Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell review
| Band: | Helloween |
| Album: | Straight Out Of Hell |
| Style: | Power metal |
| Release date: | January 2013 |
01. Nabataea
02. World Of War
03. Live Now!
04. Far From The Stars
05. Burning Sun
06. Waiting For The Thunder
07. Hold Me In Your Arms
08. Wanna Be God [Dedicated To Freddie Mercury]
09. Straight Out Of Hell
10. Asshole
11. Years
12. Make Fire Catch The Fly
13. Church Breaks Down
14. Another Shot Of Life [Limited edition bonus]
15. Burning Sun [Hammond version] [Dedicated To Jon Lord] [Limited edition bonus]
16. No Eternity [Japanese bonus]
With such a terribly generic name and quite mundane album cover, you might be excused for doubting the content of the German legends' fourteenth original studio album. Those that have kept on the ball with Helloween in recent years however, will know that the band have been on remarkably good form and will certainly not judge this proverbial book by the cover.
Through the groundbreaking eighties to the patchy nineties, the last decade saw Helloween put their feet down with Gambling With The Devil and 7 Sinners to be noticed as a credible heavy metal force once again. Straight Out Of Hell follows the same line and brings Helloween into this decade with confidence as the legitimate force they always should have been.
Stylistically you can pick out aspects of Helloween past and present encapsulated into this release, and as we've now come to expect again; Straight Out Of Hell has some outstanding and glorious songs waiting to be heard. Opening epic "Nabataea", machine gun "World Of War", upbeat "Burning Sun", infectious title track "Straight Out Of Hell" and "Years" turning back the years are all phenomenal tracks that make you wonder why you ever started to doubt the band. Helloween show that when they are on top form, after all these years they still sit atop the power metal throne.
Perhaps more so on Straight Out Of Hell than the previous album however, the band decided to throw in some real stinkers for good measure. "Live Now!" needs to check for a pulse, "Waiting For The Thunder" might as well have not bothered, and "Asshole" frankly needs to be wiped off the disc. You could say it wouldn't be a true Helloween album without a couple of facepalm-worthy moments though.
All things taken into consideration, Straight Out Of Hell is the album that pessimists never thought could happen; yet another solid album with some magic moments. It might not have been the case twenty years ago, but Helloween is becoming one of the most consistent bands on the scene. With this release, the band have surely solidified their place at the very forefront of credible, modern power metal. Long live the pumpkin(g)s!
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 7 |
Comments
- 1
- 2
| R Lewis Posts: 935  |
Really good review, it's exactly the rating I would give. Anyway, I still can't understand the hate for "Asshole": imo it's a pretty enjoyable track, surely not a masterpiece, but it's funny, original, nearly "happy metal". I liked much less tracks as "Make Fire Catch The Fly". Altogether, this is a great album, like I expected after the great 7 Sinners.
---- We could be so much more than we are. Stop.
Loading...
|
| Metal Invader Posts: 356  |
I give it 9 cos i dont like only two songs 1.Live Now! 2.Wanna Be God..and i agree with you R Lewis Asshole is not a masterpice but imo fit nicely among those fast tracks..production is solid..all in all a great album and imo a slightly better then 7 Sinners!  And i dont mind the name but cover is ugly (imo)
Loading...
|
| PocketMetal Posts: 750 |
Listened to it today and really loved it , Power Metal is one of my least favorite genres but some bands including these guys know how to do it . also I liked the production , kinda made it sound less cheesy and more classy 
Loading...
|
| Kingface Posts: 335  |
Interesting stuff, looking forward to receiving my copy and giving it a listen.
Loading...
|
| Mountain King K i K o Posts: 1361  |
Sounds more clear and noticeable than 7 Sinners and even Gambling With The Devil. Not all the songs sound the same which is great. "Church Breaks Down" is one of those great songs along with those mentioned in the review definitely better than the title track. "Nabataea" is an amazing opener just like "Mr Torture" or "Kill It" and is the best track on the album. Wanna Be God is meaningless but Asshole is not bad at all and the ballad "Hold Me In Your Arms" is a real highlight. Finally a good ballad after all these years...
Loading...
|
| Risto Wandering Midget Posts: 1115  |
I've listened to it once, and "Waiting For the Thunder" is a highlight aside "Nabataea". Overall the choruses in speed numbers tend to come off a bit on the generic side, even though Helloween are pioneers of that. And yeah... "You're an asshole, motha-fuck-ah" - I pressed skip halfway.
Loading...
|
| Warman Erotic Stains Posts: 7695  |
This is actually pretty good and I'm certainly no Helloween fan, but I looked up the album thanks to this review.
---- 
Loading...
|
| Epictemptation Posts: 45  |
Loading...
|
| Necrodamus Posts: 435  |
Great review. Totally agree, some very awesome songs, and a few fillers. "Burning Sun" in particular is an instant classic.
Loading...
|
| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
I usually largely agree with Baz's reviews, and this one is certainly no exception!  I do not share his opinion about "Asshole", however, this is a song that from the moment I heard it, I knew it would polarise opinion. Whenever a band does something unexpected, it is never going to be met with unanimous praise from fans. So the criticism that song has recieved is no surprise to me, as it is left-of-field, even for Helloween. Personally, I like the song, and feel it adds more dynamism to an already pretty dynamic record. "Waiting For The Thunder", and in particular "Live Now!" appear to me to be rushed, unfinished songs. The former feels like a more underdeveloped "If I Could Fly", with a solo that is so short and non-descript, it could easily have been omitted from the song, and it wouldn't have made any difference to it whatsoever. With a bit more work, this could have been a decent little number, but as it is, it does come across as being filler, if not actually a bad song. The latter is so underdeveloped, even by pop song standards, that it comes off as half-baked, and totally lacking in any substance whatsoever. "We Burn" for example, is an even shorter song than "Live Now!", but it actually feels like a longer song, because it feels substantial, and has a build up and momentum which the latter song lacks. It's not about the song's length, but the way in which it's ideas seem to be haphazardly put together for their own sake, resulting in a song that has no bite, or even any real direction to it. This song either should have had a lot more work done to it, or simply been shelved. It should not have been on the album. Everything else in this review I totally agree with. By and large, this is a very good album, by a band who in recent years keep proving again and again why they are one of the elite power metal bands, and continue to lead the way, rather than becoming followers. Which happens so often with pioneering bands who have long careers. I only hope they can keep up this run of great form, and stay at the forefront of the genre until they finally decide to hang up their Jack-O-Lanterns!
Loading...
|
| Rulatore Posts: 1107  |
The song "Asshole" seems to be in the vein of "Anything My Mama Don't Like", but I like the latter one, it isn't total shit as the one in this album. I'm not a Helloween fan, I like some early work but their new albums just don't do it for me. I got bored at half of it.
Loading...
|
| Cynic Metalhead Paisa Vich Nasha Posts: 6816  |
It looks like Angelic posted mini-review out here. Damn, she must be one hell of an excited freak.
Loading...
|
| bblitz Posts: 227 |
|
| Metal Invader Posts: 356 |
Written by bblitz on 23.01.2013 at 22:19 Nice to see more Croatia Helloween fan here!:) Angelic Storm isn't only one who said that "Asholle" is not a bad song..and i agree with her..Live Now! is much worse(imo its matter of taste) Same with Are You Metal..i think that song is better then Where the Sinners Go..again imo its all matter of taste! But i agree with you,they put one or two bad songs on almost every album since Keeper albums!(pozdrav zemljace)
Loading...
|
| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 23.01.2013 at 17:59 Woah, I think you're overexaggerating just a tad there, don't you? @bblitz: I'm sorry, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with "Asshole", some iffy lyrics aside. And iffy lyrics does not automatically a bad song make, at least not in my book! And "Are You Metal?" is not a terrible song at all, and certainly not even the worst song on "7 Sinners". Again, it has slightly silly lyrics, but that in itself is not a prerequisite for a bad song. I do think that this album does have a couple of below par songs, which I've highlighted in a previous post. I just don't agree that "Asshole" is one of them.
Loading...
|
| agator Posts: 5  |
Is True Helloween ever fall in yours produtions, never like the sound of drums!! but the albums is very good!!
---- Where the love is tragedy
Loading...
|
| bblitz Posts: 227 |
To my metal brother and countryman Metal Invader: Svi u Zadar na Burning Sea Festival u lipnju!!! Everyone to Zadar Burning Sea Festival in June!! Angelic Storm as the only lady on this post has special invitation so we'll drink beer and disscuss Helloween
Loading...
|
| Jujitsu-man Ready to ROCK Posts: 39  |
I agree with the review. It's a VERY good album. Wont stay in history, but it's a lot more than we expected from these guys, I'm glad to say it Anyway, I would like to insist in the awful cover. I don't think they've asked for many opinions about it. The art cover isn't only poor, is also meaningless!
Loading...
|
| Tristus Scriptor Rancid Reviewer Posts: 293  |
Very glad to see a positive lack of Deris-hating. That is all. \m/
Loading...
|
| bblitz Posts: 227 |
|
| Tristus Scriptor Rancid Reviewer Posts: 293 |
Yeah...he's had his bad moments. It happens when a band wants a kind-of vocal change. The new guy has a hard time with old stuff. He's not new anymore...but still. I love the direction they took because of him though, and the edge he has on his own songs is great. I look at it as more Helloween variety, old and new for my listening pleasure.
Loading...
|
| bblitz Posts: 227 |
Sasha Gerstner dressed like he escaped from school full of 14-year old emo kids I think they have too much freedom,band like Helloween can't afford that to themseleves. Vocal changes are normal to every band but obviously fans get dissapointed seeing greatness in them all those years and then puf!magic dissapears:( But I like them so I can put that down my throat as long they make good music.
Loading...
|
| Metal Invader Posts: 356 |
Written by bblitz on 25.01.2013 at 14:26 Agree on Wacken his voice was disaster but did you heard him on Woodstock Poland same year..outstanding even on old songs imo! And now on new album he is great again
Loading...
|
| bblitz Posts: 227 |
|
| juanopereira Posts: 268  |
Really nice review!! but I think a 7 is too low for production. It deserves a 9. The album sounds amazing. You can hear everything very clear.
Loading...
|
| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by bblitz on 24.01.2013 at 11:51 "Zadar Burning Sea Festival"? Where's that? Unfortunately, it seems like Helloween will be playing nowhere near me on this tour, so I won't get to see them this time around....  About Andi's voice live, every singer has off days when they don't perform very well. Particularly in a genre like metal, which can be gruelling on the vocal chords. Especially when you're on tour for over a year, singing night after night. I've even heard live footage of Dio sounding terrible, so if it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone. lol Oh, and Sascha is not emo.
Loading...
|
| Metal Invader Posts: 356 |
Written by Angelic Storm on 26.01.2013 at 08:33 Zadar is a beautiful town at sea in Croatia Nearest country(to me)that Helloween play is Slovenia so if you wanna com we can meet there
Loading...
|
| shadow616 Posts: 29  |
Sorry but it is one of the worst CD on this year... I don't know why rating is so high.
---- www.soundbastards.pl www.musicmetal.org www.rycerze.wp.pl
Loading...
|
| Metal Invader Posts: 356 |
Written by shadow616 on 27.01.2013 at 15:26 Cos for some off us who like power metal and Helloween this is a good cd..why dont you like it?
Loading...
|
| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Metal Invader on 27.01.2013 at 16:45 I don't like anything by Helloween afetr Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2, but saying that this Helloween album is the worst album of the year thus far is really stretching it and over exegerating it. There is way way way worse albums out there this year.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
Loading...
|
- 1
- 2
Hits total: 15787 | This month: 30