Trick Or Treat – A Creepy Night Live (Scarlet Records)
Monday, 4th December 2023
Together now for over twenty years with seven studio albums under their belts, it’s about time that Trick Or Treat captures a live record documenting the history of the band. A Creepy Night Live contains thirteen songs from the last tour supporting Creepy Symphonies – as well as a studio bonus cut for “When the Lights Fade Out (Santa’s in Trouble)” that features Sabaton/Majestica musician Tommy Johansson. Listeners will enjoy the timeline of uplifting power metal that circles back to the debut album from 2006 Evil Needs Candy Too beyond a healthy dose of songs in between the first and latest efforts.
The selections gravitate between a mix of energetic, double kick speed-oriented numbers with Helloween-esque high-octane vocal melodies plus the more controlled, anthem angle affairs. The guitar work of Luca Venturelli and Guido Benedetti is sharp, with the extra playful edge where tapping or whammy-bar accents add to the already good time tone present in their skill sets – check out the tradeoffs in addition to unison harmony runs for “Loser Song” as a clear illustration of supreme control on their weapons of choice. Additional keyboard / orchestration support appears, when necessary, never overtaking the main instrumental duties – increasing the hook factor for tracks like “The Great Escape” or the slightly folk-influenced “Libra One Hundred Dragons Force”. What helps Trick Or Treat stand near the top of this style is the engaging, vibrant voice of Alessandro Conti. He escalates proceedings to cheerleader fervor as needed, beyond hitting those serious Kiske-like falsetto notes or mid-range personal quirks during “Have a Night Judgement” or humorous “Like Donald Duck” that are mandatory for this style. There’s also a special guest appearance from Whitesnake’s Michele Luppi reprising his vocal work on “Take Your Chance”, where it’s great to experience the verse tradeoffs of these two incredible singers.
If you are not well-versed in the previous records for Trick Or Treat, there’s no better place to start than A Creepy Night Live. Partake in the theater of the mind, transport yourself into lands far away while you enjoy the soothing nature of happy power metal.
