Whereas 7 Sinners was more of a typical speed power metal utilising noticeable keyboards throughout, and Straight Out of Hell tended to have less of the keyboard element and wind back those ultimate power metal elements, My God-Given Right winds everything back even more, and is much closer to pure heavy metal album than those previous two. it is not completely devoid of those elements, but there seems to be a real effort to get back to what made Helloween great, which was those amazing happy guitars melodically playing off each other, over the top of that amazing rhythm section of bass and drums and with the sweet vocals rising above it all.
"Heroes" is driven along by Daniel Löble's double kick throughout, and induces an anthem-like chorus that has you joining in (especially when listening to the album while driving along in your car). This segues straight into "Battle's Won" which immediately increases the speed of the album, and vocally and musically transcends the ages of Helloween. "My God-Given Right is another great anthemic-like song, featuring the best of Andi Deris' vocals and speed metal riffing, while "Stay Crazy" holds itself into straight forward power metal, with solid drum and guitar riffs enhanced by Andi's vocals and great solo licks.
"Lost in America" channels that playful element of Helloween, both lyrically and musically through the twin guitars. It reminds me a lot of another playful song, Gamma Ray's "Master of Confusion" from last year's Empire of the Undead album. Not only does it harp on a true incident where the band had no idea where in South America they were after several delays and changed plane trips, musically it reminds you of the best that this band can produce. This is followed up by "Russian Roule" which tunes down into a generally heavier song. "The Swing of a Fallen World" turns a corner from all of this merriment, focusing on darker elements lyrically and musically. There's no happy guitars in this song, it is set hard on a grinding guitar riff that is the platform for the song with Andi's vocals over the top, while even the solo sections settle into that heavier rhythm. "Like Everybody Else" follows a similarly darker, deeper path. "Creatures in Heaven" rifles along at a more Helloween-ish speed, before the return of an old-fashioned-type Helloween song in "If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll", almost cartoonish in both lyrics and music, with a catchy chorus break and great solo's, along with a crowd-involvement dubbed in for the masses.
"Living on the Edge" is Markus Grosskopf's addition to the album, and as with most of his songs is has a lively vibe and a great bass undertone "Claws" sets off back in an up-tempo realm, and wends its way throughout in classic Michael Weikath tones and tome. The closing song "You, Still of War" could be paired up with "The Swing of a Fallen World", though its music is lighter than the earlier track, and contains more noticeable keys, as well as having a more 'epic' feel to the song structure. The first couple of times I listened to the album I wasn't overly enamoured by the song, but as my CD has clicked over each time I have grown to appreciate it much more.
The mood and path of the songs all follow the lyrical content. Those songs with a darker element are all more of a slower, heavier riffed atmosphere, such as " The Swing of a Fallen World" and "Like Everybody Else". These songs in particular echo their subject matter in their musical style. Those songs that are of a light-hearted nature are further enhanced by those happy guitars, such as in "Lost in America" and "If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll", where they are in their element.
From all reports, over 30 songs were written and rehearsed for this album, and the producer and other staff were given the job of picking the songs that went on the final album. That's a massive amount of control for the band to willingly give to others, but perhaps in the long run it allowed them to do the best they could on the songs, and not be so invested in their own contributions such that they fought over their own inclusion.
All members apart from Daniel Löble contributed to the writing process, and the varying array of topics covered by the songs is just as extensive. The fact that many seem to be drawn from actual experiences of the band members would make this a rather personal album for them all. Indeed it comes across as rather urban in places because of it. The music itself seems to come from several different eras of the band, with similarities ranging from the Keepers era to the Dark Ride era to more recent era. The influences as a result provide a colourful conglomeration of songs.
The band itself is firing on all cylinders. The vocals of Andi Deris continue to produce amazing highs and lows, depending on what is required of the song. He can sit comfortably in that middle range for his vocals, but can still hit those high and faster notes when the occasion calls for it. Markus Grosskopf on bass is just as brilliant as ever. Many may not even notice what he does on his instrument underneath everyone else's involvement, but it is quite amazing how much he contributes to the sound Helloween gets with that big flat bottom sound rumbling along, holding each song together. Daniel Löble's drumwork is as precise as ever, and along with Markus keeps the bottom end grounded while the guitarists play their games over the top. Both Sascha Gerstner and the timeless Michael Weikath are still producing wonderful riffs as well as their own solo pieces.
If you only listen to this a few times and take it only on face value, you may well cast this aside as just another failed effort in combining the past and the present by a band that may or may not still have what it takes. But go a little deeper, listen to the album a few more times, and actually listen to the songs and the way they are structured. I think you'll find that there is more to this album than the surface. In fact, the multi-layered part is that each song really is that combination of past loyalty and present mindset. If you are yet to discover Helloween the band this would not be your starting point. But it should definitely be part of that journey if you are a fan of Helloween, or are to become one. It may not be immediately brilliant as those classic and legendary previous albums, but it has the qualities to at least make you believe they can still do the job.
Rating: Others say that god's a little mad, secretly he'd wear the black, you know. 4/5
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