Helloween - Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003)

After the excellent THE DARK RIDE, which was suitably dark, Helloween lightened up a bit for Rabbit Don't Come Easy, which, with its title and cover, could have scared a few people into thinking they were doing a PINK BUBBLES all over again (they explain the title referred to them having recent problems with their line-up, and the saying that things can be as easy as 'pulling a rabbit out of a hat' but, in their case, 'rabbit don't come easy').
But such is not the case (although Bubbles really wasn't all that bad anyway).  The breezy, winning opener "Just A Little Sign" starts things off with a bang, and other early songs like "The Tune" suggest this is going to be a classic record. Then it tails off a tad. The songs are still reasonable, but only really reach outstanding status again with tracks like "Hell Was Made In Heaven" and ""Listen To The Flies".
All the same, Helloween have produced another very worthy album here. In truth, they never have brought out an ordinary one, let alone bad (no, not even 'those' two), and continue to show why they are one of the leaders of power metal.
Alright, historically speaking at least, the leaders.

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