Helloween - Helloween (2021)

After touring the world with their “Pumpkins United” line-up, Helloween returns to unleash their eponymous release, with Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske, and Andi Deris, all sharing vocal duties. For nearly 70 minutes, the band delivers 12 doses of high-octane Power Metal with one of the most epicly stacked vocal line-up for a non-project band. Featuring something for everybody, this release will please almost any fan of the band over their nearly 30-year career.

Opening with the epic “Out for the Glory”, you get that sensation of excitement as the track slowly builds up with crafty instrumentation, blistering guitars and soaring vocals. We wouldn't expect anything less from such a legendary band, and yet Helloween blows past any preconceived expectations as to how the multiple vocalist’s approach would work with solid tracks like “Fear of the Fallen”, “Best Time”, “Mass Pollution”, and “Angels”.

One of our initial reservations about the band using multiple vocals is how they would fit within the band’s most recent music style, however, each song is perfectly adjusted to have the lead vocals be done by the most fitting vocalist, playing to the individual strengths of Hansen, Kiske, and Deris. Clear examples of this are songs like: “Indestructible”, “Down in the Dumps”, and 12-minute epic “Skyfall”. Our personal favorite track has to be “Rise without Chains” and its killer guitar leads alongside soaring vocals.

As a whole, this release keeps the momentum going for Helloween and their “Pumpkins Unite '' run, by delivering 12 intense songs filled with signature old and new elements from the band. While some fans might particularly dislike any of the individual singers, the collective effort made by the band’s current lineup is pretty brilliant and well crafted to optimize epicness. Definitely one of the candidates for top 10 albums of 2021.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: June 18th, 2021

Genre: Power Metal

Country: Germany