Helloween Giants And Masters

 

Origin: Germany

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal

Rating:   79.8     Solid And Above-Average !

The Players:

Andi Deris    Vocals

Michael Kiske    Vocals

Michael Weikath   Guitar

Kai Hansen   Guitar, Vocals

Markus Grosskopf   Bass

Sascha Gerstner   Guitar

Daniel Loble    Drums

This is the first album on the band's new label, Reigning Phoenix Music, and is the second album with the rejuvenated "Pumpkins United" lineup.  Helloween has always been that reliable power metal band punctuated by speed and quirky melodies; they truly are a unique band in the power metal world. The group sounds fresh and energetic, almost like they have a new lease on life. This is a fun album ! Musically, the band's performance is outstanding, complemented by a stellar, almost symphonic,  production. Great guitar riffs and vocals abound. The rhythm section, especially the drums, is very solid and demonstrates some great double bass-pedal work. The songwriting is interesting; showcasing great melodies and chorus lines amidst a speed-metal format. They don't seem to take themselves too seriously and there is a fun vibe to the entire recording. 

Giants On The Run begins the album with a nice riff, settling into an almost regal style, with a kickin' middle section. Savior Of The World is a fast rocker in the great tradition of the Helloween of old.  A Little Is A Little Too Much is a bit more mainstream, with keyboards lightening the load somewhat. It's back to more serious metal with We Can Be Gods, but those melodic overtones and keyboards still permeate. Great guitar solo in this one ! Into The Sun is a solid power ballad, showcasing the band's multiple vocalists. This Is Tokyo shines as another bright and catchy mid-paced rocker. Universe kicks butt and is Helloween in full power mode; more outstanding guitar work and fast arpeggios are featured here ! Hand Of God features more great guitar-work, but the chorus seems a little redundant and a bit mediocre. Under The Moonlight is also a bit commercial. Majestic ends the album in great fashion, heavy and epic-sounding, with some cool eastern melodies. 

The entire album is a very enjoyable listen, the songwriting starts out very strong and ends a bit more average and more commercial. The guitars kill and the melodies are upbeat. Helloween has cranked out another great release. Enjoy it !

Giants On The Run   84

Savior Of The World   84

A Little Is A Little Too Much    75

We Can Be Gods    83

Into The Sun    73

This Is Tokyo    78

Universe    85

Hand Of God    76

Under The Moonlight    75

Majestic    85

The Best Of The NWOBHM........#20 to #29

               

 

#29     Jaguar     Power Games

#28     Witchfynde     Give 'Em Hell

#27     Girlschool      Demolition

#26     Savage     Loose 'N' Lethal

#25     Fastway      Fastway

#24     Praying Mantis     Time Tells No Lies

#23     Holocaust     The Nightcomers

#22     Samson     Shock Tactics

#21     Tygers Of Pan Tang     Crazy Nights

#20     Tokyo Blade     Midnight Rendez-Vous

A List Of Legendary Songs

 A running list of songs rated 90 or above. These are the Hall of Fame songs !

Aerosmith - Dream On     90

Angel - Tower 97

Angel - Rock & Rollers  93

Angel - Broken Dreams  90

Angel - On And On  92

April Wine - 21st Century Schizoid Man  91

Judas Priest - Victim Of Changes     93

Judas Priest - The Ripper      90

Judas Priest - Deceiver      94

Judas Priest - Tyrant      96

Judas Priest - Genocide      90

Judas Priest - Island Of Domination      92

Krux - Black Room   91

Krux - Krux    92

Krux - Omfalos    90

Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love  91

Led Zeppelin - What Is And What Should Never Be  95

Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker  93

Led Zeppelin - Bring It On Home  91

Queen - White Man  91

Rush - 2112   97

Rush - A Passge To Bankok   90

Rush - Something For Nothing  90

Testament - Shadow People  90

Testament - Nature Of The Beast  91

Wings Of Steel - Winds Of Time  92

The Best Of The NWOBHM........#30 to #39

               

#39  Raven    All For One

#38   Ethel The Frog     Ethel The Frog 

#37   White Spirit     White Spirit

#36   Diamond Head     Borrowed Time

#35   Tank     Filth Hounds Of Hades

#34    Myrthra   The Death And Destiny EP

#33    Demon      Night Of The Demon

#32    Gaskin      No Way Out

#31    Witchfynde     Stage Fright

#30    Demon     The Unexpected Guest

A List of Essential and Legendary Albums

Here is an outgoing list of albums that are graded 85 or above.

Angel - Angel    90.14

Judas Priest - Sad Wings Of Destiny     88.63

Krux - Krux   88.13

Rush - 2112     85.33

Led Zeppelin II   85.0

The Best Of The NWOBHM.........#40 to #50

This short-lived era was extremely impactful to me. I was in high school when these bands hit and we were just blown away ! We would anxiously visit our local record stores and scour the import section for the next gem. These albums form a major cornerstone of my collection. There were many bands that either didn’t put out full albums or released them at a later date. Bands like Trespass, Sweet Savage, Soldier, Weapon, are still fully part of the NWOBHM. The music was fresh, unique, and powerful. I personally have so many great memories listening to these. Here’s my attempt to rank them.

#50   Wildfire   Brute Force And Ignorance

#49  Girl   Sheer Greed

#48  Vardis   100 M.P.H

#47   Chateaux  Chained And Desperate

#46   Bitches Sin   Predator

#45   Girlschool   Hit And Run

#44   Gaskin   End Of The World

#43   Fist   Turn The Hell On

#42   Samson   Head On

#41   More   Blood And Thunder

#40   Hollow Ground   Warlord 

Wings Of Steel Winds Of Time

 

Origin: USA

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal

Rating:   81.0    An Excellent Piece Of Work ! 

The Players: 

Leo Unnermark   Vocals

Parker Halub   Guitar

Stefan Bailet   Guitar

Mathieu Trobec   Bass

Marcel Binder   Drums

Now this is power metal done right ! Wings of Steel is yet another California-based band that is perpetually rooted in the glory days of 1980’s-era heavy metal. Talent practically oozes from this 5-piece group of rockers; the instrumentation and production are impeccable. 

Vocalist Leo Unnermark is masterful with an incredible range, while guitarist Parker Halub proves to be a phenomenal shredding machine. Musically, one can hear glimpses of Priest, Queensryche, Accept, and Maiden. Has it all been done before? Sure, but it’s refreshing to see a young band embrace power metal so competently. 

The highlight of the album, Winds Of Time, starts the record off in epic fashion. The band pulled out all stops on this 10-minute track; Dynamic sections and change-ups abound ! Saints and Sinners, Burning Sands, and To Die in Holy War are barnbusting headbangs, as the band hits on all cylinders. 

With such a young and talented band such as this, the future looks bright for heavy music. One of the best releases of 2025 !

Winds Of Time     92

Saints And Sinners   83

Crying   75

Burning Sands   86

To Die In Holy War   83

Lights Go Out   76

We Rise   78

Flight Of The Eagle   75

Album Rating Method

Many years ago, when Kevin Brown and I were mere schoolkids, we devised a method of rating our favorite albums song by song. The average of these songs would form a final rating. We based our ratings on a 1-100 system.

Years later, I was exposed to Martin Popoff's rating method from 1-10. We wanted to go a step further, listing individual tracks, so that the reader could see how the averages worked. 

In order to classify albums apart from a number rating, here are the categories we came up with:

Below 60      A piece of junk ! 

61-69.9         Generally subpar.....

70-74.9         Average / Mediocre

75-79.9         Solid and above-average !

80-84.9         An Excellent piece of work !

85-89.9         Essential to any collection !

90 and above   Legendary

Each song is rated according to the above guidelines, and then averaged for the album as a whole. Short or instrumental tracks that serve as intros or outtros are generally not rated, as these pieces really serve to add a dramatic flair to the album as a whole. 

April Wine Harder....Faster

 

Origin: Canada

Year: 1979

Subgenre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock

Rating:   82     An Excellent Piece of Work !

The Players: 

Myles Goodwin  Vocals, Guitar

Brian Greenway   Guitar, Vocals

Gary Moffet   Guitar

Steve Lang   Bass

Jerry Mercer   Drums

One of my favorite albums from the late ‘70’s, Harder….Faster was timed perfectly to coincide with the NWOBHM. Definitely the band’s heaviest, this album was a perfect blend of hooks, melodic hard rock, and chops. Always whispered about in hard rock circles, this album literally vaulted April Wine into superstardom, gaining the band a coveted spot on the ensuing Monsters of Rock tour, alongside such heavy hitters like Judas Priest and Scorpions. 

The star of the show was Myles Goodwin, lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter; what a talent ! Although the instrumentation and production are stellar, the real strength of the album is the superb songwriting. Radio hit I Like To Rock leads the album off, while Say Hello and Tonite are mid-paced, melodic rockers. Ladies Man simply rocks! Before the Dawn starts off slow, but picks up nicely. So melodic ! Babes in Arms sports a great riff, while the catchy chorus infects the listener's brain. Better Do It Well is a rambling tune that typifies the best of late '70's hard rock. The album ends with a superb rendition of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man; the band's cover is better than the original and showcases the tightness and intricacy of the instrumentation. So heavy ! 

In my opinion, Harder...Faster is April Wine's best, blending a perfect mix of great riffs, songwriting, and melodies. Canada's finest !

I Like To Rock   78

Say Hello  75

Tonite   83

Ladies Man   88

Before The Dawn   79

Babes in Arms   83

Better Do It Well   79

21st Century Schizoid Man  91

Queen A Day At The Races

 

Origin: UK

Year: 1976

Subgenre: Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Glam Rock

Rating:   75.7   Solid and Above-average !

The Players:

Freddie Mercury  Vocals, Piano

Brian May   Guitar

John Deacon  Bass

Roger Taylor    Drums

Intended to be a sister album to 1975’s A Night At The Opera, this album was definitely Queen’s mellowest album of the 1970’s. Although album sales were huge and mega-hit Somebody To Love received massive airplay, fans and critics reacted a bit negatively. The band then released News Of The World the following year, which sported a much more consistent hard rock sound. Although pretty lightweight (Mercury was in his “bring ballet to the masses” mode),  the songs were very upbeat and experimental. The album starts with a heavy intro to the flagship rambling-rocker Tie Your Mother Down. Other bright spots are the crushing White Man, the interesting The Millionaire Waltz, catchy You And I, and hauntingly beautiful Teo Torriate (Let Us Cling Together). Of course, the massive hit Somebody To Love is contained within.  Really, there are only two truly heavy songs on the album, which was a departure from earlier releases. Almost forgotten among the band's 70's output, with this album, the band started moving into a new era, focusing on airplay and hit singles.

Tie Your Mother Down    81

You Take My Breath Away  63

Long Away   74

The Millionaire Waltz   76

You and I   77

Somebody To Love   79

White Man  91

Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy   67

Drowse   70

Teo Torriate   79

Testament Para Bellum

 

Origin: USA

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Thrash Metal, Death Metal

Rating:     83.7   An Excellent Piece of Work !

The Players:

Chuck Billy   Vocals

Alex Skolnick  Guitar

Eric Peterson  Guitar, Vocals

Steve Di Giorgio  Bass

Chris Dovas  Drums

Para Bellum is breathtaking thrash metal; Testament sounds as heavy and fresh as ever. This is one of the heaviest albums I've heard in awhile. While no fan of "death" vocals, Eric Peterson and Chuck Billy's guttural screams absolutely fit the music perfectly. Musically, the guitars, riffs, and frenetic rhythm section just kill. Production-wise, Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson pulled off a masterful job in creating one of 2025's heaviest albums. Of course, Alex Skolnick's guitar playing is top-notch......truly a master at his craft. New skinsman Chris Dovas also demonstrates high competence in his blastbeats and percussion.

Ultra-heavy For The Love Of Pain starts the record out, with an infectious riff and Eric Peterson's  blackest vocals. It hits you squarely in the face! Infanticide A.I. is a complex thrasher, while Shadow People is slightly slower but still heavy as a load of bricks. What an infectious riff ! Chuck Billy sounds great on both of these standout tracks. The acoustic / orchestral / dynamic Meant To Be is a surprising change of pace, portraying a different side to the band; Chuck Billy proves that he can sing with the best of them on this track ! High Noon returns us to the wall-to-wall hardcore headbanging, while Witch Hunt pummels all into submission.  Nature Of The Beast is next, and awesome may be too light of a word. The riff is incredible, while Chuck's vocals settle down, while showing his prowess as a singer. Room 117 and Havana Syndrome continue to bang along with impressive riffs and intricacy. Do I hear some Maidenesque guitar melodies? Para Bellum closes the album in high style; the vocals are again pretty harsh, but the instrumentation and structure is exceptional, especially with regards to Alex Skolnick's incredible soloing. 

The band continues to show its depth on this latest album, churning out not just great thrash, but excellent music. I have to again tout the production; it is crisp, perfectly balanced, and incredibly heavy. The riffs and chord structures are intricate and complex, proving that Testament is a cut above the competition in the thrash world. Although this is the first release in five years, the band is on fire ! 

For The Love Of Pain   82

Infanticide A.I.   85

Shadow People   90

Meant To Be   88

High Noon   78

Witch Hunt   75

Nature Of The Beast   91

Room 117   85

Havana Syndrome   85

Para Bellum   78

Scorpions In Trance

 

Origin: Germany

Year: 1975

Subgenre: Hard Rock

Rating:  78.11    Solid and Above-Average !

The Players:

Klaus Meine  Vocals

Ulrich Jon Roth  Guitar, Vocals

Rudolph Schenker  Guitar

Francis Bucholz  Bass

Rudy Lenners  Drums

Following 1974’s Fly To The Rainbow, this album had a very different feel. Whereas the previous album was more progressive and energetic, In Trance was darker, a bit heavier, and more focused on dynamics. Most songs featured mellower sections punctuated by powerful chords. It was also the first Scorpions album to portray controversial album art (the cover art originally showed the female model with a breast hanging over a white Stratocaster). Unfortunately, American censors had a field day with it. Musically, the songs are tight and interesting, but a bit depressing in overall vibe. 

This was the first Scorpions album I actually was exposed to……..I was definitely hooked. Klaus Meine’s vocals soar and had that unique Teutonic tone, while  Uli Jon Roth’s guitar playing is masterful, with an emphasis on arpeggios and climbing scales. Francis Bucholz’ excellent bass playing was also featured up front in the mix. 

The raucous Dark Lady opens the album; it's a solid song, but I wish Uli Jon Roth's vocals were replaced with Klaus. The anthemic In Trance follows, featuring "light and darkness" dynamics that characterizes most of the album. Life's Like A River is similar to the title track in vibe and style. Top Of The Bill was the first Scorpions I have ever heard, and it holds a special place in my heart. Living and Dying is a slow and lumbering track that features more of the aforementioned dynamics. A bit of a downer. Robot Man opens Side 2 and is a rousing anthem, but the thinly recorded guitars disappoint a bit (the live version is awesome). Evening Wind is a very interesting and somber track that features more dynamics, but is more epic in scope. The chorus and heavy sections  kill ! The bluesy Sun In My Hand has Roth back on vocals.......ouch. Longing For Fire is the most upbeat track on the album and is a consistent and melodic rocker. The instrumental and rather mellow Night Lights closes the album, notably demonstrating Uli's fine guitar playing. 

More hard rock than metal, In Trance saw the band still trying to find their sound. Overall, although the album is a bit depressing in tone and style, it still ranks as a very sentimental album for me personally. 

Dark Lady  75

In Trance  85

Life's Like A River  78

Top Of The Bill  81

Living And Dying  72

Robot Man  80

Evening Wind  82

Sun In My Hand  71

Longing For Fire  79

Night Lights   Not Rated

Pentagram Lightning In A Bottle

 

Origin: USA

Year: 2025

Subgenre: Heavy Metal

Rating: 80.73  An Excellent Piece of Work !

The Players:

Bobby Liebling  Vocals

Tony Reed  Guitar

Scooter Haslip  Bass

Henry Vazquez  Drums

Pentagram strikes again ! I was very pleasantly surprised when I threw this disc on, as some of the band’s releases over the last couple of decades have been a bit hit or miss. Bobby Liebling’s vocals are a little strained, but pretty good …….. for a corpse ! Tony Reed does a magnificent job of recreating the classic guitar tone of former guitarist Victor Griffin (I thought at first it was Victor before checking the lineup). 

The production is top-notch, the songs are tight and surprisingly melodic, the riffs pop, and the retro guitar tone is killer ! The album starts off with the tight and bouncy Live Again and transitions into the Trouble-esque In The Panic Room, which I felt was the best overall track on the album.  The slower doom dirge I Spoke To Death summons the Pentagram of old, while Dull Pain has a medium-paced old school feel to it. The autobiographical Lady Heroin reflects Bobby Liebling's constant struggle with addiction. I'll Certainly See You In Hell is an upbeat and catchy rocker, transitioning into metal-bruiser Thundercrest. Solve the Puzzle is more of the same, solid and consistent. Spread Your Wings is another track that celebrates Bobby's escape from addiction. Lightning In A Bottle is another catchy rocker that depends on dynamics between light and heaviness. The album's heaviest track, Walk The Sociopath, is a slow, churning, doom anthem that perfectly ends the album. The digital version also contains several cool bonus tracks.

I didn't expect much from this album, but I was so wrong. Very solid and enjoyable !  What a comeback album for these perennial doomsters, and especially Bobby, who has truly been through hell and back. 

Live Again  85

In The Panic Room  88

I Spoke To Death  78

Dull Pain  82

Lady Heroin  76

I'll Certainly See You In Hell  82

Thundercrest  82

Solve the Puzzle  75

Spread Your Wings  75

Lightning In A Bottle  80

Walk The Sociopath  85