I imagine after Chameleon this probably sounded like fuckin' King Crimson's Red in comparison, which helps
― if Spaghetti-Os had whammy bars (Neanderthal), Sunday, 31 January 2021 22:44 (three years ago) link
ahh now Time of the Oath, now THIS is ace. this is how to remake a band that's dealing with several personnel changes, particularly a new vocalist.
it sounds quite a bit like their later material but nowhere near as overproduced and the choruses are really good, and the guitar is still punchy and fist pumpy, not mindless "chug a chug chug a chug ok here's the chorus, one held chord for every measure"
― Wrong Screamed Barney (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 23:27 (three years ago) link
"Skyfall" is out, and it's a ripper. Classic Helloween, and it's so great to hear Kai and Michael again. The new album is really, really good, but this track, which has been pretty heavily edited, is Kai's one songwriting contribution. He made it count.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLV530n3kMw
― A. Begrand, Friday, 2 April 2021 18:05 (three years ago) link
From what I read Kai always seemed a bit reticent about why he left the band and the other members said they never understood it. Did he ever make it totally clear?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 2 April 2021 18:52 (three years ago) link
I've never heard the exact reasons for his departure either. They were all so young back then and had a lot of growing up to do. They're a lot more easygoing now. Turning 50 will do that to a guy!
― A. Begrand, Saturday, 3 April 2021 17:33 (three years ago) link
this is my most anticipated album of the year, which feels weird to say. after so much of the pedestrian Deris era (which has some good stuff, but not a huge amount), it's nice to hear them actually playing power metal with riffs and so nice to hear Kiske again.
i hope I'm not disappointed "Skyfall" (and "Pumpkins United", which I know is not on this album but was kinda the first 'reunion' song) destroyed, I wasn't feeling the second single as much even though I liked it.
actually never wanted to see them live as I never liked how Deris sang Kiske's songs and half the setlist would be 'meh' but now it might be a fun fucking idea.
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 16 June 2021 01:50 (two years ago) link
it's not a perfect album but this may hit my top ten list, and if not that, top twenty. i can barely stomach a lot of the Deris albums, and this one is full of hooks and good guitar work, and man how does Kiske still sound this good. his low notes actually sound better.
also love Kai's harsh vocals.
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Friday, 18 June 2021 22:34 (two years ago) link
glad to hear more of those harmonized lead runs which have been missing forever from their sound
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Friday, 18 June 2021 22:35 (two years ago) link
weirdly some of this reminds me of the first few Angra albums
alright after many many listens I still love this and it's currently in my top 5 for the year.
It's not Keeper-era Helloween, which was a bit more raw and fist-pumpy, but it does have the same ancestral DNA. The hooks are a bit poppier, but not in the annoying way a lot of the Deris era has been (almost 'pop-punk' power metal).
Obviously, the return of Kiske and Hansen help, but neither of these had a significant effect on the songwriting, sans "Skyfall". Deris wrote a lot of the songs, as well as Weikath, Gerstner, and Grosskopf - basically the same songwriting core as the last few albums. but the material does 'feel' more like classic Helloween, though it does have a few elements of other European bands they inspired (like aforementioned Angra).
also yes, Kiske's voice on the material helps because Deris just doesn't fit Helloween at all to me; he's a hair-metal vocalist who sounds like a fish out of water. but he really is second-fiddle here, like he does sing lead, but he often shares it with Kiske, he harmonizes a lot, and a lot of his lead spots occur in places where they're well-suited. Kiske carries the material (Hansen does a few vocals here and there, and it's pretty obvious when).
I'm guessing the presence of Kiske and Hansen just made things more exciting and that's where the inspiration came from. The hooks are undeniable on almost every song, and while I'm not usually into feel-good happy sounding metal, Helloween have always scratched that itch for me and then some. it's also weird how good Kiske sounds, his highs are still really smooth, but his low range has really gotten fuckin' resonant as hell - it always was, really, you can hear it on "A Tale That Wasn't Right", but he didn't like to sing down there much in Keeper era.
I've basically been playing all 80s Helloween all week, and hell those first two Deris albums are actually alright!
― cancel culture club (Neanderthal), Thursday, 24 June 2021 20:55 (two years ago) link
Is this lineup going to stay or is it just a one-time thing?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 25 June 2021 18:44 (two years ago) link
This album purs a great big smile on my face. Especially "Skyfall", an instant classic.
As far as I know, they're going to stuck with the expanded lineup for ss long as it's fun for everybody. Doing the interviews the big thing that came across is how well they get along these days.
― A. Begrand, Friday, 25 June 2021 21:30 (two years ago) link
US Tour! albeit a short'un!
May 13 - Dallas, TX - The FactoryMay 16 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus LiveMay 18 - Silver Spring, MD - The FillmoreMay 20 - New York, NY - Terminal 5May 21 - Worcester, MA - The PalladiumMay 23 - Toronto, ON - HistoryMay 24 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music HallMay 26 - Chicago, IL - The RivieraMay 27 - Minneapolis, MN - The FillmoreMay 30 - Denver, CO - Ogden TheatreJun. 01 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn BowlJun. 02 - Los Angeles, CA - YouTube TheaterJun. 03 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
― stank viola (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 28 September 2022 02:51 (one year ago) link
(next year obv)
― stank viola (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 28 September 2022 02:52 (one year ago) link
I WANT OUUUUUUUUUT
― Qeq-hauau-ent-pehui (Neanderthal), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:21 (eleven months ago) link
still can't believe Andi Deris came from a group called Pink Cream 69, or that there are dudes who can be in a band named that without embarassment of their poor life choices.
― Qeq-hauau-ent-pehui (Neanderthal), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:22 (eleven months ago) link
keeper of the 7 keys is a jawn
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:25 (eleven months ago) link
two of my favorites. (I refuse to count the third Keeper album which should never have been made)
― Qeq-hauau-ent-pehui (Neanderthal), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:29 (eleven months ago) link
I still play the Walls of JerichoCD with the EP on it and the first Keepers album, like, a lot.
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:30 (eleven months ago) link
yeah Walls featuring Helloween EP is a staple for me too. was just listening to last night actually.
GORGAR WILL EAT YOU
― Qeq-hauau-ent-pehui (Neanderthal), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:33 (eleven months ago) link
I was kinda wondering why the two Keepers were so sonically different, the latter having more of the traditional power metal trappings we come to associate w/ the genre, the first being more speed metally, and...huh, guess Weikath barely played or wrote on Keeper 1, it was all Kai. that'd explain it.
― Qeq-hauau-ent-pehui (Neanderthal), Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:36 (eleven months ago) link
Walls of Jericho owns
― brimstead, Saturday, 6 May 2023 03:48 (eleven months ago) link
Minutes away from showtime!!!!!
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 17 May 2023 00:27 (eleven months ago) link
OH MY FUCKING GOD
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 17 May 2023 01:04 (eleven months ago) link
seeing em this weekend, it’s gonna rule
― (⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Wednesday, 17 May 2023 01:47 (eleven months ago) link
I'm so happy
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 17 May 2023 03:25 (eleven months ago) link
oh mami
― (⊙_⊙?) (original bgm), Sunday, 21 May 2023 01:42 (ten months ago) link
ur the keeper of the seeeeeven keys
― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Sunday, 21 May 2023 02:44 (ten months ago) link
soooooooooooo....anybody know a contact within Helloween outside of just messaging their social media?
they were working with a company named Incendium to make Keeper of the Seven Keys action figures. I bought two - back in 2021. They never showed and they gave shitty excuses and now the company is completely scrubbed from the internet. lots of fans saying how they also got scammed.
I'm only out $80 but seems shitty that the band hasn't addressed it.
― never trust a big book and a simile (Neanderthal), Friday, 26 January 2024 19:11 (two months ago) link
(not the band themselves, the appropriate people in charge of that stuff)