BravePicks 2021 - HELLOWEEN's Helloween #8
December 23, 2021, 2 years ago
As the world continues to battle a virus, we present the ultimate escape! It is time to celebrate our BravePicks 2021! Heavy metal is the ultimate diversion, so let's let the music do the talking. It is time to unveil our annual BravePicks countdown, where the devout scribes at BraveWords cast their votes at the hits and misses of the year! So who will be our #1? You’ll find out as we count down the BravePick Of 2021 each day in December!
Everybody has an opinion and it’s time for ours! And stay tuned in January for the writers’ individual Top 20s (new studio albums ONLY), Top 5 Brave Embarrassments (a fan favorite!), What/Who Needs To Stop In 2022? and Metal Predictions For 2022. All will be showcased come the New Year!
First up, the best of the best for 2021 begins NOW!
BravePicks 2021
8) HELLOWEEN – Helloween (Nuclear Blast)
Happy happy Helloween! There wasn’t a band with any more pressure on them than the German power metal masters Helloween. With a much ballyhooed reunion with iconic voice Michael Kiske and founding member Kai Hansen in 2018 the clock was ticking on how new songs with all these components would turn out and thank pumpkin they did not disappoint. This is Helloween inspired dishing out power metal anthems that wonderfully utilize Kiske and longtime singer Andi Deris. The pumpkins were indeed united and long epic “Skyfall” reminds of the greatness the Germans possess. Helloween’s self-titled masterpiece scares at #8 on our countdown.
Scribe Paul Stenning was in praise of the album in his review:
And what a job the collective members have taken on trying to fit together seven members with three guitarists and three vocalists. It shouldn't work but you know what this sounds like? It sounds like Helloween; from all decades. It's easy to forget that back in the day purists believed Kai Hansen was the quintessential Helloween singer and many preferred him to Kiske. Likewise several long-time fans were left disappointed initially at the difference between Andi Deris and Kiske as they were so different. This is now the 11th album with the band that Deris has appeared on and he's well and truly earned his (pumpkin) stripes.
After so long with the band having replaced a singer who was something of an opponent it is of enormous credit to Deris that he was happy to meet with Kiske, and in fact it was he who suggested the band should not just reunite with Kai Hansen but his predecessor too. Incredibly after some of the negativity and past hurts associated between old and new Helloween the two singers found they liked each other's company. And that is the basis of this wonderful combination of Helloween from all eras. For without that personal chemistry it would never have worked. Huge credit must also go to Dennis Ward and Charlie Baeurfeind for their work in balancing the combination, they are truly keepers of the seven members.
BravePicks 2021 Top 30
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8) HELLOWEEN - Helloween (Nuclear Blast)
9) MASTODON - Hushed And Grim (Reprise)
10) BEWITCHER - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom (Century Media)
11) TRIBULATION - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound (Metal Blade)
12) SABER - Without Warning (Church Recordings)
13) EXODUS - Persona Non Grata (Nuclear Blast)
14) BAEST - Necro Sapiens (Century Media)
15 EINHERJER - North Star (Napalm)
16) BUCKCHERRY - Hellbound (Round Hill)
17) KHEMMIS - Deceiver (Nuclear Blast)
18) DEE SNIDER - Leave A Scar (Napalm)
19) BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - Doom Crew Inc. (eOne)
20) GOJIRA - Fortitude (Roadrunner)
21) BLAZE BAYLEY - War Within Me (Blaze Bayley Recordings)
22) KONQUEST - The Night Goes On (Iron Oxide)
23) IRON MAIDEN - Senjutsu (Parlophone)
24) CRADLE OF FILTH - Existence Of Futile (Nuclear Blast)
25) DANKO JONES - Power Trio (Bad Taste)
26) DARKTHRONE - Eternal Hails (Peaceville)
27) SMITH/KOTZEN – Smith/Kotzen (BMG)
28) TODD LA TORRE - Rejoice In The Suffering (Rat Pak)
29) KK’S PRIEST – Sermons Of The Sinner (EX1)
30) ASPHYX - Necroceros (Century Media)
