Helloween - Better Than Raw - guest review
Helloween - Better Than Raw - guest review
Tracklist
Disc I01. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period In Z
02. Push
03. Falling Higher
04. Hey Lord!
05. Don't Spit On My Mind
06. Revelation
07. Time
08. I Can
09. A Handful Of Pain
10. Lavdate Dominvm
11. Midnight Sun
Disc II [2006 Expanded Edition]
01. Back On The Ground [Previously Japan Only bonus]
02. A Game We Shouldn't Play [Taken from 'I Can' single]
03. Perfect Gentleman [Live Bootleg Version. Taken from 'Hey Lord!' single]
04. Moshi Moshi Shiki No Uta [Live Drum Solo. Taken from 'Hey Lord!' single]
Guest review by
stratorock666 February 08, 2007
Now, what about the performances? Well, everybody here seems in particularly fine form, and Andri Deri's vocals seem higher in the production this time around. He gets more of a chance to shine, and given the variety of the material on hand, he gets a chance to show off his range. Although I don't think he is anywhere near Michael Kiske's league, he does a damn fine job here, managing to be powerful, emotional and sometimes even slightly menacing when the situation calls for it. The axe-work on this album is maybe just a little better than "?The Oath", although the riffs aren't quite as memorable. Overall, this is a very good album, with some great songs but as I have said before, lacks real focus, and suffers a little bit because of it. It also contains a couple of very weak tracks, such as "Hey Lord" and "I Can". Mainly good stuff all-round though, and a worthy addition to any Power Metal collection.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 6 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by stratorock666 | February 08, 2007
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments:
12
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 Posts: 1018 |
Posts: 1018
I like a lot this album, there are some good variations, as the incredible "Push", the funny "Lavdate Dominvm", and a darker sound (more evident in the next "The Dark Ride") as in "Revelation" and "Midnight Sun"... So I'd rate 8 in originality... And again, great songs as "Hey Lord" and "Falling Higher"... So 9 in songwriting... And a 9 in overall impression... But this is only my opinion 
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
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 Posts: 13287 |
Posts: 13287
this is my least favorite Helloween album - but it still does have some songs on it that i love 'Midnight Sun' especially. 'Lavdate Dominvm' 'Revelation' 'Push' - all brilliant tracks it would get about a 7.5 out of 10 from me though
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 Posts: 14095 |
Posts: 14095
I like this one a lot, especially the introduction track that I find simply excellent, one of the best intro track ever made (or let's say, that I've ever heard). I dislike Push, because they "pushed" too much on this one  But the rest of the album is great, I remember I enjoyed songs like A Handful Of Pain, Hey Lord!, Time, even the über simple I Can, terribly efficient. No really, the only problem I've got with Better Than Raw is... where the hell did I put this CD? Can't find it anymore...
---- La belleza no reside en lo que puedas crear, sino en lo que eres capaz de transmitir Beauty resides not in what you're able to create, but in what you're able to communicate Txus, Mägo De Oz
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| Posts: 13287 |
Posts: 13287
haha - this is my least favorite because of tracks like 'I Can' and 'Hey Lord!' they are just too simple and unimaginitive for my liking.. those two i would consider the worst two on the album but the majority of the others tracks i do enjoy a lot.. its just the few seemingly uninspired ones that drag it down for me
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Posts: 137  |
Posts: 137
is a really nice disk-songs like falling higher,revelation,laudate dominum,midnight sun arent been written every day!I wish weikath would be writing all the songs....helloween magic lives on...8,5 for me
---- Don't turn away just take my hand and when you make your final stand i ll be right there i ll never leave all i ask of you is believe...
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| Stuff1056
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 Posts: 2262 |
Posts: 2262
This is Helloween's most creative and heavy input. The variety stretches far and wide here. I Can is one of the best songs off the album. The Production is by far the best the band has ever had. Better Than Raw is by far their best album, and showed a glimpse of how far Helloween can take their music and expand it. Nothing on this album is "typical", and their sound is vastly improved. Too bad they had to make bland outings such The Dark Ride and Rabbit Don't Come Easy that show just how low they can sink.
---- "If there hadn't been women we'd still be squatting in a cave eating raw meat, because we made civilization in order to impress our girl friends. And they tolerated it and let us go ahead and play with our toys." - Orson Welles
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Posts: 25  |
Posts: 25
I don't found any breach in this album. Every song is great and overall album sounds splendidly. 9.3 impartially and 9.6 for me because it's the first Hell's album I heard...
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 Posts: 2955 |
Posts: 2955
6 for originality?  This is one of the most creative of Helloween albums in long time...I understand that the reviewer thinks there is a lack of focus due to this, but lack of originality is not a problem for this album. Have to say.. this is their best since debut imo Classic cover art also!
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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 Posts: 64384 |
Posts: 64384
Midnight Sun and I Can are stand out songs, but people must take it as metal, accept it a spop music and for pop its stand out kick ass album
---- 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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