HELHESTEN — Vanquisher of Darkness (review)

HELHESTEN — Vanquisher of Darkness album cover EP · 2019 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
siLLy puPPy
Coming from Zaragoza, Spain is a newer power metal band named HELHESTEN which apparently was a wartime journal and means The Hell-Horse. Fairly new on the scene, this band that consists of Mark Norris (rhythm guitar), Adrián Berna (drums), Sergio Beltrán (vocals), Eduardo Benavente (bass) and Marcos Alba (lead guitar) has only released its debut EP in 2019 titled VANQUISHER OF DARKNESS.

This short EP has only five tracks just spilling over the 22 minute mark but displays this band’s fiery flare of crafting a darker power metal style that mixes in a bit of classic 80s metal guitar riffing along with the more familiar power metal heft of faster tempos, heavy use of keyboards and operatic vocal harmonies with some super stellar guitar solos. I’ve been reading that the closest sound to HELHESTEN is the German power metal band Stormhammer.

In many ways this is a typical power metal band that checks off the list of what exactly to bring to the table but the vocal style of Beltrán drifts from the operatic power metal style to more classic 80s metal as well as the dueling guitar parts ranging from the more classic Helloween gallops to the darker and doomier aspects of 80s Dio. One aspect of HELHESTEN’s music is that the rhythm section is on fire and tight-knit throughout the EP’s run with the bass and powerful drum action that often engages in blastbeats cranking out the volume.

While the EP is too short for the full-length experience, HELHESTEN certainly brings the epic dramatic delivery of a classic power metal album to the forefront. The hooks are melodic and catchy and the band pays attention to keeping the dynamics, tempos and variations in song structures interesting however despite the band’s ability to hit all the notes and check off all the power metal boxes VANQUISHER OF DARKNESS does seem to lack enough originality to make it stand out significantly in the crowded world of power metal.

This is only a debut EP so i predict this band will continue on to craft some spectacular albums in the future if they stick it out because although the tracks presented here aren’t extremely memorable, they are certainly performed quite well with excellent musicianship and more than competent songwriting. The production is a little flat but that’s expected for a self-released album that basically serves as a demo in EP form. Not a bad start from these guys from Zaragoza but unfortunately this collection of five tracks can’t compete with the more professional bands that rule the world of power metal…..yet at least.
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