Helloween - The Dark Ride

Helloween started their path to glory back in the early 80s with an almost totally different incarnation of the band than what exists today. With Kai Hansen at both the vocal and guitar helms, he found it difficult to do both simultaneously on tour so they brought in a new vocalist who would soon rise to underground metal legendary stardom status, the amazing Michael Kiske. Kai left, then a few years later (and a couple of albums that simply bombed) Kiske departed too, which brought in a new vocalist from 80s German sensation Pink Cream 69 by the name of Andi Deris, and ushered in the next era of Helloween. The band in their late 80s form had achieved a cult status that was shattered after Kai left to form Gamma Ray, and it seemed that the band would forever be locked in to current day failures, never able to escape the shadow of their past. However Deris refueled the fire and with his writing skills helped rebuild the band back to the blockbusters they deserved to be which came to a head with "Better than Raw" and took a step down with 1999s "Metal Jukebox" cover compilation which left a bit to be desired, but they still seem to be poised to storm the power metal world with something unique.

Enter "The Dark Ride". The most surprising element of this new album is the fact that is far from being a band effort where song writing is concerned. Each song was written by an individual member, and its instantly apparent that they weren't all on the same page, although the tone of the album is decidedly darker than anything Helloween has put out recently - or ever for that matter. Deris and Grapow have proven their finesse for writing catchy songs deep lyrically and musically in their solo outings and do not let down on "The Dark Ride". There is some very heavy material on this disc, unyielding skull crushing sonic assaults, a very suitable direction for the band to take, and far from disappointing. Quickly making a name for himself in the metal world is the undeniably talented Roy Z, who has put the perfect touches on recent releases by Halford and Rob Rock, puts the magic touch on this album. The production job is the best any Helloween release has been treated to, an essential ingredient in sorting out the nuances in the sometimes thickly sinister musical backdrops. Musical performances are top notch by all members. Deris gains new respect for his singing skills as he is the main personality, and shines in the spotlight alongside guitarists Roland Grapow and Michael Weikath.

1. Beyond the Portal (Intro) - (Deris) - Very fitting and sounding like the opening of a horror/thriller blockbuster film with violins reaching a crescendo and muffled screams weaving in and out of the background.
2. Mr. Torture - (Kusch) - The horrific tempo doesn't stop with the intro, it drives full speed ahead into "Mr. Torture" which just may be a torture chamber for those into more melodic music, although there is no denying that despite the sadistic lyrical content and the wicked assaults of both drums and guitar, underlying beneath is a gleeful bouncy tone that just makes the song a joy to listen to. "With his whips and his chains he knows just what you crave, Mr. Torture, if you are feeling alone just pick up the phone..."
3. All Over the Nations - (Weikath) - A typical fusion of speed and power metal aimed at the fanbase, this one will be sure to please the lovers of that type of music but it seems out of place sandwiched inbetween the darker tones of "Mr. Torture" and "Escalation 666".
4. Escalation 666 - (Grapow) - My jaw dropped when I first heard this song, its simply so 'heavy', slamming harshly without remorse. A crushing attack of a tune with a haunting prog-like edge that fits like a glove and perhaps the best chorus on the record (and it is filled with grade A, classy choruses) where Deris just soars along. The axeslinging solos are strange and warped, twisting around, writhing on top of searing rhythm riffs that refuse to give way. The manner that the song escalates into the final climax is a nice touch.
5. Mirror Mirror - (Deris) - The first of a few songs that begins in the opposite fashion of how it will end up being. The chorus hits hard and heavy where it counts, a true headbanger with turbid riffs swarming with personality. You might find yourself asking: "Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the sickest one of all?"
6. If I Could Fly - (Deris) - A part-time ballad, with a piano opening but kicking in with an opacous flowing musical tapestry showcasing Andi's unique vocal style, including him singing with himself as layers of his voice belts out the chorus in the background, toppling over one another and always overshadowed by the lead Deris who sings with total conviction. More of a semi ballad, its just a little too heavy to be 100% balladesque. With its deep rooted, addictive chorus, its no surprise that this is the first single off "The Dark Ride".
7. Salvation - (Weikath) - Another speed metal track that offers little in the way of innovation. It sticks to the typical mindnumbing pacing, lightning guitars and the token axeslinging solos. Performances on all accounts are superb and the production is to die for, but the song lacks that magic 'something' that sets it apart from the rest, and therefore stays in the land of mediocrity. Strangely enough this will probably be one of the most loved songs from the disc simply because of these same elements.
8. The Departed, Sun Is Going Down - (Kusch) - Hell yeah!! While the 'magic' may be lacking from their speed stuff, it is spread around in heaps during the rest of the tunes, and luckily this little track recieves the bulk of the sparkle. Some modern influences creep up but everything gels perfectly. Present is the kind of chorus that sticks in the head and just won't let go, the guitar is well placed and sounds just huge, the catchy darty riffs that compliment the distorted background vocals are unforgiving thick slabs of pure metal.
9. I Live For Your Pain - (Deris) - This one reminds me alot of the material from Bruce Dickinson's "Chemical Wedding" (which Roy Z also produced). Another smashing chorus has been planted like a seed, that before the song is over, blossoms into an unstoppable dense sonic wall.
10. We Damn the Night - (Deris) - "Blood on my pillow blood on my skin, am I going mad or was this a dream?" For the first time on the album (and almost a little too late), Helloween manages to hammer the speed metal nail over the head in this Deris penned tune that is like a mixture of the best of the band's speedy past rolled into one twisted package. Included for your musical enjoyment are violin sounding embellishments, a frantic yet crisp guitar solo that morphs into a shredfest.
11. Immortal - (Deris) - Closer to a ballad than "If I Could Fly", the way Deris sings "tonight we are stars..." just seems heavenly, the entire song is carried with an air of bombastic elegance that hasn't been experienced thus far. It makes this song stand out like a beacon of light and is a breath of fresh air after the aggressive onslaught of tracks like "We Damn the Night" and "Mr. Torture".
12. The Dark Ride - (Grapow) - A twisted turning dark rollercoaster ride through a variety of metal sounds, acoustic lappings, blistering guitar solos dancing against a double bass drumming backdrop, vocals that run the emotional range from top to bottom and back again..."The Dark Ride" is an epic of...well...epic porportions that through its duration continues to impress and surprise. It starts off with piping carnival music and the beckoning to board 'The Dark Ride' and in the blink of an eye it stirs into a thundering tune with Deris really putting his heart into the vocals, delivering a sinister rasp and pristine clean soaring acrobatics. The raging guitar soloing in the middle is finely executed and lasts a period of almost two minutes full of fire and flash. Its tumultuous beginnings turns inside out afterwards into a fist in the air anthem of sorts, dripping in melody and vocal harmonies, and another guitar solo, this time gorgeously uplifting dancing like a butterfly set free from its cocoon. This heartwrenching ending is especially stunning but turns out to be amazingly beautiful in tone and ends the song on an unexpected note.

With the song descriptions I have included the songwriter's name simply because each song was tackled by one person only, as mentioned before, and there is a glaring difference in quality between them. Grapow and Kusch have definitely penned the best of the songs, and its a shame that Grapow did not do more, for his offerings seem to be the direction that Helloween should head in next, with complex arrangements and an unmistakable epic feel. As for Deris, while the material he penned might not be quite in the same league as Grapow, he has several excellent ones to his name, mainly the addictive "We Damn the Night" and the uplifting semi-ballad "Immortal". Noticeably missing is a hard rock flavored song aimed at the mainstream like previous Helloween songs such as the delightful "Perfect Gentleman" or the numbing rush of "I Can". Nevertheless, "The Dark Ride" has turned into being a much better record than what was previously expected, a reminder that Helloween is one German metal outfit that just refuses to go away or tame their riffs down and always manages to find other outlets for hooking the listener. While it may not storm the metal world, it's still a very solid disc that will earn its fair share of replays and praise.

8.0
Review by Alanna Evans
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