Helloween Giants and Monsters Review
Helloween
Giants and Monsters
RPM Music
2025
For over 40 years, Germany’s Helloween have been one of heavy metal’s most enduring and elite bands. Blending power metal with NWOBHM and even speed metal, they’ve built a catalog that speaks loudly for itself. You may not count them among your favorites, or maybe only know them in passing, but you know them. If you’re a Gen X’er like me, you likely discovered them through the Headbanger's Ball Tour of 1989 with Exodus and Anthrax, or via their hit single/video “I Want Out” from the phenomenal Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 2, which ran endlessly on MTV. Who could forget Michael Kiske practically swallowing the rest of the band at the end of that video? Helloween have always been a world-class act, capable of getting dead serious while still delivering with a playful wink (who else names an album Pink Bubbles Go Ape?). Their latest release, Giants and Monsters, is no exception.
These days Helloween operate as a seven-piece. Founding guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen is joined by co-lead vocalists Andi Deris and Michael Kiske, original members Michael Weikath (guitar) and Markus Grosskopf (bass), plus Dani Löble (drums) and Sascha Gerstner (guitar). Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward and mixed at the legendary Wisseloord Studios (home to Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, and Rammstein), the album sounds modern and massive without ever feeling sterile or dated.
The ten tracks kick off in grand fashion with “Giants on the Run.” Don’t be fooled by its clean guitars and moody verses, it erupts into pure adrenaline with a chorus that’s anthemic and unforgettable. “Savior of the World” strips away the atmosphere for a denim-and-leather stomper, with fantastic vocal interplay between Deris and Kiske. “A Little Is a Little Too Much” slows into a mid-paced, hook-laden rocker with synth flourishes and sing-along charm. “We Can Be Gods” doubles down on power and speed with chugging riffs and soaring falsetto. By this point, every chorus is lodged firmly in your head. “Into the Sun” and “This Is Tokyo” lean into epic balladry but carry enough bite to avoid the “power ballad” tag.
The centerpiece, “Universe (Gravity of Hearts),” is an eight-minute fist-pumping sprint, balanced by a mesmerizing interlude. “Hand of God” and “Under the Moonlight” keep things strong with mid-tempo crunch, harmonized shred, and, again, killer vocal layering. Finally, “Majestic” closes the album with piano and atmospheric vocals before snapping into a headbanging finale full of soaring harmonies, tempo shifts, and dizzying arcs that most bands couldn’t conjure across an entire album, let alone a single song.
With Giants and Monsters, Helloween return bold, big, and adventurous. The pumpkin-powered tricksters still have plenty of cards to play, and this album makes a convincing case for their crown as the kings of power metal.
~TB