Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Helloween
Label: Nuclear Blast
Released: 2003
Rating: 3/5
After a short hiatus in which some major lineup changes went down, here comes a “transitional” but solid record from the band that founded power metal and, for many, is still the best at it. On “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy”, the follow-up to the dark masterpiece “The Dark Ride” (2000), Helloween head back to their happy-go-lucky power metal roots. That was one of the main reasons behind the lineup shake-up at the time: both departed members, guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch (now both in Masterplan), wanted to carry on where “The Dark Ride” left off, i.e. with a darker, somewhat heavier style and sound, which didn’t sit well at all with band boss and guitarist Michael Weikath. So “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy” is a “happy, happy” Helloween record once again. Compared to the rather gloomy “The Dark Ride”, this is a much more recognizable release for them, and stylistically it’s closer to the first two albums with Andi Deris on vocals. Ever since the “Keys” days they’ve loved experimenting with their sound, which hasn’t always turned out to be the best move (a good example is the clever, even slightly progressive and technically superb, but commercially total flop “Chameleon” (1993)). So the band has been “punished” by its fans several times for every detour from its usual power metal style, which is actually unfair, though understandable from the point of view of most metal fans. Still, for me that’s exactly the most impressive thing about Helloween – they’re always trying something new in their music, despite the fairly “tight-laced” genre they created. In other words, they’re still able to bring some new ideas into their music, even if the years have admittedly drained a few of them, and they’ll always stand apart from the rest of the power metal copycats, of which there are never too few and which are practically all beneath the bar of good taste, both in musical innovation and in lyrics. On top of that, what has always set Helloween apart from other melodic metal bands is their cheeky, slightly offbeat sense of humor (the human pumpkins, the lyrics themselves), often at their own expense, which they’ve never been short of, as the title of this record proves.
The record opens with the highly melodic “Just A Little Sign”, which was also released as a single, and right away you get that supersonic energy that’s the band’s trademark, i.e. the typical Helloween sound – a “peppered” sound over the riffs and, of course, ultra-melodic choruses. Every fan of the band’s older era (the “Keepers era”) will surely be thrilled by the power metal anthems, which besides the song above include “Open Your Life”, “Hell Was Made in Heaven” and “Listen to the Flies”. The melodies of most songs flow smoothly into all sorts of different motifs. The guys haven’t forgotten the impressive three-part harmonies either, one of Helloween’s trademarks.
The drum production is truly killer this time. I have to remind you that they went through two drummers while recording this record, and neither of them stuck around until its release. After the unexpected departure or injury of Mark Cross (ex-Metallium; drums on “Don’t Stop Being Crazy” and “Listen To The Flies”), none other than Mikkey Dee (Mötorhead, ex-King Diamond) took the drum stool, which is of course the main reason for the Teutonic bombast of the basic rhythm lines, hitting you one after another right on the first beat, even though they sometimes lack the creativity that was typical of Uli Kusch (the previous drummer, now in Masterplan).
Despite the cover with the white bunny (held by the ears by the iron fist of the system), the poetry is by no means childish – it hides plenty of life lessons and digs at society, which is one of the increasingly rare qualities of today’s (power) metal. Interestingly, on “The Tune” Andi’s vocals slightly recall the band’s original singer and founder Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray, ex-Iron Savior), while the resigned “Never Be A Star” reminds me, after its intro, of Perfect Gentleman from “Master Of The Rings” (1994). The orchestral arrangements fit brilliantly into some of the songs, and Jørn Ellerbrock, who has been a sort of behind-the-scenes member of the band for years, did a splendid job on keyboards again.
The possessed “Liar”, one of the heaviest tracks in their history, shows the band in a different light too. A thrash rhythm line is simply not an everyday thing in their music. “Back Against the Wall”, where Andi sounds truly wicked, also takes us back to the dark mood of the previous record. They even used an oriental melody on the superb “Sun 4 The World”, written by then-new guitarist Sascha Gerstner (ex-Freedom Call). He already proved himself a brilliant songwriter on his debut, as he and Deris wrote the best songs on the record. His solos also confirm he was just the right choice. Andi once again confirms his status as one of the most quality and recognizable singers in power metal. The ballad-like “Don’t Stop Being Crazy” is another typical Andi song, sung with feeling and from the heart. “Listen To The Flies” is yet another great anthem in the vein of “Eagle Fly Free” (Keeper of the Seven Keys-Part II, 1988). The longest track on the record, the progressive “Nothing To Say”, is again something fresh and surprising, and Weike was its mastermind. With its groovy funky beat, it tips over toward the end into a great harmony with a flute, and it’s definitely the greatest masterpiece of the whole record. The limited edition also includes a bonus track, “Far Away”, which is nothing special.
The production is excellent and modern, once again thanks to renowned German producer Charlie Bauerfeind, who handles the production for most bands of this kind.
Although “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy” doesn’t reach the heights of its dark, dramatic predecessor or the perfectly tight and sonically fairly raw “Better than Raw” (1998), it’s undoubtedly composed to suit most eighties Helloween fans, while also containing enough new, fresh ideas that shouldn’t bore even their more demanding listeners. A solid record, then, after the band’s considerable troubles before its release, and a warm-up for one of their most controversial, yet also most successful records.
Line-up
Andreas “Andi” Deris – vocals
Michael Weikath – guitar
Sascha Gerstner – guitar
Markus Grosskopf – bass
Mark Cross – drums (on 7 and 11)
Mikkey Dee – drums (all other tracks)
Production
Charlie Bauerfeind
Track list
1. Just A Little Sign
2. Open Your Life
3. The Tune
4. Never Be A Star
5. Liar
6. Sun 4 The World
7. Don’t Stop Being Crazy
8. Do You Feel Good
9. Hell Was Made In Heaven
10. Back Against The Wall
11. Listen To The Flies
12. Nothing To Say
Album length: 61:13
