Published on Nov 16, 1999
It seems like I’ve been hearing a lot of metal bands doing
albums of cover tunes recently. The first one that comes to mind is
Metallica’s
Garage Inc., a disc I still have never been able to get
through without turning it off in disgust. Not that long ago, I was
plowing through
Coverkill from Overkill. Now, it’s Helloween’s turn with
their recently-released disc
Metal Jukebox.
If you think that these projects are alike, think again.
Metal Jukebox is closer to
Garage Inc. in that Andi Deris and crew choose to cover
groups you wouldn’t expect a metal band to recognize, much less
like. But for the most part, Helloween make this project sound like
a lot of fun – and I count only two misguided choices among some
splendid surprises.
Let’s get to the miscues first. As admirable as their version of
Jethro Tull’s “Locomotive Breath” is (and, I’ve got to admit, they
do perform it well), something is missing without any type of flute
work a la Ian Anderson. On its own, it’s a decent effort, but there
is an emptiness to the song without this one key component.
The only other move I question – and I believe their hearts were
in the right place – is the new version of The Beatles’s “All My
Loving”. Somehow, I can’t imagine John Lennon and Paul McCartney
writing this one with double bass kick drums in mind. The song just
doesn’t fit the type of music that Helloween plays – but they get a
passing grade for trying.
The bulk of
Metal Jukebox takes on a good portion of the rock spectrum,
from fellow countrymen (“He’s A Woman, She’s A Man” from the
Scorpions), classic rock stalwarts (“Space Oddity” from David
Bowie, “White Room” from Cream”) – and a few songs you might not be
familiar with (“Mexican” from Alan Shacklock). Deris’s vocals
throughout the album are surprisingly lower-key than one would have
expected, but his style fits the mood of this album perfectly.
The real surprises on
Metal Jukebox come on the songs you’d never expect to hear
this band play. Their cover of “Hocus Pocus” (originally done by
Focus) is the best take on this track I’ve heard since the
original. And, let’s face it, who would have expected a metal band
– even one from Europe – to cover Abba? Still, they’re able to
raise “Lay All Your Love On Me” to a new level that even the
headbangers can truly appreciate.
Other hidden treats include covers from the Sensational Alex
Harvey Band (“Faith Healer”) and Frank Marino (“Juggernaut”),
groups you might not be very familiar with, but will want to
explore more thanks to Helloween’s bringing them to people’s
attention. And, in a way, that’s what’s special about Metal
Jukebox. It’s one thing to take a better-known group like Faith No
More (“From Out Of Nowhere”) and put your own spin on their song.
It’s another to remind people that there are lesser-known, but just
as important, groups out there – and Helloween does all these bands
justice with their versions of the songs.
Metal Jukebox is not meant to take the place of a studio
album from Helloween; instead, think of this one as a way for the
band to clear the pipes by having fun with the music that shaped
their lives. There’s the key word: fun. It’s a perfect word to
describe this album, and the kind of reaction you’ll have when you
listen to it.