Album Review: Helloween - Giants & Monsters
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Few bands can say they’re on the verge of releasing their nineteenth studio album but Hamburg-hailing act Helloween are precisely that kind of band. Formed originally in 1978 as Gentry, then Second Hell from 1981, Iron Fist in 1982, before landing firmly upon Helloween a year later where the band have prospered, uninterrupted by any dissolutions or hiatuses, one release following another, to Giants & Monsters set for release August 29th through Reigning Phoenix Music. Their earliest breakthrough came with their first album, 1985’s Walls Of Jericho which was soon succeeded by the speed/power metal landmark Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1 by 1987, and Part 2 in 1988 respectively. Over the ensuing decades Helloween have remained a flagship band amongst Germany’s multitudinous metal community, cited amongst many as one of the big three of German power metal, alongside Blind Guardian and Gamma Ray. It’s been a hot minute since I checked out a Helloween record upon its initial release so I was pretty excited to see what the band have in store. The band have enjoyed great success as of late with recent albums received with clamouring appraisal. This is Giants & Monsters.
Newcomers to Helloween may be startled at just how many members Helloween sports today, seven in total, but these are all men who are deeply experienced with the band. It’s rare to encounter a band with this many members to have been around such a long time and since that is the case, their chemistry on record must naturally reflect their camaraderie in real life too. Each member therefore understands one another’s strengths, weaknesses, how they can support one element with the infusion of another etc. Such a vast roster has also aided Helloween in championing this massive soundscape where every member gets their due across every song so there’s hardly a time where you’ll feel something is being neglected or waylaid for another track.
When I was first getting into metal, I leaned heavily towards Power Metal before adoring the more ruthless variations. However I always went back to Helloween because whilst the band do venture towards fantastical themes and riffs that soar enthusiastically, the band have always maintained a strong speed metal presence. You’ll receive these loftier, optimistic ideas the band perform through their songwriting and lyrics yet there’s hardly a time where they outright slow down, at least when a track has momentum in mind. This doesn’t mean they’re seeking to race you off the road for their tempo always has your engagement in mind, thus enabling you to keep track of every swing and development their sound brings forth. Helloween are also a more old school band, so their riffs feel more accentuated, organised, whereby the band strengthen that impact. It’s a minute thing but it does aid the band in giving each track particular presence.
Owing to Helloween’s style of metal, a crystal clean production has been the best call for Giants & Monsters. This is far from revolutionary for the band given this has been their go to for decades now, and the crisp finish on their sound provides an accessibility to new audiences. With each record sharing this familiar production the band can renew themselves with fresh fans time and again. But sporting a polished tone, on a record commemorating forty years since Walls Of Jericho release, helps cement the longevity of their talent. Look to the vocals provided by Michael Kiske and Andi Deris, both of whom are in their late fifties to early sixties now and still their cords are as strong and healthy-sounding as they were when they were twenty years younger. See too the magic offered by legend Kai Hansen, whose riffs coupled alongside fellow guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gertsner, have barely diminished with time. It also means the band can’t hide themselves behind muddier productions; everything regarding Helloween is on fullest display for you to experience so the band need to get it right every time a record is set to release. Helloween remain consistent not because they’re an iconic band; they remain because they’re an iconic band and they’ve always strived to do their utmost best, delivering metal that’s real and heartfelt and simply fun.
Though delivering power is the intrinsic goal of any band, and Helloween have become no stranger to such things, I respect the band’s capacity for restraint. Given their power metal connotations they could very easily put their sound into excessive overdrive and just destroy us with the sheer power they could have at hand. But even cranking this record to its maximum volume reveals how Helloween constantly hold back from doing so, establishing a formidable presence that doesn’t see them throwing everything and the kitchen sink at you. Such decisions would mar Helloween’s ability to convey songwriting that’s organically enjoyable. The mix is spot on too for the drums showcase strikes and bass that hit with just the right level of impact, without challenging the guitars or bass’ presence, helping round the record out to this satisfyingly polished degree. Considering this is a fifty-minute album I never felt once like I wanted it to end early, I was always on board for everything the band threw my way.
In conclusion, Helloween, on their nineteenth album release, absolutely blow any naysayers out of the water to deliver a massive-sounding, triumphant record that will keep you firmly rooted to the band’s signature speed/power metal stance with the greatest ease. Even as the band close out with bombastic finisher “Majestic” one can be excused for wishing there was more from Giants & Monsters, even after the record approaches that hour-long threshold. When Helloween release a new album today we have a very strong indication how it will sound, how it will feel, but that doesn’t limit the band from completely blasting to pieces the expectations you’ll place upon them. For a band celebrating forty years since Walls Of Jericho released its staggering just how much energy and passion and love for metal still resides in Helloween. These guys evidently adore what they do and you can feel that undiluted adoration for this style of metal in every track here. Giants & Monsters is not only a record that will dominate come its August 29th release date, but it’s also a release that’s kickstarted a fresh love for Helloween and reminds me what I’ve been missing after not listening to them for such a long while. Giants & Monsters is a record forty years following Walls Of Jericho and even in this year of 2025, Helloween are very, very far from done.
