Helloween to release "Unarmed - Best Of 25th Anniversar

[Arkash]

This whole thread just reminded me why I prefer Gamma Ray so much than Helloween......well, I'm gonna give a try for this upcoming H release but after all I have read and heard over those pages, I really dont feel like I'm gonna like it...

[icecab21]

I think this is a matter of people hearing the music. I think if more people heard the acoustic versions, they would be more successful. When the only audience that hears them is the metal fans that don't like the acoustics, then the band does not see the success they could have had if a more general audience had listened.

[Babylon]

But these new versions are not replacements, they are just another interpretation.

Exactly! And there is also always the option of NOT listening to it if you don't like it...

[icecab21]

ragehead will complain about it for the rest of his life

[AAAAAAAAAA]

ragehead will complain about it for the rest of his life

And what a short life it will be. Wasn't he recently voted most likely to die of an STD?

[Babylon]

Ok, may the whining continue!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPWAElJ_rNE

I personally really how liked Perfect Gentleman, Forever and One, Fallen To Pieces and A Tale That Wasn't Right sounded. But hey, don't listen to me, I'm a fangirl

[Ragehead91]

Dr. Stein: Sucks. Who thought it was a good Idea to make a Ska Song out of it? Makes me wanna puke.
If I Could Fly: Don't like it either. The song isn't supposed to sound uplifting like he does in this song.
Where the Rain Grows: Another acoustic fuck-up. great, just great
The Keeper Medley: The refrain sounded like it was from one of those fucking christmas charity song.
Perfect Gentleman: I have no words for this.
Forever and One: I actually like this. Sounds nice.
I Want Out: I have the sudden urge to to go out and beat down a passer-by. Did they really think this was a good idea?
Fallen to Pieces: Interesting.
A Tale that Wasn't Right: Sounds Awesome.

[Babylon]

People are just taking this album way too seriously, as if the band was going to completely change direction. It is just an anniversary album, acoustic, different versions of the songs, that's all. Everyone is entitled their own opinion, if you don't like it, fine, don't buy it, don't listen to it, hell, forget it was even recorded. I like it, so what? I am sure the next album is gonna be as great as the stuff we are used to hearing from Helloween.

[Intiaani]

People are just taking this album way too seriously, as if the band was going to completely change direction. It is just an anniversary album, acoustic, different versions of the songs, that's all. Everyone is entitled their own opinion, if you don't like it, fine, don't buy it, don't listen to it, hell, forget it was even recorded. I like it, so what? I am sure the next album is gonna be as great as the stuff we are used to hearing from Helloween.

Nope. Never taken Helloween too seriously. Otherwise I would never have fallen in love with the songs like Rise and Fall, Heavy Metal Hamsters or Silent Rain. And I don't think they are completely changing the train, so to say. In my eyes Unarmed is kind of a therapy album which helps them get the interest back into their own heavy/power metal stuff (hopefully once again less heavy in the future as the last 3-4 albums have been pretty similar in that department). However, I STILL don't seem to like that material on Unarmed. It's complex music, but it sounds so freaking unpersonally simplistic and boring for me, for the first time with Helloween. That's why I don't like it. This time it's not about my critical attitude; just check some of my older posts to this thread and note that I was still excited and positive a month or so ago. Now that I've heard parts of every song, I'm not anymore. Musically uninteresting, too vapid. Arrangements not working. Boring. At the moment I'm not thinking of buying that album. BUT, as said, I'm in the hopes they are getting even better once they make us burn again! o/

[icecab21]

would be nice to get those 10000 views. be cool if people just picked a random underground band to all watch and get that many views.

[Babylon]

Nope. Never taken Helloween too seriously. Otherwise I would never have fallen in love with the songs like Rise and Fall, Heavy Metal Hamsters or Silent Rain. And I don't think they are completely changing the train, so to say. In my eyes Unarmed is kind of a therapy album which helps them get the interest back into their own heavy/power metal stuff (hopefully once again less heavy in the future as the last 3-4 albums have been pretty similar in that department). However, I STILL don't seem to like that material on Unarmed. It's complex music, but it sounds so freaking unpersonally simplistic and boring for me, for the first time with Helloween. That's why I don't like it. This time it's not about my critical attitude; just check some of my older posts to this thread and note that I was still excited and positive a month or so ago. Now that I've heard parts of every song, I'm not anymore. Musically uninteresting, too vapid. Arrangements not working. Boring. At the moment I'm not thinking of buying that album. BUT, as said, I'm in the hopes they are getting even better once they make us burn again! o/

Well I understand your reasons for not liking it, but I find it funny how everyone is freaking out about this album, as if it were new material and they had completely changed their style, sayin the band is dead and what not.

[Ragehead91]

Nope. Never taken Helloween too seriously. Otherwise I would never have fallen in love with the songs like Rise and Fall, Heavy Metal Hamsters or Silent Rain. And I don't think they are completely changing the train, so to say. In my eyes Unarmed is kind of a therapy album which helps them get the interest back into their own heavy/power metal stuff (hopefully once again less heavy in the future as the last 3-4 albums have been pretty similar in that department). However, I STILL don't seem to like that material on Unarmed. It's complex music, but it sounds so freaking unpersonally simplistic and boring for me, for the first time with Helloween. That's why I don't like it. This time it's not about my critical attitude; just check some of my older posts to this thread and note that I was still excited and positive a month or so ago. Now that I've heard parts of every song, I'm not anymore. Musically uninteresting, too vapid. Arrangements not working. Boring. At the moment I'm not thinking of buying that album. BUT, as said, I'm in the hopes they are getting even better once they make us burn again! o/

Well I understand your reasons for not liking it, but I find it funny how everyone is freaking out about this album, as if it were new material and they had completely changed their style, sayin the band is dead and what not.

We're not freaking out because of that. We know that this is (thank god) just a one time only thing. We freak out because they raped the classics.

[Intiaani]

I don't like it they made them sound like there's no good idea behind the album at all. No musical ingenius. They could have done the lighter versions with so much more enthusiasm, diversely, with more thought behind each song. Or if they had, I completely missed it though. For me they all sound very bland according to those chosen 30 seconds. For me the arrengements sound like very quickly made, so that they just have something to put out every second year and thus still seem like an active band.

And I don't even know people who are freaking about this, except for some guys on this forum. I am in a Helloween forum, and almost everyone seems to like them - or state to like them, or are in the hopes of one day liking them at least - and absolutely nobody I know thinks they are irreversibly changing their style.

[Ragehead91]

I don't like it they made them sound like there's no good idea behind the album at all. No musical ingenius. They could have done the lighter versions with so much more enthusiasm, diversely, with more thought behind each song. Or if they had, I completely missed it though. For me they all sound very bland according to those chosen 30 seconds. For me the arrengements sound like very quickly made, so that they just have something to put out every second year and thus still seem like an active band.

And I don't even know people who are freaking about this, except for some guys on this forum. I am in a Helloween forum, and almost everyone seems to like them - or state to like them, or are in the hopes of one day liking them at least - and absolutely nobody I know thinks they are irreversibly changing their style.

If you're talking about the official Helloween Board it is sort of obvious that everyone will like it. The Forum used to be a nice place, but nowadays it is full of brainless fanboys who even would praise an album consisting of the band farting. And god forbid you say anything bad about the new Album!

[icecab21]

Can you guy even state musically what you don't like about it rather than vague statements about thinking it lack anything musical at all?” They raped the classics” is certainly not going the cerebral route and that gives a thorough musical analysis on the technical or emotional merits of the music

[Ragehead91]

Let's just talk about the 2 songs we could listen to from beginning to the end. Future World and Eagle Fly Free. About those I just HATE the whole acoustic crap they added to the songs! In my opinion it doesn't fit the songs at all. It just ruins thems. In my opinion those 2 songs aren't supposed to be played with a classical guitar and a timbrel. It just takes everything that made those 2 songs so great and memorable away and turns them into some hippie crap.

[icecab21]

The lyrics to the songs fits the acoustic better than the metal in my opinion. Its not metal lyrics at all anyways. The technical aspects of the songs are no different apart from singer that just can't do it and some reduced drum and bass roles that were never very technical from the beginning. . For me the melodies and harmonies are what made the songs memorable and they are all still there.

I think you are a little spoiled by amplification if a song played the exact same way sucks just because it does not have the amplification.

[Intiaani]

The lyrics to the songs fits the acoustic better than the metal in my opinion. Its not metal lyrics at all anyways.

Main reasons why I love Helloween so much.

Also, I don't understand that much about musical theory I could specify every aspect as to why I don't like it, and I'm glad I don't. I can talk about those kind of things a little, but I still listen to music with feeling, with my heart, more than with my brain, and I hope it remains such. It's this simple in my case. The samples didn't sound good... I didn't like them.

Not talking about the office board. A Finnish one called Helloween Mankind.

[icecab21]

not sure what liking a sound has to do with how well done a song is though. for me the songs are very ear pleasing and i enjoy the tones. it does not matter how long the band puts into a song if a person does not like the tones they chose. they play the instruments in a professional way so i really don't see how they can't be faulted for that. to me it just seems your complaint has to do more with your own aesthetic taste than the quality of the songs.

[Intiaani]

not sure what liking a sound has to do with how well done a song is though. for me the songs are very ear pleasing and i enjoy the tones. it does not matter how long the band puts into a song if a person does not like the tones they chose. they play the instruments in a professional way so i really don't see how they can't be faulted for that. to me it just seems your complaint has to do more with your own aesthetic taste than the quality of the songs.

Of course it does. Still, that simplistic take on the songs they now have isn't my thing. That's why I think I criticised their expression, possibly for no reason other than I don't like the style of the album myself. I expected there was more variety between the songs...

In any event, I prefer the originals much more. Must be because of heaviness then? I don't know why myself. These just don't sound good to me, even though their melody lines remain pretty much the same.

It's all about my musical taste. I can't explain it. Just not my cup of tea, these versions.

[AAAAAAAAAA]

Well, what do you guys think of this video?
I liked it!

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[Fuuso]

The video wasn't bad, but... Helloween, seriously, what the fuck is this

[Ragehead91]

The video wasn't bad, but... Helloween, seriously, what the fuck is this

Dito.
So I've listened to this on Youtube:
Dr. Stein: Don't like it at all. The arrangement just annoys me. I really had a hard time listening to this one. The Video is funny though.
If I Could Fly: Sounds like Sub7even to me. And every Rage Fan here knows that this is not a good thing. Don't like it.
Where the Rain Grows: Well, boring, acoustic version. Why the hell did they have to make a semi-ballad out of this?
The Keeper Trilogy: I like this one. Orchestration is well done and in general it just sounds great.
Perfect Gentleman: Was my favourite Song from "Master of the Rings". And this is, well an acoustic version of it. And I have to say that the song doesn't work with acoustic guitars. Don't like it.
Forever And One: Why the hell did they wait with all the melodramaticness until the end?
I Want Out: Who thought it was a good thing to add that children's choir? Overall, I don't like this arrangement apart from the solo.
Falling to Pieces: Same as with If I Could Fly
A Tale That Wasn't right: Together with Keeper's Trilogy my favourite. I LOVE the whole melodramatic feel that this thing has.

So overall, I won't buy it. The Keeper's Trilogy and A Tale just don't make up for the other songs, which are in my opinion just complete and utter crap. I would probably give it a 2/10.

[Babylon]

Well, what do you guys think of this video?
I liked it!

Loved it. Probably their best video yet.

[Ragehead91]

Well, what do you guys think of this video?
I liked it!

Loved it. Probably their best video yet.

I have to agree. While I don't like the new version of the song, the video is superb.

[gon]

Maybe the best video of the band.
Nothing to say about the new version of the song...

[NeverendingAbyss]

Agree.
The video gave Dr. Stein a new perspective. The song wasn't bad but it wasn't good either.

[Mehida]

That video is nothing else than crap...
They look as if were the new Backstreet Boys in metal (similar to that shit of Edguy)
They just put a few semi-naked girls, a ridiculous actor in there and the most repugnant commercial attitude... and people like it.

[AAAAAAAAAA]

Its at least better than the Deep Unknown video, which was utterly meaningless and overdramatic

[gon]

That video is nothing else than crap...
They look as if were the new Backstreet Boys in metal (similar to that shit of Edguy)
They just put a few semi-naked girls, a ridiculous actor in there and the most repugnant commercial attitude... and people like it.

I think you are taking this matter too seriously. It´s Helloween, not a death metal band, or Slayer. Almost all of us agree the version is not the best work they´ve done in their life, but the video clip is full of good humour. I remember Metallica doing something similar a few years ago ( Jason was still in the band), Load era, and nobody complaint about it. Yes it is commercial, because the purpose of a video clip is... to sell the product. Examples? there many in metal. After more than 25 years in metal, I´ve seen hundreds. It´s part of the business, and regarding Helloween, it´s part of their idiosincracy. Some people like it ( thousands!), some people hate it ( a few!).