Don’t expect this to be your Helloween from the 80s. The formula really hasn’t changed, just evolved and grown within the style and genre the Germans invented with “Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1&2”. But, guitar tones are edgier, production is heavier less polished, and longtime singer Andi Deris has a unique texture to his voice. If you are familiar with the band since the 2000s and the albums “The Dark Ride”, “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy”, to more recently the excellent “Gambling With The Devil”, or 2013’s “Straight Out Of Hell”, then the new album with be of no surprise.

If the distorted guitars to the opening track ‘Heroes’ was a bit much, ‘Battles One’ main riff, fast drums, and twin guitar harmonies will transport the listener instantly back to the “Keeper” albums. Title track keeps with the old Helloween vibe and the busy double bass drums. ‘Stay Crazy’ veers out of the Euro Power metal field, still with an upbeat tempo, more ready for radio like ‘I Can’ or ‘Hey Lord’. A little effect on the guitar for a more grinding riff on ‘Russian Roulé’ brought me back to “Dark Ride” as does the dark doom toned ‘The Swing of a Fallen World’. ‘Like Everybody Else’ is one of those times Helloween take a chance with composition thinking out of the box, a moment reminisce of “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy”. Not playing it safe which works more often than not. ‘If God Loves Rock 'n' Roll’ is the band’s often heard sense of humor (i.e. ‘Dr Stein’).

‘You, Still Of War’ is one of the most interesting and strongest arrangements creatively; moody because of fitting atmospheric keyboards and guitar, aggressive off time riffing, its progressive changes, and includes a moment that recalls the middle section in the Helloween classic ‘Halloween’. May be the best tune on the album.

With thirteen songs you could probably shave of two or three, other than that its solid. And cover art is ehh, don’t really like this rendition of the pumpkin mascot, and the pumpkin snowtroopers are too Star Wars.