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Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell review



Reviewer:
8.5

534 users:
7.87
Band: Helloween
Album: Straight Out Of Hell
Style: Power metal
Release date: January 2013


01. Nabataea
02. World Of War
03. Live Now!
04. Far From The Stars
05. Burning Sun
06. Waiting For The Thunder
07. Hold Me In Your Arms
08. Wanna Be God [Dedicated To Freddie Mercury]
09. Straight Out Of Hell
10. Asshole
11. Years
12. Make Fire Catch The Fly
13. Church Breaks Down
14. Another Shot Of Life [Limited edition bonus]
15. Burning Sun [Hammond version] [Dedicated To Jon Lord] [Limited edition bonus]
16. No Eternity [Japanese bonus]

With such a terribly generic name and quite mundane album cover, you might be excused for doubting the content of the German legends' fourteenth original studio album. Those that have kept on the ball with Helloween in recent years however, will know that the band have been on remarkably good form and will certainly not judge this proverbial book by the cover.

Through the groundbreaking eighties to the patchy nineties, the last decade saw Helloween put their feet down with Gambling With The Devil and 7 Sinners to be noticed as a credible heavy metal force once again. Straight Out Of Hell follows the same line and brings Helloween into this decade with confidence as the legitimate force they always should have been.

Stylistically you can pick out aspects of Helloween past and present encapsulated into this release, and as we've now come to expect again; Straight Out Of Hell has some outstanding and glorious songs waiting to be heard. Opening epic "Nabataea", machine gun "World Of War", upbeat "Burning Sun", infectious title track "Straight Out Of Hell" and "Years" turning back the years are all phenomenal tracks that make you wonder why you ever started to doubt the band. Helloween show that when they are on top form, after all these years they still sit atop the power metal throne.

Perhaps more so on Straight Out Of Hell than the previous album however, the band decided to throw in some real stinkers for good measure. "Live Now!" needs to check for a pulse, "Waiting For The Thunder" might as well have not bothered, and "Asshole" frankly needs to be wiped off the disc. You could say it wouldn't be a true Helloween album without a couple of facepalm-worthy moments though.

All things taken into consideration, Straight Out Of Hell is the album that pessimists never thought could happen; yet another solid album with some magic moments. It might not have been the case twenty years ago, but Helloween is becoming one of the most consistent bands on the scene. With this release, the band have surely solidified their place at the very forefront of credible, modern power metal. Long live the pumpkin(g)s!


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 7





Written on 22.01.2013 by Member of Staff since 2006


Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 50   [ 2 ignored ]   Visited by: 649 users
27.01.2013 - 17:38
Rating: 9
Metal Invader

Quote:
Quote:
Quote:

Cos for some off us who like power metal and Helloween this is a good cd..why dont you like it?


I don't like anything by Helloween afetr Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2, but saying that this Helloween album is the worst album of the year thus far is really stretching it and over exegerating it. There is way way way worse albums out there this year.

Well i thik everyone is entitled to their own opinion and music taste but like you said and im shure that this is not worse album of this year!
Just want from him a little bit of explanation why?
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29.01.2013 - 01:04
Rating: 9
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Written by Metal Invader on 26.01.2013 at 13:34
Zadar is a beautiful town at sea in Croatia
Nearest country(to me)that Helloween play is Slovenia so if you wanna com we can meet there


So it's a festival beside the sea? That sounds awesome... shame I won't be able to attend.

You'll be at the Slovenia show then? I'm really jealous, Helloween and Gamma Ray on the same bill is one of the ultimate metal shows!
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29.01.2013 - 12:36
Rating: 9
Metal Invader

Written by Angelic Storm on 29.01.2013 at 01:04

Written by Metal Invader on 26.01.2013 at 13:34
Zadar is a beautiful town at sea in Croatia
Nearest country(to me)that Helloween play is Slovenia so if you wanna com we can meet there


So it's a festival beside the sea? That sounds awesome... shame I won't be able to attend.

You'll be at the Slovenia show then? I'm really jealous, Helloween and Gamma Ray on the same bill is one of the ultimate metal shows!

Well shame for both of us then cos i lost my job mont ago so i cant go to that festival (If anything change with this issue i will go)
But Helloween with GR is like you said THE SHOW and they didnt come last time on Hellish tour so i dont want to miss this time!:)
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29.01.2013 - 22:03
Valaskjalf
Account deleted
"Helloween show that when they are on top form, after all these years they still sit atop the power metal throne.

Perhaps more so on Straight Out Of Hell than the previous album however, the band decided to throw in some real stinkers for good measure.

How contradictory is that though? Still considered one of the best, yet in the next sentence you explain how 3 of the songs are terrible? Without trying to sound like a douche, it doesnt seem like you know what you're talking about. An album with 3 ourtight bad songs on it doesnt deserver an 8.5/10
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30.01.2013 - 17:56
Rating: 8
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
Written by Angelic Storm on 23.01.2013 at 23:22

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 23.01.2013 at 17:59

It looks like Angelic posted mini-review out here. Damn, she must be one hell of an excited freak.


Woah, I think you're overexaggerating just a tad there, don't you?



Nope. Seriously, it was bit like a footnotes of Baz's review rather than your comment.
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30.01.2013 - 19:14
Rating: 9
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Written by Cynic Metalhead on 30.01.2013 at 17:56
Nope. Seriously, it was bit like a footnotes of Baz's review rather than your comment.


Even though I stated that I disagreed with aspects of the review? I think you are going a bit overboard here....
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01.02.2013 - 14:01
Baz Anderson

"Wanna Be God" is dedicated to Freddie Mercury, it says on the back of the CD case - I really enjoy that song.
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01.02.2013 - 14:06
Stormlord

I will just say this, there best album since Time Of The Oath with all do respect for other releases.
----
"To those who understand, I extend my hand
To the doubtful I demand, take me as I am
Not under your command, I know where I stand
I won't change to fit your plan, Take me as I am"
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01.02.2013 - 19:56
Rating: 9
Metal Invader

Written by Stormlord on 01.02.2013 at 14:06

I will just say this, there best album since Time Of The Oath with all do respect for other releases.

I Agree with you
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01.02.2013 - 21:18
Rating: 9
Kingface

Written by Baz Anderson on 01.02.2013 at 14:01

"Wanna Be God" is dedicated to Freddie Mercury, it says on the back of the CD case - I really enjoy that song.


Same here.

I'm very impressed with this album. I enjoyed the last one but this is a further improvement.

Agree with the shape regarding 'Asshole'. Musically it's fine, lyrically it's embarrassing.
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01.02.2013 - 22:59
Rating: 3
shadow616

Written by Metal Invader on 27.01.2013 at 16:45

Written by shadow616 on 27.01.2013 at 15:26

Sorry but it is one of the worst CD on this year... I don't know why rating is so high.

Cos for some off us who like power metal and Helloween this is a good cd..why dont you like it?

It is quite.. not smart what you wrote, so every power metal CD which is released by famous band is ok? Old Helloween is realy OK but that CD in my opinion is realy bad. Listen to music don't eat everything what they get you.
----
www.soundbastards.pl
www.musicmetal.org
www.rycerze.wp.pl
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02.02.2013 - 12:06
bblitz

Freddie Mercury anf Queen don't deserve any piece of mentioning here.They are
are not even close to hard rock,and even metal! By far the worst embarrassing sellout
in music history! Come on people Radio Gaga Radio Gugu,one great metal band
shouldn't dedicate song to bands like Queen!! Different opinion abaout dedicating song to the great
Jon Lord.
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04.02.2013 - 16:07
StRicardo6

Please can Kiske rerecord the album??..lol
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04.02.2013 - 16:24
Risto
Wandering Midget
Written by bblitz on 02.02.2013 at 12:06

Freddie Mercury anf Queen don't deserve any piece of mentioning here.They are
are not even close to hard rock,and even metal!

Early Queen material has influenced a certain band called Metallica...
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04.02.2013 - 23:45
Rating: 8
Patrick.

Written by StRicardo6 on 04.02.2013 at 16:07

Please can Kiske rerecord the album??..lol


Yes he could. But then the vocal agression and intensity, all the characters that Deris is able to morph his voice into, the vocal variety... It would probably to a large extent be gone. Kiske is of course a fantastic singer in his own right, but with him behind the mic we'd probably be hearing a very polished, clean and "correct" way of singing in comparison to Deris' variety and numerous expressions. Both have an amazing range and emotional quality. When it all boils down I'd say they are equals, for different reasons. However, with Deris they've got a vocalist with much more dimension who is able to bring a schisophrenic kind of magic and mystery that Kiske would have a very hard time living up to (quality-wise in terms of vocal variety and character).
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07.02.2013 - 15:38
bblitz

Quote:

Early Queen material has influenced a certain band called Metallica...

Yes,Metallica recorded Lulu,Reolad,Load,Black,St.Anger and other really unbeliveably
awesome albums,so metallic like they call themselves they asses turned into boilling metal
yeah!!!
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07.02.2013 - 15:42
bblitz

And I don't want any 'Metallica family' people here on this topic,
we discuss about Helloween.Please leave.
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18.03.2013 - 10:45
warheadro

Seen them live just a few days back and they used Live now! at the crowd singing moment. that made the song much more enjoyable and dynamic.
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20.03.2013 - 01:23
Rating: 9
Metal Invader

Written by warheadro on 18.03.2013 at 10:45

Seen them live just a few days back and they used Live now! at the crowd singing moment. that made the song much more enjoyable and dynamic.

Agree..seen them yesterday
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21.01.2020 - 20:31
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Album name is stupid, but I like this artwork its better as Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Chameleon, he Dark Ride, Ravit Dont Came Easy, and Sinners, those are horible artworks IMO
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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