This marks the 30th anniversary for the bizarrely named Germans, best known for contributing singer Andi Deris to post-Kiske Helloween. While guitarist Alfred Koffler remains the lone original, bassist/producer Dennis Ward joined soon after their formation and Deris' replacement David Readman (also of Voodoo Circle) has been there since '94. Original drummer Kosta Zafiriou left in '12, following Ward in Unisonic, but has since retired from being a professional musician. Compared to their contemporary crop of Teutonic power metal, the Creamers have always inhabited the shallow end of the pool. Take the poppy commercialism of “Walls Come Down” as Exhibit 1A. “Vagrant Of The Night” and album closing “The Other Man” are countrified, acoustic laced power ballads. Perfect for current state of FM radio in North America, but hardly what I want to import from Deutschland. 

The label is trying to re-position the band alongside labelmates Pretty Maids. In that regard, there's “Path Of Destiny”, a melodic metal number. The stripper strut of “Bloodsucker” would have been a huge hit (and accompanying video) during the Eighties. To offset the lighter stuff and show how some of it translates heavier, onstage, there's a bonus disc, containing nine live songs, from Ludwigsburg, Germany, back in '13. Between songs, Englishmen Readman speaks to the crowd in their native tongue. “Break The Silence” and “Livin' My Life For Your” are meaty slabs of energetic hard rock. “Wasted Years” is an original, not the oft covered Iron Maiden tune by the same name. Concert disc probably increases review of overall package by one point.