Finally, ”Giants & Monsters”, the seventeenth studio album by German metal legend HELLOWEEN will be released on 29 August 2025. This is the second studio album recorded by the “Pumpkins United” lineup, featuring the 3 classic lead vocalists Michael Kiske, Andi Deris and Kai Hansen.
”Giants & Monsters” delivers a strong collection of different styles, and it’s only a power metal album about 30% of the time. It plays out more like an Avantasia album than something you’d expect from Helloween, but it works nonetheless. If fact, we love this Helloween melodic side.
There’s a looseness to the writing, suggesting that the group has become more comfortable working together, and as a result, you get a wide-ranging set of songs covering everything from classic power metal to hair metal and stadium rock.
Opener “Giants on the Run” is the perfect introduction as it’s stylistically close to the classic Kiske-era Helloween. It’s got that power metal energy and cheesy, cheery charm. The Pumpkin Pi Boys kill it vocally, and there’s a satisfying chorus. Kai has an especially cool vocal segment, and there’s even a spot where someone (probably Kai) does a dramatically raspy King Diamond-esque thing.
“Savior of the World” lets Michael Kiske do his thing on a power-centric song that reeks of the Keepers era and has that big, soaring chorus Helloweenies live for. It’s hard charging and gourd, clean fun. After this happily familiar opening salvo, the band toys with hair rock in the vein of Kissin’ Dynamite (“A Little is a Little Too Much”) and dramatic power balladery (“Into the Sun”), and things just keep coming up plumpkin pumpkin!
There are some big standouts such as “We Can Be Gods”, a super sticky power rocker that sits between Keepers and the Deris age. “Hand of God” is the progeny of albums like Better Than Raw and The Dark Ride, and it dabbles in Gothy-electronica before clubbing with you a winning chorus.
“Universe (Gravity of Hearts)” is an 8-minute power metal bomb dropped at just the right time. The proven formula of soaring vocals over speedy riffs and pounding drums still holds up when the writing is sound, and here it works an iron charm.
They make a similar statement on the 8-minute closer “Majestic,” blending their power metal roots with 80s-centric anthemic heavy metal. The guitar work across this track is stellar, and all 3 singers prove their worth. There are no duds present, and every song has its weird charms and endearing quirks.
At 52 minutes, Giants & Monsters avoids feeling long despite the presence of multiple 8-minute epics. That’s no easy feat, but these tricky calabash wranglers pull it off with smart track ordering and a great ebb and flow.
HIGHLY Recommended
01. Giants On The Run
02. Savior Of The World
03. A Little Is A Little Too Much
04. We Can Be Gods
05. Into The Sun
06. This Is Tokyo
07. Universe (Gravity For Hearts)
08. Hand Of God
09. Under The Moonlight
10. Majestic
Markus Grosskopf - Bass
Michael Weikath - Guitars
Kai Hansen - Guitars, Vocals
Michael Kiske - Vocals
Andi Deris - Vocals
Sascha Gerstner - Guitars
Dani Löble - Drums
Helloween – Giants & Monsters 2025+FLAC
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