Helloween
Rabbit Don't Come Easy

THE REVIEW

After the controversial “The Dark Ride”, Helloween, the “pioneers” of German Power Metal, return with a new album, in which they go back to their roots with their usual "cheerful" sound, momentarily abandoned with the previous album. Moreover, the lineup has changed: alongside Michael Weikath (guitar), Andi Deris (vocals), and Markus Grosskopf (bass), new members Sascha Gerstner (guitar) and Stefan Schwarzmann (drums) have joined. During the recording of this “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy”, released in 2003, the new drummer fell ill and was replaced by Mikkey Dee, the renowned Motörhead drummer, for the remaining tracks of the album.

The prevailing atmosphere of this work is joyful and carefree, in pure pumpkin style. The first track, “Just A Little Sign” is proof of it: the rhythm is upbeat and festive, with a catchy chorus. The second track, “Open Your Life” has a less brisk, slightly heavier beat, but features a very similar chorus to the first track. “The Tune” and “Never Be A Star” are the first tracks played by Mikkey Dee, and the change in drummer is noticeable: Mikkey’s touch is more “heavy” and overall the drums are more prominent; the former is one of the best tracks on the album, with a smooth riff and lightning-fast solo at the end, the latter is a mediocre piece, which feels “empty” and harmless. It continues with the beautiful “Liar”, which features a more “aggressive” Andi, accompanied by an equally hard riff. “Sun 4 The World" and “Don’t Stop Being Crazy” are the “happiest” tracks of the album: the first is sunny and melodic, the second is a sweet, paced ballad. “Do You Feel Good” resembles a bit too much the first two songs of the album, with a fast beat and a catchy chorus. On the same level as “Liar” is “Hell Was Made In Heaven”, but this time Andi is less harsh, and the riff echoes Trash Metal sounds. Perhaps the most mediocre track on the album is “Back Against The Wall”: a driving march that has a riff vaguely reminiscent of Nu Metal sounds; the result is a piece that doesn’t excite from the first listen.
“Listen To The Fly” is an excellent piece, with a frenzied rhythm, and Andi with a vaguely falsetto tone. The most original track of the album is surely “Nothing To Say”, which is a mix of Power and some Reggae sounds, and the result is a track that alternates between overwhelming moments and calm ones. The concluding “Far Away” (available only in Europe) is a harder revision of the first two tracks, with a pressing and joyful rhythm, definitively closing the album.

In conclusion, this is an excellent album, featuring generally good tracks, but there is a lack of a masterpiece, like the first two “Keeper Of The Seven Keys” were, and the listener can feel satisfied with this yet another good performance by the most famous pumpkins in Metal.