Abarca - Bass Leo Aristu - Guitars Hernan Coronel - Drums |
When you think of the South American metal scene, the fans down there honestly make us North American metalheads look like beginners sometimes, and that's why the scene there is worthy of all our appreciation. When you think of the Argentinian metal scene, the first band that comes to mind is Helker. If you're new to this band, the first thing you will notice when you listen to them is that vocalist Diego Valdez sounds pretty much identical to Ronnie James Dio, it's scary, but aside from that, the riffs are crushing, catchy and melodic. To date, they've released four studio album, three in Spanish: Legado Secreto, Resistir and A.D.N. and one in English: Somewhere In The Circle, with their fifth album and second English album Firesoul coming out on May 5th, which this review will focus on. It will also be released in Spanish as well entitled Alma De Fuego.
Starting off with the intro track "Genesis", attention is grabbed by the captivating soaring melody that begins on one guitar, but is then harmonized and sounds even more amazing. This is immediately followed by back-to-back rounds of punishing rhythms of "Fight" and "For All The Eternity", comprising of slamming riffs from Mariano Rios and Leo Aristu and solid drum grooves by Hernan Coronel. If you're looking for something more straightforward, then "The One" will make you get the dancing shoes on because it's insanely groovy and catchy, and if that's not enough, the exceptional chorus will undoubtedly bring you the goosebumps. Other tunes containing this sound include "Playing With Fire", "You Are In My Heart" and "Leaving Out The Ashes".
The tempo goes down on "Empty Room", giving way to a more somber vibe with the piano segments, but the symphonic touch gives the song a more uplifting feel. On my initial glimpse of the track listing, when I saw that one of the bonus tracks was a cover of Black Sabbath's "Neon Knights", I could not wait to hear it. Upon first listen, I started laughing because of how perfectly Valdez emmulates Dio here. I could not believe what I was hearing. If you were blind-folded, you would think you were listening to a re-recorded version actually done by Black Sabbath. In conclusion, Firesoul may not contain anything groundbreaking, but it contains everything a fan of melodic metal would enjoy, from giant hooks, captivating melodies, killer choruses, crushing riffs and incredible vocals, so definitely check it out and pick it up. Excelente trabajo chicos!! I certainly hope Helker can come up to Canada at some point, preferably Toronto.
Highs: "Fight", "The One", "You Are In My Heart", "Neon Knights"
Lows: Nothing groundbreaking to be found
Final Rating: 8/10
Starting off with the intro track "Genesis", attention is grabbed by the captivating soaring melody that begins on one guitar, but is then harmonized and sounds even more amazing. This is immediately followed by back-to-back rounds of punishing rhythms of "Fight" and "For All The Eternity", comprising of slamming riffs from Mariano Rios and Leo Aristu and solid drum grooves by Hernan Coronel. If you're looking for something more straightforward, then "The One" will make you get the dancing shoes on because it's insanely groovy and catchy, and if that's not enough, the exceptional chorus will undoubtedly bring you the goosebumps. Other tunes containing this sound include "Playing With Fire", "You Are In My Heart" and "Leaving Out The Ashes".
The tempo goes down on "Empty Room", giving way to a more somber vibe with the piano segments, but the symphonic touch gives the song a more uplifting feel. On my initial glimpse of the track listing, when I saw that one of the bonus tracks was a cover of Black Sabbath's "Neon Knights", I could not wait to hear it. Upon first listen, I started laughing because of how perfectly Valdez emmulates Dio here. I could not believe what I was hearing. If you were blind-folded, you would think you were listening to a re-recorded version actually done by Black Sabbath. In conclusion, Firesoul may not contain anything groundbreaking, but it contains everything a fan of melodic metal would enjoy, from giant hooks, captivating melodies, killer choruses, crushing riffs and incredible vocals, so definitely check it out and pick it up. Excelente trabajo chicos!! I certainly hope Helker can come up to Canada at some point, preferably Toronto.
Highs: "Fight", "The One", "You Are In My Heart", "Neon Knights"
Lows: Nothing groundbreaking to be found
Final Rating: 8/10
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