Our favorite pumpkins Helloween are back!
Formed in 1983 after three other names, the band now consists of Michael Weikath (guitar), Markus Grosskopf (bass, ex-Avantasia, ex-Bassinvaders), Andi Deris (vocals), Sascha Gerstner (guitar, ex-Freedom Call), Dani Löble (drums), Kai Hansen (guitar/vocals, Gamma Ray, ex-Unisonic) and Michael Kiske (vocals, Kiske/Somerville, Place Vendome, ex-Unisonic) announces the release of its nineteenth album, Giants & Monsters, in 2025.
The band kicks off with Giants On The Run, an opening track featuring prominent keyboards that creates an interesting contrast between the choruses and verses, shifting from near tranquility to peaks of intensity. While Andi leads the way, he is joined by his bandmates to diversify the atmosphere, sometimes making it quite calm and minimalist before moving on to the energetic Savior Of The World, led by Michael Kiske, which fits perfectly with the fast riffs. There are still a few softer touches, particularly in the vocals, before moving on to the danceable A Little Is A Little Too Much, which has a fairly simple but relatively catchy rhythm, thanks in particular to the harmonics. The band picks up the pace again on We Can Be Gods, a track that contrasts fast drums with fairly ethereal orchestrations, but which finds a certain balance and offers long lead parts before moving on to a ballad called Into The Sun, letting the vocalists take turns guiding us through this soothing setting. The choruses obviously become more unifying, but the track quickly moves on to This Is Tokyo, another fairly accessible track that borrows heavily from heavy metal, reinforcing the most epic moments thanks to vocalists in great form, making the track fairly easy to sing along to, just like Universe (Gravity For Hearts), which even reconnects with its speed metal roots at times. The track has everything it takes to become one of the band’s future anthems, taking advantage of a break to ease the pressure before racing off again into Hand Of God, which is much more moderate and mid-tempo while still boasting a catchy groove. Next up is Under The Moonlight, which also features some very soft elements that are quite different from the previous track but make it relatively easy to listen to. The album then comes to a close with the lengthy Majestic, allowing the band to explore all of its influences, from the most ferocious to the most gentle, and giving the three vocalists the opportunity to express themselves first in turn, then joining forces for the final charge.
With such an extensive discography that continues to grow, Helloween will have a long time choosing which tracks to play on their next tour! Giants & Monsters has plenty of surprises in store, with some truly effective tracks!
85/100