Helloween's Reviews

Rabbit Don't Come Easy

9/10 - Helloween returns and evolves, all at once!

The legendary HELLOWEEN has finally returned after a 3-year absence and they've proven once again that while a rabbit might not necessarily come easy, that good, even great things come to those who wait.

A seemingly everchanging lineup, the backlash of old-school fans who for some reason still cannot get over the fact that Michael Kiske is not ever coming back, the complete and total disappearance of their popularity in North America. These are but a few of the challenges HELLOWEEN has had to overcome throughout the years. And thus the reason behind the album title. According to Nuclear Blast's promo material, the meaning is simple. A magician may pull a rabbit out of a hat and it might look incredibly easy to the audience. But there is a tremendous amount of hard work and dedication that goes into the magician making this relatively simple trick work. HELLOWEEN has persevered throughout the years and have more than stamped their mark on the metal scene. After nearly 20 years of conquering the metal scene, they've pulled yet another rabbit out of their proverbial hat.

So what about the new record? I know firsthand that some allegedly "knowledgeable" music-insider types read the title of the album and automatically dismissed the band, thinking in their infinite wisdom that this would be another "Pink Bubbles Go Ape-like" career hiccup. As a lifelong fan of the band, I'm incredibly happy to say that the naysayers couldn't be more wrong. HELLOWEEN is back. The HELLOWEEN, the band that gave you so much metal happiness in the 1980s, the band that perplexed you but stayed true to their vision throughout the 1990s, and the band that came roaring back with a vengeance with 2000's The Dark Ride. Yeah, THAT HELLOWEEN. Gone are Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske, Roland Grapow, Uli Kursch. The Keepers... era ended 15 years ago.

Get over it people.

Rabbit Don't Come Easy is a testament to the originators of European power metal, it's a testament that HELLOWEEN can not only still put out viable music in 2003, but can still top 99.9% of all their imitators. While bands like HEAVENLY, HAMMERFALL, ARTHEMIS, BRAINSTORM, LOST HORIZON and hordes more have all put out some excellent power metal over the past years, the masters have returned. Guitarist Michael Weikath & bassist Marcus Grosskopf have stuck around all these years and still to this day comprise the core of the HELLOWEEN sound. Weikath's trademark lightning-fast melodic guitar leads still exist, and Grosskopf's dancing basslines still drive the songs to new heights, exploring new places. Vocalist and integral songwriter Andi Deris seems as comfortable as ever, as if he's finally the only HELLOWEEN vocalist that matters today. Rabbit Don't Come Easy is in no way, shape or form anywhere near as dark - both musically & subject matter-wise - as the band's last album. Quite the contrary. I haven't felt such a familiarity with the songs in a long, long time. You Pumpkin-heads out there know exactly what I'm talking about. For those who don't, the classic HELLOWEEN "feel" is intact, so worry not. Songs like "Just A Little Sign," "Open Your Life," "Liar" and "Hell Was Made In Heaven" will have you scratching your head and wondering exactly when they were written: 1987 or 2003?

Ironically enough, one of the reasons a happier sound exists on this album is because of the addition of new guitarist Sascha Gerstner. Gerstner comes to HELLOWEEN from FREEDOM CALL, a band no doubt influenced by the classic Keepers... era. His impact is immediately noticeable, as he co-wrote a few of the strongest tracks on this new album: "Open Your Life," "Sun 4 The World" and "Listen To The Flies." Which leaves only the revolving door drumming situation as a question mark. The band hired Mark Cross from METALIUM, but he unfortunately took ill soon after. So who should come to the rescue but none other than Mickey Dee of MOTORHEAD and KING DIAMOND fame. Dee provided all the drumming for the recording of Rabbit... and does a wonderful job, although it should be noted that the official new permanent drummer is now Stefan Schwarzmann (RUNNING WILD, ACCEPT).

Lastly, the production is worth mentioning. Legendary metal producer Charlie Bauerfeind (BLIND GUARDIAN, ANGRA, FREEDOM CALL) had the honors of twisting the knobs on this, HELLOWEEN'S important new chapter. Bauerfeind knocks the ball out of the park, as every note, every lick is exquisitely pronounced. Turn this record up to '11' and let the hair fly. Sure, there are a couple of duds - most notable the odd Weikath number "Nothing To Say" - but on the whole, this is by far the most complete, consistent HELLOWEEN record in 15 years. Now if they'd only tour North America again...

Buy this album on Amazon at $16.98