Better Than Raw

Better Than Raw is a power-metal record on which Helloween sets dashing riffs, bright strong melody and its native playfulness side by side. The faces of the songs are varied, yet wherever you cut, there is the band’s lightness and the overwhelming strength of the choruses. It is a record on which the Deris-era momentum grew further. From the drive of “Push,” which shifts from a long opening overture, and the lift of “Falling Higher” to the drama of “Hey Lord!” and the catchiness of “I Can,” every song carries a clear hook. Beyond the speed of the fast songs, the groove of a mid-tempo like “Midnight Sun” and the details of the arrangements are major highlights. Its distinction is that, while pushing the direction of the previous two albums, it adds harder, more aggressive elements. Helloween’s accessibility and sure playing craft join naturally. Uniting radiant melody and a steel-like strength at a high level, it is a fulfilling power-metal record of the Deris era.