Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell |
Published January 18 2013
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Nabataea* |
| Genre | Power/Speed Metal |
Andi Deris
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Vocals
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| Tracks | 15 |
Michael Weikath
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Guitar
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| Running time | 71 Min. |
Sascha Gerstner
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Guitar
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| Label | Sony Music |
Markus Grosskopf
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Bass
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| Release | 18 January 2013 |
Dani Löble
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Drums
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| Country | Germany |
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Keyboard
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| Producer | Charlie Bauerfeind | ||
| Similar artists | Gamma Ray | ||
Like with most Helloween records since The Dark Ride, my initial thoughts about Straight Out Of Hell were not very flattering. With this experience, I was careful to judge almost anything before a good full five spins. The major labels have their restrictions and I received this album only six days ago, meaning immense listening and with somewhere around twenty spins, I feel I'm ready to go. We all know though that with a few weeks distance, many albums reach higher levels and occasionally also the other way around.
The veteran German power metallers go almost all in for speed, speed, speed on this new release. Many of the songs are really fast, but not brutal, and most of their well known catchiness is still here. At first most songs felt decent, no songs were better than the next one and that this was an album without any hits. Now, later on, I know why no songs stick out, because the major part of them are awesome and this is one of Helloween's better albums. With speed, heaviness and a neat ballad in Hold Me In Your Arms, we are taken on a journey where Michael Weikath's songwriting influence is decreasing.
The vocal duties of Andi Deris work just fine in the studio, but I wonder how he will do on stage, when his voice is slowly degrading. When he sounds like Udo Dirkschneider in Burning Sun, I have my wonders. The guitar leads, the licks and the intense fast riffing is inventive, even if they don't break any new ground. The drumplay is rather lively and Grosskopf's bass is as always strong. With Charlie Bauerfeind in the producer's seat, this album doesn't differ noticeable from his other works, meaning a straight, clean production. I'm okay with his work, but I also know that many metal fans find his albums lifeless and controlled, without room for distortions.
With speed not included, this record has the same foundations as their latest releases, but the songs are better and in the end, that's what counts. 8 chalices to Helloween's new great release, Straight Out Of Hell, which also happens to be a suitable title to this blasting piece of work.
See
also review of: My God-Given
Right , Keeper
Of The Seven Keys III-The Legacy , Rabbit
Don't Come Easy , The
Dark Ride
See also: interview
with Michael Weikath
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Performance
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Originality
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Production
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Vocals
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Songwriting
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8 |
5 |
7 |
6 |
8 |
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Summary
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8 chalices of 10 - Tobbe |
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Related links: www.helloween.org |
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