Helloween – "Giants and Monsters"

Giants and monsters and pumpkins, oh my!

As my undoubtedly thousands of readers will have long learned, I often get cute about not having followed a group for a certain amount of years – not the least of all when it's closer to a matter of decades. And then, I often declare that given the quality of this newest release from the group in question, I've probably been missing out for all those years.

With all the peril of spoiling anything up front, this is also the case with Helloween and this newest platter of theirs. Shit, I think the last time I heard an LP of theirs was 2003's "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" (admittedly, not a record that'd exactly make you hungry for more, but still.) In this case, however, it's all the dumber that I didn't jump right back on board back in 2019 when Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske reunited with their old, merry band of power metal pumpkins.

Not only because it's a reunion worthy of mention, but because as one out of too few people in my acquaintancesphere, I love power metal. In spite of all the apparent speculation in the genre that I'm hearing with newer outfits like Brothers of Metal and Beast in Black. I mean, Helloween practically invented the damn thing. (And no, I do not acknowledge "U.S. power" as a genre. That's just plain fucking heavy metal.)

And apart from practically inventing said damn thing – and more importantly – Helloween still churn out undeniable bangers, most of which have an uncanny ability to embed themselves in your cochlea in a minimum of spins. On "Giants and Monsters", it happens with the first spin in the case of Minor-key midtempo rocker "A Little is a Little too Much". Shit, that bitty theme is legit a banger in and by itself. And sure, the verse is very reminiscent of this little 1983 ditty, name of "Rainbow in the Dark", but there are certainly many other worse metal tunes of which a metal tune might be reminiscent.

The falsetto in "Savior of the World" makes me think of the band's own little 1985 ditty, name of "Ride the Sky", and if it had been on that same album, it would've become an equally big Helloween classic.

To get one point of criticism out of the way up front, that same effect of instant-hook-and-embedding also goes for "This is Tokyo". However, this is where things get a bit too self-aware and out-of-character. Also midtempo, it's a bit like this other lil' 1991 midtempo butt-rock tune named "Enter Sandman" which would've actually been a decent song if only it hadn't been performed by one of the, up until right then and there, most badass and genre-defining metal bands in the world. "This is Tokyo", then, might have worked with Bon Jovi or even Helloween's fine countrymen in The Scorpions. Or, I dunno… Singing about Tokyo just feels weird, and it smells a bit much like speculation in fanbase segment pandering.

Anyway, that said, "Giants and Monsters" is largely a grand fucking album. Opener "Giants on the Run" builds up with all the patient professionalism of people who've been writing songs since before yours truly was even born, and it explodes in that wondrous uptempo ride across the plains that any power metal votary will immediately recognize and adore. And the band cultivates that particular modus a lot here. The falsetto in "Savior of the World" makes me think of the band's own little 1985 ditty, name of "Ride the Sky", and if it had been on that same album, it would've become an equally big Helloween classic. Yeah, I just wrote that.

And that's what these here Germans do so fucking well, and what the sorry power metal haters will never understand: Helloween, like their blessed ilk, are, indeed, blessed with an undeniable proficiency for writing melodies. Majestic, magniloquent melodies that sound like victory fanfares – and that are the exact antithesis to the caveman grunts and teenage whines of band like Korn and Stinkin Park. Helloween have zero fucking shame; it wouldn't work if they did, and they're composing hymns with equal parts conviction and expertise – not self-indulgent moaning and grieving.

Things do get a bit dirty in "We Can Be Gods", its scowling flat-second step metal riff evocative of the band's fine countrymen in Primal Fear or Grave Digger. But in a vast contrast to the aggressive verse, the chorus, in a shameless Major-key melody, boldly declares, "To live and let live is the only way out for us / I know it ain't easy, but it's worth a try". And check out that perfectly blistering solo chase and ditto drum fills afterwards. And it's all carried out without even coming close to the worst pitfalls of the subgenre, which, sadly, especially a lot of newer power metal groups fall into these days – see aforementioned, for example.

It's albums like this one that justify the continued existence of both this wonderful band and, in spite of any and all calculated genre speculations in the later years, this wonderful subgenre.

Perhaps the biggest difference in this current incarnation of Helloween is the return of Kai Hansen. Those of you who've been digging on the man's world-famous-in-Germany main outfit Gamma Ray through the years (ideally, all of you) will clearly be able to hear the difference. In fact, "Giants and Monsters" largely plays out like one of the better GR albums. Unfortunately, this also means there's a tangible imbalance between the memorability of verses and choruses. The latter, as earlier stated, often hook themselves immovably in your inner ear after 2-3 spins whether you like it or not (but you do), and the former are almost instantly forgettable.

The speedy semi-epic "Universe (Gravity for Hearts)" is but one example of this. It is beautiful when the otherwise Minor-key melody goes from a low 7th step down to a high 6th; you will savor the tune instantly and recognize it immediately upon your second spin. But even upon five spins, I would not be able to hum you the verse if my life depended on it.

Still, though. It's albums like this one that justify the continued existence of both this wonderful band and, in spite of any and all calculated genre speculations in the later years, this wonderful subgenre. Even though Helloween protegés Avantasia kinda had a minor comeback this year after a coupla run-of-the-mill releases, "Giants and Monsters" is still superior to said comeback album. Coming to think of it, I'm hearing some of Tobias Sammet's vocal phrasings in Kiske's and Hansen's voices here. But of course, that would be confusing cause and effect – Sammet grew up on their albums; not the other way around.

Here's to the next generation growing up on Helloween as well.

Rating: 4.5 out of 6

Genre: Power metal
Release date: 29/8/25 
Label: Soyuz Music
Producer: Charlie Bauerfeind, et al.