Better Than Raw

Better Than Raw

Better Than Raw

Track Listings
 
1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period in Z
2. Push
3. Falling Higher
4. Hey Lord!
5. Don't Spit on My Mind
6. Revelation
7. Time
8. I Can
9. Handful of Pain
10. Lavdate Dominvm
11. Midnight Sun
12. Game We Shouldn't Play [*]

Better Than Raw,Helloween,Velvel Records,Heavy Metal,Pop,Popular Music,Power Metal,Rock,Thrash
Better Than Raw
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Better than Most
  • Great re-packaging of this album
Better Than Raw
Helloween
Manufacturer: Sanctuary Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
GermanyGermany | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. The Time of the Oath
  2. Master of the Rings
  3. Pink Bubbles Go Ape
  4. Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2
  5. Walls of Jericho

ASIN: B000F8O472
Release Date: 2006-05-16

Tracks:

  1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude in Z
  2. Push
  3. Falling Higher
  4. Hey Lord!
  5. Don't Spit On My Mind
  6. Revelation
  7. Time
  8. I Can
  9. A Handful Of Pain
  10. Laudate Dominum
  11. Midnight Sun
  12. Back On The Ground
  13. A Game We Shouldn't Play
  14. Perfect Gentleman
  15. Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

Sanctuary finally got around to remastering the Helloween catalog earlier this year, and they certainly did it right. In addition to digitally remastered sound, the reissued version of Better than Raw serves up 4 bonus tracks - Back on the Ground, A Game We Shouldn't Play, and live versions of Perfect Gentlemen and the bizarrely titled track called Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta, which is essentially a 7-minute drum solo with some guitar soloing thrown in for good measure. You also get expanded liner notes, photos, etc. plus a nifty slipcase for the disc.

This is what a remastered version of a great album is supposed to look and sound like. If you're already a Helloween fan, it's time to replace your old version!

5 out of 5 stars Great re-packaging of this album.......2006-07-20

This is the last of the Eight remastered Helloween albums. The album as it stood before was a very solid, hard hitting album that took Helloween into a darker, and more progressive sound that needed to occur for the band to mature, and move in a different musical direction. It stands as an early preview to what "The Dark Ride" was to be. Starting with the introductory instramental Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude In Z, to the last track Midnight Sun, this album is full of hard rock and thrash elements. Songs like I can and Hey Lord have a catchy anthem type vibe to add into the mix. For those who bought the album in Europe originally, this contains the US bonus track "A Game We Shouldn't Play". For other outside Japan who didn't buy the bonus version there, or the single for Hey Lord, this has the tracks Back on the Ground and Moshi Moshi Shiki No Uta (live). Also a bootleg version of Hey Lord from the single is here to.
Nicely done with new slipcover sleave, and a full 16 page liner book with the continuation/conclusion of the 8 cd booklet interview/travel through time with Helloween members. Definately should pick this album up if you havn't before.
Better Than Raw
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Awesome album from the gods of power metal
  • Better than Most
  • AMAZING STUFF!!
  • Power Metal from the gods
  • The very best of Helloween!
Better Than Raw
Helloween
Manufacturer: Velvel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
MetalMetal | Hard Rock & Metal | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Time of the Oath
  2. Master of the Rings
  3. Systematic Chaos
  4. Rabbit Don't Come Easy
  5. Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy

ASIN: B00000AFYE
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

  1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period In Z
  2. Push
  3. Falling Higher
  4. Hey Lord!
  5. Don't Spit On My Mind
  6. Revalation
  7. Time
  8. I Can
  9. A Handful Of Pain
  10. Lavdate Dominum
  11. Midnight Sun
  12. A Game We Shouldn't Play (Bonus Track)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Awesome album from the gods of power metal.......2006-12-19

I love this album it's a must have for helloween fans and the album cover looks awesome too. Here are some of the greatist songs LAVIDATE DOMINUM (they sang that song in latin interesting)/HEY LORD/I CAN/MIDNIGHT SUN. Their playing style of music was amazing and andi deris is an awesome vocalist. stores don't sell these albums so amazon will always have it available.

4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

5 out of 5 stars AMAZING STUFF!!.......2005-11-13

MAN, I SHOULD TELL YOU,IVE HEARD MANY GOOD COMMENTARIES ABOUT THIS ALBUM, BUT I WASNT EXPECTING IT TO BE SO AMAZING!THE SONGS HERE ARE FAST, HEAVY AND VERY MELODIC AT THE SAME TIME, LOADED WITH DOUBLE-BASS DRUMS AND FAST GUITAR RIFFS,AS EVERY METAL SHOULD BE.THE HIGHLIGHTS HERE ARE THE VIOLENTS "PUSH" AND "REVELATIONS" AND THE MELODICS YET AGGRESSIVE "FALLING HIGHER", "MIDNIGHTN SUN" AND "LAUDATE DOMINUM" WHICH IS SUNG IN LATIN!!!ITS VERY HARD TO FIND THIS ALBUM TODAY, BUT ITS VERY VERY WORTH GETTING TO!!

5 out of 5 stars Power Metal from the gods.......2003-06-11

Helloween plays energetic power metal with plenty of catchy melodies and great singing yet still retains a heavy edge. The musicianship is phenomenal with plenty of double bass drumming that is sure to get your head banging. This is one of my favorite Helloween releases. It is a great listen from start to finish. This American version of the album has a bonus song called "A game we should not play", which is , I think, better than the bonus song that was on the Japanese release. This is one of their heavier albums with some creative drum rhythms. One of my favorite songs is Laudate Dominum which has some of the most beautiful almost angelic singing and still retains a heavy metal feel with double bass drums jamming along and some AWESOME guitar solos. Trust me, if you are a fan of music like what I've described you will be as overjoyed with this album as I was.

5 out of 5 stars The very best of Helloween!.......2003-06-02

This album is my absolute favorite album ever...by any band! There are so many reasons why, as well. First off, since Andi Deris joined the band in 1994, Helloween have greatly surpassed any of their previous works. "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" and "Chameleon" were great albums, but just not Helloween. Andi Deris joining the band, re-defined what Helloween really is as they began to once again make the [best] Power Metal CD's ever. This album is slightly darker than previous Helloween albums. It is very heavy, very fast, very aggressive, very melodic...it just has it all. The duel guitars of Roland Grapow and Michael Weikath tear through your head, Markus Grosskopf's bass work defines these beautiful tracks, the fast and pounding drums of Uli Kusch keep you banging your head, and of course, Andi Deris' soaring vocals will have you listening to this CD non-stop! This is the best Helloween has sounded...ever. Long live Helloween and Andi Deris! Helloween is taking you over!
Better Than Raw
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Great album, but there is now a better version
  • Helloween blow out some cobwebs
  • Helloween--Better Than Most
Better Than Raw
Helloween
Manufacturer: Seoul Record
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GermanyGermany | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00009MBYG
Release Date: 2002-09-09

Tracks:

  1. Deliberately Limited Prem
  2. Push
  3. Falling Higher
  4. Hey Lord!
  5. Don't Spit on My Mind
  6. Revelation
  7. Time
  8. I Can
  9. Handful of Pain
  10. Lavdate Dominvm
  11. Back on the Ground
  12. Midnight Sun

Album Description

Asian version of their 1998 album features the bonus track 'Back On The Ground'.

Album Details

Asian Version featuring a Bonus Track: "Back on the Ground".

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great album, but there is now a better version.......2006-12-09

Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

NOTE: The 2006 remastered version of Better than Raw is a better value. It's less expensive than this version, and features 4 bonus tracks instead of just 1.

3 out of 5 stars Helloween blow out some cobwebs.......2006-02-12

OK I admit I'm only a casual fan of this mob. So I wasn't expecting to think much of this release. And large chunks of it are filler. But it's hard to argue with delights such as 'Don't Spit on my Mind' and the quite different 'Push'. Much of Helloweens albums sound like they're done on auto pilot but this one actually has thought and (gasp) variety. As I said earlier, chunks of it doesn't exactly excite but...

But the bits that do would include the aforementioned Push which uses an interesting vocal effect and Don't Spit on my Mind which is vicious for real, not just feigned Euro agression. One standout track that you really should try to get your hands on is Handful of Pain. This is a work far above the Helloween norm. It does skirt being a power ballad but on the other hand it isn't. This is top class song writing and it's interesting to get a tune that manages to somehow be uplifing at the same time as saddening. Just give it a listen and you'll see what I mean.

5 out of 5 stars Helloween--Better Than Most.......2005-08-03

Better Than Raw was originally released in 1998, and the import version here was released in 2002. This album is very heavy and fast and a great power metal album. We see the band improve in their songwriting and technical abilities. Push is heavy and fast--warning of the mind-numbing effects of too much TV. Falling Higher is good, but too much rah rah metal flag-waving for me. I Can is a nice mid-tempo track, with Handful of Pain following up nicely. The two slower tracks, Hey Lord and Time, are very religious in nature, but they are good songs that make you think. Revelation, what I like to call a MF of a song, is HUGE! This song is so fast and so aggressive--one of the fastest that the pumpkinheads from Hamburg have ever laid down. My fav on the album, hands down. Truly a great album throughout. The only difference between this import version and the 1998 release is the inclusion of the exclusive Japanese track Back on the Ground. This is a very good, fast song about the troubles with the world today. What would have made this import even more special would have been to include the b-side A Game We Shouldn't Play. No matter which version of Better Than Raw you buy, you will not be disappointed. This is a great power metal album. Enjoy.
Better Than Raw
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Better than Most
Better Than Raw
Helloween
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000254HLG
Release Date: 2002-09-09

Tracks:

  1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period in Z
  2. Push
  3. Falling Higher
  4. Hey Lord!
  5. Don't Spit on My Mind
  6. Revelation
  7. Time
  8. I Can
  9. Handful of Pain
  10. Lavdate Dominvm
  11. Midnight Sun
  12. Game We Shouldn't Play [*]

Album Description

Asian version of their 1998 album features the bonus track 'Back On The Ground'.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.
Better Than Raw
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Better than Most
  • Helloween has returned...
  • That's the best one I've ever heard it.
  • Helloween at it's finest
  • REBELL_MUSIC
Better Than Raw
Helloween
Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GermanyGermany | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000007WKB
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Tracks:

  1. Deliberately Limited Prem
  2. Push
  3. Falling Higher
  4. Hey Lord!
  5. Don't Spit on My Mind
  6. Revelation
  7. Time
  8. I Can
  9. Handful of Pain
  10. Lavdate Dominvm
  11. Back on the Ground
  12. Midnight Sun

Album Description

Japanese edition of their 1998 album pressed on a beautifulpicture disc with the cover art in full color. Features thebonus track 'Back On The Ground' and two full color 5' x 5'stickers (one of the cover art & a group shot of the band)for the initial pressing only. 12 tracks total, alsoincluding the single 'I Can'. 1998 Victor release.

Album Details

Japanese Release Including an Exclusive Bonus Track: Back on the Gorund.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

5 out of 5 stars Helloween has returned..........2000-04-10

"Better than Raw" is the album that all fans have been waiting for since "Keepers of the Seven Keys Part II"... Helloween made a serious comeback with "Master of the Rings" and then with "Time of the Oath", but "Better than Raw" is it... an amazing effort from all involved... at last, all the "comparisons" between Michael "Michi" Kiske and Andi Deris can be put to rest; after the "Z" instrumental intro, Andi does some amazing work on "Push", hitting notes that he's probably never hit before..."Falling Higher" has the sound & feel of classic Helloween... "Hey Lord" is an excellent mid-tempo tune from Andi (& the first single)... "Don't Spit on my Mind" is a throw-away tune from Markus... "Revelation" is the 9 minute opus in the album, an excellent composition from Uli... "Time" is another mid-tempo tune from Andi, very very nice & heavy in certain parts..."I Can" is one of my favorites, very Maiden-ish (and their second single)... "Lavdate Dominum" is my second favorite track off the album, sung by Andi all in latin (!)... "A Handful of Pain" is awesome... "Back on the Ground", a bonus track by Uli on the Japanese import, is also excellent... "Midnight Sun", a Weiki composition, is the hardest song on the album and my personal favorite, with an awessome double lead. Helloween truly comes together on this album... Uli Kusch amazingly wrote over half the songs on the album, and he shows that he can hang with the other members when it comes to songwriting... Roland, unfortunately, does not have any songwriting credits on this album but he comes together nicely with Weiki, forming a tighter duo & sound than Weiki ever had with Kai Hansen (blasphemy to some of the old-school Helloween fans, but the truth is the truth and sometimes it hurts)... Markus continues with his great bass playing, but by far the biggest surprises are Andi & Uli. The newest Helloween members contribute greatly in bringing the band back to the glory of their heyday. Andi proves that he doesn't have to take a backseat to Michi and in fact Andi's voice is probably more versatile & suited to the Helloween sound than Michi's... Uli shows that he has far surpassed the "session drummer" label he once had and is a more powerful drummer than Ingo Schwichtenberg (while Ingo had more raw emotion, Uli is much tighter with Markus, Weiki & Roland than Ingo was with Markus, Weiki, Kai & later Roland). "Better than Raw" is Helloween at their finest, and any true metal fan will want this one in their collection at any cost...

5 out of 5 stars That's the best one I've ever heard it........1999-03-08

Magical, theatrical and the finest one

5 out of 5 stars Helloween at it's finest.......1999-02-23

Wow!! I can't believe there can be an album of such an outstanding quality as this one. It's a total classic. I thought it was pretty hard to top Helloween's last recording, "The Time of the Oath", but believe me, this one does. If you lost faith for this band since Hansen left after the "Keepers...", then I can assure you this album won't dissapoint you at all. And I know no one can sing better than ex-vocalist Michael Kiske, but Helloween has developed a new style in their last 3 albums that fits perfectly with Andi Deris's voice. Check out "Push" and "Revelation" for fast, super-agressive yet extremely melodic masterpieces, which are, in my opinion, the tracks were Andi's voice really shows off. "Lavdate Dominvm" is my personal favorite; it's got probably the best guitar work in the album. I recommend the japanese version of the record 'cause it's got the bonus track "Back on the ground", that's definetly worth checking out. What else can I say but this was my favorite album of 1998 and when you listen to it, you'll understand what I mean. Get it FAST!!!!!!!

5 out of 5 stars REBELL_MUSIC.......1998-12-31

Do you want some hardrock music then you got it. Let`s hear it then you must hear it.
Better Than Raw
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Better Than Raw
    Helloween
    Manufacturer: Jvc Victor
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B000M7FQS2
    Release Date: 2007-03-05
    Better Than Raw
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Better than Most
    • Clever lyrics, nice booklet, very good music.
    • DEAR FOLKS
    • NOT AGAIN...
    • Better than hell keep everyone crazy!
    Better Than Raw
    Helloween
    Manufacturer: Castle
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B00000891C
    Release Date: 1992-01-01

    Tracks:

    1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period in Z
    2. Push
    3. Falling Higher
    4. Hey Lord!
    5. Don't Spit on My Mind
    6. Revelation
    7. Time
    8. I Can
    9. Handful of Pain
    10. Lavdate Dominvm
    11. Midnight Sun
    12. Game We Shouldn't Play [*]

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

    Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

    This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

    4 out of 5 stars Clever lyrics, nice booklet, very good music........2001-11-20

    Before starting the review, just some data about myself: I was a Helloween enthusiast when Kiske and Hansen were there - and I was younger ;-) This is my first Helloween CD since that time, and my review will be written from a comparative point of view, and probably you'll notice that I am longing for those old good times -which is true! ;-) Well... let's now begin the review:

    This is a very good CD, in spite of the few or no reminiscences of the "Keepers" era. Actually, I must confess that I was looking for more of *that* Helloween in this release but, although I found something notably different, I am equally pleased.

    The first thing that I would like to mention is that I don't miss Michael Kiske at all. This Andi Deris is a very good singer and has many strong points as a vocalist. His voice has a "higher-pitched" equalization and is somewhat less muscled than Kiske's; but Deris shines on his own for his clearness, his technique, his broad range and his impeccable tuning. I find him very expressive. I also think that he has a better diction than Kiske. I give to his voice the five stars it deserves. In addition, the lyrics he wrote for this CD show that he is a highly skillful songwriter. I find his lyrics very clever, fitting perfectly to a band that always has had a refined humor sense and a proper cerebral attitude (by the way, the booklet demonstrates so with a delightful level of sarcasm, with those pumpkins doing a lot of things: don't miss that! :-)).

    The album opens with an intro very well orchestrated, with progressive touches "à-là Wakeman-ELP". I liked it very much. After that, everything is without any doubt very close to the Helloween we all love. No week song here! "Falling Higher", a Weiki theme, has the perfect sound of Helloween. I do miss the Kai Hansen's style, that marked the Keeper era and he took away to Gamma Ray, but anyway this is not a showstopper. I admit that I would like to have more choirs, more catchy melodies... although songs like "Don't spit on my mind", "Time", "Midnight Sun" and "Falling Higher" itself will have all the ingredients to catch you - and some choirs, yes.

    However, I have several issues to criticize. One of them is the guitar work, which is not as good as it used to be. While the riffs are not bad and the solos are well-played, the level of explosiveness that Helloween once had is never reached along this album. I guess that it is the lack of Hansen - again. Another issue is the production, that made the sound not so brilliant as I would like. Finally, while I don't repudiate style and/or line-up changes, I think that pure power/epic/melodic metal fits better to the idea we all have about Helloween; and their move to a more "progressive" arena really went against the sincerity and the fun they used to deploy - and I suppose that against their pockets too ;-) These small details don't mean that this album is not good (actually, it is VERY good), but I think that five stars would be too much for it. Final score: four stars. In any case, I am glad that Helloween is still alive and healthy!

    2 out of 5 stars DEAR FOLKS.......2000-11-17

    Dear folks, Kai Hansen was the brain in Helloween. After he left, the band was history. Led by heartless guitarrist Michael Weikath, they never accomplished anything good again, their drummer died, and they released a series of bad albuns. Sad.

    2 out of 5 stars NOT AGAIN..........2000-06-30

    HELLOWEEN failed again and released another bad album that makes us feel certain they'll never release grat albuns again.. the catchy tune "I CAN" is a shame to the band...

    5 out of 5 stars Better than hell keep everyone crazy!.......1999-07-11

    A true decent heavy metal album.From speed sound of "Push" to the power balad "Time" You must have this album!
    Better Than Raw
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Better than Most
    • Clever lyrics, nice booklet, very good music.
    • DEAR FOLKS
    • NOT AGAIN...
    • Better than hell keep everyone crazy!
    Better Than Raw
    Helloween
    Manufacturer: Pid
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B000006EDQ
    Release Date: 1998-04-28

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

    Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

    This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

    4 out of 5 stars Clever lyrics, nice booklet, very good music........2001-11-20

    Before starting the review, just some data about myself: I was a Helloween enthusiast when Kiske and Hansen were there - and I was younger ;-) This is my first Helloween CD since that time, and my review will be written from a comparative point of view, and probably you'll notice that I am longing for those old good times -which is true! ;-) Well... let's now begin the review:

    This is a very good CD, in spite of the few or no reminiscences of the "Keepers" era. Actually, I must confess that I was looking for more of *that* Helloween in this release but, although I found something notably different, I am equally pleased.

    The first thing that I would like to mention is that I don't miss Michael Kiske at all. This Andi Deris is a very good singer and has many strong points as a vocalist. His voice has a "higher-pitched" equalization and is somewhat less muscled than Kiske's; but Deris shines on his own for his clearness, his technique, his broad range and his impeccable tuning. I find him very expressive. I also think that he has a better diction than Kiske. I give to his voice the five stars it deserves. In addition, the lyrics he wrote for this CD show that he is a highly skillful songwriter. I find his lyrics very clever, fitting perfectly to a band that always has had a refined humor sense and a proper cerebral attitude (by the way, the booklet demonstrates so with a delightful level of sarcasm, with those pumpkins doing a lot of things: don't miss that! :-)).

    The album opens with an intro very well orchestrated, with progressive touches "à-là Wakeman-ELP". I liked it very much. After that, everything is without any doubt very close to the Helloween we all love. No week song here! "Falling Higher", a Weiki theme, has the perfect sound of Helloween. I do miss the Kai Hansen's style, that marked the Keeper era and he took away to Gamma Ray, but anyway this is not a showstopper. I admit that I would like to have more choirs, more catchy melodies... although songs like "Don't spit on my mind", "Time", "Midnight Sun" and "Falling Higher" itself will have all the ingredients to catch you - and some choirs, yes.

    However, I have several issues to criticize. One of them is the guitar work, which is not as good as it used to be. While the riffs are not bad and the solos are well-played, the level of explosiveness that Helloween once had is never reached along this album. I guess that it is the lack of Hansen - again. Another issue is the production, that made the sound not so brilliant as I would like. Finally, while I don't repudiate style and/or line-up changes, I think that pure power/epic/melodic metal fits better to the idea we all have about Helloween; and their move to a more "progressive" arena really went against the sincerity and the fun they used to deploy - and I suppose that against their pockets too ;-) These small details don't mean that this album is not good (actually, it is VERY good), but I think that five stars would be too much for it. Final score: four stars. In any case, I am glad that Helloween is still alive and healthy!

    2 out of 5 stars DEAR FOLKS.......2000-11-17

    Dear folks, Kai Hansen was the brain in Helloween. After he left, the band was history. Led by heartless guitarrist Michael Weikath, they never accomplished anything good again, their drummer died, and they released a series of bad albuns. Sad.

    2 out of 5 stars NOT AGAIN..........2000-06-30

    HELLOWEEN failed again and released another bad album that makes us feel certain they'll never release grat albuns again.. the catchy tune "I CAN" is a shame to the band...

    5 out of 5 stars Better than hell keep everyone crazy!.......1999-07-11

    A true decent heavy metal album.From speed sound of "Push" to the power balad "Time" You must have this album!
    Better Than Raw
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Better than Most
    • a good album
    • A review by an open-mind Helloween fan
    • It could have been a great album, but....
    • Clever lyrics, nice booklet, very good music
    Better Than Raw
    Helloween
    Manufacturer: Castle Music America
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B00004W59W
    Release Date: 2000-08-29

    Tracks:

    1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period In Z
    2. Push
    3. Falling Higher
    4. Hey Lord!
    5. Don't Spit On My Mind
    6. Revelation
    7. Time
    8. I Can
    9. A Handful Of Pain
    10. Lavdate Dominvm
    11. Midnight Sun

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

    Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

    This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

    4 out of 5 stars a good album.......2005-06-16

    while nothing astounds, it is a solid album. I listen to this album more than any other helloween album i own. while i think keeper of the 7 keys part 2 has better songs, it has some duds too. i can listen to this whole album and not get bored, unlike the album, the dark ride (ive barely listend to that one). Its my favorite deris album, and i like it better than a lot of their earlier stuff too. Its especially good to listen to while you are cruising around in your car.

    5 out of 5 stars A review by an open-mind Helloween fan.......2002-07-24

    This album is simply astonishing.Yes,Kiske and Hansen are not in the band anymore, and they are truly missed, but you can't expect that a band as excellent as Helloween stay forever playing in the ol' fashion 80's style,I would have get tired of them!The new members are very talented, specially Deris with his agressive tone.He sings so good that sometimes he makes me forget Kiske.
    Better Than Raw offers a unique blend of variety and quality in its songs, something rarely seen in any band or their own albums(even Keeper of the Seven Keys 1&2 or Dark Ride).Every song is excellent(you gotta listen Push, Falling Higher,Revelations...they are art)yet so unique that appears to be from another album.One never gets tired of BTR's style because is constantly changing yet with the same spirit.
    I gotta admit this:I sold the album,(I REGRET AND CURSE THE MOMENT I DID THAT CRIME!)but you can't bet I'm on my way to attain that jewel again.

    If you are a Power Metal fan, don't think and buy this album now.If you are a Helloween fan, buy it too but expecting something different that offers the same quality(or even more)of the ol' times.

    2 out of 5 stars It could have been a great album, but...........2002-07-15

    Otherwise good songs on this album are held down by two major flaws, in my humble opinion:
    First: the always below-standards vocals of Andi Deris. He just does not fit into this band;

    Second: the bad drumming by Uli Kusch. Technically speaking his drumming in this album is a lesson in virtuosity, really awesome. In terms of arragement and band-objectives, it's a disaster. Talk abou overplaying, talk about Uli Kusch in BETTER TAHN RAW. Amazing! Could no one restrain him just a little bit, so that the drums did not turn the songs into a big mess of a noise ????!!

    4 out of 5 stars Clever lyrics, nice booklet, very good music.......2001-11-20

    Before starting the review, just some data about myself: I was a Helloween enthusiast when Kiske and Hansen were there - and I was younger ;-) This is my first Helloween CD since that time, and my review will be written from a comparative point of view, and probably you'll notice that I am longing for those old good times -which is true! ;-) Well... let's now begin the review:

    This is a very good CD, in spite of the few or no reminiscences of the "Keepers" era. Actually, I must confess that I was looking for more of *that* Helloween in this release but, although I found something notably different, I am equally pleased.

    The first thing that I would like to mention is that I don't miss Michael Kiske at all. This Andi Deris is a very good singer and has many strong points as a vocalist. His voice has a "higher-pitched" equalization and is somewhat less muscled than Kiske's; but Deris shines on his own for his clearness, his technique, his broad range and his impeccable tuning. I find him very expressive. I also think that he has a better diction than Kiske. I give to his voice the five stars it deserves. In addition, the lyrics he wrote for this CD show that he is a highly skillful songwriter. I find his lyrics very clever, fitting perfectly to a band that always has had a refined humor sense and a proper cerebral attitude (by the way, the booklet demonstrates so with a delightful level of sarcasm, with those pumpkins doing a lot of things: don't miss that! :-)).

    The album opens with an intro very well orchestrated, with progressive touches "à-là Wakeman-ELP". I liked it very much. After that, everything is without any doubt very close to the Helloween we all love. No week song here! "Falling Higher", a Weiki theme, has the perfect sound of Helloween. I do miss the Kai Hansen's style, that marked the Keeper era and he took away to Gamma Ray, but anyway this is not a showstopper. I admit that I would like to have more choirs, more catchy melodies... although songs like "Don't spit on my mind", "Time", "Midnight Sun" and "Falling Higher" itself will have all the ingredients to catch you - and some choirs, yes.

    However, I have several issues to criticize. One of them is the guitar work, which is not as good as it used to be. While the riffs are not bad and the solos are well-played, the level of explosiveness that Helloween once had is never reached along this album. I guess that it is the lack of Hansen - again. Another issue is the production, that made the sound not so brilliant as I would like. Finally, while I don't repudiate style and/or line-up changes, I think that pure power/epic/melodic metal fits better to the idea we all have about Helloween; and their move to a more "progressive" arena really went against the sincerity and the fun they used to deploy - and I suppose that against their pockets too ;-) These small details don't mean that this album is not good (actually, it is VERY good), but I think that five stars would be too much for it. Final score: four stars. In any case, I am glad that Helloween is still alive and healthy!
    Better Than Raw
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • So you got tired of Helloween?
    • Better than Most
    Better Than Raw
    Helloween
    Manufacturer: Sanctuary
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GermanyGermany | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Thrash & Speed MetalThrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    Progressive MetalProgressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Master of the Rings
    2. The Time of the Oath
    3. The Time of the Oath
    4. The Dark Ride

    ASIN: B000E8NQO0
    Release Date: 2006-03-28

    Tracks:

    1. Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude in Z [Instrumental]
    2. Push
    3. Falling Higher
    4. Hey Lord!
    5. Don't Spit on My Mind
    6. Revelation
    7. Time
    8. I Can
    9. Handful of Pain
    10. Lavdate Dominvm
    11. Midnight Sun
    12. Back on the Ground [#][*]
    13. Game We Shouldn't Play [*]
    14. Perfect Gentlemen [Live][*]
    15. Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta [Live][*][Instrumental]

    Album Description

    Recorded at Chateau Du Pape and Crazy Cat Studios, Hamburg, Germany, and Mi Sueno, Tenerife, Spain. All tracks have been digitally remastered and features the 4 bonus tracks 'Back On The Ground', 'A Game We Shouldn't Play', 'Perfect Gentleman' & 'Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta'. Castle Music.

    Album Details

    Helloween Continue to Refine their Sound and Push Themselves Into New Progressive Territory. Better Than Raw is Proof of this and Arguably their Best Album of the 1990s. The Band's Humour is Still Evident Through the "Metal Will Never Die" Sentiment of 'falling Higher'. Musically, Better Than Raw is Layered and Unpredictable, Ranging from Metal Anthems, Metal Ballads, Neo-classical and Neo-black Metal. It's an Ambitious Set with Impressive Performances from Every Member. This Expanded Edition Adds Four Bonus Tracks which Includes a Previously Japanese-only Track Entitled, 'back on the Ground'.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars So you got tired of Helloween?.......2007-04-05

    So you loved the Keepers albums, kept buying the ones after that hoping they would come out with something decent, and was let down time after time again? You aren't impressed with Andi Deris's voice, or you heard "The Dark Ride" and "Rabbits Don't Come Easy" and thought the songs were booooooriinng??? Don't give up yet! Better Than Raw is definitely a break from the string of highly unsuccesful, bland, albums that Helloween has been cranking out in the 90's. Ok, fine, so Keepers Pt. 3 was great, but it was not on par with Keepers 1&2. But this one is even better than Keepers Pt. 3. The music is definitely Heavy Metal, it is rough, has some progressive aspects to it, but there is also some variety.

    The catchy songs "Hey Lord" and "I Can" really got me into the album. But the intense "Push" not only features some creative vocals from Deris, but is probably the high-point in songwriting for the album. Heavy, yet catchy. Not too distorted, and the vocals actually aren't that bad! Revelations is the real proggy one, Time is a really different song with an acoustic intro that brought great dynamics to this album, and lets see...Laudate Dominum is this really cheesy happy latin power metal song that I ended up loving (then got sick of). A few boring tracks that I couldn't get into such as Midnight Sun and Back on the Ground, but overall the songwriting is definitely a few notches up from other boring Helloween releases.

    4 out of 5 stars Better than Most.......2006-12-09

    Originally released in 1998, Better than Raw is, in my humble opinion, the absolute best album Helloween has released since the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. By bringing in former Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris to replace Michael Kiske, the band seemed to regain the focus and energy missing from the last couple of Kiske albums. All of the Deris-era Helloween albums are quite good, especially those released in the 1990's, but Better than Raw stands out as the best of the bunch.

    This is Helloween doing what they do best - delivering the kind of high-energy melodic power metal that they pretty much invented in the first place. Everything about this album, from the songwriting to the music to the cover art is an improvement over its predecessors. The album is full of strong tracks, though songs like Push, Hey Lord, I Can, and Midnight Sun stand out. This is the kind of album that would bring old-school Helloween fans back to the fold, and one of the only albums released since founding guitarist Kai Hansen left that is truly on par with his band Gamma Ray's albums.

    Sanctuary finally got around to remastering the Helloween catalog earlier this year, and they certainly did it right. In addition to digitally remastered sound, the reissued version of Better than Raw serves up 4 bonus tracks - Back on the Ground, A Game We Shouldn't Play, and live versions of Perfect Gentlemen and the bizarrely titled track called Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta, which is essentially a 7-minute drum solo with some guitar soloing thrown in for good measure. You also get expanded liner notes, photos, etc. plus a nifty slipcase for the disc.

    This is what a remastered version of a great album is supposed to look and sound like. If you're already a Helloween fan, it's time to replace your old version!

    Music Info:

    1. Bon Jovi [Import]
    2. Breadline EP [EP] [Limited Edition] [Import]
    3. Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast [Import]
    4. Chequered Past [Import]
    5. Code Red/Homage to the Gods [Import]
    6. Condemned
    7. Das Modell [CD-single] [Import]
    8. Death Penalty [Import]
    9. Devine Religion [Import]
    10. Die Krupps II: The Final Option [Import]

    Music Info

    music info

    Recommended Music:

    Green Shadows [Import]

    Piano Music of Copland, Creston & Zuckerman

    Renaissance Masterpieces 3

    Kind Of Blue [DualDisc]

    Plays & Sings Torch'd Songs

    Songs

    Show Must Go On [Import]

    Prokofiev: Sonata for violin & piano No. 2; Bartok: Sonata for violin solo Sz117

    Pink Pearl [Import]

    Speak No Evil

    Speak & Spell

    Smooth

    Punto y Aparte

    South to Mississippi

    Love Lives on