Editor's note: Like OMG Christian !!!111!111!!!1 Yeah... big deal I know, I thought it was a good review at the time, silly.
Tracklist:
01. Beyond The Portal
02. Mr. Torture
03. All Over The Nations
04. Escalation 666
05. Mirror Mirror
06. If I Could Fly
07. Salvation
08. The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)
09. I Live For Your Pain
10. We Damn The Night
11. Immortal
12. The Dark Ride
Total playing time: 57 mins approx.
This is Helloween's 9th studio album. It is actually my favourite album out
of the whole Helloween discography. This album a little darker than their previous
album "Better Than Raw".
After the intro track we get an instant Helloween hit - Mr. Torture. Next up
is probably the most happiest sounding track on the album - All Over The Nations,
a very optimistic and uplifting track, basically saying that we're all alike
and that we are all one, this track again brings up what seems to be a recurring
theme ever since their previous album "Better Than Raw", that of the
strong dislike for "lies". But what lies are they referring to?
Next track - "Escalation 666", this track seems to give the answer
about what the "lies" is. The lyrics mention a belief in something
and a feeling of realisation and betrayal, which could mean that this belief
is infact the lies that is referred to. The lyrics mention "darkness spreading",
is this the lies? I'm inclined to believe so, considering the pro-Christian
attitude of the previous album "Better Than Raw", this just seems
like more of the same kind of thing. This, however, is probably one of the darkest
tracks on this album.
Mirror Mirror seems like a question about ones own identity, looking into a
mirror and asking the simple question "who are you?". It also carries
a message about ones own vanity & deluded visions of grandeur. The next
track "If I Could Fly" is a happy-sounding track, promotes faith to
cure any fear of the unknown and belief can accomplish anything.
The next track up "Salvation" actually questions whether you would
follow blind faith, an extract from the lyrics -
Who would save us if we fell
Can you feel what I see?
In blind faith would you believe?
Don't share my point of view
But it may mean a lot to you
Now that seems like a VERY pro-Christian attitude, if ever there was one. It
sounds like the typical excuse from a follower of Christianity when you challenge
their religion and they say "ok you might not agree now, but one day you'll
see the light" or some other such nonsense. This track preaches a little
about life after death, mentioning the basic Christian (and other religions)
concept of Heaven & Hell.
The next 2 tracks - "The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)" & "I
Live For Your Pain" are also some of the darkest tracks on the album. "I
Live For Your Pain" sounds like one of those Christian fanatics, preaching
his beliefs and hoping to get people believing in him. Actually now that I come
to think about it, it sounds more like the preaching's of the leader of a religious
cult.
"We Damn The Night" is a blatant pro-Christian track, see this excerpt
from the lyrics:
We are strong we're alive
We have faith in his might
We believe in the everlasting light
Anytime, anywhere we will always be there
We will fight for what's just and what's right
We damn the night
The "night" that is referred to is probably the rise of the darkness
mentioned in "Escalation 666". Judging by the theme of the album,
this seems like the best interpretation.
"Immortal" has an easily memorable chorus, but the verses are not.
This track is another that preaches about paradise/life after death. For some
reason though, it doesn't feel dark one single bit, it is probably the 2nd most
happy-sounding song on the album.
"The Dark Ride" plays out like an evil fair ground ride, you enter
by selling your soul to Satan. Sounds cool eh? Err but then it mentions that
if you believe, then you can find a way to the light and obviously to the exit
of this fair ground ride. It definitely talks about "The Dark Ride"
as being something inherently evil and bad, whilst belief can "set you
free". Definitely pro-Christian, but still this remains one of the darker
tracks on the album.
The 2, unlisted above, bonus tracks "The Madness Of The Crowds" &
"Deliver Us From Temptation" are both also pro-Christian tracks. "Deliver
Us From Temptation" sounds exactly like the title says, someone, in this
case a priest, praying for deliverance from temptation to sin that he can barely
resist.
I am giving this album 5/5. I'm not too fond of the pro-Christian lyrics, they
get too sickly sweet after a while, but the music is great and the atmosphere
of this album is dark enough to interest me immensely. I love dark albums.
Standout tracks include:
Mr. Torture
All Over The Nations
Escalation 666
Mirror Mirror
If I Could Fly
The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)
The Dark Ride
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