Former HELSTAR Singer Joins Forces With SYMPHONY X Bassist

Former HELSTAR/DESTINY'S END frontman James Rivera has teamed up with ex-DESTINY'S END guitarist Eric Halpern (who played a "major role" in the recent HELSTAR reunion shows, according to Rivera) and SYMPHONY X bassist Mike Lepond in a new band called DISTANT THUNDER.

The primarily Houston, Texas-based group are "what I would say is the real James Rivera kind of stuff," the singer says. "I felt there would still be quite a bit of the European fan base who will enjoy what I am best known for."

The band have finished demoing two songs thus far and have posted them online for fans to download. Check them out:

[UPDATE: The files have since been removed]

01. Distant Thunder
02. Lost

"We already have interest from certain labels and it will just be a matter of time before we get picked up and have a full CD recorded," says Rivera. "Another song will be finished this week for the demo to make it a complete three-song demo and soon after I will have physical CDs to send out [to interested parties]."