My God-Given Right

About

My God-Given Right is the 15th studio album by German power metal band Helloween. It was released on 29 May 2015. It is their seventh consecutive album produced by Charlie Bauerfeind, and their first album released under the label Nuclear Blast since 2003's Rabbit Don't Come Easy. In October 2014, the band announced they were working on a new album for a May 2015 release, with Charlie Bauerfeind producing, to be recorded at Mi Sueño Studio on Tenerife. On 26 February 2015, the band released the name of the album, as well as the 29 May 2015 release date. According to guitarist and founder Michael Weikath, there was no particular reason for the change of labels other than "plain business". On 17 April 2015, "Battle's Won" was released as the first single of the album, premiered on Team Rock Radio UK tonight on the Metal Hammer Magazine Show. Days later, Nuclear Blast USA had the premiere of the second single "Lost in America". This song, along with "Battle's Won" were available for instant download only with the album pre-order in iTunes. The album is considered by the band as a "back to the roots" album, while still keeping some modern elements. When the album was announced, Weikath said it would be "just good old classic heavy metal the way it's supposed to be". He added: it's more open to the public. I wouldn't say commercial, it's more friendly. That was also what Charlie wanted to do, it's typical of '80s Helloween and modern Helloween at the same time. We didn't want to worry too much about concepts and what to do, and just be the ones that we are. We just wanted to do what we stand for, what we're known for. And that works out very very good I think." He also said the album would be either "one of the best-sold albums or also one of the most criticized by the syndicate side of fans that are there. Weikath and vocalist Andi Deris agreed there would be "haters" to pan the album, but they intended to keep a "liberal attitude towards heavy metal: to do anything we want — and not follow the directions the know-it-alls would have pushed on us. We remained unfazed and acted out our vision of 'anything goes' in the songwriting process to 'My God-Given Right' because we believe that it is our god-given-right (no pun intended) to do as we please and fulfill our musical vision without any boundaries." Deris also said the album is an attempt to please all generations of fans. The band composed 33 or 34 songs for the album and had producer Bauerfeind and his team chose the ones that would form the final track list. Deris explained the method by saying: we told them not to give us the choice, because when you write a song, it is your baby, you love it to death. If somebody in the band comes and tells you I don't like it, you have a problem inside the band and nobody is that cool. It hurts. So these decisions should actually be done by other people, they like what we do. It's much better than having t bands killing themselves, like we did in the earlier days.

via Last.fm