''Better Than Raw'' is the eighth studio album by German

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

band

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. The band has at times been called one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first ...

, released in 1998. The album spawned the singles "I Can" and "Hey Lord!". The album was recorded at Chateau du Pape and Crazy Cat Studios in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

and at Mi Sueño Studio in

Tenerife Tenerife ( ; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands, an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. With a land area of and a population of 965,575 inhabitants as of A ...

. It was produced and mixed by Tommy Hansen at Chateau du Pape and mastered by Ian Cooper at Metropolis,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Track listing

*M - 2 also appears on the "I Can" single. *M - 3,4 also appears on the "Hey Lord!" single.

Personnel

Helloween

Andi Deris Andreas "Andi" Deris (born 18 August 1964) is a German singer, best known as one of the three co-lead vocalists of the power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of the metal band Pink Cream 69. Singing style Deris has ...

– lead and backing vocals * Michael Weikath – guitar, backing vocals * Roland Grapow – guitar, backing vocals * Markus Grosskopf – bass, backing vocals *

Uli Kusch Ulrich Kusch (born 11 March 1967) is a German heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, Masterplan and Holy Moses, among others. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rh ...

– drums

Others

* Jorn Ellerbrock – keyboards * Tommy Hansen (producer) – keyboards *

Jutta Weinhold Jutta Weinhold (born 19 October 1947) is a German rock singer. Biography Jutta Weinhold was born in Mainz. In the late 1960s, she sang in amateur bands. In 1969, she was engaged in the role of "Sheila" in the musical ''Hair'', followed by en ...

, Ralf Maurer, Christina Hahne – backing vocals

Trivia

* Hanson have been known to use the album introduction as an entrance to their concerts. *Laudate Dominum was written as a tribute for the band's dedicated fans in Spain, South America and other Christians countries. *Midnight Sun is about the ending of a bad relationship. *The cover was inspired by

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (; ) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was created and introduced as a series of comic characters by ...

, with Gargamel changed for the witch and the Smurfs for pumpkins. *As opposed to the more benign-looking pumpkin used on previous albums, a sinister-looking pumpkin is used to represent the "o" in the "Helloween" logo. Albeit with a few minor tweaks, it was in use up until ''

''.

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

Helloween - ''Better Than Raw'' (1998) - Poster (Hi Res Scan)
{{Authority control Helloween albums 1998 albums