Year : 2021
Style : Melodic Power Metal
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 110 mb
Bio:
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg, Northern Germany. The band is a pioneering force in the power metal subgenres and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I and Part II, are considered masterpieces of the genre. Twelve musicians have been a part of the band's line-up in its history, which has consisted of singer Andi Deris, guitarists Michael Weikath and Sascha Gerstner, bass guitarist Markus Grosskopf, and drummer Daniel Löble since 2005.Helloween was formed in 1984 by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, and Powerfool. Its first line-up consisted of Weikath, Grosskopf, singer and guitarist Kai Hansen and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. After the release of a self-titled EP and a first album in 1985, it expanded into a quintet when singer Michael Kiske joined, with Hansen only acting as guitarist. Under this line-up, they released the Keeper of the Seven Keys albums (1987 and 1988), which established Helloween as a notable heavy metal band and led to the creation of the power metal subgenre. However, Hansen left the band quickly after the release of Part II and was replaced by Roland Grapow. He then created the band Gamma Ray.Helloween's first two albums without Hansen, Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991) and Chameleon (1993), were commercial and critical failures,which created tensions between band members and led to the firing of Schwichtenberg and the departure of Kiske. They were replaced by Uli Kusch and Andi Deris respectively. The albums released under this line-up, consisting of Master of the Rings (1994), The Time of the Oath (1996), Better Than Raw (1998) and The Dark Ride (2000), received a warm reception from both fans and critics, gradually establishing Helloween as a successful band again.However, tensions following the release of The Dark Ride led to the dismissals of both Grapow and Kusch, who then went on to found Masterplan together. Grapow was replaced by Gerstner, but the attempts to find a new drummer were chaotic and no band member was credited for drums on the album Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003). The band finally found a stable drummer in the person of Löble in 2005. Under this new and current line-up, the longest in its history, the band has released four successful studio albums: Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy (2005), Gambling with the Devil (2007), 7 Sinners (2010), and Straight Out of Hell (2013), with all members except Löble contributing to songwriting.Since its creation, Helloween has released fourteen studio albums, three live albums, three EPs, and twenty-seven singles, and has sold more than five million records worldwide.
Album:
Who’d have guessed that when German power metal legends Helloween announced in November 2016 that former members and vocalists Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske were rejoining the band for the ‘Pumpkins United World Tour’ that some four and a half years later, we would be getting a full studio album from that very line up.After all, performing the back catalogue with 3 vocalists on stage is one thing but writing and recording material for the three is a very different kettle of fish. Well, the first glimpse of how well it would work came in October 2017, when the band released the Pumpkins United single before embarking on their world tour of the same name.That tour saw the band release, what is for me, one of the best live albums to have been released in many a year. You just have to listen to it once, to realise what a great band Helloween is and their back catalogue of songs, whether it be from the Kai Hansen era, the Michael Kiske era or the Andi Deris era is just phenomenal.Fast forward a few years, an arranged then rearranged world tour and a worldwide coronovirus pandemic later, our Pumpkin inspired heroes are set to unleash onto the world a brand new self titled studio album, featuring not just one or two of their vocalists but all three.Yep, you read that right, “Helloween” which is due for release through Nuclear Blast Records on June 18th 2021 will be the first studio album from the Pumpkins United line up and Messrs Hansen, Kiske and Deris will all be performing on it. Now, I have to say, that news got this reviewer, who has been a fan of all the different era’s of Helloween a little excited.Imagine how I was when I was asked to review “Skyfall” the lead single from that album. Hot under the collar is a very apt term! I can honestly say that I was tingling with excitement when the single hit my inbox over Easter weekend and even writing the review brought me out in a sort of sweaty nervousness.I so wanted the single to be mind-blowingly brilliant, I wanted to hear all three vocalists not only compliment each other but push each other to make this one of the most sought after Helloween tracks and albums of their 37 year career. Well, I was not disappointed, in fact I was more than a little impressed.The track which was written by Kai Hansen is described in the record labels press release as “a seven minute ride into the Helloween universe, and beyond”. To be fair to them, they are downplaying the stratospheric qualities of this immensely brilliant release.They go on to say that it is about “an alien landing on earth and a dramatic chase whilst Kiske, Deris and Hansen duel each other in breathtaking manner”. They most definitely are not wrong. The way the vocal parts are written to give each singer a chance to have their own baroscopic moment is just divine.“Skyfall” has all the classic Helloween trademarks and pulls from all the bands different era’s. Yes there is a massive “Keeper of the Seven Keys” vibe to it, yes there are time changes aplenty and the vocals and musicianship are up there with the best, as they always have been.From the moment those soaring Michael Kiske vocals kick in, you just know that you about to bear witness to something incredibly special. Then when the thundering drums and crunching guitars start, “Skyfall” fires you straight into orbit, in spectacular fashion.There is something heavenly about Helloween when they are in this form, this is them at their best and the way the track is written it just showcases the incredible talents of each and every member to the full.I know this is not just about the vocalists, it is about the band, but for someone who has been a fan since 1987, hearing Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske and Andi Deris singing together is the stuff that dreams are made of and this particular dream has just fallen from the sky.I personally, cannot wait to hear the full, even more epic version of “Skyfall”, but for now, my appetite has been wet with this sumptuous single edit version which has been cut down to an abridged but still epic seven minutes.For now, until June 18th I am going to listen to this beautiful, magnificent and somewhat extravagant track as much as I can. Helloween have just entered a new and exciting stage of their careers and I am going to buckle up for the ride.
Line-Up:
Michael Kiske - Vocals (1986-1993, 2017-present)
Andi Deris - Vocals
Markus Grosskopf - Bass (1983-present)
Michael Weikath - Guitars (1983-present)
Kai Hansen - Guitars, Vocals (1983-1988, 2017-present)
Sascha Gerstner - Guitars (2002-present)
Dani Löble - Drums (2005-present)
Tracklist:
01. Skyfall (Single Edit)
02. Skyfall (Exclusive Alternative Vocals Mix)
+ Video "Skyfall (Single Edit) (Official Video)
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