Sony Music Entertainment
30 years on HELLOWEEN release their 14th studio album, and they must be content. The first 5-6 years must have been fun, the next 3 disastrous, only to rise again with the splendid “Master of the Rings” in 1994. But member changes have been many and I dare say that I´ve not heard all that much about them until they returned with what was deemed full force in 2010. Since “7 Sinners” they have been much talked about and here is a splendid moment to capture on their latter day success. Will they do just that?
The nucleus of the ubiquitous guitarist Michael Weikath and bassist Markus Grosskopf are enforced by vocalist Andi Deris (since 1993), and guitarist Sascha Gerstner (2002 onwards) and drummer Daniel Löble, who came aboard in 2005. There´s a whopping 15 tracks on offer here, beginning with the fantasy-tinged “Nabataea”. I might have been skeptical but that song is a catchy epic about a world far beyond. The band really mix their styles with heavier tracks with rough riffs, faster tracks in their 90´s vein, slower number for Andi and Daniel to get some rest. I might never have been all that positive, apart from “Walls of Jericho” way back, and then very much when “Master of the Rings” was released, but this is good. There is a streak of German stereotypes in a song like “Waiting for the Thunder” and there is one or two less memorable songs. But there is also the simply effective title track, the ultra-HELLOWEÉN song ”Far from the Stars”, the gentle slating of “Asshole” and “Church Breaks Down”. As n enjoyable whole this album has got quite a few spins in my MP3. Not bad, almost up there with “Master of the Rings”.
Track List
Nabataea
World of War
Live Now!
Far from the Stars
Burning Sun
Waiting for the Thunder
Hold Me in Your Arms
Wanna Be God
Straight Out of Hell
Asshole
Years
Make Fire Catch the Fly
Church Breaks Down
Another Shot of Life
Burning Sun (Hammond Version)
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