REVIEW: Helloween - Giants & Monsters

Few names are as synonymous with power metal as Helloween. If you know the genre, you know the band. Over the course of this year and throughout what's still to come, the seven-piece German group have been celebrating their 40th anniversary, and if we were to write out the band's accomplishments over the decades, we'd reach their 50th by the time we finished the list. These titans of power metal have weathered storms, trekked through hell, and now they're travelling across the cosmos with their newest release, Giants & Monsters. Almost ten years ago, a long-awaited reunion came about, and a lineup change brought back historic vocalists Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske. This new album is their second studio-recorded LP featuring the two alongside Andi Deris. With that all said, the band needs no further introduction. The music speaks for itself.

Helloween waste no time at all, jumping into the album with the earworm of a track 'Giants On The Run', starring powerful, soaring vocals and a dynamic versatility that keeps listeners on their toes through the six-and-a-half-minute runtime. It's immediately clear what to expect with this release: intense, high-strung riffs, and the familiar ageless vocals that run through their history. Trifold vocals are a regular occurence in this LP, featuring frequent trade-offs and collaborations between the contrasting styles of Hansen, Deris and Kiske.

A standout is 'A Little is a Little Too Much', a track that comes bursting out of the 80s with its electric axe riffs and memorable, chant-like chorus. It pulses with energy through its frenetic shredding, a mainstay in our minds despite its shorter length among the others. Conversely, 'Into the Sun' takes a step back from its high-speed predecessors. Instead, we're met with an emotional power ballad led beautifully by Kiske and Deris. Their vocals meet in a soaring, melodic storm as they ask themselves "Can we live forever?". We believe through Helloween's everlasting legacy, they just might do so.

Lead single 'This is Tokyo' is a long-time-coming anthem devoted to Deris' love for Japan, dedicated to the country on account of it being the origin of his first successes. A powerful chant runs through the track, the city's name a repeated shout that begs for stadium sing-alongs. 'Universe (Gravity for Hearts)' follows immediately after, the longest track on this record. It clocks in at an intense 8.5 minutes, and in true Helloween style it gives us no room to breathe, packed with relentless speed passages. It features writing by guitarist Sascha Gerstner, and brings a powerful message: in the infinity of the cosmos, there are boundless possibilities, and nothing is ever out of reach.

These themes are further emphasised in 'Under the Moonlight' as Kiske sings through the chorus about dreams coming true, and finding infinity in the stars. It harkens back to the 90s/early 2000s era of Helloween, with its hard rock edge and melodious verses. 'Majestic' closes the album with a brief spoken-word segment that reinforces its theme: the dreams you believe in can be made real. This is accompanied by a slow build-up before we're reintroduced to the crushing guitars and the eponymous chants that make up the track's chorus. Halfway through, it brings us to a slower vocal section, though almost immediately Dani Löble's clashing symbols and fierce drumbeat kicks in and brings us back into the battlefield with guitars duelling for dominance. This is all seven members collaborating in perfect unity, each bringing their best for this vast, monumental epic that certainly lives up to its name.

Giants & Monsters is some of Helloween's best work yet. An electric release destined for the stars that proves that despite their long-standing career of forty years, they haven't lost their touch. Some tracks are sure to have a place in a "Best Of" compilation ten years down the line, while others may end up being considered deep cuts, but overall it's an album that carries the band's distinct mark in every song. If they retain this level of quality with their future releases, as beautifully sung by Kiske and Deris earlier in the album, like the stars above, their legacy can truly live forever.

Score: 8/10

Giants & Monsters will be released on August 29th via Reigning Phoenix.

Words: Naomi Colliar Duff

Photos: Helloween