Helloween - Dark Ride
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CD Details
Artist: HelloweenEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2002-06-25
Music Label: Nuclear Blast
Soundtracks:
- Beyond The Portal
- Mr. Torture
- All Over The Nations
- Escalation 666
- Mirror Mirror
- If I Could Fly
- Salvation
- The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)
- I Live For Your Pain
- We Damn The Night
- Immortal
- The Dark Ride
Music reviews of Dark Ride
Music Review: One last good stop before the fall...
Rating: 4 Stars
Like most bands, Helloween's music has taken different faces and forms over the years as various members have come and gone. While some feel the magic was over when Kai Hansen and/or Michael Kiske left, I honestly feel that band has managed to do well for themselves since Deris has taken over as vocalist. While the band never did regain their superstar status of the late 80's, the band has managed to crank out some good tunes since the mid 1990s.
While The Dark Ride proves no different, it marks the point I personally draw the line as far as Helloween music is concerned (outside a few of their newer songs). You may ask why I draw the line here? Well, the answer really lies in the songs themselves and which members wrote them.
Drummer Uli Kusch cranks out "Mr. Torture," which starts the album with one hell of a bang. He also contributes the dark and brooding "The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)" which is just a perfect fit for an album such as this. Roland Graplow also makes his influence well known with the excellent title track that never derails (sorry, bad pun) despite it multiple twist and turns. Unfortunately, Kusch and Graplow would eventually be canned (think Weikath here, who thinks he needs to be in charge of EVERYTHING). I simply have a hard time contemplating why you'd fire these two when their contributions to this album are excellent and significant. In hindsight, they did help form Masterplan soon after, so not all is lost (and if I were them I wouldn't want my name attached to works such as Rabbit Don't Come Easy and Keepers III).
Deris also makes his impact here as well, offering the straight-up rocker "Mirror Mirror," the heart-felt piano-driven "If I Could Fly" (uh, why is there three different versions of this song when they only vary in length? - two would suffice) and the dark and sinister "Immortal". "I Live For Your Pain" is basically is re-worked version of "A Handful of Pain" from Better Than Raw, and such songs would appear again (see "Lair" from Rabbit Don't Come Easy) that they have become too stereotypical for their own good. Deris also throws in a few clunkers to boot, which include "We Damn The Night" and "Deliver Us From Temptation" which appears on the included "If I Could Fly" single - which is were such songs belong. If your willing to shell out the money, the Japanese bonus track "The Madness of The Crowds," which is Deris is also credited with writing, is a excellent non-stop in-your-face barrage of guitar and drum. Of course, you could be "smart" about it and just buy the European Just A Little Sign single for that song and pick up the "If I Could Fly" video at the same time.
Ironically enough, Weikath's two tracks "All Over the Nations" and "Salvation" are among the album's weakest moments - they're so stereotypical it isn't even funny. Containing what many dub as that patented "Helloween Hymn" sound that I honestly can't stand it. In all honesty think they canned the wrong men.
Also, I must say it really angers me when I see the members of the band themselves bashing this album. I'm really sick of hearing comments such as "it's to nu-metal" and "we were heading in the wrong direction". Nobody held a gun to your head when you wrote these songs (which for the most part are excellent) so quit pointing your fingers at the producers! If you want to talk about "wrong direction" take a look at Rabbits Don't Come Easy and Keepers Pt.III! The "back to our roots" thing the band is trying to cultivate nowadays nothing but a big joke.
So, if you like were Deris and crew were heading after Better Than Raw, you'll probably enjoy The Dark Ride. However, for this particular fan the story ends here.
Description of Dark Ride
2002 and long overdue domestic release, The Dark Ride was produced by Roy Z (Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson) and is Helloween's first release for Nuclear Blast Records. The first pressing will feature a bonus CD single entitled 'If I Could Fly', which is backed with 'Deliver Us From Temptation' & If I Could Fly (extended version). The 2 standard jewel cases are housed in a slipcase.Hard Rock & Metal CDs
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