It happened at last. Helloween‘s newest concoction, Giants & Monsters, successfully made it onto our review pipe after all those years. The grandads of the Metal o’ The Light finally obtained lamestream n00b status over at the RMR Review Desk. Meaning, despite their verified existence since 1983 and their undisputed influence on the shaping of Ze Art ov Power Metal in general, the band never officially landed a review over at the office tower. The culprit holding us back usually was those slippery, pinkish, sugar-laden surfaces slathered in molten cheese that got in the way. But things changed, and Helloween‘s 2021 self-titled album almost made it onto the zine. Almost.
In contrast, Michael Kiske orbited about our metal multiverse like some lost comet. Folks told us that he was supposed to wreck mics over at Helloween, but he kept popping up at unexpected places. But this was only half-true wild boasting, of course. Kiske was dismissed from Helloween back in 1993 and began careening about the metal multiverse until he reappeared on the band’s member list again on their self-titled album. The RMR zine noticed him most prominently on the Kiske/Somerville endeavor1 or his appearances on Avantasia’s Ghostlights or – again – Moonglow. He’s always been around somewhere in the shadows, whenever Power Metal caused some heated discussions over here. A bit like that guy called Jørn Lande or the ubiquitous Sascha Paeth, who irked us more than once.
Giants & Monsters truly caught us by surprise. Already the record’s predecessor sported a mighty portion of oomph that somehow wasn’t there before. But this here piece takes the cake. This band of wizened old metal warriors takes no prisoners. No intro to speak of, no disembodied voice from some Gawd ov Darkness or other telling you of impending doom. Instead, you get the full speed-laden monty whenever Giants On The Run roars off in the metallic yonder in search of ogres. Blind Guardian-esque speed excesses smoothly transform into slow-motion acoustics, and back. Just the way a Power Metal track should sound like.
Crisp, fast, and furious were the adjectives used by the RMR review desk to describe Helloween‘s newest outbreak here. A record filled to the brim with stellar riffs and solos that sit perfectly in the middle of the mix together with the vocals. And speaking of which, the tryptich of singers – Michael Kiske, Andi Deris, and Kai Hansen – work in perfect harmony, and not only as a tag team à la Avantasia.2 There is indeed a certain danger that such a setup could end in some confusion, but that’s surely not the case on Giants & Monsters. And it is a formula used by other Power Metal bands to great success as well. Need an example? Temperance is one of them, and they’re doing very well. So, all of you lamenters having your pants in knots about vocal overkill, begone.
True, the record carries its load of molten cheese and sugar, together with the usual netherworldly musings. But to expect a Power Metal record without some slippery surfaces is an illusion. And the guys over at Helloween did a good job curbing the urge to drown everything in the stuff. Albeit that they’re navigating a tad too far into Hair Metal territory at times. To the point that this reviewer felt the sprouting of fur in unexpected places. But, this is small potatoes in the overall delivery.
Giants & Monsters sports an astounding array of highlights, too. The aforementioned Giants on the Run and Savior of the World are picture-perfect examples as to how speedy Power Metal ought to sound like. Universe (Gravity For Hearts) sounds like your typical speedo sin in Power Metal complete with a cringe-worthy fantastical fever dream of a monologue in the middle. Yet, it ultimately showcases the crunchy drumwork prevalent throughout the record. And, it contains one of those freakishly great solos that suddenly pop up out here. Hand of God gets you those late Ozzy vibes3 propped onto an otherwise unsuspectingly simple tune. And we surely enjoyed the UFO-esque keyboard riff on the 8-minute piece Majestic.4 The RMR crew showed some signs of anxiety when seeing Helloween embark on a lengthy track. But this one turned into a potpourri of all things this band stands for. Fueled by resurrected elements of past metal glory.
And let’s admit it. Everyone over at the RMR office tower expected some weak tea Power Metal. A cheesy mash-up that would send this record straight down into metal Gehenna. Yet Giants & Monsters turned into anything but. Fast and furious, full of ferocious energy, laden with outstanding musical prowess on all fronts. Together with the extremely capable triad of vocalists, this record turned into an irresistible tsunami of sound waves that roared out of RMR’s mighty music machine for way too long. Helloween created a metal tour-de-force. The power is back in Power Metal, ushered in unexpectedly by veterans of a usually overloaded genre.
We stand corrected.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Reigning Phoenix | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 29 August 2025
- This thing gives you a fucking sugar high if you ask me. -Ed.-↩
- Agreed, that’s an oversimplification. But also true. -Ed.-↩
- RIP, fren. -Ed.-↩
- UFO, Lights Out, track Love to Love. Hit it up and tell us what you hear.-↩