HELLOWEEN – “Giants & monsters” (2025)
HELLOWEEN, the band that gave birth to my (and countless other people’s) favorite music genre. If we combine the creative output with their on stage performance, we are more or less dealing with the biggest Power Metal band of today as well. “Giants & monsters” also coincides with the 40-year anniversary of the Pumpkins, not since their formation, but counting from the release of the debut “Walls of Jericho”. When judging groups of that caliber, it is only fair that I leave any fanboyism and sentiment aside, every point has to be earned, so let’s see what the Pumpkins have in store for us this time.
At almost all its aspects, “Giants & monsters” feels very much like “Helloween” Pt.2. From the painting style of the cover art, to the song structures, even to its uneven nature. Only this time, it lacks the surprise factor of the reunion’s first full studio appearance. To no one’s surprise, the performance of all members is exceptional and the three singers are among the genre’s best voices, each with his own virtues. Before sharing some general thoughts, I would like to go down to a track-by-track opinion.
Giants on the run: Nice opener with Deris carrying most of the vocal weight, it serves as an appetizer without blowing any minds, but is has many nice touches. I liked the verses, the chorus is definitely a grower getting better with each listen and Kai’s inclusion in the bridge is incorporated very well, adding an adventurous touch to the song.
Savior of the world: Kiske’s time to shine and with that voice, how is it possible not to? Fans of the Keepers will like this one very much, but it did not move me for a specific reason. The majority of albums Kiske sings in (not just in HELLOWEEN), have a track similar to ‘Eagle fly free’, with ‘Savior of the world’ being that. I have listened to that formula so many times, which makes this one a great song on paper that ultimately fails to impress me.
A little is a little too much: Your typical catchy song from Deris, that is done VERY well. The first track of the album that really stood out to me and I believe it should be the introducing single instead of ‘This is Tokyo’. They nailed everything, from the instrumentation to the vocal melodies.
We can Be Gods: Now we are talking! This is my ultimate highlight of “Giants & monsters”, one of the best Power Metal songs of the year and one of the few surprising moments this album brought. A fast and heavy one, with inspired vocal melodies in the verses and with the spectacle continuing during the solo segments. If I wanted to become very picky, the chorus could use a little more time in the oven as it is the only time the song surrenders some of its steam, but it does not alter my sentiment about this composition at all.
Into the sun: We continue with the great songs, this time with a phenomenal ballad performed by both Deris and Kiske. It can easily be placed next to ‘A tale that wasn’t right’ and ‘Forever and one’, yes, it’s THAT good. Don’t want to spoil anything, pure gold from start to finish.
This is Tokyo: The first single of the album, which at least for me, did not do a great job in building up any hype. Within the flow of the record it feels much better, it is a cheerful moment that makes a nice background sound, but nothing more than that.
Universe (Gravity for hearts): A return to the good moments, the second single that made everyone say hooray! It is fast, Kiske delivers a spectacular performance and contrary to ‘Savior of the world’, I find “Universe…” having more of an identity of its own. The Kai part made me feel like a child falling in love with Power Metal all over again.
Hand of god: Mid tempo with Deris on vocals. Some nice melodies, but I didn’t lose my sleep over it, could see it taking a skip in future revisits.
Under the moonlight: Heavily closes the eye on the Keepers era, as it tries to bring some ‘Dr. Stein’ vibes specifically. I see it as a fan service moment that doesn’t brind anything memorable along with it.
Majestic: You will get bored of reading that ‘Majestic’ is just as its name implies. It oozes an aura of grandeur at all times and I cannot see how you can like Power Metal and not love this song. It features all three singers, the solos are great, all segments are spot on, so you have a winning recipe that translates exceptionally well in practise as well. Perhaps ‘Skyfall’ spoiled me and I would definitely take another 2-3 minutes for the closure of the album, but let’s not be greedy, it is a great epilogue!
My summed sentiment is that “Giants & monsters” has some very high peaks that I would like to be the basis and not the exceptions. It houses everything from skippable tracks, to “great but I have heard that song before and I can live without it”, to some anthems that I feel they really enrich my song collection and stand out even within HELLOWEEN’s discography!
As an album that celebrates 40 years of the the band, I say it does a great job since it encompasses all things that we loved about them, an opinion that is enhanced if we consider this is their 17th full length entry. On the other hand, at times it tries very hard to remind you that the Pumpkins are reunited, even if we are 10 years in it already!
I view it as a record with a few unparalleled compositions that only the fathers of Power Metal can give birth to, surrounded by a lot of OK moments. If you asked me to describe it with one word, good would be the first it comes to mind, hence its score. Needless to say that I feel I am being a little too strict here, and that every fan of Power Metal should give “Giants & monsters” some listens. The things that I didn’t like are not bad, it is just that I did not vibe with them, so there is ample chance that others will fall in love with them.
As a closing statement, I am thankful to HELLOWEEN for those 40 years of contribution not only in Power Metal, but to the Metal scene in general. The fact that we still have them going very strong and crafting music like the one found in “Giants & monsters”, with all its Pros & Cons, is a privilege, and that is the only statement that matters. Everything else is just a nice opportunity to talk about our favorite music, so let’s wish them as many decades as they can give us!
78/100
Pavlos Pavlakis
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