Tag Archives: Helloween

Helloween – My God-Given Right

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German power metal legends, Helloween, have returned with their milestone sixteenth studio album. My God-Given Right is an hour long journey ranging over thirteen songs that aims to get your fist pumping. Personally, I have never been a big fan of power metal throughout the years, but of course I give every album a chance to surprise me. Unfortunately, Helloween did not do much for me on this album outside of a couple tracks. As much as I enjoyed a few of the tracks, I found myself just hitting the dreaded skip button.

The album opener, ‘Heroes’, is actually one of my favorites off of My God-Given Right. Maybe it was the lack of guitar wankery that is present in just about every other song that made this one shine. Yes, I know, power metal thrives off of crazy fretwork. And just to mention, Michael and Sascha are great guitarists so it is not a question of skill, rather it becomes overbearing. ‘Stay Crazy’ is another solid track off the album. The main riff is memorable which I can guarantee will get stuck in your head. The chorus is also very catchy with some chanting thrown in to the mix. Another fun song is ‘The Swing of a Fallen World’, which is a true headbanger. Slow tempo, slowly evolving guitar riffs, and pounding drumming phrases really bring this track to life. The song evolves to faster speeds for the solo and then drops back down to the heavy, slow stomping feel. While the rest of the songs surely feel like power metal from the 80’s and early 90’s, I just could not find anything in them as memorable.

Overall, My God-Given Right is not a bad album by any stretch of the imagination. The production is spot on, which is huge for me, and Helloween only experiments a bit from the sound just enough to supply some variety on the album. Also, each of the musicians on this album still showcase their skills even after thirty years. Outside of the couple of likeable and memorable songs on this album, I just really was not that impressed.

5.0/10

TIM LEDIN


Trailer: Helloween – My God Given Right

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Helloween is streaming a new album trailer for their fifteenth studio album My God-Given Right, due on May 29, 2015 (EU), June 1,, 2015 (UK) and June 2, 2015 (US) via Nuclear Blast Records. The album was recorded between October 2014 and February 2015 at the bands very own MiSueno Studio in Tenerife, with long term producer Charlie Bauerfeind (Blind Guardian, Hammerfall) handling production and recording duties. The enchanting artwork was once again created by graphic guru Martin Häusler (Bon Jovi, Queen, Gotthard) and will also be available as a 3D Lenticular print.

helloween my god given right

My God-Given Right track list:

01: Heroes
02: Battle’s Won
03: My God-Given Right
04: Stay Crazy
05: Lost In America
06: Russian Roulé
07: The Swing Of A Fallen World
08: Like Everybody Else
09: Creatures In Heaven
10: If God Loves Rock ‘n’ Roll
11: Living On The Edge
12: Claws
13: You, Still Of War

The limited digipak (with special 3D cover) and the vinyl version will feature two bonus tracks:
14: I Wish I Were There
15: Wicked Game

The digital version contains three bonus tracks:
14: I Wish I Were There
15: Wicked Game
16: Free World

The limited Earbook will feature a bonus-CD with four bonus tracks:
01: I Wish I Were There
02: Wicked Game
03: Nightmare
04: More Than A Lifetime

Helloween on Facebook


Kiske/Somerville – City of Heroes

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Some elements of life naturally appeal to our various senses; like the aroma of bacon in our nostrils or like a striking sunset in our vision, so Michael Kiske’s warm, velvety optimistic tones are an aural hot chocolate to our ears. It’s hard to hear his voice, whether it be over a racing Metal speedster or a lush acoustic ballad, and not feel some kind of affirming action has taken place. If Kiske and Devin Townsend were to record together, negativity as we know it would be evacuated from this ball of rock.

Kiske/Somerville is a bit of an unusual but oh-so-grin inducing proposition that is rock, Jim, but not as we know it, with its origins almost Simon Cowellesque. Basically Frontier Records have employed Mat Sinner (Sinner, natch, and Primal Fear) to write a bunch of songs for two people who are quite capable of writing their own, and who have been paired up to record together for the second time (Sinner also penning the self-titled debut of 2010).

Since his banishment from Helloween Kiske, the greatest and most distinctive voice in Euro Metal, has nomadically wandered from project to project, including various solo albums, a reoccurring lead cast role in the theatre of Avantasia and (finally) his own heavier project Unisonic. Meanwhile Amanda Somerville has appeared with the glitterati of the Power Metal world in Kamelot, Edguy, Avantasia, and After Forever.

And, perhaps due to the oddity of the nature of its creation, in the main, it works. Most enjoyably, too. While the majority of the music beneath is uptempo Hard Rock (of the tinged by Power and Classic Metal variety), above the surface soar unconstrained, with unrefined joy clearly displayed, the twin voices of our protagonists, usually by means of call and answer; a verse for he, a verse for she, and a chorus where they meet to continue their tales of love.

While the backing music may, like the dodgiest of petrol gauges, swing from average to bloody good, and it all sits very comfortably in the type of garden we are well acquainted with, surprises are, well, nil. City Of Heroes, though, does what too few albums do and, like boobs in the hands, makes us feel good about ourselves.

 

7.0/10

Kiske / Somerville on Facebook

Michael Kiske on Facebook

Amanda Somerville on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY


Lyric Video: Helloween – Battle’s Won

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Helloween is streaming a lyric video for “Battle’s Won,” off of their forthcoming 15th studio album My God-Given Right, due on May 29, 2015 in Europe, June 1, 2015 in the UK, and June 2, 2015 in the US via Nuclear Blast. Watch it below.

The record was recorded between October 2014 and February 2015 at the band’s very own MiSueno Studio in Tenerife, with long term producer Charlie Bauerfeind (Blind Guardian, Hammerfall) handling production and recording duties. Artwork was once again created by graphic guru Martin Häusler (Bon Jovi, Queen, Gotthard) and will also be available as a 3D Lenticular print.

My God-Given Right track list:

01: Heroes
02: Battle’s Won
03: My God-Given Right
04: Stay Crazy
05: Lost In America
06: Russian Roulé
07: The Swing Of A Fallen World
08: Like Everybody Else
09: Creatures In Heaven
10: If God Loves Rock ‘n’ Roll
11: Living On The Edge
12: Claws
13: You, Still Of War

The limited digipak (with special 3D cover) and the vinyl version will feature two bonus tracks:
14: I Wish I Were There
15: Wicked Game

The digital version contains three bonus tracks:
14: I Wish I Were There
15: Wicked Game
16: Free World

The limited Earbook will feature a bonus-CD with four bonus tracks:
01: I Wish I Were There
02: Wicked Game
03: Nightmare
04: More Than A Lifetime

Helloween on Facebook


Lancer – Second Storm

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The artwork for Second Storm (Despotz) is so metal that it really raises expectations of balls-to-the-wall metal, and Lancer deliver. This Swedish Power Metal band takes inspiration from bands like Iron Maiden, Hammerfall, and Helloween, and this is apparent from the very first notes of ‘Running From The Tyrant’ onwards. Despite their classic substance, they have a pretty modern sound, with a number of breaks that are straight up hard rock. The solos may not be the most innovative ever, but they are solid, and similarly most of the melodies are not hugely original, but are certainly very catchy.

Isak Stenvall sings much of the album in the classic high and reedy power metal voice. He also uses his lower range, but this does not always pay off. It mostly works well when the rest of the music is softer, as in the excellent build-up in ‘Running From The Tyrant’. However, the vocals are a little uncontrolled at time, and this type of voice in particular sticks out when it is not 100% perfect.

One of the highlights of this album is the chorus of ‘Iwo Jima’, which is not only catchy, but has a very symphonic sound to it and especially good rhythmic drumming by Sebastian Pedernera. Another is the power provided by guitarists Fredrik Kelemen and Per-Owe Solvelius in ‘Steelbreaker’. Similarly pleasing is Emil Öberg’s excellent bass solo in ‘Fools Marches On’. ‘Eyes of the Liar’ is just quality sing-along metal.

My favourite song off this album is ‘Aton’. This nearly-10-minute song is slower than the others on this album, but incredibly good! It has a little less Power Metal in style, and a little more Classic Metal. I love the way the vocals have a higher pace than the music, because it makes the lines very energetic and catchy. Stenvall also shows that he really can pull off clarity in those lower ranges, holding his own even in the soft. There’s even a very bluesy solo, and I only wish the rest of the band had powered though in the second part of that solo.

All in all, Second Storm is a very solid Power Metal album that makes up for what it lacks in originality with enthusiasm and melodies that has the listener bouncing up and down in their seat.

7.0/10

Lancer on Facebook

LORRAINE LYSEN


Evil Invaders – Pulses of Pleasure

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The first track of Pulses of Pleasure (Napalm) is called ‘Fast, Loud and Rude’ and that tells you everything you need to know. Once it kicks off with a riff that buzzes around like a pissed off wasp you’ve just failed to swat, high on the spillage of your fizzy drink, you know exactly what type of journey Evil Invaders are going to take you on.

With a more melodic (and slightly restrained) take on Exodus, and lashings and thrashings of Exciter worship, Evil Invaders don’t do subtle. Or diverse. They do, however, pedal a line in nostalgic old school thrash and speed metal and everything, from the retro production to the squealing solos (nice harmony lead in the title track, by the way guys) and the pacy chromatic riffs is lovingly recreated. Existing in a bubble where metal ended when Udo quit Accept and Kai Hansen stopped fronting Helloween, Evil Invaders’ sound and influences begin in 1979 and end in 1986.

While the production and performance values and the base level of pretty much every band releasing music out there these days has increased a thousand-fold in the last thirty years, Speed Metal still allows, nay, welcomes with studded wrist band adorned arms, the amateurish “rough and ready” approach which did alright by Raven and Razor (one assumes the band name is taken from the Razor album of the same name?). Deliberately Shit Metal only exists in the hearts and minds of those with both (white hi-top clad) feet in yesteryear, and Gehennah, who do this retro thing with more balls, menace and conviction, shit Evil Invaders for breakfast.

Some might argue naïve charm and a love of a bygone age, when denim and chains (and rivets) ruled the roost, but the fun factor soon wears off as Pulses of Pleasure reveals itself to be big on style and short on substance. The classic speed metal albums were great because, above all, they lived and died on standout riffs and excellent songwriting. Evil Invaders fall short on both counts.

5.5/10

Evil Invaders on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY


Wind Rose – Wardens of the West Wind

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In for a penny, in for a pound, right? And sometimes that dividing line between success or failure is just how far you’re prepared to take things. Power Metal, with its origins heavily rooted in the extravagances of Yngwie and embracing and taking the more bombastic elements of symphonic music and film scores, is often guilty of not going far enough, playing the safe game mixing Europe with Helloween and churning out decent, if standard, fast-rock fare. On their second album, Wardens of the West Wind (Scarlet), Wind Rose follow in the boot-prints of countrymen Rhapsody by ramping things to the max, and to some effect.

See, where Rhapsody made a name for themselves was by being brave enough to make their music and songs epic; as grandiose, as pompous, as couldn’t-give-a-fuck-what’s-cool as possible, and to think outside re-writing Blind Guardian licks to wanting to create something monumental, something cinematic, something befitting of the grandest of stages. Wind Rose have produced a stirring, rousing album in the vein of Symphony of Enchanted Lands (Limb) that sets them apart from the majority of the others who sit in the Power Metal bubble by taking that chance to do something different. The movie that Wind Rose are tracking is more nautical than Rhapsody’s swords-and-dragons fantasy, as if a hero quest head-on collision of Pirates of the Caribbean and Waterworld was sound-tracked by a collaboration of Symphony X and Luca Turilli.

Attack is another area where Power Metal bands stand or fall, and Wind Rose bring the energy of a thousand marauding pirates fuelled by rum and the promise of treasures great hidden under an X. Francesco Cavalieri’s voice leads the quintet and is another competitive advantage, capable of drama, authority and melody, and making sense of the grandiloquence going on around him, pulling the power and the might cascading around him into strong, viable songs.

In a field that consists of a handful of giants and many who will struggle to achieve a status above mediocrity Wardens… positions Wind Rose as one to watch. If their live show can re-capture the exuberance on record, we will have a new name to light up the European scene.

 

8.0/10

Wind Rose on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY


Serious Black – As Daylight Breaks

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Well, that’s shut me well and truly the fuck up

(You wish…)

It’s apt to begin a commentary on a release from one ex-Helloween guitarist (Roland Grapow) with reference to the man he succeeded in the pumpkin-obsessed kings of Power Metal, one Kai Hansen, who titled the third Gamma Ray album Insanity & Genius (Noise) and referenced in the lyrics how thin the line between the two is. Well, the line between generic and uninteresting pap and Power Metal Glory is even thinner, perhaps as thin as the hair-line on Herr Hansen’s fivehead these days. But with As Daylight Breaks (Nuclear Blast) Serious Black (contenders for best new band name – certainly best Harry Potter themed one) have released a debut that is so far over the line on the side of quality, the line is a dot to them (answers on a postcard if you get that reference).

Having written off Power Metal in my mind as a genre that, no matter how well its composite parts could be put together, was done, creatively redundant and in the type of artistic morass that Death Metal found itself in for twenty years, nevertheless, like the child poking the disembowelled frog with a stick and hoping for some twitch or reaction, with morbid curiosity I find myself drawn to it. See, when Power Metal is on it, there’s very little better for invigorating the mind and soul. And Grapow’s latest offering slapped me round the chops, leaving me with a fiendish grin, a rediscovered enthusiasm for the genre and a frog named Lazarus.

The brainchild of Grapow and former Visions of Atlantis bassist Mario Lochert, with the rhythm section rounded out by former Blind Guardian tub thumper Thomen Stauch, Serious Black absolutely nail everything that is joyous about Power Metal infused hard rock, from the driving opening pair of ‘I Seek No Other Life’ and the simply massive ‘High And Low’ through to the theatre-y and slightly camp closing ‘Older and Wiser’.

The band is led by the underrated and under-celebrated vocal talents of former Tad Morose pipes, Urban breed who avoids being one of a million Kiske-clean wannabes by injecting power and tone; at times channelling Jon Oliva, particularly on the keys led title-track, at others Mike Howe (Metal Church), and able to carry a faster verse alongside the ubiquitous sizeable choruses.

Musically, you can bandy about names such as Kamelot (‘Akhenation’), Within Temptation (the uptempo rock romp of ‘Trail of Murder’), Savatage, Stratovarius, and Sonata Arctica if you like; there definite elements of Blind Guardian and Helloween, and that’s absolutely fine, as Serious Black sit as a kind of summation of all that “is” from the polished end of Power Metal.

As Daylight Breaks benefits from a great, full, vibrant production and above all exudes the sensation of a band really enjoying their work. As they rightly should. I once incorrectly tagged Grapow as a Janick Gers figure who had ruined one of my favourite bands. He well and truly proved me wrong – I even quite like Pink Bubbles Go Ape now, and I’m one of the few people on the planet who love Chameleon (both EMI) – and with Serious Black he’s done it again, proving as Edguy did with last years’ Space Police (Nuclear Blast) that, when done well, Power Metal can be fulfilling rompy-pompy.

7.5/10

Serious Black on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY


Helloween, Carcass, Arch Enemy Confirmed For Out And Loud Festival

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Out and Loud Festival has confirmed their lineup, which is happening June 4-6, 2015 in Geiselwind, Germany.

Confirmed acts include:

Helloween
Subway To Sally
Carcass
Arch Enemy
Testament
Overkill
J.B.O.
Wintersun
Blue Pills
Eluveitie
Equilibrium
Alestorm
Grave Digger
Orchid
Insomnium
Unleashed
Tankard
The Vision Bleak
Megaherz
Asphyx
Battle Beast
Feuerschwanz
Dark Fortress
Aborted
Skull Fist
Secrets of the Moon
Alpha Tiger
The Vintage Caravan
Deserted Fear
Diablo Blvd
Stallion
Carnal Ghoul
Rogash
Evil Invaders
Evertale

Napalm Records Stage:

AHAB
Civil War
Finsterforst
Moonspell
My Sleeping Karma
Visions of Atlantis

Out And Loud Festival on Facebook
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DragonForce – Neonfly: Live at Colchester Arts Centre, UK

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More bands should take the same “back to basics” approach that DragonForce are applying to the UK leg of the Maximum Overload world tour. Rather than taking in the usual 5 shows in the same 5 major cities, this time around the sextet are taking in 20 smaller venues in 20 towns that don’t get to see many non-local bands.

And the people of Colchester, saved the £30 fare and hour journey to London to take in a show, have responded enthusiastically. The Arts Centre, a converted church that is actually a rather fine venue, is absolutely rammed, and the opening band aren’t even on.

Neonfly, a badly named band who thus far have flown under the radar, take to the stage and are greeted enthusiastically and respond as if they’ve just strolled out as a festival headliner. And it’s lapped up as they run through a selection of AOR influenced widdly Power Metal that veers between Sonata Arctica and UFO. They have all the poses (including some classic Priest choreography), all the solos and in Willy Norton, all the voice with his excellent Michael Kiske meets Tony Martin delivery, and a stage patter that’s part children’s entertainer and part Danny Bowes on happy pills. It’s 1988 again, and no one is complaining as single ‘Gift To Remember’ is met by a healthy number of hands in the air to its rocking riff and massive chorus. While closer ‘Morning Star’ may be a slightly disappointing end to a very enjoyable set, no damage is done as Neonfly have made a lot of new friends tonight, as songs aired from their upcoming new album Strangers In Paradise (Inner Wound) touch on Avantasia. And they have a guitarist called Fred Thunder.

DragonForce have quite the mixed live reputation, but since the arrival of vocalist Marc Hudson they seem to be a different beast these days. Hudson’s first album with the band, The Power Within (Essential/Roadrunner) was their best since debut Valley Of The Damned (Noise/Sanctuary) and the strength and reputation of their live show has grown since his arrival. Heading out on the road with a new album, Maximum Overload (earMUSIC), that picks up where Power… left off, could they continue the upward live curve?

Absolutely. In spades. From the rapid fire power metal, to the guitar duelling of Sam Totman and Hermann Li, who both make the fastest and most complex of guitar techniques seem effortless, to bassist Frédéric Leclercq’s facial comedy show and underpinning rumble and Hudson’s near flawless vocal performance, the ‘Force are on it.

Everything about DragonForce on this tour elicits grins and a feeling of joy, and it’s clear this comes from the stage, aided by Totman’s understated self-deprecation and ongoing banter with Leclercq, the two of them mocking Li, each other, the lyrics (the sword motions in ‘Black Winter Night’ were childishly brilliant), the crowd and themselves throughout while still delivering. It’s great to see. Li, on the other hand, is pulling every Guitar-God shape, including pick-sliding with his tongue, while in between Hudson, the bastard love-child of Chris Jericho and Sebastian Bach, has learnt the master of ceremonies role, padding and filling well in the longer than usual gaps between songs caused by technical issues to Vadim Pruzhanov’s keytar.

Highlights are hard to choose, but a mid-set ‘Seasons’ goes down a storm, a thrashy ‘The Game’ opens up a pit, and ‘Three Hammers’ is a colossal slice of One Direction meets ManOweeN, before all too soon it’s time for the bands best song, ‘Cry Thunder’ which concludes the set proper to rapturous cheers.

Immediate a holler rises for an encore, and the band oblige, camping through their dreadful version of ‘Ring of Fire’, before a vibrant ‘Through The Fire And Flames’ (I’m sure some guy near me was actual air Guitar Hero-ing) and a triumphant ‘Valley Of The Damned’ wrap things up to send a happy crowd spilling out, talking nearly as quickly as the flurrying fingers of Totman and Li about how much they enjoyed the show.

This is what a Power Metal gig should be about, a packed crowd singing along to hymns of cheese and metal with a band turning in a great performance, all creating a symbiotic exuberance. Simply great fun.

And I was sober…

 

DragonForce Set list

Defenders

Fury Of The Storm

Three Hammers

Black Winter Night

Seasons

Tomorrow’s Kings

Symphony Of The Night

The Game

Heroes Of Our Time

Cry Thunder

Ring Of Fire

Through The Fire And The Flames

Valley Of The Damned

DragonForce on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY