Much of Helloweek 2025 focuses on the new Helloween album ‘Giants & Monsters‘, but for the sake of completeness, I thought looking back on the band’s entire discography would also be in order. After all, the Germans released a couple of true power metal classics, a few masterpieces later in their career, as well as a handful of albums that show a confused, uninspired, or simply exhausted band. That is not necessarily meant as criticism, as I feel that the band had to go through everything they experienced in order to be where they are now.

It cannot be emphasized enough just how influential Helloween has been on the development of power metal. And they had figured it out surprisingly early as well. Even on their earliest material, they had a combination of stylistic elements that had not quite been done the same way before. The aggressive riff work offset by very prominent melodic themes, the unusually long guitar harmonies and the contrast of high tempos vs. a fairly modest harmonic rhythm laid the groundwork for what power metal would be in the future, more so than any other European metal band of their era.

For a band as long-running as them, Helloween has largely remained surprisingly consistent stylistically throughout their career. There are some albums where they can be heard struggling to keep up with developing musical trends, or more realistically with music industry demands. But save for a bit of an identity crisis in the early nineties, most of Helloween’s discography consists of power metal with maybe a hint of melodic hard rock ever since singer Andi Deris joined. Usually I point out that the lowest-ranking albums in Tools for Discovery aren’t that bad, but unfortunately, this ranking starts with a true stinker.

17. Straight Out of Hell (2013)

Superficially, there isn’t much wrong with ‘Straight Out of Hell’. It’s a modern power metal album with a bit of bite, and that’s basically what any fan would want out of Helloween. However, I just find the album exhausting to listen to. Many songs here have good sections, only to lose all their momentum because of a weird transition or a chorus that clashes with the rest of the song. The production also feels as if all the air is being sucked out of your ears. Expectations may have influenced my opinion as well, as ‘Straight Out of Hell’ was released right after two of the best albums Helloween released. Some songs are fairly good, but I might never play this album again.

Recommended tracks: ‘Church Breaks Down’, ‘Burning Sun’, ‘World of War’

16. Chameleon (1993)

Multiple band members have described ‘Chameleon’ as the work of three songwriters trying to make a solo album, implying that it’s not a real Helloween album. But while it’s far from my favorite, the most hated Helloween album isn’t entirely terrible. The latter half of ‘Chameleon’ in particular has a couple of fairly strong rock songs that serve as an antidote to being frontloaded with a number of desperate attempts at being Germany’s answer to Bon Jovi or late eighties Aerosmith. ‘Chameleon’ does contain a few of the worst songs Helloween ever recorded, and I would not recommend it to strict power metal fans, but there’s a decent fifty-ish-minute album rather than a fairly poor seventy-minute one in there somewhere.

Recommended tracks: ‘Music’, ‘I Believe’, ‘Giants’

15. Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)

While I don’t hate ‘Pink Bubbles Go Ape’ nearly as much as most Helloween fans seem to do, it clearly is the start of a massive identity crisis for the band. Most of the album feels closer to hard rock than to power metal, but that isn’t necessarily an issue. ‘Pink Bubbles Go Ape’ does have the highest concentration of songs that run completely out of steam by the time the chorus comes around on any Helloween album. It would be tempting to blame the album’s flaws on the departure of guitarist Kai Hansen, but his replacement Roland Grapow is actually responsible for writing the best songs here. ‘The Chance’ in particular is so good it hurts. The album’s flat production job also fails to make some of the better songs come alive.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Chance’, ‘Someone’s Crying’, ‘Kids of the Century’

14. Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy (2005)

Helloween kind of shot itself in the foot by calling this one a ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’ album. It was never going to measure up to their two most highly regarded albums. Also, with its two discs having a combined length of 77 minutes, ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy’ is a completely unnecessary double album. The second disc holds very little of lasting value anyway, though closing track ‘My Life for One More Day’ is a hidden gem. Helloween’s longest song to date ‘The King for a 1000 Years’ is a great epic as well. Everything else ranges from solid, yet unspectacular craftsmanship to pointless filler. This particular line-up is capable of so much better than this.

Recommended tracks: ‘The King for a 1000 Years’, ‘My Life for One More Day’

13. My God-Given Right (2015)

Though somewhat overlong and occasionally too goofy for its own good, ‘My God-Given Right’ was a breath of fresh air after ‘Straight Out of Hell’. The performances are more spirited, the production is much more lively, and most importantly, the songs are a lot better. ‘My God-Given Right’ definitely leans towards the happier side of the Helloween spectrum, but because the rhythm guitars and Dani Löble‘s drums have the right amount of intensity, that is not as much of an issue as it could have been. I do think that one or more songs should have been sacrificed in favor of the downright awesome ‘Wicked Game’, which would have easily been my favorite song on the album, had it been on more versions than only the limited editions.

Recommended tracks: ‘Claws’, ‘You, Still of War’, ‘Lost in America’

12. Master of the Rings (1994)

‘Master of the Rings’ was Helloween’s triumphant return to the power metal sound they helped create, fueled by the rougher-edged vocal cords and versatile songwriting skills of new singer Andi Deris. While the album isn’t quite as consistent as the other albums recorded with this line-up, there are some fantastic songs on ‘Master of the Rings’. I don’t revisit this one much, because the best songs are all on 1996’s ‘High Live’ album in better versions – especially the stripped-down approach to the ballad ‘In the Middle of a Heartbeat’ just makes more sense – but ‘Master of the Rings’ must have been a breath of fresh air at the time, after the identity crisis that was ‘Pink Bubbles Go Ape’ and ‘Chameleon’.

Recommended tracks: ‘Sole Survivor’, ‘Where the Rain Grows’, ‘Why?’

11. Rabbit Don’t Come Easy (2003)

The unbelievably awkwardly titled ‘Rabbit Don’t Come Easy’ was the first Helloween album to feature guitarist Sascha Gerstner, and his songwriting contributions are among the album’s highlights without exception – something which would become a pattern. ‘Rabbit Don’t Come Easy’ is one of the more successful attempts at combining the upbeat power metal sound Helloween is known for with songs that are a bit darker and more aggressive, although I think that except for opening track ‘Just a Little Sign’, the happy tracks generally are the weaker ones. Revisiting the album for the purposes of this article made me realize that it is a bit better than I remembered. By no means a classic, but very much worth hearing.

Recommended tracks: ‘Open Your Life’, ‘Hell Was Made in Heaven’, ‘Sun 4 the World’

10. Helloween (2021)

The big return of Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske. Is it something Helloween could not have done without them? Not really, but it’s significantly better than the two albums that preceded it, and there is excellent power metal here in spades. Andi Deris obviously gets a kick out of harmonizing his lower, gruffer voice with Kiske’s spotless cleans. Fans expecting another ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’-style album may be turned off by the numerous AOR leanings, but ‘Helloween‘ is quite a nice mix of each of the band members’ songwriting styles, and it doesn’t feel like it’s forcing itself to be something specific. Equal parts familiar and surprising, Helloween’s self-titled is a welcome return to form that just exudes joy and fun.

Recommended tracks: ‘Angels’, ‘Best Time’, ‘Fear of the Fallen’

9. The Dark Ride (2000)

Much has been said about the occasional downtuned guitar on ‘The Dark Ride’, but all in all, it is a rock-solid farewell album for guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch. Yes, it does sound slightly more modern and aggressive than the average Helloween album, but it really isn’t that much of a departure. ‘The Dark Ride’ is full of heavy metal riffs, beefy choruses and memorable lead guitar themes, and the slightly darker atmosphere of the album makes it truly unique within Helloween’s discography. While ‘The Dark Ride’ isn’t quite as consistent as the other albums with Grapow and Kusch – ‘All Over the Nations’ in particular is too jarring an atmosphere shift – it is a must-hear for anyone who doesn’t like Helloween too upbeat.

Recommended tracks: ‘The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)’, ‘Mirror Mirror’, ‘Mr. Torture’

8. Gambling with the Devil (2007)

Maybe it’s because I was underwhelmed by its predecessor, but ‘Gambling with the Devil’ completely blew me away upon release. As tired and stale as much of ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy’ sounded, that’s how inspired, energetic and occasionally aggressive ‘Gambling with the Devil’ sounds. Sascha Gerstner really came into his own as a songwriter here, and Andi Deris wrote some of his most vicious metal tracks to date for the album. It’s not quite as consistent as the band’s greatest albums, but the highlights of ‘Gambling with the Devil’ are among the best songs Helloween has ever done. My guess is that they write better when they don’t put themselves under the pressure of expecations or a concept.

Recommended tracks: ‘Paint a New World’, ‘Heaven Tells No Lies’, ‘Kill It’

7. Giants & Monsters

Unlike ‘Helloween’, ‘Giants & Monsters’ actually is an album that takes advantage of everything Helloween’s seven-piece all-star line-up has to offer. Sonically and stylistically, it isn’t even that much different from its predecessor, but the overall songwriting is a lot more consistent. It seems like everyone involved had a much clearer idea of where they could take their music this time around. ‘Universe (Gravity for Hearts)’ and closing track ‘Majestic’ are intense, eight-plus-minute epics, as well as the best Helloween songs in fifteen years, but there is a lot more to enjoy here. Andi Deris and Michael Kiske building on each other’s vocal strengths once again elevates some of the songs to a level they would not have been able to reach otherwise.

Recommended tracks: ‘Universe (Gravity for Hearts)’, ‘Majestic’, ‘Hand of God’, ‘Giants on the Run’

6. Walls of Jericho (1985)

With its speed metal sound, at times bordering on thrash metal, ‘Walls of Jericho’ is a debut album with a unique charm. There are so many incredible riffs and high-velocity guitar harmonies – unheard of in this form prior to Helloween’s early days – that it’s easy to forgive the occasional clunky songwriting choice or Kai Hansen singing slightly off-key sometimes. ‘Ride the Sky’ might just be my all-time favorite speed metal song, and multiple songs here deserve more mention. Nearly all reissues of ‘Walls of Jericho’ include the band’s self-titled 1985 EP and the fantastic single ‘Judas’, in which form it probably would have been two places higher on this list, but this is about right for the original nine-track album.

Recommended tracks: ‘Ride the Sky’, ‘Phantoms of Death’, ‘How Many Tears’

5. Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II (1989)

Not including ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II’ in my top 3 is probably going to cause some Helloween fans to not take me seriously, but while I think it deserves its status as a classic, it is more flawed than some people realize. The first two songs are great – ‘Eagle Fly Free’ is rightfully considered one of the ultimate power metal classics – but after that, it takes a long time before the album gets back on track again. I can’t stand ‘Rise and Fall’, and ‘Dr. Stein’ is probably my least favorite classic Helloween track. The album does end on a very, very high note though, with the last three songs – four on the cd version – all being some of the best European power metal to this day.

Recommended tracks: ‘March of Time’, ‘Eagle Fly Free’, ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’, ‘I Want Out’

4. Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I (1987)

Out of the two ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’ albums, the first part is the tighter listening experience. Almost too tight, at just 37 minutes including intro and outro. That is ultimately why I like the first part slightly more than its sequel: there simply isn’t any filler here. It has been suggested that a lack of material was to blame, but every song here hits like it is supposed to hit. ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I’ is also where Helloween started writing super upbeat stuff, which I’m generally not a big fan of, but the balance and flow on the album are so good that it is hardly bothersome. A justified classic, I just think the band got even better later on.

Recommended tracks: ‘A Little Time’, ‘Halloween’, ‘Twilight of the Gods’

3. Better Than Raw (1998)

Back when ‘Better Than Raw’ was released, Helloween was on a roll. Since this is the sound of a band getting comfortable with its own style, the power metal songs generally don’t quite pack the same punch as those on its predecessor, but ‘Better Than Raw’ does show major improvements on all other fronts. ‘Time’ is my favorite ballad the band ever recorded by a country mile, and both ‘Hey Lord!’ and especially ‘I Can’ are fantastic melodic hardrockers. At the time of its release, ‘Better Than Raw’ was called Helloween’s best album in a long time by many music journalists who had apparently been asleep for the previous one, but I will concede that Helloween had hit its artistic peak in the second half of nineties.

Recommended tracks: ‘I Can’, ‘Time’, ‘Revelation’, ‘A Handful of Pain’

2. 7 Sinners (2010)

After Sascha Gerstner and Dani Löble joined Helloween, the band gradually got better at combinging modern heaviness, classic power metal melodies and supremely catchy songwriting, with ‘7 Sinners‘ as that line-up’s absolute peak. The album took everything the band did well on ‘Gambling with the Devil’ and improved upon it, resulting in an unbelievably consistent album without any skipworthy songs. ‘7 Sinners’ contains some of the best Helloween songwriting, and not just in recent history. The overall tone is relatively dark and cynical, but with the melodic hooks to draw in those who thought ‘The Dark Ride’ was too much. There’s just something irresistible about that aggressive, pulsating riff work. Without a doubt the crowning achievement of 21st century Helloween.

Recommended tracks: ‘World of Fantasy’, ‘My Sacrifice’, ‘Who Is Mr. Madman?’

1. The Time of the Oath (1996)

After ‘Master of the Rings’ reestablished Helloween as a power metal band, ‘The Time of the Oath‘ shows a much more confident band delivering the most consistently amazing set of songs they have released to date. It has the best power metal tunes since the ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys’ albums, some of the most aggressive riffing since the debut album, and a few of the most progressive songs the band ever wrote. And it all works incredibly well. ‘The Time of the Oath’ sounds like an anthology of everything that made metal great in the eighties, with the more powerful sound of the mid-nineties and the more refined playing of experienced musicians. It may not have the classic status of the albums Helloween released in the eighties, but it really should.

Recommended tracks: ‘Wake Up the Mountain’, ‘Before the War’, ‘We Burn’, ‘The Time of the Oath’, ‘Power’

‘Giants & Monsters’ was released today. You can listen to it right here: