Kingcrimsonprog
Rabbit Don’t Come Easy is the tenth full-length studio album by the legendary German Power Metal band Helloween. It was released on Nuclear Blast in 2003 and named after its labored production.
This is the fourth studio album to feature singer Andi Derris, who by this point has become an essential member of the band and had unmistakably left his mark on the band’s overall sound. Markus Grosskopf lays down the bass as always while the guitars are handled by Michael Weilkath as you would expect and then-new man Sascha Gerstner. This core of musicians would solidify into a permanent line-up for the next twelve years or more. The drums are played on this album by Motorhead/King Diamond’s Mickey Dee, with the exception of two tracks featuring Metallium/Firewind’s Mark Cross.
Despite the line-up changes and problems that the band has in creating this album, it turned out to be one of the band’s better albums and is a personal favourite of mine. ‘The Tune,’ ‘Do You Feel Good,’ ‘Liar’ and ‘Just A Little Time’ have to be four of my favourite Helloween songs of all time.
The album is often talked about as being experimental due to its inclusion of a Reggae section on “Nothing To Say,” some synths on ‘Back Against The Wall’ and an eastern sounding intro to ‘Sun For The World.’ There’s also a ballad, but then there always is. Sometimes people can concentrate too much on these aspects and then make it seem as if this album is a massive departure, but in reality those who like speedy, blazing Melodic Power Metal need not fear that this is doesn’t sound like Helloween is supposed to; just listen to songs like ‘Listen To The Flies’ ‘Hell Was Made In Heaven’ or my aforementioned four favourites. In reality over half of the album is exactly what you expect of and love about Helloween, with a little bit of variety added in there too to keep things interesting.
If you want an album that is heavy in parts, melodic in parts, full of virtuosic musicianship and flashy solos, has a lot of character and is a lot of fun, then you could do a lot worse than picking up a copy of Rabbit Don’t Come Easy. Its memorable, its interesting and most of it will stick in your head for weeks.