Customer Reviews

Better Than Raw (Exp)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Originally released in 1998, Better Than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better Than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like "Push," "Hey Lord," "I Can" and "Midnight Sun" stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

If you're a Helloween fan, Better Than Raw is a must-have album, especially now that it has been reissued.

Edition Notes: Sanctuary finally got around to remastering the Helloween catalog in 2006, and they certainly did it right. In addition to digitally remastered sound, the reissued version of Better Than Raw serves up four bonus tracks - the b-sides "Back on the Ground," "A Game We Shouldn't Play" and live versions of "Perfect Gentleman" and the bizarrely titled track called "Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta," which is essentially a 7-minute drum solo with some guitar soloing thrown in for good measure. You also get expanded liner notes by Metal Hammer's Dave Ling, photos, etc. plus a nifty slipcase for the disc.

This is what a remastered version of a great album is supposed to look and sound like. If you're already a Helloween fan, it's time to replace your old version!

Most of this album is outstanding - 9/10 to be more accurate. I don't understand why some people overlook this album - maybe the title puts them off (??).
As far as the original release is concerned, I would've given the album 10/10 if the 2 studio `bonus tracks' had replaced the 2 weakest tracks on the original release. That wasn't the case, so I would've given the original release 8/10.
This expanded edition has definitely improved on the original release of this album.
These guys certainly know how to make the best melodic metal music without sounding too cheesy (most of the time). It's easy to tell that a lot of intelligence and craft go into their creative output. They miss the mark at times but not on this album.
Andi Deris has a lot to do with why the songs sound so good to the ear. Lots of fans often mention that Kiske was a better vocalist. Technically - maybe so. I do love his work and every era of Helloween unlike some fans which are divided. However, Deris has something extra in his vocal delivery that consists of a raw, emotion-driven energy that makes him sound so convincing - kind of like he's singing with the same balls that Robert Plant sang with on the Zeppelin albums.

Here's a quick breakdown of the songs:

1. Deliberately Limited Prelude Period In Z: best intro to any Helloween album ever - dramatic orchestration that next leads into a monster song - 5/5
2. Push: explosive - the frantic vocals and ferocious pace gets the heart pumping - brilliant!! - 5/5
3. Falling Higher: the high standard continues with another excellent track - 4.5/5
4. Hey Lord: has an irresistible hook with the questioning `Hey Lord' chorus asking `what is it all about?'. Helloween have the brilliance to get away with commercial rock tracks without sounding corny - very few bands have that talent - 5/5
5. Don't Spit On My Mind: powerful track with awesome riffs & another strong chorus - equal favorite track on the album - 5/5
6. Revelation: about three quarters of the way to being real good....2 minutes shorter would've helped. I still dig it but would have preferred Game We Shouldn't Play for a place on the original - 3.5/5
7. Time: a slow, chiming, haunting track with excellent chorus & backing vocals - 5/5
8. I Can: this one rocks. Great tune. Another user-friendly song with a positive attitude that yet again refrains from being corny (just) - 4/5
9. A Handful Of Pain: I can hear Bowie in the vocals here. Another great chorus with attractive backing vocals - 5/5
10. Lavdate Dominum: excellent verses with the right build up that unfortunately leads to a lame chorus. Could have been much better - the weakest track on the `original' album only surpassed on the downside by the last `bonus' track on this expanded edition - 2.5/5
11. Midnight Sun: energetic work-out and a worthy ending to the original release - 4/5

Bonus Tracks

12. Back On The Ground: this one gets the heart pumping as well. Excellent track that leaves me asking why it wasn't included ahead of Lavdate Dominum on the original release 5/5
13. Game We Shouldn't Play: this bonus track is an absolute bonus indeed! - too good for a bonus track. 4/5
14. Perfect Gentleman: rockin' live version of one the most `loaded' and fun songs ever - a Helloween classic - 5/5
15. Moshi Moshi Shiki No Uta: drum solo with some nice guitar at the end...unnecessary! - 1/5

I don't know how many times I've been disappointed by the bonus tracks on albums over the last few years by different artists however, this is one that works the way you would hope. If you've already got the original release, like it, but aren't sure whether this is worth it for the extras, don't think about it - get it! If you haven't heard this album before, check it out and see what you think.
Anyway, I'm tired and going to bed.

Rock on!

So you loved the Keepers albums, kept buying the ones after that hoping they would come out with something decent, and was let down time after time again? You aren't impressed with Andi Deris's voice, or you heard "The Dark Ride" and "Rabbits Don't Come Easy" and thought the songs were booooooriinng??? Don't give up yet! Better Than Raw is definitely a break from the string of highly unsuccesful, bland, albums that Helloween has been cranking out in the 90's. Ok, fine, so Keepers Pt. 3 was great, but it was not on par with Keepers 1&2. But this one is even better than Keepers Pt. 3. The music is definitely Heavy Metal, it is rough, has some progressive aspects to it, but there is also some variety.

The catchy songs "Hey Lord" and "I Can" really got me into the album. But the intense "Push" not only features some creative vocals from Deris, but is probably the high-point in songwriting for the album. Heavy, yet catchy. Not too distorted, and the vocals actually aren't that bad! Revelations is the real proggy one, Time is a really different song with an acoustic intro that brought great dynamics to this album, and lets see...Laudate Dominum is this really cheesy happy latin power metal song that I ended up loving (then got sick of). A few boring tracks that I couldn't get into such as Midnight Sun and Back on the Ground, but overall the songwriting is definitely a few notches up from other boring Helloween releases.

To me this is one of my favorite Andy Deris era cd's.I own all the cd's.The song Revelation rocks and is the best one on the cd.A close second is Push and Hey lord!The guys put together a great cd for us fans to enjoy.You pretty much can listen to it all the way through and when you can do that you spent your money well.Now some will say how come i didn't mention the song "I Can" with praise well i'm not a huge fan of Helloween's hit songs like I Can, A Perfect Gentleman,Dr Stein,As Long As I Fall,and the corny Can Do It but i guess they have to write songs like that to keep the EXECUTIVES happy,but those songs don't appear on this one except I Can.All Helloween fans must love this cd and you will too!Also check out The Time of the Oath That also rocks and you won't be wasting your money!

This is the last of the Eight remastered Helloween albums. The album as it stood before was a very solid, hard hitting album that took Helloween into a darker, and more progressive sound that needed to occur for the band to mature, and move in a different musical direction. It stands as an early preview to what "The Dark Ride" was to be. Starting with the introductory instramental Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude In Z, to the last track Midnight Sun, this album is full of hard rock and thrash elements. Songs like I can and Hey Lord have a catchy anthem type vibe to add into the mix. For those who bought the album in Europe originally, this contains the US bonus track "A Game We Shouldn't Play". For other outside Japan who didn't buy the bonus version there, or the single for Hey Lord, this has the tracks Back on the Ground and Moshi Moshi Shiki No Uta (live). Also a bootleg version of Hey Lord from the single is here to.
Nicely done with new slipcover sleave, and a full 16 page liner book with the continuation/conclusion of the 8 cd booklet interview/travel through time with Helloween members. Definately should pick this album up if you havn't before.

Helloween has been one of my favorite bands ever since I bought "Keeper of the Seven Keys Part One" on cassette. While some band members have changed, my enjoyment of this band has not waned. "Better Than Raw" is an excellent album that any Helloween, or metal, fan is sure to enjoy. Starting off with a classical style opus, the album hits hard with the second song and doesn't stop until the last one finishes. My personal favorite is "Lavdate Dominvm," written entirely in Latin, with its great transitions between chorus and verses. I bought the extended version, which also contains the live version of "Perfect Gentleman," one of my all time favorite Helloween songs.

This is just getting worse the songs are symphonic messes, all other the place with bad vocals and stupid lyrics. This is Helloween II by the way not the real Helloween that gave us Walls Of Jericho and the Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums.