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HELLOWEEN “Giants & Monsters”
HELLOWEEN “Giants & Monsters”
By Colonel Angus
I was an early devotee to HELLOWEEN ever since I purchased “Walls of Jericho” back in late 1985. It might not have been called power metal back then but it didn’t matter as they were another heavy metal band that was new and exciting. Both “Keeper of the Seven Keys” are legendary and deserve to be in every metal collection. Then things went sideways on “Pink Bubbles Go Ape” and I lost interest. I have to say that when they teamed up with Andi Deris, I wasn’t fully on board. It took a few releases for me to warm up to that version of the band but eventually I recognized the quality of material on albums like “The Time of the Oath” and “Better than Raw”.
Fast forward to 2021 and the release of the self-titled album brought both worlds colliding and we got a combination of both eras. That release brought back my excitement for the band so I was really thrilled to see that they were going to continue on as a seven piece band with both singers. 2025 sees the band coming up with another ten songs and titling the whole affair as “Giants & Monsters”. I’m also happy to say that this record continues on with the quality of the previous material.
The album opens with a great track called “Giants on the Run” which starts off a bit slow but builds into a power metal powerhouse for the choruses. The tune just oozes that classy HELLOWEEN sound blending the two versions of the band without repeating themselves. Truly a great way to start off this new release. Michael Kiske takes on lead vocal duties for “Saviour of the World” that has an older sound that brought me back to 1986 when I was really into HELLOWEEN. This is a fast power metal workout that captures the band at its peak.
What makes this disk feel more cohesive than the previous effort is that back and forth between vocalists within the same track. Take "A Little Is a Little Too Much" for an example. The two singers make their presence felt without it turning into a competition and by doing that, they show that they are better than the sum of their parts. The track is also more of a straight-up heavy metal tune that would have been all over metal radio in the late 80s. The band get back to more power metal with "We Can Be Gods" which would have fit snuggly with their earlier classic material.
If you have followed my reviews, you would know that I’m not much of a ballad fan but when they are done well, I can really get into them. "Into the Sun" is one ballad that is constructed with such quality and performed perfectly that I find myself listening to it over and over again. Both singers shine and the guitar work is glorious. Paying homage to a location that has been very good to HELLOWEEN, "This Is Tokyo" is a catchy slice of metal that will have you humming along. There are a couple of earworms on “Giants & Monsters” and this is one of them.
"Universe (Gravity for Hearts)" is a good tune but for my tastes, this is the only time I feel that the track doesn’t match the rest of the material. Like I said, it’s good but the others are better. Much better is the moody "Hand of God” which has Deris handling the lead vocals. Containing a catchy chorus and a fantastic guitar solo and you’re left with a cranker of tune.
"Under the Moonlight" harkens back to early HELLOWEEN without being a direct rip-off and the record ends with the epic and aptly titled "Majestic". This eight minute opus takes us listeners on ride through the different types of metal all wrapped up around a great chorus. As I continue to listen to “Giants & Monsters”, I discover something new with each spin and that is the sign of a great record. HELLOWEEN have not sounded this focused in a while and you would be depriving yourself if you don’t go out and purchase this record
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