Helloween

Rabbit Don’t Come Easy (Nuclear Blast)
by Martin Popoff

Germany’s favorite steak’n’steiners return, after the now-derided Dark Ride album, to their celebrated buoyant fast sound and, unfortunately, to the days of disastrous album titles. There’s much to digest here, Helloween revolving – sometimes with inspiration, sometimes aimlessly – around a power metal Axis of Evil Pumpkin they alone created. It can be said that much of the album is still ponderous, and even a little dark, with bad turns of phrase also occurring with “Don’t Stop Being Crazy,” “Never Be a Star,” and “Hell Was Made in Heaven.” But for the most part, the band succeed in positioning themselves above the massive spawn they caused, simply by taking chances, coupled with the deft move of keeping things organic, separated, human, messy, a bit flawed.

Thunderheaded drummer Mikkey Dee was brought in as temporary replacement for the ailing Mark Cross, and his contribution helps the general exuberance as well. I dunno, the ‘Weenies are taking a fair bit of flak for this album, but there are just so many dimensions to the thing, you emerge from the sausage grinder at the other end, satisfied, a sprinkle of favorites tugging you along into the rest of the substantial album.
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