{{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=The Dark Ride2000Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy2005studioRabbit Don't Come EasyRabbit Don't Come Easy cover.jpgHelloween12 May 20032002Mi Sueno Recording Studios, Tenerife, SpainPower metal61:00Nuclear BlastCharlie Bauerfeindx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}}
Rabbit Don't Come Easy is the tenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 2003. It is the first Helloween album to feature Sascha Gerstner on guitars, who replaced Roland Grapow. No drummer is listed in the band line-up for this album. Mark Cross was hired for the position before recording, but only managed to complete two tracks ("Don't Stop Being Crazy" and "Listen to the Flies") before being forced to leave due to illness.<ref name=MRmarkus>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mikkey Dee of Motörhead played on the rest of the songs on a session basis. The Japanese version contains a cover of Accept's "Fast as a Shark", with the band's new drummer, Stefan Schwarzmann.
Commenting on Dee's performance, bassist Markus Grosskopf said:<ref name=MRmarkus/>
About the album title, bassist Markus Grosskopf explained in 2003 that "It's based on that English saying, pulling a rabbit out of the hat. Pulling this rabbit [the album] out of this hat [in reference to recent line up changes] wasn't that easy this time. That gave us the idea of just calling the album Rabbit Don't Come Easy. [Laughs] It's not to be taken too seriously. We were joking that statement around, and then I suggested we actually call the album that".<ref name="metalstorm.ee">Helloween interview (10/2003) - Metal Storm</ref>
About the recording of the album, singer Andi Deris said in 2003 that producer Charlie Bauerfeind "shows on this new record that he is the biggest fan of our genre of music because he knows how to separate the frequencies and knows where the power has to be. You have to imagine that this type of music is so packed with frequencies that it is nearly impossible to mix because it is so overloaded and you have to single out all of the instruments so you can hear them all".<ref>BLABBERMOUTH.NET - HELLOWEEN Singer Speaks Out On 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy' Template:Webarchive</ref>
After the controversial release of The Dark Ride, according to Grosskopf, "The record company also wanted us to show that we are back. This song "Just a Little Sign" represents the more typical side of Helloween, and that's what we wanted to make clear. You can't really represent a whole album with one track, but this shows exactly where the album actually goes. It's more of that 'happy happy Helloween' direction. It shows that this album is not a sequel to 'The Dark Ride'".<ref name="metalstorm.ee"/>
Track listingEdit
All lyrics written by Andi Deris, except where noted. Template:Tracklist
PersonnelEdit
- Helloween
- Andi Deris - vocals
- Michael Weikath - guitar
- Sascha Gerstner - guitar
- Markus Grosskopf - bass
- Additional musicians
- Mark Cross - drums on tracks 7, 11
- Mikkey Dee - drums on tracks 1–6, 8–10, 12
- Stefan Schwarzmann - drums on tracks 13–15 (bonus tracks)
ChartsEdit
Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name="JPN">Template:Cite book</ref> | 11 |