Review Summary: Although its weaknesses this is a keeper!
There is a problem with the new album by the legendary Helloween. Giants and Monsters is like a dessert whose ingredients haven’t quite blended yet. The overall taste is pleasant, but you feel it could have been much better. But let’s take things from the beginning.
The self-titled Helloween of 2021—the great reunion the metal world had been anxiously waiting for decades—came with a lot of enthusiasm, but at the same time with a good deal of anxiety. The band tried to say too much, and the result came out overloaded, with the production suffocating it even more.
Fortunately, Giants and Monsters is clearer, more relaxed, and more confident in itself. From the very first note of Giants on the Run, the listener comes face to face with a finely tuned metal machine that does not mimic the past; on the contrary, it finds its place in the present—especially with Hansen’s midsection break, which darkens the atmosphere dangerously. The combination of Deris’s light pop sensibility with Hansen’s sharp-edged approach is extremely interesting, as it highlights the essential contrast within Helloween.
The fresh approach and explosive start set you up pleasantly for what’s to come—though, unfortunately, the rest soon brings you back down. Saviour of the World by the Weikath–Kiske team isn’t bad, but it’s relatively easy to skip. Your mind goes back to the Keeper era, yes, but without the element that would truly impress you. And before you have time to digest it, Deris comes in like a sweet cocktail, intoxicating you with one of his trademark catchy choruses in A Little is a Little Too Much, bringing a carefree Tenerife breeze into your speakers!
The first three songs are indicative of how the album flows—more like an accumulation of different styles rather than a cohesive whole. We Can Be Gods once again races ahead with Hansen’s speed and rebelliousness, while the next two Deris tracks take us into more commercial landscapes, before Gerstner’s wonderful Universe pulls us back once again to the Keeper era. You guessed it: there’s a clear pattern of influences and styles throughout the album, shifting somewhat awkwardly.
The extremely strange thing about Giants and Monsters is that this very weakness—its lack of uniformity—is also its weapon! The variety of styles keeps the listener’s interest alive, whereas on the previous album, things sometimes became tiring. At the same time, Helloween’s highly professional lineup managed to keep the best elements while trimming the excess. The pop parts stand out more, the longer songs are more unpredictable, and the classic cheerful Helloween moments “deliver” more generously.
With Giants and Monsters, Helloween have surpassed their previous work and are gradually perfecting the reunion formula. Each time I listen to it, I like it more, while also recognizing its flaws. If nothing else, there is a lot of charm hidden within it, and at certain moments I felt completely carried away by its energy—for the first time in a very long while. Perhaps not since the amazing triplet of Time of the Oath – Better than Raw – Dark Ride. Not bad at all!
At the same time, though, throughout Giants and Monsters, I felt that somewhere among the seven great ones behind the pumpkin, there lies a truly amazing album. When they manage to truly unite in essence—and not just play side by side—they might finally deliver it to us.
