The Metal Crypt on Facebook  The Metal Crypt's YouTube Channel
Review: Helloween - The Dark Ride
Helloween
www.helloween.org
The Dark Ride

Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Year released: 2000
Duration: 52:37
Tracks: 12
Genre: Power Metal

Rating:
4.5/5


Review online: November 23, 2000
Reviewed by: Michel Renaud
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 4.01/5 (80.24%) (83 Votes)
Review

You have to give this to Helloween, this is a band that doesn't always put out the same album! Following the excellent Better Than Raw released in 1998, The Dark Ride, as announced by its almost colorless cover, is a much darker album, and much more slow-paced than its predecessor. So different in fact, that I think a lot of people might not like it - or not give it the chance to grow on to them. First off, there is no doubt that this is an Helloween album, it might sound totally different from their previous material, but there's still that little something that distinguishes them. Secondly, those who dismiss Andi Deris as a vocalist are full of shit, and this album proves it without any doubt. Very well-controlled vocals, flowing with the music, you'll want to sing along!

The Dark Ride is indeed less "happy" than previous Helloween release, but somehow they managed to get most of the songs to remain catchy, namely Mr. Torture, Escalation 666, If I Could Fly, The Departed (Sun is Going Down) and I Live for Your Pain. Hmmm... I almost named them all. Not one bad song on this album, although a couple of them don't stand out as much as the others, they're still very good by any standards. This is an album that might remain in your CD player for a while, so beware! Anyways, I loved Better than Raw and, although this new release sounds completely different, I think they managed to put out an equal (or at least almost equal) successor to their 1998 masterpiece.

I have to ask though, what is it with Germans and mirrors?

More about Helloween...
Review: 7 Sinners (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Better Than Raw (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Chameleon (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Gambling With the Devil (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Gambling With the Devil (reviewed by Sargon the Terrible)
Review: Helloween (reviewed by Christian Renner)
Review: Helloween (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Helloween (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: High Live (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Keeper of the Seven Keys - Part I (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: Master Of The Rings (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Metal Jukebox (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: My God-Given Right (reviewed by MetalMike)
Review: Pink Bubbles Go Ape (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Review: Rabbit Don't Come Easy (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: Rabbits On The Run 2003 (reviewed by Pierre Bégin)
Review: The Dark Ride (reviewed by Larry Griffin)
Review: The Time Of The Oath (reviewed by Christopher Foley)
Review: United Alive in Madrid (reviewed by Michel Renaud)
Review: Walls of Jericho (reviewed by Bruce Dragonchaser)
Click below for more reviews
Latest 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Various Books/Zines 



The Metal Crypt - Crushing Posers Since 1999
Copyright  © 1999-2024, Michel Renaud / The Metal Crypt.  All Rights Reserved.