The first thing you’ll notice (or ought to notice) about this album is the cover. The hot witch with the boiling cauldron and all the little pumpkin men running amok. It doesn’t get much better than that, except for all the pictures of pumpkin guys inside the book. The guys from Helloween go all-out when it comes to jack-o-lanterns, lemme tell ya.

Some of you might be wondering about the name of the album, “Better Than Raw”. Well, Helloween’s sound has always been raw, and while this album’s name seems to suggest that it is otherwise, it is not. It is…well, better. But how? Use your imagination.

The first track, “Deliberately Preliminary Prelude In Z” is merely an opener, with violins and bombastic drums, and guitar riffing, and it comes off sounding like something out of Star Wars. This segues into the second track, a song called “Push”. It’s got fast, funny-sounding guitars and high-pitched, oddly distorted vocals. I don’t enjoy this track very much at all except for the solo section, but even that is sub-par. I don’t know what they were thinking with this song, but I do know that it’s one of the drummer’s first forays into songwriting. He got his start on the prior album, “Time of the Oath”, and I think all he knows how to write is a song where all the instruments (and the singer too!) bang away like the drums. THAT is why I am extremely thankful for the solo section.

Track 3, “Falling Higher” had the help of the illustrious Michael Weikath, my favorite metal songwriter. It starts off melodic and happy and has the feel of a dance song, with soaring vocals and a fast tempo. The solo part is the most dance-esque, and it’s cool. This song is just triumphant.

“Hey Lord!” is the name of track 4. It kicks in with some staccato violin sounds from the keyboard, followed by a melodic riff, and the song comes off sounding like modern rock. This sound is supported by the fact that the way the guitars are tuned on this album lend themselves to that style, which is unusual for a power metal band. But Andi Deris’ voice suits the style as well. This track has a steady tempo and is far more understated than typical Helloween. Helloween writing an understated song?! That says a lot. The solo is, of course, magnificent. And it’s actually slow!!

The next track is “Don’t Spit On My Mind”, which the bass player (one of 2 mainstays from the very start) helped write. It sounds like something by Black Sabbath with its sludgy-slow sound and political nature. I really don’t like this song all that much, but I’ve never been into Black Sabbath, since their sound was supposed to be experimental, no emulated. But anyway…I still have to give Markus Grosskopf props for this one, the lyrics are cool, and…the music’s okay.

Track six, then, is “Revelation”, the longest song on the album. It starts off with some cool keyboard effects, followed by a solo and then staccato, thrash-style riffing (the drummer helped write this one too, go figure), but this riffing isn’t as distorted as on track 2 and it sounds really cool. This song has sort of an epic feel to it, but not as much as “Keeper of the Seven Keys”. It is darker than Keeper, at least, with a sound of impending doom that only the name “Revelation” is suitable to impart. The song comes in many ominous parts, though since this is Helloween, others can’t help but sound happy.

Hey! It’s 70’s progressive rock! Well, kinda. The seventh track, “Time”, is light with somewhat heavy choruses, and slow. The vocals are low in pitch and calming. This is a pretty good track, but it won’t have you jumping for joy. Suffice to say I have no complaints about it. It was written by singer Andi Deris, but it is a sad replacement for the song “A Little Time” by former singer Michael Kiske.

The next track, “I Can”, is the most popular from this album. And it shows. It’s got a shredding (but optimistic) riff, and in parts the song is both heavy and happy, with repeated “I Can, I Can, I Can” in the chorus. The bass is even boosted for this one. It’s upbeat, and the vocals soar. It’s even more catchy than standard Helloween, yet has a modern rock feel. And the solo is the sweetest part, fast and filled with emotion, demonstrating just why Michael Weikath is my favorite lead guitarist of all time. There was a video done for this track, though it doesn’t come on the cd. You should be able to download it fairly easily.

Track 9 is “A Handful Of Pain”. Well not really. But it’s a heavy track, and while it’s not sludgy in the manner of Black Sabbath, it has some sludge to it, with power chords and bouncy bass. It’s a really cool track, especially for those of you who think Helloween is not heavy enough for your taste. It keeps moving along with a steady rhythm (I’ve used the word “steady” a lot, haven’t I?), and it alternates between heavy and light, yelling and singing, but in a smooth and melodic manner.

And then, of course, comes the blatantly religious track, which I, of course, don’t mind. Hell, I like it. I’m Catholic, after all. It’s VERY melodic and happy, even more dancelike than track 3, and the lyrics are a prayer sung in Latin. “Laudate Dominum” is the name of this super-happy track. The solos are very light and cheerful, and if you heard this in church you’d be dancing in the aisles.

If you’ve got the version of the album that I’ve got, then “Midnight Sun” is the next track you’ll hear. For some reason the website lists, “Back On The Ground”, which is a b-side I’ve only been able to get a hold of by downloading, and then “Midnight Sun”. I don’t know what to make of that. Anyway, “Midnight Sun” is the obligatory “ADD track”. That is, if you have a short attention span, you will love it. While it lacks any kind of hook for someone who is not a metal listener, it has plenty of hook for those of you who enjoy a song with some stomp to it. There’s a little melody thrown in there on top of the pounding drums, and this song comes in many heavy parts, keeping a steady beat throughout. And the vocals are mostly growled. It is an ideal metal song that just keeps chugging along, and it’s written entirely by Michael Weikath. And, of course, this track showcases their instrumental skill with panache.

The very last track is clearly political in nature. It is a bonus track, so I don’t know where you’ll be able to find a version of the album with “A Game We Shouldn’t Play”, but it’s a cool track about scientists playing God, basically, hence the title. It’s under four minutes long, but an enjoyable enough b-side.

I think this album is their darkest, even more so than “The Dark Ride”, which is unusual, and it’s also one of their heaviest albums. If you’re just getting into power metal and you’re coming at it from the direction of prog-rock or radio rock, this is the album to pick up first, but only if you truly care about what your music sounds like. These guys are the best German act out there, and, dare I say, the best power metal act as well. I believe them to be more proficient than Iron Maiden, and if anyone takes issue with that, I welcome you to bring your case to my attention.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: At Work