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Italy's Trick or Treat came to my attention with their second record, the tidy Tin Soldiers, but actually, it turns out their debut from 2006 is pretty nifty, too. Formed famously as a Helloween tribute act, it's no surprise that Trick or Treat sound a lot like the Germans from their Keepers-era, except being Italian has let more than a smidgen of the class found in the best bands from their nation seep in. Evil Needs Candy Too is, of course, a master class in Keepers-esque pomp, with a lot of double kicking, happy-go-lucky melodies, and vocals that sound an awful lot like Michael Kiske (except Alessandro Conti has a more muffled delivery, again reinforcing the Italian nature of it all – he's a dab hand with a paintbrush, however, as he draws all their artwork, which is quite something).

At times, this is an excellent Power Metal album, with a lot of speed and immediacy. The production is nice and crisp, and the songs are all smart attempts (except for the cover of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun", which is too gay for its own good). Fans of Helloween will do well to check this out, as it is a more celeritous venture than its follow up, with all the Power Metal clichés intact.