Official Helloween thread v. Pumpkins United

[Polarbear]

Yup, holy shit that was great!

[devieira73]

Truly amazing every part of it!!!
I hope they keep this line-up from now on

[MirrorMask]

I hope they keep this line-up from now on

Yeah, unless Weiki doesn't inspire Kiske to murder him in his sleep, I assume, thnk and hope they will carry on.

I mean, where else do they go from here? the big fat reunion happened and they're making a new album, and most likely there will be a new tour. After that what, they all go their separate ways? Helloween return to headline mid sized venues with Deris having to sing Eagle Fly Free and Dr. Stein (and getting shit for it) while Kai Hansen revives Gamma Ray or tours with Kiske doing a third Unisonic album? (both things that will happen sometime in the future I guess)

Staying together until the end is the smart move for them. Power metal is very demanding and it's not that they can do this until they're 70, they could take it easier and have an album or tour every 3 years or so to make ir still a rare event and not an abused thing....

[The Walrus]

Well they could probably keep playing Perfect Gentleman forever. 

[TAC]

So I've spent a few days with 7 Sinners.

This took a few spins to sink in. I was thinking it wasn't anything all that great, but this is one solid kick ass album. Heavy AF.

What really stands out on this album is Dani Loble's drumming. Tons of great rhythmic double bass drumming.

Anyway, here are the songs that make the cut:

7 Sinners

Who Is Mr. Madman?
Long Live The King
You Stupid Mankind
If A Mountain Could Talk
My Sacrifice
Far In The Future
I'm Free


I do like Are You Metal, and again, I really like everything on this album. I mean the weakest song is Smile On The Sun, and it's not like it sucks or anything.

Moving on to Straight Out Of Hell....

[The Walrus]

7 Sinners rules. My biggest complaints are just nitpicks, like how the repeated lyrics in the back half of If A Mountain Could Talk get old really fast. But I love how heavy this album sounds, the guitars have so much punch that went missing on the records after this one. Not sure how that happened but yeah this record rocks. Who Is Mr. Madman and Long Live The King are just

[TAC]

So I am basically advancing songs that "make the cut" in the hopes of eventually narrowing to a Top 10. While a lot of songs are making the cut, I guarantee you the Long Live The King will be advancing much further than the next round.

[The Walrus]

Honestly I think it's one of their best of the super heavy sounding songs in their catalog.

[Polarbear]

Keeper Legacy is my favorite Deris era album! Both Gambling and 7 Sinners are also rock solid! They really should play more songs from these live, and i hope that they rearrange some of the songs from these albums, to accommodate the new lineup.

[wolfking]

I listened to 7 Sinners a couple of days ago too and I've always thought it's pretty damn good.  I just wish it had clearer production.

Long Live the King interestingly was one I always enjoyed but for some reason it never stood out, but that changed on this listen.  Dunno why it didn't stand out when I was getting into the album when it came out but jeez, this fucker rips.  You Stupid Mankind would probably make my Deris top 10, it's fucking brilliant.

[Evermind]

This thread makes me want to revisit the Deris-era albums. I'm super familiar with The Time of the Oath, Keeper Legacy, Gambling, Straight out of Hell and My God-Given Right, but I don't know the rest very well, it's all a blur.

I don't quite get the hype for Occasion Avenue, I listened to the album again and this song doesn't do much for me. There are like two minutes of awesome music in a ten minutes long track. That being said, King for a 1000 Years is still one of my favourite tracks from Deris-era.

[wolfking]

Speaking of My God Given Right, fuck this is a disappointing album.  I've pretty much really liked every Deris era album.  Straight Out of Hell even was very strong IMO, but my God Given Right is very poor in comparison to everything that can before it.  The bands worst album.  The songs surprisingly are just really uninmaginative and it sounds uninspired.  I listened to this again 2 days ago and it was weaker then what I remembered when it came out.  The reunion came at a perfect time.

[Evermind]

Speaking of My God Given Right, fuck this is a disappointing album.  I've pretty much really liked every Deris era album.  Straight Out of Hell even was very strong IMO, but my God Given Right is very poor in comparison to everything that can before it.  The bands worst album.  The songs surprisingly are just really uninmaginative and it sounds uninspired.  I listened to this again 2 days ago and it was weaker then what I remembered when it came out.  The reunion came at a perfect time.

No shit. I loved Straight Out of Hell but My God-Given Right, I listened a few times to it and never came back. I like Swing of the Fallen World and Claws and that's about it.

[MirrorMask]

Speaking of My God Given Right, fuck this is a disappointing album.  I've pretty much really liked every Deris era album.  Straight Out of Hell even was very strong IMO, but my God Given Right is very poor in comparison to everything that can before it.  The bands worst album.  The songs surprisingly are just really uninmaginative and it sounds uninspired.  I listened to this again 2 days ago and it was weaker then what I remembered when it came out.  The reunion came at a perfect time.

No shit. I loved Straight out of Hell but My God-Given Right, I listened a few times to it and never came back. I like Swing of the Fallen World and Claws and that's about it.

Yeah, give or take the actual songs preferred, I'm with you both. It's like if the reunion was already in the planning and so they churned out an album they were already obliged to do just to be done with it and go into the reunion.

Or maybe it was just a moment of bad inspiration and the reunion saved them. I can't imagine the follow up to My God Given Right being any better than it.

One particulary telling detail is that there were 42 bonus tracks because they wrote so many (average) songs that they let the label decide which songs were making the album and which were to be used as bonus. Like, dunno, being an average photographer and taking dozens and dozens of pictures in the hope that in the bunch there's gonna be 5-10 good photos to post.

[wolfking]

Speaking of My God Given Right, fuck this is a disappointing album.  I've pretty much really liked every Deris era album.  Straight Out of Hell even was very strong IMO, but my God Given Right is very poor in comparison to everything that can before it.  The bands worst album.  The songs surprisingly are just really uninmaginative and it sounds uninspired.  I listened to this again 2 days ago and it was weaker then what I remembered when it came out.  The reunion came at a perfect time.

No shit. I loved Straight out of Hell but My God-Given Right, I listened a few times to it and never came back. I like Swing of the Fallen World and Claws and that's about it.

Yeah, give or take the actual songs preferred, I'm with you both. It's like if the reunion was already in the planning and so they churned out an album they were already obliged to do just to be done with it and go into the reunion.

Or maybe it was just a moment of bad inspiration and the reunion saved them. I can't imagine the follow up to My God Given Right being any better than it.

One particulary telling detail is that there were 42 bonus tracks because they wrote so many (average) songs that they let the label decide which songs were making the album and which were to be used as bonus. Like, dunno, being an average photographer and taking dozens and dozens of pictures in the hope that in the bunch there's gonna be 5-10 good photos to post.

Is this serious?

The 3 bonus tracks already are fucking dreadful.  I Wish I Were There has to be the bands worst song.  What the fuck is this song?  it's laughable.  I love the Deris era so much and discovered the band at the time Rabbit was released so following their releases since has been wonderful but damn this album all filler no killer.  Swing is probably the decent track, and the title track has somewhat a decent melody.

[MirrorMask]

The 42 number was an exageration of course, but there are 5 actual songs which didn't make the cut, and if I remember correctly, back when the album was being promoted they told they had 30 songs to pick from, even though I'm sure not all of those 30 were actually finished like those actually released. Still it looks to me like a case of write, write, write and hope that in the midst of it all there's a great song somewhere.

[Evermind]

The 42 number was an exageration of course, but there are 5 actual songs which didn't make the cut, and if I remember correctly, back when the album was being promoted they told they had 30 songs to pick from, even though I'm sure not all of those 30 were actually finished like those actually released. Still it looks to me like a case of write, write, write and hope that in the midst of it all there's a great song somewhere.

Yeah. I wrote a review for this album for Lady Obscure and I definitely remember reading something along these lines when doing the research. They said something like there were like 30 songs written and they had a difficult time picking the ones for the album so they left it to the label.

The 3 bonus tracks already are fucking dreadful.  I Wish I Were There has to be the bands worst song.  What the fuck is this song?  it's laughable.  I love the Deris era so much and discovered the band at the time Rabbit was released so following their releases since has been wonderful but damn this album all filler no killer.  Swing is probably the decent track, and the title track has somewhat a decent melody.

I remember the melody from the title track but for some reason I think of this song as a re-written Power. And well, I can listen to Power instead any day, so I never revisit the title track.

[IDontNotDoThings]

I actually like My God Given Right a fair bit. It's not amazing, but it's still a really fun album imo & it has its great moments. I was really surprised to see that it's disliked so heavily by the fanbase.

That said, I Wish I Were There is still awful, & I could do without If God Loves Rock N Roll (aka Final Fortune 2) and Claws (aka Church Breaks Down 2). I like basically every other song on the album though, including the other four bonus tracks.

[Mladen]

Always great to see so much discussion about the Deris era. Good thing we just hit 7 sinners, because that one is my favorite Helloween album of the last 20 years. It starts a bit rocky but gets progressively better towards the end. TSTFTS, Raise the noise, My sacrifice, You stupid mankind, Far in the future, The Smile of the sun, Long live the king... Good God, so many great tracks. 

I agree that the last two albums weren't as amazing as a whole, but they have some songs that make up for the rest. The last two songs on My God-given right make the album absolutely worth it.

[TAC]

Just started on Straight Out Of Hell last night. I think I've played this just twice after I bought it. Same for My God Given Right.

It's weird, but I kept buying Helloween albums and never really gave them a serious chance.

[The Walrus]

Speaking of My God Given Right, fuck this is a disappointing album.  I've pretty much really liked every Deris era album.  Straight Out of Hell even was very strong IMO, but my God Given Right is very poor in comparison to everything that can before it.  The bands worst album.  The songs surprisingly are just really uninmaginative and it sounds uninspired.  I listened to this again 2 days ago and it was weaker then what I remembered when it came out.  The reunion came at a perfect time.

I agree, it's Helloween's worst album. I still haven't even bought it, but at some point I will for the sake of my collection. It's so fucking bad and I also agree the reunion came at the perfect time because until the tour was announced I started to really give up on Helloween (SOOH was good but a far cry from 7 Sinner's greatness, and MGGR just continued the trend).

[The Walrus]

Just started on Straight Out Of Hell last night. I think I've played this just twice after I bought it. Same for My God Given Right.

It's weird, but I kept buying Helloween albums and never really gave them a serious chance.

I never played SOOH too much after release either but there are a few gems on that one imo. The title track reminds me of Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid for some reason.  World of War is an awesome song for Deris specifically, and I LOVE Burning Sun, Years, Waiting For The Thunder (even if the verses are awkward and kind of bad). Church Breaks Down and Make Fire Catch The Fly aren't too shabby either. Far Beyond The Stars is cornier than the Midwest but I like the chorus melody.

Helloween is one of the most inconsistent 'big' metal bands around. It's like they'll release one really good album and then put out duds for a few years before coming back with something awesome.

[Evermind]

Burning Sun is awesome! Waiting for the Thunder is pretty much the new If I Could Fly, it even made the setlist for the reunion tour. Make Fire Catch the Fly is also great.

I have a soft spot for Hold Me in Your Arms too. As corny as that song is, that's one of the best ballads they've put out lately in my opinion.

[The Walrus]

Yeah I was pretty happy when they busted out WFTT on the tour. I was sad no Burning Sun though. I was hoping since they swapped out singers they'd let Andi go nuts for one song.

[Evermind]

Well they had a lot of ground to cover so it's kinda understandable they didn't do Burning Sun. I saw them on Straight out of Hell tour (when they toured with Gamma Ray) and I don't remember if they played it, I think they did not. But we definitely had Nabataea and Hold Me in Your Arms so I'm fine with that.

Hopefully they'll do it on the next tour!

[MirrorMask]

Straight Out of Hell is inconsistent but it has amazing highs. The title track is happy power metal at its finest, and Waiting for the Thunder is so damn catchy and was totally worthy of a slot in the reunion setlist (at my show it also went down quite well!). Also Nabatea is a minor King for a 1000 Years and it's a great epic.

[wolfking]

Asshole is a really fun track too.

[TAC]

Helloween is one of the most inconsistent 'big' metal bands around. It's like they'll release one really good album and then put out duds for a few years before coming back with something awesome.

I disagree. I find them incredibly consistent.

Chameleon is a dud, but that was a totally fractured band at that point. I'm going chronologically through the Deris albums, and SOOH is the only one so far I feel is a notch below. Every other ranges from very good to excellent.

[TAC]

So, three times through Straight Out Of Hell. I think overall, this isn't nearly as strong as the previous few albums. I think it could be a grower, but here are the songs that made the cut. Even though I consider it one of the weaker albums, I really like at least half of the songs. Not sure if any of them actually make the next cut though.

Straight Out Of Hell

World Of War
Burning Sun
Waiting For The Thunder
Years
Make Fire Catch The Fly

[The Walrus]

Hah! See, I pretty much agree with that list, and your assessment. Good, but not nearly as good as the albums before it. Gambling + 7 Sinners + Dark Ride basically satiates my 2000s Helloween needs, but at the very least, SOOH has Burning Sun to contribute to the list. Very curious to read MGGR.

[wolfking]

So, three times through Straight Out Of Hell. I think overall, this isn't nearly as strong as the previous few albums. I think it could be a grower, but here are the songs that made the cut. Even though I consider it one of the weaker albums, I really like at least half of the songs. Not sure if any of them actually make the next cut though.

Straight Out Of Hell

World Of War
Burning Sun
Waiting For The Thunder
Years
Make Fire Catch The Fly

The next one is like falling off a cliff in terms of quality.

[wolfking]

Helloween is one of the most inconsistent 'big' metal bands around. It's like they'll release one really good album and then put out duds for a few years before coming back with something awesome.

I disagree. I find them incredibly consistent.

Chameleon is a dud, but that was a totally fractured band at that point. I'm going chronologically through the Deris albums, and SOOH is the only one so far I feel is a notch below. Every other ranges from very good to excellent.

Yeah I strongly disagree with that too.  Besides MGGR, everything from the Deris era IMO is excellent.

[Mladen]

My favorites on SOOH:

Nabatea
Burning sun
Waiting for the thunder
Make fire catch the fly
Church breaks down

I could live without the rest.

[IDontNotDoThings]

from SOOH, these are the ones I could do without:

World of War
Wanna Be God
Asshole
Make Fire Catch the Fly

Again, it seems I've been controversial with this selection without even knowing it. I don't get you people

[MirrorMask]

Tracklist for the album confirmed, video it's the whole setlist (even if put together from different shows), the double CD for the audio has only Pumpkins United and the solos missing, and the song is anyway on the third CD as a bonus (so I shouldn't call it double CD, it's a triple CD  )