Review by Chris Pratl on August 26, 2018.

Helloween and I go back a long way. I can recall finding that first EP in a local shop for an unheard of $8.99 back in the day and being thrilled at hearing this new German speed metal that was slowly emerging from Europe. Since that happy day in 1985 I've managed a pretty basic on/off affair with the band that sort of manifests itself every couple of albums or so. Still lamenting the loss of Kai Hansen I have enjoyed some of what Helloween has issued over the years, save for the head-spinning Pink Bubbles Go Ape, so I was up to the challenge. 

So what we have here is very 'typically' Helloween in that the speedy galloping is ever present, complete with keyboard accompaniment and soaring vocals. The vocal performance from Andi Deris shifts from a recognizable high register to a lower, gruffer effort, and Deris carries the songs evenly and without losing the 'original' late-Helloween sound. He hasn't lost much over the years and that's what helps make for a strictly baseline Helloween product.

So...how is the new album structure-wise, you ask? Helloween has some of the more die-hard fans out there, apologists even, which can be both blessing and curse. While the fans aren't as blissfully blinded as the loincloth-donning contingent of that New York-based band, they are very easy to impress. This current release in Straight Out of Hell is a pretty solid example of exactly what Helloween has come to deliver with every record. The power metal genre, literally saturated with pretenders and sickening rip-offs, panders to a specific metalhead that doesn't necessarily see a need for variances in style; Helloween has always been a founding forefather of the genre and it shows why in the new music, which, again, is both a positive and negative. I do enjoy the faster songs that border on epic, such as “Burning Sun”, which harkens back to that late 80's period quite nicely. Then you take a track like “Waiting for the Thunder”, which is about as AOR-friendly as it gets, and you see how the reliance on speed is both unnecessary and vastly rudimentary. The power ballad “Hold Me in Your Arms”, while not mesmerizing or even memorable, has a certain antiquated charm that is undeniably rich and warm ala late 80's MTV lighter-holding (if you look back on that period with any sort of affinity whatsoever). It's one of the tracks I'll honestly never revisit simply due to its lack of any resonate staying power, but it's not a total album killer. What does in the record for me is the fact that it's somewhat stale and far too faceless, relying more on formulaic design to muster through yet another album's worth of rehashed melodies already tired and overused. 

Overall, the songs here aren't offensive or overly mundane, but the lack of ideas is certainly abundant in some of the same familiar chords, riffs, keyboard soundscapes and melodies. In short, if you've heard one album like this, you know have yet another, for better or worse. 

To be honest, the tunes here will likely impress Helloween fans with no problem; the music follows a very distinct line that the band has carved into the long road underfoot. That said, they get points for being legendary figureheads in the crowded Pantheon reserved for gods and legendary figures revered for past deeds and accomplishments. Straight Out of Hell is one full hour of Modern Power Metal 101 as told by one of the originators of the genre, and while not widely memorable or even interesting past convention (the song “Asshole” was wasted space positioned only for gratuitous pomp, not to mention somewhat ridiculous) it will find a place within the hearts of the impressionable fan base.

Rating: 4 out of 10

(Originally written for www.metalpsalter.com)

Review by Fran on March 24, 2026.

What a band this is! Master's in the lost craft of making melodic extreme metal that doesn’t suck. The lyrical theme they write about is the most nerve-racking experience a human being can go through; what I like most about 1914 is that it makes you feel the nobility of the soldiers, not as social status but as the virtue of those who decide to put their lives at risk for their ethics and their countrymen. Also, the adrenaline of the frontline combat and the crushing sense of defeat, which can also be as lonely as the silence of a pyrrhic victory. Epic or melancholic, the melodic sense 1914 has is never been whimsical like the trendy Swedish acts from the early 2000s, which I consider a plus.

“Eschatology Of War” is the heaviest and most obscure release by the band so far. The record starts with a groovy, doom metal section that portrays visions of mud and barbed wire in the trenches, the preparation for the battle. When they speed up their game, machine gun and artillery fire whistle behind your ears in the form of solemn black metal tunes and relentless blast beats, triggering a fight-or-flight response. There are some quieter sections as well, take for example the intro of 'Verdun': mournful, high-pitched fiorituras on the guitar while the vocalist just whispers a couple of words, like a funeral on a cloudy morning. These dynamic changes are used throughout the whole record, but composition-wise, it is super cohesive, as the main themes are skillfully aged before introducing the next idea.

This release came out in 2015, so it sounds modern but not over-polished. The production is very organic, and the instrumentalists rendered their tracks neatly; everything is perfectly executed. I’ve always said simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication, and 1914 understood that completely, they can develop a song using the same tonal center and few tempo changes while they send your soul straight to the meat grinder. While the style of the band is not brutal, it should appeal to fans of extreme metal, and even if it’s not overly melodic, it might appeal to heavy metal fans as well, especially regarding the storytelling style of the lyrics and the epic guitar lines; it's just one of those bands that truly has it all.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Alex on October 10, 2018.

1914 plays a heavy hybrid of death metal that is sometimes merged into the landscapes of black metal. Eschatology of War is an untamed release of puissant drumming and vibrant vocals. It takes the listener on a journey through various periods of World War One (WW1) which began in the year 1914. The listener is placed in the middle of chemical warfare, zeppelin strikes, trench warfare, the terror of high powered machine guns and stories of battle strategies, bravery, heroism, and horror. This release is brutal, haunting and at times even brings tears to the eyes. Yes, this is an emotional album with substance, meaning, passion, aggression, and serenity (the breathless kind). Each song is an accurate representation of the multi-layered intricacies of WW1's mark in history. This is not an album that omits or expels the atrocities of WW1; it bathes the listener in the grandeur of gunpowder and the grotesque effects of mustard gas. 

"War In" is a great introduction to the battlefield, which calmly awaits to be moistened with sacrifice. "Gasmask" then charges full throttle with its bayonet mounted rifle into the guts of the listener. The vocals of Dmytro Kumar runneth over with rage; the death metal growls are barbaric and the black metal snarls are savage. The growls are evenly present as the snarls and are both utilized to great effect on the album. 

The guitar work by Andrii Rieznikov and Oleksa Fisyuk is phenomenal in terms of melody. It builds on the momentum of the songs. The listener can hear some aspects of deathcore breakdowns on the 2nd track "Gas Mask". I wasn't very fond of this musical choice, even though I do admire and own some deathcore albums. I felt like it affected the overall feeling of the album which had already provided the listener with a strong WW1 atmosphere via means of a classical musical sample; therefore it was only right that whatever followed, maintained the feeling of old, rather than add modernity to it. This sudden transition only lasted for a small period of time, in which I am very grateful for and even better, rarely or never makes a reappearance on the remainder of the album. Deazer's bass is loud and follows the guitar leads for the majority of the album. It is mixed well and serves as that essential touch of vibrancy; thus ensuring the longevity of the album.

The drumming throughout the album is sensational, especially on tracks such as "Verdun", "Caught in the Crossfire" and "Ottoman Rise". Jotunhammer's drumming hits like a stampede of elephants or the thunderous crack of cannons on a battleship. His ability to play black metal blast beats and switch to death/doom metal drumming (e.g "Zeppelin Raids" and "Ottoman Rise") is outstanding. 

As a whole, 1914 clearly understands the importance of a quality production and a heavy sound in order to convey the messages they did on Eschatology of War. The album is an excellent mixed bag of melodic riffs, spoken, sung and acted samples, splendid drumming, rich vocals and a clobbering bass tone. I hope Eschatology of War makes its way to vinyl soon; as I truly believe it deserves that touch of wax treatment; given its heavy themes and glorious artwork.

Rating: 9.8 out of 10