In the beginning the Lord said “Let there be
power metal” and thus HELLOWEEN came into being;
the primordial metal creature which all other power
metal beings descended from. Well, ok, so maybe it
wasn’t the dawn of time, but somewhere in the
early 1980’s that the German power metal titans
came into being, but if you’re a metal-head
they might as well be one in the same.
One might be inclined to think that a band who all
but trademarked a specific sound, who enmeshed themselves
in the annals (hah hah) of metal history would perhaps
stagnate after nearly 30 years. I’m pleased
to say that the band who pioneered power metal in
the early days are still going strong, and most importantly,
are still delivering dynamic and energetic music which
retains the band’s signature sound while simultaneously
evolving and progressing along with way. Let me put
it this way, if you liked HELLOWEEN 20 years ago,
you’ll still like them now, even though the
albums do not sound the same.
That is the secret to longevity, a balance between
innovation and tradition, and their latest effort
entitled “Gambling with the Devil” achieves
just such a balance.
Present are all the elements we, as fans, have grown
to expect, lots of melody, virtuoso guitar playing
with plenty of speed (courtesy of Michael Weikath
and Sascha Gerstner), driving, pulse pumping rhythm
(by way of drummer Dani Loble and bassist Markus Grosskopf)
and of course powerful, operatic and bombastic vocals
from esteemed long time vocalist Andi Deris. This
album, however, is not just ‘more of the same’.
I dare say “Gambling with the Devil” is
the bands most dynamic and intense recording in quite
some time. Things get interestingly progressive, starkly
dark, and refreshingly heavy with such tracks as “Kill
It”, “The Bells of the 7 Hells”
and “Heaven Tells No Lies”. Mid tempo
orchestration grandeur can be found in “Fallen
To Pieces” and a good old fashioned anthemic
adrenaline rush of optimism and energy is present
in “Paint a New World” and “Can
Do It”.
Deris’ voice stands out as the most varied
aspect of the album however, for there are times when,
diverging from the standard melodic croon, he sounds
nearly vicious with hitherto unheard of levels of
texture and emotion. (“Kill It”, “The
Bells Of The 7 Hells”, “I.M.E.”).
Bottom Line: Like Helen of Troy, who’s face
launched a thousand ships, HELLOWEEN have launched
an equal number of emulators, imitators, and incorporators,
but have always remained the reigning sovereigns of
power metal, wielding the muscle and majesty of the
genre with precision and flair, thus creating for
themselves a legacy forever ingrained in modern metal.
Key Tracks: “Kill It”, “Paint A
New Word”, “The Bells of the 7 Hells”,
“I.M.E.”, “Heaven Tells No Lies”
Reviewed by Farron Watson |
