Review HELLOWEEN “Giants and Monsters”

Helloween is undoubtedly one of the most influential heavy metal bands hailing from Germany. This metal institution has been around for more than 40 years and caused a big buzz with their first three albums.

Founded in Hamburg in 1984, Helloween initiated an exciting project in 2016 when the band announced a tour featuring Deris, Kiske, Weikath, Hansen, Grosskopf, Gerstner and Löble. The extremely positive reaction from fans and the superb live performances sparked the idea of doing more than just a tour. Helloween worked as a septet on a new album. Simply titled ‘Helloween’, the album was almost a kind of restart. And that isn’t all, as the band will release a new album called ‘Giants and Monsters’. It seems that the band members have found common ground in terms of music and collaboration, resulting in ten new songs.

A few months ago, the band revealed the first song, “This is Tokyo”. “This Is Tokyo”‘” is a melodic track featuring Andi Deris on lead vocals. The song is a tribute to Japan, a country that has always been important to the singer. He had some early successes with Pink Cream 69 in the land of the rising sun, and instead of naming the song “Japan”, they chose “This is Tokyo”, which works perfectly as a catchy chorus.

The lead single is positioned in the middle of the album, with a few other enjoyable songs earlier on. The starting point of “Giants & Monsters” is “Giants on the Run”. This song sets the scene for the rest of the album and feels like a modern take on the “Keeper”-vibe. In its six-minute-plus length, Helloween demonstrate why they are among the leading metal bands, and they may be stronger today than ever before. With Deris and Kiske sharing the vocals, the song becomes a masterpiece full of twists. Metal, rock, speed and melodies are the pillars of this opener, which reflects the band’s signature sound perfectly.

What follows is an up-tempo track. “Savior of the World” is a typical Michale Weikath track, with Helloween pushing the pedal to the metal as always. Equipped with an anthemic chorus, the song also harks back to the ‘Keeper’ days. It is an upbeat track with an instantly infectious chorus that still has enough finesse to provide long-lasting enjoyment for listeners.

Things get even more melodic with “A Little is a Little Too Much”. This song features the great voices of Deris and Kiske and has lyrics with a twinkle in the eye. After such an entertaining, happy-go-lucky experience, we move on to “We Can Be Gods”. It is one of the longer tracks on the album and is similar in style to the opener. However, the song showcases the advantage of having three singers on board. As well as Kiske and Deris, guitarist Kai Hansen also sings on “We Can Be Gods”, and once again, the combination of the three voices works wonderfully. This great vocal alliance also adds to the coolness of ‘Majestic’. The latter is the eight-minute finale of the album and also features all three singers.

Written by Kai Hansen, it is the monumental finale of the album. “Majestic” has a cinematic vibe, and is a truly majestic moment on “Giants & Monsters”. Powerful guitars, a dense sound and epic moments define the song, which also features furious solo parts and a pounding rhythm section that drives this Helloween gem. Combined with a calmer middle section, the song transitions from heaviness to an atmospheric moment before returning to the sonic blast.

Helloween’s ability to write ballads has already been demonstrated earlier in their career, and this is reflected in the soulful momentum of “Into the Sun”. With a touching verse sung by the two lead singers, it is the powerful chorus that makes ‘Into the Sun’ a dramatic highlight of the album.

“Universe (Gravity for Hearts)” reflects the idea that everything in the universe is connected. Written by Sascha Gerstner, it is another eight-minute opus on the album. With three guitars and three vocalists, “Universe (Gravity for Hearts)” showcases a variety of twists and dynamics that contribute to Helloween’s signature style, including the spoken word section in the middle.

Brilliant and to the point — that’s “Hand of God”. It’s another standout track on the album that sounds slightly different to the others. The melody line is set in a special way, making it slightly unique, and is followed by the upbeat “Under the Moonlight”, which also features Weikath in the lead.

With Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward at the helm, and mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, NL, “Giants & Monsters” also has a great sound. Each of the songs roars out of the speakers with power and energy, providing joy from the very first listen. In addition, “Giants & Masters” has enough twists and details to guarantee lasting delight when repeatedly playing this album. It showcases a band that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is the work of passionate masters of their craft, who have fused all their skills and vigour to create an album that will be remembered as one of the true highlights of 2025.