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Rating:
Before starting to write this review, I must preface with one thing: I am a die-hard fan of Helloween, they were my introduction to Metal with a capital M. Therefore, a review written by me about the five Germans can never be completely impartial, no matter how hard I try. Additionally, I decided to review this album because no one had done it before, and it seems right to inform people about this little masterpiece. That said, let's begin...
Helloween began their darkest period with Andi Deris, with the two Keepers behind them and a very important name upon them. Even today, people think of Kiske and his crystalline voice when they hear the name Helloween, and almost out of nostalgia, they tend to dismiss Deris. The band changed; there is nothing to be done. Kiske declared metalheads "dickheads", and the group decided to move on regardless. And besides being an amazing vocalist (a matter of taste), Deris is much more consistent with himself than the blonde angel of Hamburg; he sings metal and wants to sing metal. But let's start talking about music; I don't want to become verbose, though I could talk about them for hours.
The CD opens with an orchestral track, as is now tradition, with a mysterious and evocative tone, composed by Weikath, the very successful "Deliberately Limited Prelude Period in Z" which, aside from the pompous title, excellently opens the doors to what is perhaps the hardest and "meanest" track of the Pumpkins, "Push", which bursts in like a herd of buffalo after the calm of the prelude with a heavy and fast riff accompanied by the divine Uli (Ulrich) Kusch's drumming, a true pneumatic hammer of the CD. Deris's voice, perhaps a bit annoying and too forced and falsetto in this track, alternates with the very aggressive and almost growl-like chorus, culminating in the usual back and forth of the two guitarists, especially Grapow in this case.
Following is the epic and in full power style "Falling Higher", much happier than the previous track, fast and incisive, a quintessential Helloween song. Two string notes repeated endlessly open "Hey Lord", an invocation to the Lord (this CD, if listened to carefully, seems like a prayer!!!), a song that is more Hard Rock than Metal, with a very calm chorus and a refrain that quickly gets stuck in your head, but the song otherwise does not offer much to report, good but average. "Don't Spit On My Mind" starts very dragged and tired but revives a bit always in the chorus, perhaps Helloween's ever-strength, they honestly never miss one.
Still dark and mysterious but decidedly more valuable is "Revelation", instrumentally excellent, rich in technique, fast, quite long (8 min) with fantastic solos that prefer melody and atmosphere over insane speed. Excellent alternation of dark and heavy moments marked by the absurd bassist Markus Grosskopf (a legend as an artist and showman) and the tectonic Kusch, and relaxed and harmonious moments. The clock hands mark "Time", the ballad of the album, very nice with a dark atmosphere, which seems to hold its breath only to burst into a very singable refrain. Perhaps the masterpiece of the album is "I Can".
Here, the whole group gives their utmost, from first to last, creating a top-notch song. Melody and power; this seems to be Helloween's recipe for this CD. Following is "An Handful of Pain", another very successful and even better-executed song, with Deris shining here with his unique high notes, certainly not the highest ever heard but endowed with a power and a "grated" and almost hoarse sound truly unique and rare.
The album returns to its roots with a pure happy song, with Andi switching tones effortlessly, and a devastating drum, "Laudate Dominum", a very strange track, entirely sung in Latin, which at first listening seems like the usual easy song with no technical pretensions... but go take a look at the sheet music! First-class guitar heroes without a doubt. The work of the Pumpkins of Hamburg concludes with the excellent "Midnight Sun", returning to dark and heavy atmospheres, but always with an impeccable interplay of melodies. The tapping at the beginning of the song is interesting. Excellent technical performance by the whole group, in their happiest musical moment, after the two Keepers' exploit.
Deris (whether you like him or not, I say my personal impressions) performs all the tracks with character and personality. Michael Weikath (ps my idol) as usual excels with songwriting worthy of him and with solos, maybe not impossible and blazing, melodic and captivating, perfectly in tune with the songs, imbuing them with his style. Roland Grapow in this CD is less "Malmsteen-like" than usual, he too seeks a more melodic and substantial sound without abandoning his lightning-fast scales and arpeggios. There are few words for Grosskopf, excellent as usual; in my opinion, he is one of the best bassists of the genre. Kusch amazes even more with his incredible skills (not surprisingly, he and Grapow, after the split, went on to form Masterplan, creating a band of extremely high technical and artistic caliber) able to be heavy and compelling, never missing a beat and hitting hard, not limiting himself to the repetitive double pedal on and on of most power drummers.
Helloween are now entering their darkest period, where they try to give their sound a new fullness but without neglecting the happy note that distinguishes them. An excellent CD, in my opinion, a must for those who love Helloween, probably the best (and least noted) album of the Deris generation.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period in Z (01:04)
(M - Kusch)
This song is instrumental.
02 Push (05:25)
They're spending millions for your thrill
Collective desperate overkill
Wrapped up in harmless words that grin
Forbidden games you'll never win
The more you seen the more you know
Intended media mind control
Shut down and see how beautiful life can be
This is the prime of your lifetime
You see through eyes of someone else
More than the half of your lifetime
Is just a tale in a storybook
Push, enforce your independence
Push your real intention
Push your unconscious addiction
Push your private fiction
Push
It's getting sicker frame by frame
You're always staring at the same
What is a lie, what is the truth?
Incredible disgusting news
The world is rough, the end is near
Just calculation with your fear
Without a shame nor least respect
The operators stand erect
This is the prime of your lifetime
You see through eyes of someone else
More than the half of your lifetime
Is just a tale in a storybook
Push, enforce your independence
Push your real intention
Face your unconscious addiction
Push your private fiction
Push
04 Hey Lord! (04:06)
(M&L - Deris)
(What is it all about?)
Pleasure of pain
Cold or fire
Love against disdain
Hope or dispair
Thuth of liar
Normal or insane
Do you know what to choose?
It can't happen you lose
Like the stairs nedd the light
No left without right
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Life is striking as you taugth
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Time is running, time is short
Hey Lord (What is it all about?)
Good or profane
Odd of even
All is face to face
Sinner or saint
Serve each other
Life is called this place
Do you know what to choose?
It can't happen you lose
Like the stairs nedd the light
No left without right
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Life is striking as you taugth
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Time is running, time is short
Hey Lord
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Time is running, time is short.
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Life is striking, life is short
Hey Lord
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Time is running, time is short.
Hey Lord, hey Lord
Why did you want us so wayhard?
(What is it all about?)
SOLO: Michael
05 Don't Spit on My Mind (04:24)
Every lie will win a prize
Love sold by a whore
Calculate sacrifice
Death without a war
Aftermath and alibis
Straw-doll-chess to please the poor
Don't tell me of any wonder shitting gold
Don't tell me of a hard way we have to go through
Still we pay your warmth out of the cold
Do you really think we're that blind?
Don't spit on my mind
Don't spit on my mind
Don't spit on my mind
Any form of government
Has a black sheep part
But the brave will never know
What the black sheeps start
In the name of country-love
They enrich themselves apart
Don't tell me of any wonder shitting gold
Don't tell me of a hard way we have to go through
Still we pay your warmth out of the cold
Do you really think we're that blind?
Don't spit on my mind
Don't spit on my mind
Don't spit on my mind
We are the people, we are the masses you are for
We give the power and our desire must be your law
Don't think I'm standing here all alone, one of a kind
Don't think because you're still there
Means that we are all blind
Don't spit on my mind
Don't spit on my mind
Don't spit on my mind
06 Revelation (08:22)
Now we chase the end of time
Afraid what we will find
Once again since Jesus Christ
The stars look down on mankind
Revelation
Overcame creation
False illusions
Fade and die
Whatever we awaited
Charity or hatred
Whatever we awaited
Will arise
It's revelation
Revelation
Power and prosperity
It won't be like before
Name, rank and authority
Not counting any more
Revelation
Overcame creation
False illusions
Fade and die
Whatever we awaited
Charity or hatred
Whatever we awaited
Will arise
It's revelation
Revelation
Bemoan your words
Bemoan your deeds
Repent your thoughts of lies
Attain your sword
Attain your shield
Defend the sense of life
Bemoan your hate
Repent your greed
Improve your rotten seed
Pray for the child
Though born just by a fraud and a whore
Pray for the child
Who won't know what it's crying for
Revelation
Overcame creation
False illusions
Fade and die
Whatever we awaited
Charity or hatred
Whatever we awaited
Will arise
It's revelation
Revelation
09 A Handful of Pain (04:48)
I believe what we called a game
Is more than just a handful of pain
I still remember every hour
Every second has been hours
Far away from many burden
We met eyes without a curtain
Headless into a new sensation
Wether brain nor fear of patience
Careless we had a game to play
You crossed my way for twenty days
Why dont you just heal
The yearning that I feel?
Hey, what we called a game
Is more than just a handful of pain
We got the wrong ways
Cause I believe its more
Than just a handful of pain
We got the wrong ways
Cause I believe its more
Than just a handful of pain
Were different colours, diferent nature
Both we weer like pupil and teacher
Its a puzzle with two pieces
Still not done cause one still misses
Helpless I go through unknown stages
A chapter of life which has missing pages
Torture not owly phisical
It pains unbound, way way down
Why dont you just heal
The yearning that I feel?
Hey, I believe what we called a game
Is more than just a handful of pain
We got the wrong ways
Cause I believe its more
Than just a handful of pain
We got the wrong ways
Cause I believe its more
Than just a handful of pain
Solo 1: michael
Solo 2: roland
10 Laudate Dominum (05:10)
Halleluja, homines,
Gaudete de domino,
Qui donat vita omnes, quod amat nos!
Halleluja, mi deus,
Tu vivis omnipotens,
Tu es semper benignus, tu amas nos!
Pater noster in c�lis
Totum orbem terr� regnat
Et vincit diabolum timorem et ominum hominum
Oh laudate dominum!
Pr�dicate deum
Amate creatorem,
Qui creavit mundum
Oh laudate dominum!
Ecce, et te vult Jesus liberare,
Ducere per vitam amicus, gaude tu!
Amici, dimittie
Mente malam pravamque!
Anima accipite salvam fidem!
Jesus Christus in cruce
De vita decessit dolens
Sed de morte resurrexit lux mundi nova
Oh laudate dominum!
Filium Jesum Christum
Ominum redemporem
Et spiritum santum!
Oh laudate dominum!
Oh laudate dominum!
Pr�dicate deum
Amate creatorem,
Qui creavit mundum
Oh laudate dominum!
Oh laudate dominum!
Oh laudate dominum!
Oh laudate dominum!
Oh laudate dominum!
Oh laudate dominum
11 Midnight Sun (06:20)
[Weikath]
Tried so hard to understanding all your feelings
Tried to cope with your insanities
Come to think about too many ways of healing
What we lost or maybe never had
One small step into the hidden decoy
One more word is help and one will destroy
I woke up in the midnight sun
So aware damage has been done
Agony or sanctuary
Only fate will show the way
From the bright of day into the jaw of darkness
One is shoved, a victim of a lie
Friendly face turns into a fiery grimace
Suddenly feelings learn to die
Used up sympathy no chance to return
To a world one knew but wounds that will burn
Spent more time in the midnight sun
Still aware of what else has gone
Agonized and hypnotized
When will I be shown the way
Fell asleep and no midnight sun
Still aware justice has bee done
No more doubts but disbelief
When the night was day
Celebration, miracle
And fate did show the way
[SOLO 1:Roland]
[SOLO 2: Michael]
12 A Game We Shouldn't Play (03:35)
Do you believe in fate or chances
Design or coincidences
Would you say that all the people
Live their life for good and evil
Some have reached the end of patience
Start to play with God's creation
They know you
Control you
In a game we shouldn't play
Corrupt your heart
And make you part
Of a game we shouldn't play
We run blind
In a game we shouldn't play
Its all a game we shouldn't play
If we shall die now it will happen
If we're good we'll come to heaven
If we shall live it will be so
End your life and you'll see limbo
All is fixed and predetermined
Only time will stretch new sins
He loves you
Alarms you
Of a game we shouldn't play
He tells your heart
To stay apart
From a game we shouldn't play
We run blind
In a game we shouldn't play
Its that kind of game we shouldn't play
Manipulations on the genes
Nuclear contaminated seeds
Clone of the clone in the breeder's zone
Its a game
A game we shouldn't play
We run blind
In a game we shouldn't play
Its that kind of game we shouldn't play
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