HELLOWEEN

Few expected the leaders of German power metal, HELLOWEEN and GAMMA RAY, to release new albums as early as 2007, since only two years had passed since their previous records. The albums came out at the same time, and long before release it was known that the bands would embark on a joint tour — something fans had been waiting years for became reality. The hundred concerts performed in support of the previous disc, the third part of Keeper Of The Seven Keys, were successful only because the setlists were built around songs from the first two parts of the trilogy. The third part, despite its objective merits, was received quite coolly by the audience (and with Grapow and Kusch no longer in the band, there's no one to blame). Presumably, this is precisely why Weikath and Deris decided to record an album diametrically opposed to its predecessor — in atmosphere, lyrics, music, vocal delivery, and instrumental approach. These native Germans, living and recording on the Canary Islands, chose to gamble with the devil as straightforwardly as possible, emphasizing guitars, using choirs and various samples in the most minimal quantities, and completely eliminating 10-plus-minute epics with overly complex structures (two years ago, the album was teeming with all of the above). Deris's vocals are more piercing than ever; in truth, this may be the first time within HELLOWEEN that he has truly been able to showcase his talent as a vocalist from all angles. After a short intro, the unexpectedly aggressive "Kill It" immediately severs all ties to the work of two years prior. It is precisely aggressive, yet there is not a hint of the tension we heard on "Dark Ride" seven years ago. "The Saints" is the longest composition on the disc, yet these 7 minutes fly by effortlessly — a quintessential Helloween song, extraordinarily positive and energetic. The poppiest and shortest track, with slight touches of prog-rock sonority, "As Long As I Fall," gives way to another powerhouse, "Paint A New World." The unexpectedly lyrical "Final Fortune" leads into the enigmatic and very heavy "The Bells Of The 7 Hells." The quite diverse and very interesting "Fallen To Pieces" is followed by the mediocre "I.M.E." A complete surprise is "Can Do It," a composition so Hansen-like in spirit that it would fit perfectly on a GAMMA RAY album. "Dreambound" looks rather dim against the backdrop of the disc overall, and the closing "Heaven Tells No Lies" is not bad, though the album could have ended on a more interesting note. Speaking of the recording quality is superfluous — it's top-tier, which was entirely predictable. In terms of the musical content, there are a few filler songs, but overall this is a superb disc — unexpected and very solid material.