Better Than Raw
{{Infobox album
| name = Better Than Raw
| type = studio
| artist = Helloween
| cover = Rawcover.JPG
| alt =
| released = 4 March 1998
| recorded = 1997
| studio = Chateau du Pape and Crazy Cat Studios, Hamburg, Germany and Mi Sueño Studio, Tenerife, Spain
| genre = Power metal
| length = 52:58
| label = Castle Communications
| producer = Tommy Hansen, Helloween
| prev_title = High Live
| prev_year = 1996
| next_title = Metal Jukebox
| next_year = 1999
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Better Than Raw
| type = Studio
| single1 = I Can
| single1date = April 1998
| single2 = Hey Lord!
| single2date = April 1998
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}} {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r352099|accessdate=2011-06-22}}
| noprose=yes
}}
Better Than Raw is the eighth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Helloween/Better_than_Raw/854 |title=Better than Raw |publisher=Encyclopaedia Metallum |access-date=2012-11-11}}{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Helloween-Better-Than-Raw/master/92080 |title=Helloween – Better Than Raw (tracklist and versions) |publisher=Discogs |access-date=2012-11-11}} The album spawned the singles "I Can" and "Hey Lord!".
The album was recorded at Chateau du Pape and Crazy Cat Studios in Hamburg and at Mi Sueño Studio in Tenerife. It was produced and mixed by Tommy Hansen at Chateau du Pape and mastered by Ian Cooper at Metropolis, London.
Track listing
{{tracklist
| title1 = Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period in Z
| lyrics1 = instrumental
| music1 = Uli Kusch
| length1 = 1:45
| title2 = Push
| lyrics2 = Andi Deris, Kusch, Michael Weikath
| music2 = Kusch
| length2 = 4:45
| title3 = Falling Higher
| lyrics3 = Deris, Weikath
| music3 = Weikath
| length3 = 4:45
| title4 = Hey Lord!
| lyrics4 = Deris
| music4 = Deris
| length4 = 4:07
| title5 = Don't Spit on My Mind
| lyrics5 = Deris
| music5 = Deris, Markus Grosskopf
| length5 = 4:24
| title6 = Revelation
| lyrics6 = Deris
| music6 = Kusch
| length6 = 8:21
| title7 = Time
| lyrics7 = Deris
| music7 = Deris
| length7 = 5:43
| title8 = I Can
| lyrics8 = Weikath
| music8 = Deris, Weikath
| length8 = 4:38
| title9 = A Handful of Pain
| lyrics9 = Deris
| music9 = Kusch
| length9 = 4:49
| title10 = Lavdate Dominum
| lyrics10 = Weikath
| music10 = Weikath
| length10 = 5:10
| title11 = Midnight Sun
| lyrics11 = Weikath
| music11 = Weikath
| length11 = 6:19
| total_length = 52:58
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = Expanded Edition bonus tracks
| title1 = Back on the Ground
| lyrics1 = Deris
| music1 = Kusch
| length1 = 4:40
| title2 = A Game We Shouldn't Play
| lyrics2 = Deris
| music2 = Deris
| length2 = 3:38
| title3 = Perfect Gentleman
| lyrics3 = Deris, Weikath
| music3 = Deris
| length3 = 3:27
| note3 = live bootleg version
| title4 = Moshi Moshi~Shiki No Uta
| lyrics4 = instrumental
| music4 = Moshi~Moshi: Kusch, Roland Grapow, Shiki no Uta: T. Araki
| length4 = 6:53
| note4 = live drum solo & original song
}}
- M - 2 also appears on the "I Can" single.
- M - 3,4 also appears on the "Hey Lord!" single.
Personnel
=Helloween=
- Andi Deris – lead and backing vocals
- Michael Weikath – guitar, backing vocals
- Roland Grapow – guitar, backing vocals
- Markus Grosskopf – bass, backing vocals
- Uli Kusch – drums
=Others=
- Jorn Ellerbrock – keyboards
- Tommy Hansen (producer) – keyboards
- Jutta Weinhold, 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, 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 Helloween.
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Chart (1998) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Austria|36|artist= Helloween|album=Better Than Raw|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Finland|7|artist= Helloween|album=Better Than Raw|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|19|id=2749|artist= Helloween|album=Better Than Raw|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| scope="row"|Japanese Albums (Oricon){{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=Oricon Entertainment|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}
| align="center"| 9 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Sweden|35|artist= Helloween|album=Better Than Raw|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|42|artist= Helloween|album=Better Than Raw|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|UKIndependent|21|date=19980419|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|UKRock|14|date=19980419|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|type=album|artist=Heloween|title=Better Than Raw|award=Gold|relyear=1998|certyear=1998|certmonth=3|access-date=December 27, 2020}}
{{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111208020145/http://www.ex.ua/view/2946521?r=2880114 Helloween - Better Than Raw (1998) - Poster (Hi Res Scan)]
{{Helloween}}
{{Authority control}}