Once a "best-kept secret" on the American metal scene, Houston's Helstar were integral to the worldwide spread of power and thrash metal. Burning Star, their 1984 debut, was widely acclaimed, but internal struggles kept the band off the touring circuit. 1988's A Distant Thunder and 1989's Nosferatu, both on Metal Blade, put the band on the map globally. With an ever-revolving lineup, Helstar took an unofficial hiatus after 1995's Multiples of Black. In 2006, singer James Rivera and original guitarist Larry Barragan declared the band musically reactivated. Helstar released The King of Hell in 2008, their first studio outing in more than a decade. 2010's Glory of Chaos achieved critical accolades and the band resumed touring. 2016's Vampiro received universally enthusiastic critical reviews. It was re-released in Europe in 2021 as the compilation Clad in Black, and included three new studio tracks and three covers.