HELLOWEEN — Better Than Raw (review)

HELLOWEEN — Better Than Raw album cover Album · 1998 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
Better Than Raw (named after an in-joke about a meal the band once had) is the eighth-full length studio album by the German Power Metal band Helloween. It was released in 1998, following up the excellent Time Of The Oath record, and was the third album in a row to feature the line-up of Andi Deris on Vocals, Michael Weikath and Roland Grapow on Guitar, Markus Grosskopf on Bass and Uli Kusch on the Drums.

If anyone was to ask what the Deris era of Helloween album sounded like, this is the album that I would select in reply. After searching for their sound on Master Of The Rings and perfecting it on Time Of The Oath; Better Than Raw sees the band sit down, focus, and deliver an absolutely marvelous, tight and relentlessly catchy selection of melodic, virtuosic, enjoyable Power Metal songs. Every song is dripping with character and charm. The production is flawless. The choruses stick in your head for days.

This is a very strong and consistent record, that balances the bands different styles well and serves as the sort of ultimate middle-ground record of the band’s various styles and directions. The fast songs are great, the mid-paced songs are great and the slower quieter songs are great too. Its musically accomplished, but doesn’t go overboard with experimentation, it simply delivers the core Helloween sound with fresh energy, and it does it masterfully.

Highlights include the interesting ‘Lavdate Dominvm,’ the catchy ‘Hey Lord!’ and the eight-minute “Revelation.”

This is one of the better Helloween albums in the discography, and a very good introduction for Deris-skeptics. The quality of the production, song writing and musicianship are unquestionable, there is an almost gleeful atmosphere throughout and there is absolutely no time wasted on filler. Overall; Highly recommended.

[PS. The album cover is the super off-putting, but don't let that stop you. the music is great]
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

… And the Universe Keeps Silent Death Metal
MAERE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Le bannissement Atmospheric Black Metal
CANTIQUE LÉPREUX
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tarantula Heart Sludge Metal
MELVINS
Buy this album from MMA partners
God Damned You To Hell Traditional Doom Metal
FRIENDS OF HELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Absence Melodic Death Metal
THE ABSENCE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Fallen Ashes - Wage War (Official Lyric Video)
FALLEN ASHES
Bosh66· 8 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Unreality (Single) 2024
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 8 days ago
EXISTENTIAL DEAD - Cold Hands
EXISTENTIAL DEAD
Bosh66· 8 days ago
IRON MONKEY - Misanthropizer (Official Music Video)
IRON MONKEY
Bosh66· 11 days ago
??? (Losing ART) - "????" (Official Music Video) [HD]
漂浮者樂團
Bosh66· 11 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed