Gambling with the Devil
{{Infobox album
| name = Gambling with the Devil
| type = studio
| artist = Helloween
| cover = Helloween - Gambling with the Devil.jpg
| alt =
| released = 24 October 2007
| recorded = 2007 at Mi Sueño Studio, Tenerife, Spain
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Power metal
| length = 57:32
| label = SPV/Steamhammer
| producer = Charlie Bauerfeind
| prev_title = Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006
| prev_year = 2007
| next_title = Unarmed – Best of 25th Anniversary
| next_year = 2009
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Gambling with the Devil
| type = studio
| single1 = As Long as I Fall
| single1date = 28 September 2007
}}
}}
Gambling with the Devil is the twelfth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in Japan on 24 October 2007, and in Europe on 26 October. The single "As Long as I Fall" is download-only and was released in late September. Biff Byford made an appearance, with spoken vocals on "Crack the Riddle".
When asked about the album, bassist Markus Grosskopf commented:{{cite web|last1=Syrjala|first1=Marko|title=Helloween – bassist Markus Grosskopf|url=http://www.metal-rules.com/metalnews/2011/01/11/helloween-bassist-markus-grosskopf/|website=Metal Rules|access-date=31 May 2015|date=11 January 2011}}
{{cquote|It was an album without any concept, but still we had that concept with that little game on it, that little "Crack the Riddle". [...] And then, that was nice, it was a great piece of work and when you do such an output like Keeper III it's like you've got to open your head and empty it at first, close it and then start thinking new for Keeper thing you know, but then it's very, very hard work. You've got to think very different from what you do when you just write the songs so to say, just like writing a normal metal song or rock song, it's very different. But that's what we did with the Gambling with the Devil and I feel very good just doing proper decent songs. You cannot do always like this concept thing. [...] It's never easy, but once you got an idea you don't have to think about "Oh, that's five minutes missing" you know. What do I put in to make it fit for the concept? Fit it to make it fit in the concept of something, it's just like if there's a song of five minutes or four minutes and it's cool, you don't have to think about how is it fitting in the concept, if the song's good the song's good, it goes on the record.}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| total_length = 57:32
| title1 = Crack the Riddle (intro)
| writer1 = Andi Deris, Michael Weikath, Sascha Gerstner, Dani Löble, Markus Grosskopf
| length1 = 0:56
| title2 = Kill It
| writer2 = Deris
| length2 = 4:13
| title3 = The Saints
| writer3 = Weikath
| length3 = 7:06
| title4 = As Long as I Fall
| writer4 = Deris
| length4 = 3:41
| title5 = Paint a New World
| writer5 = Lyrics: Gerstner, Weikath / Music: Gerstner
| length5 = 4:27
| title6 = Final Fortune
| writer6 = Grosskopf
| length6 = 4:46
| title7 = The Bells of the 7 Hells
| writer7 = Deris
| length7 = 5:22
| title8 = Fallen to Pieces
| writer8 = Deris
| length8 = 5:52
| title9 = I.M.E.
| writer9 = Deris
| length9 = 3:46
| title10 = Can Do It
| writer10 = Weikath
| length10 = 4:30
| title11 = Dreambound
| writer11 = Lyrics: Gerstner, Weikath / Music: Gerstner
| length11 = 5:57
| title12 = Heaven Tells No Lies
| writer12 = Grosskopf
| length12 = 6:56
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = Bonus track
| title1 = We Unite
| writer1 = Grosskopf
| length1 = 4:34
| note1 = Japanese bonus track
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = Disc 2 (special edition only)
| title1 = Find My Freedom
| writer1 = Grosskopf
| length1 = 6:30
| note1 = European version
| title2 = See the Night
| writer2 = Grosskopf
| length2 = 6:04
| title3 = Never Surrender'
| writer3 = Gerstner
| length3 = 4:50
| note3 = USA Tour special edition
| title4 = As Long As I Fall (Radio Edit)
| writer4 = Deris
| length4 = 3:45
| note4 = Japanese version
| title5 = As Long as I Fall (Enhanced Video)
| title6 = Trailer" (Enhanced)
}}
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|2|5}} {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r1211766|access-date=2011-06-22}}
| rev2 = Sputnikmusic
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}} {{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=21461 |title=Helloween - Gambling with the Devil |publisher=Sputnikmusic |access-date=2011-06-22}}
| rev3 = About.com
}}
The album has received mostly positive reviews, with critics hailing it as one of the band's strongest efforts in quite a while.{{cite web|url=http://www.rocknworld.com/thrashpit/reviews/07/Helloween.shtml |title=Helloween - Gambling with the Devil Review - Thrashpit.com |publisher=Rocknworld.com |access-date=2012-02-17}}
Andi Deris' vocals on the album also got praise for their power, range and emotion.{{cite web |url=http://heavymetal.about.com/b/2007/10/23/helloween-gambling-with-the-devil-review.htm |title=Helloween - Gambling With The Devil Review |publisher=Heavymetal.about.com |date=2007-11-08 |access-date=2012-02-17 |archive-date=2012-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905224034/http://heavymetal.about.com/b/2007/10/23/helloween-gambling-with-the-devil-review.htm |url-status=dead }}
Personnel
;Band members
- Andi Deris – lead vocals
- Michael Weikath – guitar
- Sascha Gerstner – guitar, backing vocals
- Markus Grosskopf – bass
- Dani Löble – drums
;Guests
- Biff Byford – spoken vocals on "Crack the Riddle"
- Matthias Ulmer – keyboards
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! scope="col"| Chart (2007) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"|Czech Republic Albums Chart {{cite web|author=ds |url=http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparada/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=14&titul=145451&sec=b1c1451fd1dd04c5927a14d8371e1cf7 |title=Čns Ifpi |publisher=Ifpicr.cz |access-date=2012-02-17}}
| style="text-align:center;"|10 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Finland|34|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|France|103|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|38|id=74502|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Hungary|18|year=2007|week=44|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Italy|49|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}} |
| {{album chart|Oricon|17|M|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/124419/products/731677/1/|title=ギャンブリング・ウィズ・ザ・デヴィル
|publisher=Oricon.co.jp|access-date=October 1, 2023|rowheader=true |
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|34|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}}
|-
{{album chart|Switzerland|88|artist= Helloween|album= Gambling with the Devil|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}}
|-
{{album chart|UKRock|18|date=20071104|rowheader=true|access-date=October 1, 2023}}
|}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Helloween}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gambling With The Devil}}
Category:SPV/Steamhammer albums
Category:Albums produced by Charlie Bauerfeind
{{2000s-power-metal-album-stub}}