The second album after the self-titled Helloween of 2021 for the super lineup of our beloved pumpkins, with nothing left to prove after fifteen gold and six platinum awards, as well as more than ten million records sold.
Giants & Monsters comes forty years after the band’s debut album Walls of Jericho, with much having taken place throughout those years.
Doubt, dismissal, and even the dethronement of one of the greatest power metal bands happened many times in the past. But under the prospect of the reunion, all that was set aside and all ears opened, awaiting the first self-titled album Helloween in 2021.
Objectively, Helloween is a good album, but not one that fully justifies the name of this great band. The main misstep is that the listener gets the impression of a sort of rivalry—mostly between the vocalists, and secondarily between the guitarists.
Now we arrive at today and the new album Giants & Monsters, which presents the classic blend of melodic and power metal that characterizes the band.
The flawless production took place at the famous Wisseloord Studios, and the result is a crystalline, powerful, and clean sound that elevates the entire album—whether making the dynamic songs even stronger or bringing out all the melodicism of the more technical ones, without any loss of quality.
The three singers, Andi Deris, Michael Kiske, and Kai Hansen, appear like Midas—everything they sing turns to gold. They are in excellent form, truly stunning.
Musically, the execution of the magnificent compositions is deeply engaging—downright addictive.
The songs give the impression that they were written without pressure or burden, with the same spirit as when Helloween’s classic albums were created.
Every track is important, and all have such quality that none feels inferior.
From the opening “Giants on the Run,” a true epic, to the equally magnificent “Majestic” that closes the album, the ten tracks that make up Giants & Monsters each have their reason for being, forming a work worthy of the band’s history.
From powerful songs like “Savior of the World,” “We Can Be Gods,” and “Universe (Gravity for Hearts),” to the more melodic “Into the Sun” and “A Little Is a Little Too Much,” Helloween impresses.
Giants & Monsters represents the balance between nostalgia and freshness, the past and the future—but most importantly, our beloved Helloween once again secure their place at the very top of power metal.
Spyros Tribos
8,5/10
Tracklist:
1.Giants on the Run
2.Savior of the World
3.A Little Is a Little Too Much
4.We Can Be Gods
5.Into the Sun
6.This Is Tokyo
7.Universe (Gravity for Hearts)
8.Hand of God
9.Under the Moonlight
10.Majestic
