Report :
De Walls Off Jericho with 7 Sinners: 25 years of HELLOWEEN
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HELLOWEEN
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Publishing date : 10/29/10
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Author : metalmp
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Approximate translation of the file
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The exit of a new album of HELLOWEEN always represents for the amateur of powerful melodies, singing, at the fast and removed rates/rhythms one moment of pleasure. Because if there is extremely to bet that if three names often return, German Metal is not summarized to SCORPIONS, ACCEPT or RAMSTEIN, far is necessary some. With the passing of years, our German neighbors knew, well better than in France, to exploit their cultural differences to make a serious and respected musical and commercial force of it. If the history will retain, among others, formations like KREATOR, brutal veteran of scene Thrash, RUNNING WILD or BLIND GUARDIAN, she will especially remember HELLOWEEN whose rise to power was as important as its fall was brutal and its courageous and glorious reconquest.
From the exit of its first album, Walls Of Jericho in 1985, HELLOWEEN indeed conquered the world before sinking in quasi a bankruptcy. A change of singer later, the formation arrives, with the force of the wrist, to regild its blazon and to stabilize its career, in spite of some choices sometimes surprising.
the presence in Paris at the beginning of October of voluble singer Andi DERIS and guitarist Sascha GERSTNER, present to ensure the promotion of 7 Sinners, 13th album studio of HELLOWEEN, was the occasion to reconsider a good quarter century of a career rich in music and bounce. A history which can only perdurer so much their new album, 7 Sinners, is rich and promising d' a glowing future.
SPLENDOUR
Trained in 1978 by the guitarists Michael WEITKATH and Kai HANSEN (also with the song) accompanied by Markus GROSSKOPF (low) and Ingo SCHWICHTENBERG (battery), HELLOWEEN is essential in a few years like the most important challenger of the leaders of the German scene of the beginning of the 80 ' S, SCORPIONS at the head. The group takes the time necessary to polish its style and to work its repertory. It is only into 1985 that its first disc leaves, a mini album sobrement known under the name of Helloween. If this calling card of five pieces does not show naturally yet all the musical facets of the group, it is one which will quickly become its signature: Speed. Because HELLOWEEN cheek quickly. The group seems not only given to compete with American formations with growing prestige, like METALLICA or SLAYER, but also seeks to make shade with its compatriots. The SCORPIONS, with Love At First Sting (1984) dominate the world of the Hard Rock, ACCEPT tent to steal the place with its born last to them, Metal Heart, KREATOR have just left Endless Pain, the pirates of RUNNING WILD confirm their statute of outsider to the long teeth with their second LP, Branded And Exiled… Bref, competition is hard.
Its mini LP made it possible HELLOWEEN to be pointed out by the label Noise which proposes a contract to him. In the tread, the group publishes its first true album, the vigorous Walls Of Jericho whose nine titles assure to the statute as well local as European group carried out by Kai HANSEN. The pieces move away from direct spirit Thrash to include many melody aspects which often evoke JUDAS PRIEST or IRON MAIDEN. To evoke the music of HELLOWEEN is done from now on while speaking about Speed Melody or Power Metal.
the group is essential a first major strategic change then: Kai HANSEN not being able to ensure at the same time the song and the guitar decides to yield the microphone. Arrive the singer Michael KISKE whose capacities are quite higher than those of the Kai of 86. HELLOWEEN attacks a gigantic project to translate on an double album. Mow, Noise does not have enough confidence in the commercial potential of its foal and incites it to publish the saga Keeper Of The Seven Keys in two volumes. A saga of which certain pieces come very close to fifteen minutes, near to the progressive spirit. Keeper Of The Seven Keys - Part 1 appears in 1987 and shows a group Heavy, Speed, powerful, a group whose effective, memorable melodies with the intonations often as humorous as the illustrations of the album make fly immediately. Even the US market yields and fall under the charm from the armies from pumpkins not so malefic that. Keeper Of The Seven Keys - Part 2 follows one year later (1988) and meets same happiness. HELLOWEEN offers the round of the large dukes, opening on the European dates of the Monsters Of Rock whose head of poster is not other thanIRON MAIDEN, then at the top of its glory. The ways of the two groups will cross regularly in the future, and it is only pure logic. Because not only the two singers have similar voices, but the imitation is translated even in the music, without HELLOWEEN not falling into vulgar plagiarism. The Germans develop their own universe as well musical as visual. Although the alcoholic pumpkin and amatrice of various substances become an essential element of spirit HELLOWEEN, it is impossible to confuse it with certain Eddie of which will have is not to it of nothing comparable…
successes of the group are immortalisé in 1989 on a first album live, Live In The UK. Curiously, this disc leaves under three different versions, with same the track listing (the Européenne version profits however in the middle of an additional piece, Rise And Fall) but three different names: the Japanese are entitled to one thus Keepers Live while the US market proposes I Want Out Live.
DECLINE the
large labels start to make eye with the Germans who finally let themselves allure by the offer ofEMI (thus hold…). Noise does not hear it this ear and brings a lawsuit with HELLOWEEN which wanted to break its contract. The group loses the lawsuit and undergoes the very heavy consequences of the judgement: it must pay a strong fine with Noise and, worse, is seen prohibiting to leave the least disc apart from the European markets and Japanese. Condemned to lose, or more exactly, forced to give up the enormous commercial potential of the American territory which had just made him a triumph, HELLOWEEN will know a fall as vertiginous as its conquest was glorious. Kai HANSEN leaves the cucurbitaceous one to form GAMMA RAY, and is seen replaced by Roland GRAPOW. The
two albums which follow are dared, certainly, but humanly and commercially catastrophic. The lawsuit left traces, and the music feels some. The reception so much public that criticizes that receives Pink Bubbles Go Ape at its exit in 1991 is not cold, it is icy. Nobody includes/understands where the group wants to come from there and Chameleon, appeared in 1993, does not arrange the things. If HELLOWEEN does not have to show its direction of the melody any more, the group seems to have raised the foot, that as of the cover one cannot more simplistic. The introduction of the violin surprises, less however than the disappearance of the guitars on certain songs. The public, disorientated, deserted and the tensions in the group, more important than ever, result in the ousting from Michael KISKE, followed by depressive and schizophrenic the Ingo (the beater will commit suicide in March 1995) and in the end of the contract with EMI.
Few possibilities are offered to the group: either to disappear, but that is inenvisageable so much the passion which animates the founding members is intact, or to raise the head, and to reappear.
RECONQUEST
safety comes from the integration of the singer of a training very in sight, Andi DERIS, whose group PINK CREAM 69 proudly climbs the levels of the glory, and from which the last born, Games People Play (1993), meets success a little everywhere in Europe and in Japan. HELLOWEEN recruiting also beater Uli KUSCH and signs on a reasonable label of size, Raw Power. The formation thus made up will not change until 2002. This stability will result naturally in a growing effectiveness of the compositions from new the HELLOWEEN.
Andi DERIS hopes that its fans, those of PINK CREAM 69 will follow it in this new adventure. But it also knows that a good album should be proposed. When appears Master Of The Rings in 1994, the critics acknowledge themselves relieved, positively accomodating this album which joins again with the power and the melodies which made the glory of the group. The public follows, success is of return. New fishing is translated again two years later with The Time Of The Oath whose small pocket points out the glorious time of Keeper Of The Seven Keys. HELLOWEEN engages then in a vast world tour and the double live High Live (1996), recorded at the end of fourteen months of round draws some whereas the group was exhausted. Exhausted but being again in the heart of the fans, HELLOWEEN includes finally confidence.
the troop of Michael WEIKATH must however confirm near the public and of the media its back in favor. The time lends itself to it more especially as technological advances make it possible HELLOWEEN to draw advantage from the numerical one. Better Than Raw supplements the trilogy started with the two preceding discs and reassures everyone as for the mental health and musical of the group and this as of the small pocket which approaches always more spirit HELLOWEEN : a sexy witch preparing, the smile with the lips, an unspecified potion in a pot worthy of that which uses Panoramix.
When a group decides to include in
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Compilation DEATH METAL on label NOISE, with the titles Oernst Off Life and Metal Invader. 1984
Compilation DEATH METAL on label NOISE, with the titles Oernst Off Life and Metal Invader. 1984
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Walls Off Jericho - 1985
Walls Off Jericho - 1985
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Keeper Of The Seven Keys Leaves 1 - 1987
Keeper Of The Seven Keys Leaves 1 - 1987
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Keeper Of The Seven Keys Leaves 2 - 1988
Keeper Of The Seven Keys Leaves 2 - 1988
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Live In The U.K. - 1989
Live In The U.K. - 1989
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I want Out Live - 1989
I want Out Live - 1989
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Keepers Live - 1989
Keepers Live - 1989
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Pink Bubbles Go PTA -1991
Pink Bubbles Go PTA -1991
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Chameleon - 1993
Chameleon - 1993
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Master Off The Boxing rings - 1994
Master Off The Boxing rings - 1994
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The Time Off The Oath - 1996
The Time Off The Oath - 1996
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High Live - 1996
High Live - 1996
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Better Than Raw - 1998
Better Than Raw - 1998
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The Dark Wrinkles - 2000
The Dark Wrinkles - 2000
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Rabbits Don' T Like Easy - 2003
Rabbits Don' T Like Easy - 2003
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Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy - 2005
Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy - 2005
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Live In Sao Paolo -2007
Live In Sao Paolo -2007
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Gambling With The Devil - 2007
Gambling With The Devil - 2007
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7 Sinners - 2010
7 Sinners - 2010
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De Sascha G. and Andi D. for Integral Metal
De Sascha G. and Andi D. for Integral Metal
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