HELLOWEEN territory

Helloween - Eagle Fly Free

2006-12-25T02:18:00.000+07:00


Great Video Really Good Band To watch it and see if u like them too

Helloween - the king fot 1000 years (live in curitiba) 31/03/06

2006-12-25T02:14:00.000+07:00


Live video www.isodband.cjb.net www.fotolog.com/isodband

helloween - forever and one

2006-12-25T02:11:00.000+07:00


helloween - forever and one

Helloween Power - a TEKKEN 2 Tribute

2006-12-25T02:01:00.000+07:00


A tribute to the legendary Namco's Game.."TEKKEN 2" On the fantastic note of the power metal group Helloween!!!

Judas (1985)

2006-12-21T18:56:00.001+07:00

Judas 04:39
(Hansen) lyrics
Ride The Sky live 07:16
(Hansen) lyrics
Guardians live 04:28
(Weikath) lyrics
Cry For Freedom live 06:02
(Weikath/Hansen) lyrics

Future World (1987)

2006-12-21T18:56:00.000+07:00

Future World 04:02
(Hansen) lyrics
Starlight (Kiske Version) 04:17
(Weikath/Hansen) lyrics
A Little Time (Different Version) 03:32
(Kiske) lyrics

Dr. Stein (1988)

2006-12-21T18:54:00.000+07:00

Dr. Stein 05:03
(Weikath)
Savage 03:26
(Kiske)
Livin' Ain't No Crime 04:43
(Weikath)
Victim Of Fate 06:58
(Hansen)

I Want Out (1988)

2006-12-21T18:52:00.000+07:00

I Want Out 04:39
(Hansen)
Save Us 05:12
(Hansen)
Don't Run For Cover 04:48
(Kiske)

Kids Of The Century (1991)

2006-12-21T18:51:00.000+07:00

Kids Of The Century 03:52
(Kiske)
Blue Suede Shoes 02:38
(Perkins)
Exclusive Helloween Interview 06:02

Number One (1992)

2006-12-21T18:50:00.000+07:00

Number One 05:12
(Weikath)
Les Hambourgeois Walkways 05:46
(Weikath)
You Run With The Pack 03:54
(Grosskopf)

When The Sinner (1993)

2006-12-21T18:47:00.000+07:00

When The Sinner 06:54
(Kiske)
I Don't Care You Don't Care 03:27
(Weikath)
Oriental Journey 04:44
(Grapow)

Step Out Of Hell (1993)

2006-12-21T18:46:00.000+07:00

Japan only

Step Out Of Hell 04:25
(Grapow)
Cut In The Middle 03:56
(Grosskopf)
Introduction 03:54
(Weikath)
Get Me Out Of Here 02:50
(Weikath)

Windmill (1993)

2006-12-21T18:45:00.000+07:00

Windmill 05:06
(Weikath)
Cut In The Middle 03:56
(Grosskopf)
Introduction 03:54
(Weikath)
Get Me Out Of Here 02:50
(Weikath)

I Don't Wanna Cry No More (1993)

2006-12-21T18:40:00.000+07:00

I Don't Wanna Cry No More 05:11
(Grapow)
Red Socks And The Smell Of Trees 10:48
(Helloween)
Ain't Got Nothin' Better 04:43
(Grosskopf)

Mr Ego (Take Me Down) (1994)

2006-12-21T18:39:00.000+07:00

Mr Ego (Take Me Down) 07:02
(Grapow)
Where The Rain Grows 04:46
(Weikath/Deris)
Can't Fight Your Desire 03:45
(Deris)
Star Invasion 04:48
(Weikath/Deris)

Where The Rain Grows (1994)

2006-12-21T18:37:00.000+07:00

Japan only

Where The Rain Grows 04:46
(Weikath/Deris)
Mr Ego (Take Me Down) 07:02
(Grapow)
Can't Fight Your Desire 03:45
(Deris)
Star Invasion 04:48
(Weikath/Deris)

Perfect Gentleman (1994)

2006-12-21T18:14:00.000+07:00

Perfect Gentleman 03:53
(Deris/Weikath)
Cold Sweat 03:42
(Sykes/Lynott)
Silicon Dreams 04:17
(Grosskopf)
Grapowski's Malmsuite 1001 (In D-Doll) 06:30
(Grapow)

Sole Survivor (1995)

2006-12-21T18:12:00.000+07:00

Japan only

Sole Survivor 04:33
(Weikath/Deris)
In The Middle Of A Heartbeat 04:30
(Deris/Weikath)
I Stole Your Love 03:21
(Stanley)
Closer To Home 08:13
(Farner)

The Time Of The Oath EP (1996)

2006-12-21T18:08:00.000+07:00

The Time Of The Oath 07:18
(Grapow/Deris)
Electric Eye 04:10
(Tipton/Halford/Halford)
Magnetic Fields 03:43
(Jarre)

Japanese cover:

Power (1996)

2006-12-21T18:06:00.000+07:00

Power 03:25
(Weikath)
We Burn 03:06
(Deris)
Rain 04:32
(Parfitt)
Walk Your Way 04:56
(Grosskopf)

Forever And One (Neverland) (1996)

2006-12-21T17:57:00.000+07:00

Japan only

Forever And One (Neverland) 03:58
(Deris)
Light In The Sky 02:36
(Deris)
Time Goes By 02:23
(Deris)

Forever And One (Neverland) Live (1996)

2006-12-21T17:54:00.000+07:00

Forever And One (Neverland) live 03:58
(Deris)
In The Middle Of A Hearbeat 03:03
(Weikath/Deris)
Light In The Sky 02:37
(Deris)
Time Goes By 02:23
(Deris)

I Can (1998)

2006-12-21T17:52:00.000+07:00

I Can 04:40
(Deris)
A Handful Of Pain 04:48
(Deris/Kusch)
A Game We Shouldn't Play 03:37
(Deris)

Hey Lord! (1998)

2006-12-21T17:51:00.000+07:00

Hey Lord! 04:09
(Deris)
Perfect Gentleman live 04:48
(Kusch/Deris)
Moshi Moshi-Shiki No Uta live 03:37
(Kusch/Grapow/Grapow)
Hey Lord Video Europe only

Lay All Your Love On Me (1999)

2006-12-21T17:49:00.000+07:00

Lay All Your Love On Me 04:36
(ABBA)
From Out Of Nowhere 03:19
(Faith No More)
Something 03:08
(The Beatles)

If I Could Fly (2000)

2006-12-21T17:47:00.000+07:00

If I Could Fly Radio-Edit 03:30
(Deris)
Deliver Us From Temptation 04:08
(Grosskopf/Weikath)
If I Could Fly 04:53
(Deris)

Mr. Torture (2000)

2006-12-21T17:46:00.000+07:00

Mr. Torture 03:53
(Kusch)
If I Could Fly Radio-Edit 03:30
(Deris)
Deliver Us From Temptation 04:08
(Grosskopf/Weikath)
If I Could Fly 04:53
(Deris)

ust A Little Sign (2003)

2006-12-21T17:45:00.000+07:00

Just A Little Sign 04:26
(Deris)
Sheer Heart Attack 03:32
(Taylor)
Madness Of The Crowds 04:12
(Deris)
If I Could Fly Video Europe only

Mrs. God (2005)

2006-12-21T17:43:00.000+07:00

Mrs. God 2:55
(Deris)
King For A Thousand Years 13:54
(Deris) Europe only
My Life For One More Day
(Grosskopf/Deris) Japan only
Run (The Name Of Your Enemy) 4:11
(Gerstner/Deris)
Mrs. God Video
Video Bonus Japan only

Light The Universe (2006)

2006-12-20T22:46:00.000+07:00

Light The Universe
05:01 (Deris)
If I Could Fly live
04:07 (Gerstner)
Revolution
05:06 (Grosskopf)
Light The Universe
Video

Helloween EP (1985)

2006-12-20T22:40:00.000+07:00

Starlight 05:15
(Weikath/Hansen) lyrics
Murderer
04:25 (Hansen) lyrics
Warrior
04:00 (Hansen) lyrics
Victim Of Fate
06:39 (Hansen) lyrics
Cry For Freedom
06:07 (Weikath/Hansen) lyrics
Surprise Track
02:08 (Traditional) Picture-LP Bonus

Helloween EP: A summary by Tony Webster

"The beginning…….although the band had two songs out on a previous compilation by Noise records called "Death Metal", this was their debut EP. Starlight is regarded as one of Helloween’s trademark classic songs with the famous Intro “Happy Happy Helloween Helloween Helloween…..” which is a line that has been chanted by Helloween audiences around the world over the years. It’s also a song that was later on resung by Michael Kiske on the Future World single. Murderer is another cult favorite and has since been remixed on the band’s “Treasure Chest” compilation. Victim of Fate is a fan favorite and was re-recorded with Michael Kiske singing on the Dr Stein single. The EP marked the beginning of a very successful career!"

Walls Of Jericho (1985)

2006-12-20T22:38:00.000+07:00

Walls Of Jericho 00:53
(Weikath/Hansen) lyrics
Ride The Sky 05:54
(Hansen) lyrics
Reptile 03:45
(Weikath) lyrics
Guardians 04:20
(Weikath) lyrics
Phantoms Of Death 06:33
(Hansen) lyrics
Metal Invaders 04:08
(Hansen/Weikath) lyrics
Gorgar 03:57
(Hansen/Weikath) lyrics
Heavy Metal (Is The Law) 04:08
(Hansen/Weikath) lyrics
How Many Tears 07:11
(Weikath) lyrics

Walls of Jericho: A Summary by Tony Webster

Walls of Jericho is considered by many a speed metal masterpiece. It's considered one of the band's most influential albums and in the USA an underground metal classic. Songwriting wise this album leans more towards the thrash genre than the influential Power Metal the band would later create. At the time however, nobody was playing heavy metal with quite the speed and the melody that Helloween was playing. The band in a sense was ahead of it’s time. Songs like Ride The Sky, How Many Tears, Gorgar and Guardians are highly regarded Helloween songs by the fans. Over the years many fans have emailed me telling me how much they loved Heavy Metal Is the Law and it turns out that this song is also a highly regarded Helloween cult classic. Overall Walls of Jericho was a period where the band had begun to reach it’s potential. Who would have ever known that what was about to come after Walls would be two of the most influential metal records ever recorded? I can say this, Walls of Jericho was an influential album in it’s own right, but the best was yet to come…..

Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I (1987)

2006-12-20T22:34:00.000+07:00

Initation 01:21
(Hansen) lyrics
I'm Alive 03:23
(Hansen) lyrics
A Little Time 03:45
(Kiske) lyrics
Twilight Of The Gods 04:29
(Hansen) lyrics
A Tale That Wasn't Right 05:15
(Weikath) lyrics
Future World 04:02
(Hansen) lyrics
Halloween 13:18
(Hansen) lyrics | video
Follow The Sign 01:46
(Hansen/Weikath) lyrics

Helloween Keeper of The Seven Keys Part 1: A Summary by Tony Webster

The first of two classics, a new direction, a new singer in Michael Kiske, and a better production thanks to the two Tommys (Tommy Hansen and Tommy Newton). The band was taking a big risk in changing their direction as Walls of Jericho was Noise records' biggest selling album to date. However the band's risk would pay off in the end. Keeper 1 was the band’s breakthrough album and is considered one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time and many magazines at the time hailed Keeper 1 as one of the most important Heavy Metal albums ever recorded. The band sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. Over 100,000 in Germany and they even charted at number 102 in the USA Billboard top 200. Many great things were happening for the band at this point in their career. Helloween played their first tour of the USA which was the Hell On Wheels Tour and featured Helloween, Grim Reaper and Armored Saint. The chemistry between Michael Weikath and Kai Hansen was apparent through their outstanding complex dual guitar harmonies which have since become a Helloween trademark. Michael Kiske’s presence in the band helped them expand their sound with such classics as Halloween, A Tale That Wasn’t Right and Future World. With Keeper of the 7 Keys Part 1, the band cemented their foundation of success for years to come! Also, if you want to hear some cool Michael Kiske versions of old songs. Check out the re-recorded studio versions of Starlight and Victim of Fate both now availiable again on the Keeper of The Seven Keys Part 1 expanded edition. The Kiske version of Starlight was originally a b-side on the Future World single and the Kiske version of Victim of Fate was originally a b-side on the Dr. Stein single.

Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II (1988)

2006-12-20T22:31:00.000+07:00

Invitation 01:06
(Weikath/Hansen)
Eagle Fly Free 05:08
(Weikath)
You Always Walk Alone 05:08
(Kiske)
Rise And Fall 04:20
(Weikath)
Dr. Stein 05:03
(Weikath)
We Got The Right 05:07
(Kiske)
March Of Time 05:13
(Hansen)
I Want Out 04:39
(Hansen) video
Keeper Of The Seven Keys 13:38
(Weikath)

Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II: Summary by Tony Webster

Anytime I hear "Follow The Sign" which is the last track of Keeper 1 I can't help but want to go and immediately listen to part II. The general consensus is that Keeper 1 has a better sound and production while Keeper 2 has the better songs. To be honest I love both albums equally. The band shows it’s maturity in it’s songwriting and many songs on this album would become a staple in their live set for years to come. Eagle Fly Free, Dr. Stein, I Want Out, and the title track Keeper of The Seven Keys are considered power metal classics. Cult tracks like March of Time show just how epic this album really is, and Rise n Fall shows off the band’s humor. Lots of crazy things went on during this time period. The band played the Donnington Monsters of Rock festival along with Iron Maiden, Kiss, and many other legendary bands, and Tommy Hansen was fired during the production which left Tommy Newton to finish. Also of note is the fact that Dr. Stein, which was originally supposed to be a b-side was added to the album, the song would become one of Helloween’s trademark tracks for the album. The b-side “Livin’ Ain’t No Crime” was actually supposed to be on the album instead. Keeper of The Seven Keys Part II is one of metal’s masterpieces and it’s universally agreed upon that this album is of legendary status and stands on it’s own. This would be the last album to feature Kai Hansen though, as he would leave in December of 1988 and Roland Grapow would join the band to do the Headbanger’s Ball tour in the states with Anthrax and Exodus.

Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)

2006-12-20T22:27:00.000+07:00

Pink Bubbles Go Ape
00:37 (Kiske)
Kids Of The Century
03:52 (Kiske) video
Back On The Streets
03:23 (Grapow/Kiske)
Number One
05:14 (Weikath)
Heavy Metal Hamsters
03:28 (Weikath/Kiske)
Goin' Home
03:51 (Kiske)
Someone's Crying
04:18 (Grapow)
Mankind
06:19 (Grapow/Kiske)
I'm Doin Fine Crazy Man
03:39 (Grosskopf/Grapow)
The Chance
03:48 (Grapow)
Your Turn
05:39 (Kiske)

Pink Bubbles Go Ape: A summary by Tony Webster

This album was recorded during a very strange and very stressful time in the band’s career. Due to court cases the band didn’t release this album until 3 years after Keeper 2 came out. Plus they had a different producer. This album was not entirely popular by the fans and didn’t sell very well. Productionwise it’s the worst of any Helloween album. When looking back on it though, the album is good for what it is. New guitarist Roland Grapow wrote three songs and co-wrote one, all are considered by most fans to be the best songs on the album. Mankind, Someone’s Crying, and the fan favorite The Chance were definite highlights of this album. Michael Kiske wrote some great tracks like Kids of The Century and Your Turn. Almost no imput from Michael Weikath appeared on this record except for a couple of tracks, the song Number One and the joke song Heavy Metal Hamsters which of course like Dr. Stein was also meant to be a b-side. Overall this was an album by band with a lot of inner turmoil at the time. Still it turned out quite well despite everything they had dealt with over the last 3 years.

Chameleon (1993)

2006-12-20T22:25:00.000+07:00

First Time
05:30 (Weikath)
When The Sinner
06:54 (Kiske) lyrics | video
I Don't Wanna Cry No More
05:11 (Grapow) lyrics
Crazy Cat
03:29 (Grapow) lyrics
Giants
06:40 (Weikath) lyrics
Windmill
05:06 (Weikath) lyrics
Revolution Now
08:04 (Weikath) lyrics
In The Night
05:38 (Kiske) lyrics
Music
07:00 (Grapow) lyrics
Step Out Of Hell
04:25 (Grapow) lyrics
I Believe
09:12 (Kiske) lyrics
Longing
04:15 (Kiske) lyrics

Chameleon: A summary by Tony Webster

Chameleon is an album that has a lot of background to it so this entry may be longer than the others. This was a dark time for the band. They were in huge debt because of their court cases with Noise records, there were severe tensions within the band about what direction to take with the music, Ingo was also getting extremely ill due to his psychological state. The band also faced adversity from their record company EMI who told many vendors not to order the album because it wouldn’t sell. Chameleon was released in 1993 and was very poorly received by fans and critics alike. The irony is that years later the album became accepted by many fans. Songs like Giants, First Time, Music, Step Out of Hell, Windmill and I Believe have become fan favorites over the years. A funny thing is that in past interviews and conversations Michael Kiske, Roland Grapow and Michael Weikath all told me that Chameleon was like a 3 man solo album because each of the songwriter’s songs were completely different from one another. This would also be the last album to feature Michael Kiske as their lead singer and Ingo Scwichtenberg as their drummer. Looking back on it Chameleon is a great album, and people tell me all the time how it shouldn’t have been a Helloween album. I tend to disagree, I think this record was important for the band in many ways and adds to Helloween’s diverse catalog of music……a catalog I would argue is more diverse than most bands let alone metal bands.

Master Of The Rings (1994)

2006-12-20T22:22:00.000+07:00

Irritation
01:14 (Weikath)
Sole Survivor
04:33 (Weikath/Deris)
Where The Rain Grows
04:46 (Weikath/Deris) video
Why?
04:11 (Deris)
Mr Ego (Take Me Down)
07:02 (Grapow) video
Perfect Gentleman
03:53 (Deris/Weikath) video
The Game Is On
04:40 (Weikath)
Secret Alibi
05:49 (Weikath)
Take Me Home
04:25 (Grapow)
In The Middle Of A Heartbeat
04:30 (Deris/Weikath)
Still We Go
05:09 (Grapow)

Master of The Rings: A summary by Tony Webster

1994 started the rebirth for Helloween as 1993 almost saw their extinction. Some new faces came into the mix for Master of The Rings. A new fiery drummer named Uli Kusch came into the mix, as well as former Pink Cream 69 singer Andi Deris. Andi’s presence revitalized the band not only because he brought fresh song ideas into the band but also a fresh perspective not only musically but personally. The chemistry within the band was again solid and Master of The Rings was released to good reviews. Helloween had revitalized themselves again. The addition of Andi Deris added a different dimension to this band and on this record it shows. Where The Rain Grows, Sole Survivor, Why, Mr. Ego, In The Middle of a Heartbeat and Still We Go are some of the band’s finest moments. Master of The Rings put the band back on track, however as good as this record is, what was about to come would put the band back on the map.

The Time Of The Oath (1996)

2006-12-20T22:21:00.000+07:00

We Burn
03:04 (Deris)
Steel Tormentor
05:40 (Weikath/Deris)
Wake Up The Mountain
05:01 (Kusch/Deris)
Power
03:28 (Weikath) video
Forever And One (Neverland)
03:54 (Deris)
Before The War
04:33 (Deris)
A Million To One
05:11 (Kusch/Deris)
Anything My Mama Don't Like
03:56 (Deris/Kusch)
Kings Will Be Kings
05:09 (Weikath)
Mission Motherland
09:00 (Weikath/Helloween)
If I Knew
05:30 (Weikath)
The Time Of The Oath
06:58 (Grapow/Deris) video

Better Than Raw (1998)

2006-12-20T22:19:00.000+07:00

Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude Period In Z
01:44 (Kusch)
Push
04:44 (Kusch/Deris/Deris)
Falling Higher
04:45 (Weikath/Deris)
Hey Lord
04:05 (Deris/Grosskopf)
Don't Spit On My Mind
04:23 (Deris/Grosskopf)
Relevation
08:21 (Kusch/Deris)
Time
05:41 (Deris)
I Can
04:38 (Deris/Weikath) video
A Handful Of Pain
04:48 (Kusch/Deris)
Laudate Dominum
05:09 (Weikath)
Midnight Sun
06:18 (Weikath)

The Dark Ride (2000)

2006-12-20T22:17:00.000+07:00

Beyond The Portal
00:45 (Deris)
Mr. Torture
03:27 (Kusch)
All Over The Nations
04:54 (Weikath)
Escalation 666
04:24 (Grapow)
Mirror Mirror
03:43 (Deris)
If I Could Fly
04:09 (Deris) video
Salvation
05:42 (Weikath)
The Departed (Sun Is Going Down)
04:36 (Kusch)
I Live For Your Pain
03:59 (Deris)
We Damn The Night
04:06 (Deris)
Immortal
04:04 (Deris)
The Dark Ride
08:48 (Grapow)

Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003)

2006-12-20T22:15:00.000+07:00

Just A Little Sign
04:28 (Deris) video
Open Your Life
04:32 (Gerstner)
The Tune
05:38 (Weikath)
Never Be A Star
04:13 (Deris)
Liar
04:58 (Grosskopf)
Sun For The World
03:59 (Gerstner)
Don't Stop Being Crazy
04:28 (Deris)
Do You Feel Good
04:25 (Weikath)
Hell Was Made In Heaven
05:36 (Grosskopf)
Back Against The Wall
05:35 (Deris)
Listen To The Flies
04:56 (Gerstner)
Nothing To Say
08:29 (Weikath)
Far Away
04:18 (Grosskopf) Europe only

Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy (2005)

2006-12-20T22:10:00.000+07:00

2005
Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy

CD 1

The King for A 1000 Years

13:54 (Helloween/Deris)
The Invisible Man
07:17 (Gerstner)
Born on Judgment Day
06:14 (Weikath)
Pleasure Drone
04:08 (Gerstner)
Mrs. God
02:55 (Deris) video
Silent Rain
04:21 (Gerstner/Deris)

CD 2

Occasion Avenue
11:04 (Deris)
Light The Universe (feat. Candice Night)
05:00 (Deris)
Do You Know What You're Fighting For
04:45 (Weikath)
Come Alive
03:20 (Deris)
The Shade In The Shadows
03:24 (Deris)
Get It Up
04:13 (Weikath)
My Life For One More Day
06:51 (Grosskopf/Deris)

Legacy on LP / new DVD

2006-12-20T21:55:00.000+07:00

Tuesday, 23 May 2006

The pumpkin is continuing its triumphal march: following their sensational world tour, which proved to over 150,000 fans at almost 80 shows in over 30 countries night afternight that Helloween’s current album, ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys -The Legacy’, is a worthy successor to their two cult recordings, ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I’ and ‘Part II’, the band surrounding vocalist Andi Deris and guitarist Michael Weikath are about to take Europe’s festivalstages by storm. To mark this occasion, Steamhammer/SPV together with Cargoare about to release Helloween’s new masterpiece in a sought-after, popular-with-collectorsvinyl version mid June. In other words: ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy’ will be out on double LP in a gatefold sleeve. A must for everymelodic metal fan! The band has also announced the impendingrelease of a double DVD, filmed during shows in Sofia, Tokyo and Sao Paulo. In Sao Paulo alone, Helloween played in front of over 6000 enthusiastic fans. Alongside the live footage, the double DVD will include lots of exciting bonus material - release date to be announced by SPV in the coming weeks.

Light The Universe - Single News

2006-12-20T21:49:00.000+07:00

Monday, 21 August 2006

Helloween have spent a long day at the castle Veldenstein in the southern part of Germany recently. The castle was the fascinating location for the shoot of the video for the upcoming single “Light The Universe” - the first ever duet in the band’s history - with renowned director Alex Diezinger (Negative, L’Ame Immortelle, Exilia) of AVA Studios. Joining the band on the castle like in the recording studio was Blackmore’s Night beautiful singer Candice Night.

Light The Universe - Release

2006-12-20T21:45:00.000+07:00

Friday, 22 September 2006

HELLOWEEN will release their new single, "Light the Universe", on November 13 via SPV Records (November 10 in Germany). The title cut is said to be the first-ever duet in the band's history, which also features an appearance by BLACKMORE'S NIGHT singer Candice Night.In addition to the single version of "Light the Universe", this four-track single offers bonus material in the form of a video for the title track, directed by Alexander Diezinger (NEGATIVE, L'AME IMMORTELLE, EXILIA) at Veldenstein Castle in southern Germany, the track "Revolution" (penned by bassist Markus Großkopf, recorded for Japan and previously unreleased in Europe), as well as an appetizer for the band's upcoming live album — a stage version of "If I Could Fly", recorded in Sao Paulo in March 2006.

New Video Light The Universe feat. Candice Night!

2006-12-20T21:43:00.000+07:00

Monday, 09 October 2006 This is the exciting new Helloween videoclip feat. Candice Night.

A Hi-Res version of this clip will be part of the upcoming 4 track ep.

play Video stream

DVD News

2006-12-20T21:32:00.000+07:00

„KEEPER OF THE SEVEN KEYS – THE LEGACY WORLD TOUR 2005/2006 LIVE ON 3 CONTINENTS” on DVD and CD in three different formats

The past two years were without doubt among the most successful in Helloween’s long career. Their album success, Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy, earned them critical acclaim all over the world, and the five musicians, Andi Deris (vocals), Michael Weikath (guitar), Markus Großkopf (bass), Sascha Gerstner (guitar) and Dani Löble (drums), embarked on a celebrated tour around the world, playing 100 concerts in 40 countries and sold-out shows in packed venues wherever they appeared. Helloween recorded three of these sensational shows - in Sofia, Tokyo and Sao Paulo - and are set to release these recordings on their brand-new double live album and double live DVD. Over 6,000 enthusiastic fans came to the show in Sao Paulo on March 25, 2006, where the majority of the cuts were recorded, celebrating their idols with frenetic applause.

INTERVIEW

2006-06-30T16:02:00.000+07:00

HELLOWEEN

September 2005
http://www.helloween.org

Well I have heard so much about the legendary Michael Weikath. I heard a lot of opinions about him from friends out of the business and from the Helloween fan forum. Most of them haven't been too nice. Not nice at all. So my feelings towards this interview were mixed. But as Arnold and I arrived for the interview and as it was my turn, the picture I gained in the past about this man melted away. In front of me was just a musician who said most likely what he was thinking. No more... and apparently no less. The ice broke right away as I set up my computer for recording. Though he did not approve too much of my Dell laptop, he was still surprised about the situation. However, after showing the recording program and some jokes aside, we started with the interview. I was still nervous, but that would fade in no time… after the interview, we seem to find no end in talking about music and private experiences, till Andi (who was engaged in another interview) and the promoter finally wanted to grab some food. And the morale of this night: build your own picture. Maybe the wolf everybody was afraid of was just a musician with a furry coat.

One of the first questions is obvious: Why did you choose to call it "Keeper" again. Somewhere I read it would seamlessly fit to the story of the other "Keepers".

It is trying to start and connect where the other ended. With Andi in the band, some people would joke that it was taking us a few years (makes Neanderthal laughing noises), what mostly meant "we think you can not do it". Of course other people meant that joke in a more positive direction because they would have liked to hear something like that again. So... "what is with a "Keepers 3"" was meant seriously from both sides. Why ever it didn't happen in the past... if it were the circumstances or the line up or there was no wish to do it. However, after the last tour our Japanese manager came along and said (mimics a Japanese accent) "How would you like to do a "Keepers 3"", hehe. Since we played some parts from the last "Keepers" on the last tour, Andi said we actually could. And I agreed that the band lineup was good to do it. And then, as we went on tour we reserved the rights. We wanted to try something and if it didn't work out, we still could call it something different afterwards, but we wanted to keep our possibilities open. Finally, Charlie, our producer, said at a certain point, when we already had 58 minutes of music: "You know, this is all great material, but if you want to call it a "Keeper" record, than a typical classic, epical Helloween "Keeper" track there is still missing. You just don't have something like 'Invisible Man" or "Occasion Avenue" yet. You now have modern pieces, but maybe too modern, so you have to compose at least one epic track. And if you can not do this within the next three weeks, we can not record it in time, and it will not be on the record and you will not be able to call it a "Keeper" album". So Andi and I sat together for six or eight days of editing things on the power book. Like parts, chords melodies and everything... and as we finished, we felt it was time to let Sascha in on the thing with more tracks and Ideas than we have had at this point. We sat together with Sascha, Markus and me in my living room and edit and edit - it was a very long night and than we played it to Charlie and he also re-edited and rearranged it. Tommy Newton and Tommy Hanson has been a great influence on the material we did back then, so that all came in a very natural way. Obviously you can save a lot of time working on computers. We used to do this all on tapes and rehearsals by that time. So the track "The King For A 1000 Years" was never rehearsed in the rehearsal room. That is really interesting. Then we came back to the island just to record this and play this song, to add the drums and all the other things.

You recorded this in Andi's studio, right (Mi Sueno Studio on Tenerife)?

Yes (preparing some coffee and searching for the missing spoon)

Did the title bring more pressure on you? You mentioned already that people liked to see you fail. The expectation of fans will be high.

Well, that doesn't matter. Did you hear the album already?

No, I was only provided with the single.

Because those are the questions we get before they have heard it. Because usually after they heard it, none of those questions arise, because everybody is just so impressed. I mean yes, it gives a bit additional pressure, but on the other hand we could have been going on doing different records after the "Keeper 2". So maybe the pressure was too high by that time that mistakes were made like the "Pink Bubbles" and the "Chameleon" or whatever. They were not as well received as the other records. So there was certainly something wrong with these records. Even though they were great, but something was wrong. And about pressure. There is always pressure when you want to play in a band and present your stuff to the public, to many people. If you are not able to deal with it, then this might seem like a lot of pressure. There are people who don't belong in this business, because they get too nervous when they have to do things. And there are bands who don't have the talent for songwriting, but wanted to start a band anyway and suddenly they have a record contract and everything they ever wanted, but find themselves afraid because they can not do it.

Is there 20 years of experience talking?

Yeah that too… but I mean I was even more arrogant as we started.

Yes, I heard some stories.

But that's all in the eye of the beholder. As I was even more arrogant as I was 16 and had no record contract.

Will this record now be released world wide, or only in Europe? I read about other records that have been just released regionally. And I read in a lot of different interviews, that fans wonder why and how…

We are now with SPV and they are distributing in Europe and the rest of the world and that is nearly a guarantee that it will be sold all over the world. Well I don't know about Timbuktu and who would be our distributor there, but just because I don't know doesn't mean there is none.

Well I guess the chance is little, that people from Timbuktu read our interview anyway. So let's move on. I was wondering, why you stopped using the pumpkin on your album covers.

Well, that's not true…

It is in the logo alright and in the booklet, but not on the front cover anymore.

That is true, but there is also no pumpkin on the 'Walls Of Jericho", no pumpkin on "Keeper" 1 and 2, no pumpkin on a lot of the covers. They are mostly only inside of the booklet.

Ok... you got me. I did bad homework. You win.

(grins) Also on the Queen records, there was rarely a crown. And they never showed the Queen. Also on Rush.. they never had a rush on the cover….

(slightly childish voice) No, but I like the pumpkin. I can't help it.

(soothing voice) Everybody likes the pumpkin.

What was first, the pumpkin or the name?

The name …the pumpkin came later.

How then?

Because of the pumpkin…(grin)

Hey, that is nasty…

Ok... well it was some witch thing. I'm not quite sure if it was England or the Netherlands, but on "Walpurgis night" the witches gather somewhere in the forest and have their sex rituals. And because they didn't want anybody around, they placed glowing pumpkins all over the forest, so that everybody would be afraid to go there. You know, they place other weird things all around, so people wouldn't go closer to the forest. And that's where it originated.

So basically you wanted to combine that all..

Yeah, especially the witches with their sex rituals in the forest…well.. you actually don't know what they really did there, but nowadays you have modern sources and you might be able to follow up on what they did there…. Maybe even worse things!

Well, how ever your fantasy likes it…
(Arnold:) Originally the witch rituals haven't been sex related. You just needed to be naked, to be as close as possible to nature.

Yes, the Wikka rituals involved a lot of sex actually. I don't know what rituals we are talking about here and in what time area it really took place. But later it ended up in sex for sure.

(getting nervous again) Well can we change the subject?

Ok.. did you know that Weik - the word "weik" - is the term for the witch master in the Wikka?! That's like the guy who controls the witches.

(Arnold:) Hmm... so there is something in your background.

(laughing) No actually not. My name is just Weikath, and has nothing to do with that... I think. (grinning again)

During my preparation for this interview, which I found rather difficult this time, I found an enormous amount of assaults towards you and the band. Mostly in sections for the new album and in the forum. How do you deal with that? Why is it so extreme?

Well it is the same when I was 10 years old when I had a lot of friends, or not friends, guys who didn't like me and gave me a hard time. That's just the case when you look different and when you look attractive or something. Also particularly if you have ignorant people around you, they try to put the blame on other people just for the fun of it. There are even people who beat each other up, or - for guys - on one little guy and they feel so strong and great afterwards and so on…

But the music metal business should be a bit different. We are all a bit different and if you check other band pages, it is not as extreme as with you.

Just check the Metallica web page, there you'll find a lot more extremes.

Well.. I wouldn't count Metallica to metal anymore.

No, but whatever. It is just the general human behavior and you gotta get used to it. That's also why being in a band is not always so easy. There are people who don't take criticism always that easy and maybe it goes to the heart very much. I must also be ignorant on my part because I am not doing anything wrong. I just live; I wear my hair like I want to. And if someone has a proposal for my hair cut, I don't have to agree to that. And there will be some guys sitting together in front of the forum and say what do we write now. If they wouldn't have me and the things I said, they wouldn't have anything to complain about. They are just poor little assholes who could better spend their time wiser instead of that kiddy stuff. They probably have little dicks and problems with woman.

Most of those seem to be Spanish or Brazilians but that's interesting because you have a huge fan base over there and on the other hand so much hatred

They seem to be jealous, they probably want to be in a famous band as well but they're not able to. They also have less experience in bed than I have and that hurts and then they get angry because they can't stand it that somebody like me can do his thing.

You think that's the reason?

That's the very heart of it (laughing) especially when you're so dumb and don't understand the things I say. Sometimes one sentence is enough to show how stupid they are, they don't understand what I say and think that I'm an idiot. And I'm so fucking arrogant because I use these difficult expressions and the way I speak I must be gay!!! And then they think you behave like this because you're so proud of yourself that you show off this much. But I'm just answering questions, I could stay home and not do it. But they assume that I do this because I want to be in the center, in the middle of everything, but I don't. I could have a good time at home watching some DVDs or whatever. But this is part of the job and if you're in a band you have to promote yourself

I found out that a lot of fans who have been with you from the beginning stopped being a fan because you got another singer. Why do you think that is, are they too stupid to look beyond that?

Well people have different tastes of course, but they are very limited and ignorant. For example when Fleetwood Mac replaced their guitarist I understood it, because I saw a concert once where they replaced Lindsey Buckingham for another, but he was not as strong as Lindsey, so he was a weak replacement.. If you don't get what you want to get, people tend to criticize that .The band Helloween chose Andi, because we were so impressed by what he was doing and he was everything we looked for, rather than the high pitched theatrical voice that Michael Kiske had. Because Michael is doing the same thing always and this can be pretty tiresome for a composer. Now it's not that you replace someone because you find them boring, but if it is like that and additionally you have personal difficulties, than it's different. But then people say that we should get someone who sounds like Kiske. Yes ok, but it will all sound the same again. The singer I work with should fill my imagination as well.

And Andi does!?

Yes, he does. I had my share of Michael Kiske in the past and that's ok. You can always rely on what he is singing, but he told me to not smoke on the band bus, well I want to smoke. I am in a rock band.

Well I find it understandable, if you as a singer try to watch your voice for the upcoming gig.

But before he was not complaining and later on he came with all those ideas.

Well maybe he gets old….

(couldn't help to smile) No, just different. This is how people can change. I didn't change much in my life and that is also what people hate so much about me. I gained more experience, but I never drastically changed my views. There are people that change their view ever other week. Or they build up their opinion on the wrong things, because before they didn't have much of an opinion. I always had a strong opinion about many things. That's when you have a personal interest in stating your mind. I find it strange if someone like Michael Kiske, who is singing in a band, changes his opinion so much. You know, on one tour he goes like "Oh, I want to have a hotdog" and the next time he says "I am a vegetarian! You shouldn't eat meat. The poor animals. Did you ever stop to think, what it does to your astral bodies?". Well whatever. Did you ever read his book or his articles on his web page? (I shake my head) That will tell you a lot about how he is and the things he said. We had to deal with that every day. There is just a certain point, where you can have a certain opinion - but that doesn't change that you have to deliver a certain quality of songs to the band. So the songs he had on his demo, we just didn't want to play. Markus didn't want to play it. I didn't want to play it and no one else. That was a big problem. I had to tell him, "Listen, your songs are really so boring, that we won't record them" and he said "Well, then I won't sing and record your songs either". And so we came to a very professional way of talking.

So it felt childish …

Well whatever. And Roland said to me: "I am not going to record another album with him". And that's actually how it happened. At this point I was actually just waiting for the others to tell me something had to change here. I said that already much earlier, but I am not the big dictator. Though people think it of me. So I waited for the band to say to me "Weiki, please! Let's get a different singer!" And that's what happened in the end.

Oh.. That was more information than I expected. (laughter) Well after 20 years of making music. Aren't you afraid to run out of ideas?

No not really. As we started out, there already had been so many bands, who had done records….
(Andi suddenly appears behind me) Hi! What is that? (pointing at my computer)

Hi there! That's my recording device.

(Andi:) That's a Dell.

Yes, it IS a Dell. And even has Garfield as a wallpaper today.

(Andi:) That's impressive.

With a fire recording display. Like in the win mp3 player.. But it's really clever. That thing has a microphone built in…

(Andi:) Well we are Mac fans, so you thought... (everybody started laughing)

Yes of course! That was the only purpose…(smile)
(we are going a bit more into detail here about my computer and they try to convert me to become a Mac user… after a short break we could go on)

Let's get back to your questions. To the one before. If I would take care on other people's opinion, I couldn't answer the questions honestly and then you would have no interview. It is of course possible to do an interview like that. But I prefer to make a statement and in the moment you make a statement, you give people the opportunity to get annoyed.

And with a statement, you run the risk to tred on someone's toes.

Not really. I am just telling what I am doing and about my work. I don't tell anything bad about someone. I just get angry if someone gets hostile towards me. Then I dare to go back and say they are just crazy. There is nothing bad about the things I am telling. From the moment you are in a band, you have to have an opinion and you will be asked about it in interviews and if people can not stand that, then that is just entirely stupid. Probably they think I am doing this with all bad motives, but there is no such thing as a bad motive behind my opinion. I am in a band, play my music and want to earn my living with it. That's all. But they always draw it down to a primitive level. "He just wants to meet chicks!" or "And that doesn't work anyway, because he is gay and won't admit it". Well that's only because I spread my finger from my cup if I drink. That is not gay, but aristocratic (smiles). Nothing against gay. They are mostly high intellectual. Haven't met that many stupid gay people yet.

Well, I think it has not much to do with being gay if you are smart or not. I've got both kind back at my company. But it has to do with human mentality.

Yes…Well. One basic rule for discussions is: you should try to believe what the other one is saying. Otherwise you'll find no end to the discussion and mankind will go nowhere, if people stop trusting each other. This rule should apply to all sorts of media and publishing… the main thing is, to tell the truth.

Well I think as well one of the big rules is to respect other opinions. Even if it is not in conformity with your own.

That's true. So the people who wrote these bad things about me, they act against these two basic principles. These people act very uncivilized. They can act like that in the jungle or in the forest, but they will never form a new society. And just because I told you the truth again, there will be many who will hate me for this again.

But you don't care!

I don't care! Because those people will probably get drunken one day and go around the next corner, straight into a speeding car. Then there will be one less complaining about me.

That's mean…but ok. There have of course been rumors, that you only keep Helloween alive, because it has a name and due to that it makes money.

Sure we could stop Helloween, change the name and make money with that. But what's the point. You know, you asked me before if we are not running out of ideas. You could have asked me the same thing in the beginning. Like "Do you think, you can create something so new, that it is totally different from anything that is already there". That's an argument my mom had in the beginning. "There already are so many bands like Motorhead, Rainbow, Iron Maiden. What do you want to do?". So I could have just left my guitar in the cupboard because I didn't think I could do more than Deep Purple did.

But you also have bands, that just do their own stuff over and over again, so you get the feeling it's the same CD with one new riff and partial new lyrics. And they think they are still artists, because they change the lyrics.

Lou Reed can not play very good guitar, but his lyrics are very good. And he always has a guitar player, but never let's him play and try the concerts. He is a poet, a very good one, but not the best guitar player there is. Maybe he really should leave that part to others. But as I understood, he has a great deal of fun, producing these sounds in front of others. And that is what it's all about.

What do you think about these entire nu metal bands, which try and think they are so great? And there is not much coming around that sounds good.

Well they gotta try. They will see how hard it is and if they can develop or not.

But giving them a record deal and airplay right away. Isn't that radio pollution?

It surely is. On the other hand some of them might be worth having a contract and others are not. You won't see it right away. But record labels are at the moment not interested in quality. It's all about selling units. Well, they just calculate how much the band will sell all over Europe and if they make a bit of money, they just sign them. This way it keeps the production costs very low for the record company and producer. That is actually what Karl Walterbach has done with Noise Records. And he was lucky to have bands like Celtic Frost or Helloween. People say, that Celtic Frost is horrible music and no one would buy it. But the truth is, a lot of people bought their records. And for Walterbach that was enough. You can not compare Celtic Frost with Shakira, but for Noise Records it was enough. He started out with a small punk band from Germany: Slime. And believe it or not, this band sold many record in Germany. With this money he actually founded Noise Records.

Well maybe that's a good future plan…

I don't know. Then you have to deal with a lot of crazy musicians.

What do you think I am doing right now (smile)

Talking to a crazy musician and getting paid less than a record label boss.

To be honest, I am not paid at all.

Maybe that's your idealism. You're probably only doing that, because you are gay and because you need to be in the middle of everything and you need a quick gain of cheep energy. Because you will put your word in public and you will enjoy yourself so much, because everybody can read it. And now you'll probably try to tell me, you just do it for the information and you want to inform others about the music you believe in!? I wouldn't believe you (grinning ironically)

If that's what you think, bad luck for you.

(half laughing) Can you live with that?

Pretty much so!
(Arnold:) He just tries to show you, what we have been discussing!

Exactly! You see, you have no bad intensions and still you get criticized and words will be put into your mouth.

Since we get signaled to slowly find an end, I would like to play my association game with you.

Now you become my psychologist.

Oh well, you will survive it.
Rock star.

Isn't that a musical or a movie? We've been to Cologne and they had the musical there.

Alien.

That was one of the first real psycho horror movies. As I watched it at 19, I couldn't sleep that night. And even after two months I was still afraid.

Gentleman.

Something that was something in the past. As I was 15 years old, each time women wanted something they came up with the sentence "You are not really a gentleman" and it was that time of emancipation - same rights and rules - but each time they wanted something or needed something, they brought up the gentlemen. I just got annoyed and told them "I am no fucking gentleman. If you want something, do it yourself". The world doesn't need gentlemnn. You should just be friendly to each other. That's it. Also if a gentleman finds a lady, with the same manners, then you have a good couple there.

Cheesecake.

You mean the swearing word, or the thing to eat? Well first in my mind comes the swearing word and the Aerosmith song.

Highway.

"Highway Star". Deep Purple. Highway was a band in Hamburg and they had some good songs. Then there was an old band in the 70s, "Randy Pie", with the track "Highway Driver" - really good.

Thank you for the interview and see you on tour again!

HELLOWEEN GALLERY

2006-06-30T15:05:00.000+07:00

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