Year : 2002 (Bonus Track Edition 2024)
Style : Melodic Power Metal
Country : Germany
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 472 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:
German killer metallers HELLOWEEN will be reissuing their compilation “Treasure Chest“, a 3 disc anthology featuring the band’s best tracks from the band’s self-titled debut EP (1985) to ‘The Dark Ride’ (2000). Some of these songs have been remixed or feature alternate vocal takes / instrumental parts. The box set includes a bonus disc titled “Buried Treasure” with the band’s hard to find previous B-sides / Japan edition bonuses.“Treasure Chest” is a great starting point for any new or casual fans but also die hards. The ’80s tracks are benefited by the remastering job, and the remixed tracks really offer something different from the originals.This compilation has all Helloween’s best songs. Some of these found on the first disc include the Keepers era classics like “I Want Out”, “Future World”, “Dr.Stein”, “A Little Time” and “Eagle Fly Free”. Found on “Treasure Chest” are the 13 minute epics “Halloween” and a remixed version of “Keeper Of The Seven Keys”. There are also the very early songs like “Starlight” and “Metal Invaders”. As for second disc is concerned, more great songs are found like “Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)”, “Kings Will Be Kings”, “Mirror, Mirror”, ”Perfect Gentleman” and “Immortal”.Helloween has left its mark on the power melodic metal scene like few other bands in this world and a look at the first two discs confirms that the German band has released influential tunes in all phases of its career. Early epics like ”Ride the Sky” or the version of ”Starlight” with an extraordinary Michael Kiske on vocals have aged particularly well and aren’t only remembered fondly by power metal fans nowadays but also by the detractors of said genre.The songs from Walls of Jericho have kept their pure, liberating and energetic spirit that make them sound fresh, majestic and timeless.The era that is commonly known as the band’s golden years around the first Keeper of the Seven Keys record is richly represented on this compilation. The dynamic yet gloomy epic ”Halloween” is still played on said day all around the world nowadays while ”Keeper of the Seven Keys” proved that lyrics with religious background and uplifting melodic heavy metal could harmonize particularly well.Helloween even included tracks from its more controversial releases in the early Nineties that nearly saw the group fall apart. The uplifting and melodic ”The Chance” is an overlooked gem with great bass guitar play and technically stunning drum techniques. Even the much criticized ballad ”Windmill” with atmospheric sound samples, piano sounds and acoustic guitars stands out for its courage to experiment and broaden the band’s horizons.The new, late ’90s era of the band is also represented fairly well with songs like the sinister hard rocking ”The Time of the Oath” and the powerful ”Mr. Torture” that combines fierce riffs and raw vocals with unforgettable melodies and a chorus that is among the best the band has ever written.The third disc featuring rarities is particularly interesting. Even though they are included on the remastered versions of the band’s records, it’s a great idea to have a solid selection of them on such a separate disc on this unique output. It offers the occasion to discover some forgotten gems even though most tracks aren’t as strong as the band’s regular cuts.The blues-infused ”Ain’t Got Nothin’ Better” shows a completely unknown side of the band while ”Can’t Fight Your Desire” combines the band’s atmospheric and energetic sides so perfectly that one has to wonder why this particular song didn’t make the cut for a regular album.There is also a very good cover of the Judas Priest classic “The Hellion / Electric Eye”.This compilation represents the best phases this band went through quite accurately, features famous hit singles as well as overlooked gems and even offers a whole disc of rarities.Instead of purchasing specific records of the band that had some ups and downs, you are guaranteed to discover much more killers than fillers on this excellent package.
Line-Up:
Andi Deris - vocals (CD1: track 1-4, CD2: track 5-14, CD3: track 6-8, 10, 11)
Michael Kiske - vocals (CD1: track 5-15, CD2: track 1-4, CD3: track 1, 3, 4)
Kai Hansen - guitar, background vocals (CD1: track 5-15, CD2: track 1, 2)
Michael Weikath - guitar (CD1: all tracks, CD2: all tracks, CD3: 1-4, 6-11)
Roland Grapow - guitar (CD1: track 1-4, CD2: track 3-14, CD3: all tracks
Markus Grosskopf - bass (CD1: all tracks, CD2: all tracks, CD3: 1-4, 6-11)
Uli Kusch - drums (CD1: track 1-4, CD2: track 5-14, CD3: track 5-11)
Ingo Schwichtenberg - drums (CD1: track 5-15, CD2: track 1-4, CD3: track 1-4)
Tracklist:
CD1:
01. I Can (04:38)
02. Power (03:28)
03. Where The Rain Grows (04:43)
04. Eagle Fly Free (05:11)
05. Future World (04:02)
06. Metal Invaders (04:10)
07. Murderer (04:32)
08. Starlight (04:14)
09. How Many Tears (07:14)
10. Ride the Sky (06:43)
11. Halloween (13:18)
12. A Little Time (03:58)
13. A Tale That Wasn't Right (04:42)
14. I Want Out (04:40)
CD2:
01. Keeper of the Seven Keys (Remix) (13:51)
02. Dr. Stein (Remix) (05:04)
03. The Chance (03:46)
04. Windmill (05:13)
05. Sole Survivor (04:31)
06. Perfect Gentleman (03:50)
07. In the Middle of a Heartbeat (04:27)
08. Kings Will Be Kings (05:08)
09. Time Of The Oath (06:56)
10. Forever & One (03:53)
11. Midnight Sun (06:19)
12. Mr. Ego (07:00)
CD3:
01. Shit and Lobster (04:10)
02. Oriental Journey (05:44)
03. I Don't Care You Don't Care (04:00)
04. Ain't Got Nothin' Better (04:39)
05. Moshi Moshi - Shiki No Uta (06:53)
06. Can't Fight Your Desire (03:45)
07. Star Invasion (04:47)
08. Silicon Dreams (04:17)
09. Grapowski's Malmsuite 1001 (06:33)
10. Electric Eye (04:06)
11. A Game We Shouldn't Play (03:38)
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