Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell review
| Band: | Helloween |
| Album: | Straight Out Of Hell |
| Style: | Power metal |
| Release date: | January 16, 2013 |
| A review by: | Baz Anderson |
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 page 2 / 2
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| Metal Invader Posts: 357  |
Quote:Quote:Quote: Well i thik everyone is entitled to their own opinion and music taste but like you said and im shure that this is not worse album of this year! Just want from him a little bit of explanation why?
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
Written by Metal Invader on 26.01.2013 at 13:34 So it's a festival beside the sea? That sounds awesome... shame I won't be able to attend.  You'll be at the Slovenia show then?  I'm really jealous, Helloween and Gamma Ray on the same bill is one of the ultimate metal shows!
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| Metal Invader Posts: 357 |
Written by Angelic Storm on 29.01.2013 at 01:04 Well shame for both of us then cos i lost my job mont ago so i cant go to that festival (If anything change with this issue i will go) But Helloween with GR is like you said THE SHOW and they didnt come last time on Hellish tour so i dont want to miss this time!:)
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| Valaskjalf Account deleted |
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| Cynic Metalhead Ambrish Saxena Posts: 7557  |
Written by Angelic Storm on 23.01.2013 at 23:22 Nope. Seriously, it was bit like a footnotes of Baz's review rather than your comment.
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 30.01.2013 at 17:56 Even though I stated that I disagreed with aspects of the review?  I think you are going a bit overboard here....
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254  |
"Wanna Be God" is dedicated to Freddie Mercury, it says on the back of the CD case - I really enjoy that song.
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| Stormlord Posts: 176  |
I will just say this, there best album since Time Of The Oath with all do respect for other releases.
---- "To those who understand, I extend my hand To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am Not under your command, I know where I stand I won't change to fit your plan, Take me as I am"
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| Metal Invader Posts: 357 |
Written by Stormlord on 01.02.2013 at 14:06 I Agree with you
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| Kingface Posts: 335  |
Written by Baz Anderson on 01.02.2013 at 14:01 Same here. I'm very impressed with this album. I enjoyed the last one but this is a further improvement. Agree with the shape regarding 'Asshole'. Musically it's fine, lyrically it's embarrassing.
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| shadow616 Posts: 29  |
Written by Metal Invader on 27.01.2013 at 16:45 It is quite.. not smart what you wrote, so every power metal CD which is released by famous band is ok? Old Helloween is realy OK but that CD in my opinion is realy bad. Listen to music don't eat everything what they get you.
---- www.soundbastards.pl www.musicmetal.org www.rycerze.wp.pl
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| bblitz Posts: 227 |
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| StRicardo6 Posts: 58  |
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| Risto Wandering Midget Posts: 1115  |
Written by bblitz on 02.02.2013 at 12:06 Early Queen material has influenced a certain band called Metallica...
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| Patrick. Posts: 249  |
Written by StRicardo6 on 04.02.2013 at 16:07 Yes he could. But then the vocal agression and intensity, all the characters that Deris is able to morph his voice into, the vocal variety... It would probably to a large extent be gone. Kiske is of course a fantastic singer in his own right, but with him behind the mic we'd probably be hearing a very polished, clean and "correct" way of singing in comparison to Deris' variety and numerous expressions. Both have an amazing range and emotional quality. When it all boils down I'd say they are equals, for different reasons. However, with Deris they've got a vocalist with much more dimension who is able to bring a schisophrenic kind of magic and mystery that Kiske would have a very hard time living up to (quality-wise in terms of vocal variety and character).
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| bblitz Posts: 227 |
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| bblitz Posts: 227 |
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| warheadro Posts: 1 |
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| Metal Invader Posts: 357 |
Written by warheadro on 18.03.2013 at 10:45 Agree..seen them yesterday
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62002  |
Album name is stupid, but I like this artwork its better as Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Chameleon, he Dark Ride, Ravit Dont Came Easy, and Sinners, those are horible artworks IMO
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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