by darrell p. finley
Official Release Date: January 23, 2026
History & Review
Helix formed in 1974 in Kitchener, Ontario, solely for a “Battle of the Bands” contest. Fifty-one years later, they’ve released twelve studio albums and survived thirty-three member changes—including the tragic loss of guitarist Paul Hackman in 1992.
the Band
- Brian Vollmer: Lead Vocals
- Daryl Gray: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
- Chris Julke: Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Kaleb Duck: Guitar
- Mark Chichkan: Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Jamie Constant: Drums
Track-by-Track Breakdown
1. “Stuck in the 80s” This opens with a heavy bass and drum line before Sean Kelly (Crash Kelly, Lee Aaron) jumps in with double-tracked lead riffs. Halfway through the intro, a short snare fill leads into a full rhythm arrangement. The verse uses an echo effect on Brian Vollmer’s vocals for the second and fourth lines, while the third line uses a stereo-split backing vocal effect that adds a great texture. As always, Helix delivers a massive hook in the pre-chorus and chorus, followed by a blistering minor lead solo from Sean.
2. “Fast & Furious” If you are looking for a classic Helix song, this is for you. It’s one of those tracks that proves this band never truly received the credit they deserved.
3. “Pretty Poison” The intro kicks in with a triplet leading into a minor lead solo. While there are three guitarists on this track, the tone of the melodic intro solo screams Sean Kelly. The rhythm is simple but matches Brian’s lyrics perfectly. Listen for the hi-hat “hiss” from Aaron Murray—it adds incredible energy to the groove. The verse features a “Top 5” hook for the band, leading into a solo with amazing tone.
4. “Hot, Heavy & Wild” From beginning to end, this sounds like early ’80s Helix. It’s got that raw energy that defines the era.
5. “Money (Goes with Everything)” This track opens with the word “Money” over a bass and drum triplet. It features two different lead and rhythm guitar arrangements and what might be the greatest twin-lead guitar solo the band has ever recorded.
12. “The Pusher” Believe it or not, this was originally written by legendary country songwriter Hoyt Axton in 1963 as a dark anti-drug song. It was later made famous by Steppenwolf on the Easy Rider soundtrack in 1968.
The Verdict: The first five tracks on Scrap Metal are unreleased 1980s material that has finally been completed. Honestly, it makes me wonder what the A&R department at Capitol Records was thinking back then. If “Pretty Poison” had been released on Long Way to Heaven, it would have gone down in metal history alongside the greats
