Helloween – 7 Sinners

Ok so it’s Halloween and what is out? A new Helloween album called “7 Sinners” and with 13 songs! Creepy hah? After Accept and Blind Guardian, it’s time for Helloween to come in the front of the German metal scene with a a new album tottaly equal to their “teammates” releases! To be honest I wasn’t very positive about due to their latest work which were a bit stuck and without much inspiration! But this new one is a real new page.

I was already very pleased by the first hearing but after a while I realised they managed to refresh themselfes and modernize their style a bit without changing their attitude. So we find next to the classy Helloween speedy verses and catchy choruses a more violent and agressive metal than usual. The guitars work is huge with more powerful riffs, and solos coming from nowhere but very tight to the songs. Sascha Gerstner take a very important place and his association with Michael Weikath is very balanced as you can specialy hear in “My Sacrifice” instrumental song. Same good stuff in the rythm section with heavy loader Dani Löble and discrete but efficient Markus on the drums and bass. But the true reveletion is the amazing colouring of Andi Deris voice, who preferes not to raise it but make it more aggresive and varient realy close to his personal titles. That’s what gives a new Helloween image.

As a whole Helloween seem more organised and compact. With heavy powerful songs since the beggining with “Where The Sinners Go” but with melodic pauses, speedy choruses and classy stuff like in “World Of Fantasy”. Songs like “The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner” and “If A Mountain Could Talk” bring an amazing turn-around and have a colourful vocal surrounding. “Long Live The King” is a tribute song for Dio as you can guess, with lyrics from Andi and as stong as Dio himself! Of course there is also the power ballad called “The Smile Of The Sun” with an emotional melody which makes you very nostalgic! The whole pack is very moderated, with melodic up and downs and heavy accelerations. In general talk a musical orgy!

So “7 Sinners” is totally a new fresh Helloween aspect wich I think will make a lot of fans happy and proves that sometimes it’s good to move with the wave and bring new stuff in your music style as a band! Happy Ha(e)lloween!