Helloween - "Master of the Rings" (1994)

Wit the dismissal of Kiske and Ingo, Helloween took on vocalist Andi Deris from Pink Cream 69 (who never did make it big). Despite my disappointment at the farewelling of my beloved Kiske, I eagerly anticipated this album, wondering if Deris could possibly measure up.


Here's my 1995 review of this album, as taken from my diary (please note: I was 17 at the time):

"In the beginning, out of nowhere we had a dream, and now it's Helloween".Yes, that's right, Germany's finest melodic speed band are back with another album fill of catchy choruses and melodic rifts. The album opens with, suprisingly, a classical instrumental (appropriately titled "Irritation") and follows it up with some excellant songs.  The subtle humour of Helloween comes across in the ironic lyrics of "Perfect Gentleman" and the most brilliant "Game is on". "Mr Ego (take me down)" the first single from the album is also slightly humourous in the way that it appears to be about their previous vocalist, Michael Kiske (who attempted to take over the band), although nowhere does it actually say so. Apart from the glam orientated "Take Me Home" this album is great and marks a return to Helloween's older musical style, from the "Keeper days. Forget about "Pink Bubbles" and "Chameleous" this is the true Helloween.

Okay, so obviously I liked it! Anyhow, let's ignore the rest of the diary (argh, teenage angst, if I'd known then what I know now... well, I think that speculation is true of all of us) and see if my opinion, like my attitudes to life, have changed over the intervening 19 years.

Gawds, it's been nearly 20 years since this album was released. Crikey.

(Also, for the record, Kiske did not try to "take over the band" he was merely trying to dictate the direction their music should take. He and Weikath did not agree, therefore he left.)

The cover is also clearly a jump back to those golden years of the late 80s, with seven rather yellow rings disappearing off into the greater realms of space, and 8 floating yellow-gold symbols. The title and band name are embossed in silver (shiny!). Inside the booklet is neatly laid out with borders and little cartoon pumpkins illustrasting the lyrics. The band photo under the cd tray is disturbingly distorted.. There's also a little passage in some scrawled font connecting this album to the Keeper albums. The rings are like the antithesis of the keys - representing spirit, truth, destiny, love, creation, fulfillment and sanctuary.

The first track is, indeed, a pleasing little classical number rather innapropriately named "Irritation". It is tinkly and stirring, with some nicely dramatic flourishes and building to an explosive conclusion.

Then we rage into "Sole Survivor" in which we have all the time honoured speed and power of Helloween's Keeper albums, only with a (slightly) modernized feel. The vocals are strong, with a slightly sinister edge. Deris' voice is rawer than Kiske's smooth, golden tones and his slightly aggressive edge actually enhances the song; making him sound determined and triumphant, if somewhat jaded by his experiences.

"Where the Rain Grows" is another enthusiastic, fast paced and fun number. The video is quite odd, but they do rather look like they're having fun (even if Deris' hair is awfully straw-like). It starts with a dramatic drumroll and has a bitchin' bassline. An explosive and dramatic number with good rhythms and strong vocals.

"Why?" is a song with a hint of desparation and a religious flavour. "Why, Lord why?" asks the narrator, a desperate plee to bring change in the world. Solid rhythms, not particularly complex, but Deris' voice gets the angst and pleading across very neatly.

"Mr Ego (take me down)" is "dedicated" to former vocalist, Michael Kiske (so wikipedia says, so it must be true). Interestingly, it's written by Grapow, not Weikath as one might expect. It starts with a dramatic build and then surges into a more progressive sound. Drums are a trebly staccato; vocals rising and falling in swoops for the chorus. It's not a bad song, if a bit bitchy. Best insult:

"And I think you are not funny, your brain is just a bloated dummy!"

The very entertaining "Perfect Gentleman" is matched with an equally amusing video. Apparently Deris's wife is in the video. Speculation is she's the one that slaps him. Also watch for the eye-poke at the end. Deris is a bit of a showman, and seems like a fun fellow. The opening chords are nicely dramatic and instantly recognisable. The structure is quirky, with some charming guitar flurries and an amusing little passage towards the end.

Exploring the dangers of video game addiction "The Game is On" is another fun piece, with a faster, rocking pace and some quirky computer noises. Remember this came out in the mid 90s - when handheld games were the Bomb (and the electronic noises very much reflect the error). Nowadays it would be about smartphone games, probably. It has a great pace, and is a gimmicky and highly entertaining piece.  I can think of a few people I could dedicate this song to.

And now for another song about relationships. "Secret Alibi" is not necessarily a love song and contains some of the strangest sexual innuendo I have ever heard:

"Ding by ding can you dig my dong. It may come short but it might come long..."

Weiki, your lyrics are weird. It's a decent piece, powerful with great choruses and Deris' voice again, does the pleading heart well. His voice is smooth and soaring, the opening nicely epic.

Almost 20 years may have passed, but "Take Me Home" is still my least favorite piece. It has an old-school  hard rock vibe going for it, and a really fast pace. Simple structures, the guitars just seem to be running up and down the scale until they actually go into a bit of a flurry between verses. Drums repetitive. Kind of remains me of a train (and by default, their version of "Locomotion Breath").

Time for a ballad! Acoustic guitar leads us "In the Middle of a Heartbeat". Deris does nicely slowed, somewhat sorrow filled vocals with a hint of longing.

The clockwork is winding down, the music box tinkling, door bell ringing, dog snarling. Lots of drama but "Still We Go". This track starts with the passage I quoted in my 1995 review above, in spooky, eerie vocals. This song is written by Grapow, but it's actually pretty good. Pretty heavy. Determined. Dedicated.

"Now we can see a horizon, we're gonna be here to stay. If you cannot see our sign, you must be blind!"

The album ends, but Helloween continue - and thank goodness for that!

This is actually a splendid album - Helloween are still at their quirky best, showing skill and putting forth an album which contains more enthusiasm and passion than the preceeding two. The songs are varied and entertaining, with a healthy dose of irony and humour. Deris' voice is decent and quite versatile, for all that he does not qualify as "silver tongued". Re-listening to this album has been a glorious trip down memory lane for me, and it seems I still remember the lyrics to most of the songs, even though I haven't actively listened to the album in some years!

Rating = 10/10 (or five pumpkins out of five^^).

Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out In Space (1997)

"Land of the Free" is, undeniably, Gamma Ray's finest album and as such was a very difficult act to follow. However, they did a admirable job with this album. Leaving the fantasy theme behind, they have now switched to a space and Egyptian theme, with the cover depicting an Anubis and an Horus bust above a row of pointy rocks, behind which is some sort of swirly time portal in which pyramids are either coming or going away or from space. In the front, Ol' Fangface is looking a little hungry, robed and toothy, and completely blindless today. It's all purples and golds and either acrylic or oil paint, looking very nicely Space Opera-ish.

It begins with the dramatic drum-rolling "Into the Black Hole". It is a fast paced, dramatic song, vocals filled with excitement and expectation as the narrator prepares to "fly beyond the gates of space and time...." and dive into the unknown. Dramatic guitar and drums for the instrumental passage. Captures the feel of the small craft charging into the roiling, writhing, churning black hole.

"Men, Martians and Machines" starts with the five notes from The Twilight Zone (but played on guitar) making a nicely ominous start into a dramatic song about an alien race seeking sanctuary from their destroyed planet and finding planet Earth.  Some nicely spacey/oriental chords there, before we surge into the faster paced and more typical GR skillmanship.

A bit slower, with nicely choral symphonies, "No Stranger (Another Day in Life)" displays a continuing theme of musical competence.

"Somewhere Out in Space" is a whirlwind of a track. It rips on it, swirling in majesty and power; the vocals racing, guitars and drums thrashing against one another, then it calms, the vocals smooth and swell, then its off again into the maelstrom.
(According to Wikipedia - this is inspired by Star Trek)

The "Guardians of  Mankind" is a powerful metal piece, moving at a rapid pace with pounding drums and anthemic chorus.

"The Landing" of aliens almost seems to continue on from "Men, Martians and Machines",  with the aliens arriving and being elevated to gods. It merges into "Valley of the Kings" and, judging from the cover, I would say that it marks the arrival of the Egyptian Gods. Nicely epic feel, great harmonies and more anthemic choruses, combined with some latin choral singing as well.

Dramatic and rousing, filled with passion, it is time for us to "Pray" - for a better tomorrow. This is the closest we're going to get to a ballad on this album. Hansen's voice is suprisingly sweet.

Drumbeats thunder as "The Winged Horse" gallops through the sky. Another powerful piece, this is more fantasy in theme than the rest of the album. It has a nicely dramatic narrative:

"It white horse rears and spreads its wings to reach the sky and search the king. the one will lead to win at last - oh, rulers of the past!"

"Cosmic Chaos" is a drum instrumental, creating a vibe of asteroids rushing through the air. Fast, dramatic.

It crashes into "Lost in the Future" which does indeed have a futuristic feel and makes an interesting contrast to the fantasy of "The Winged Horse". It is deliciously ominous:

"Tomorrow there'll be no sun, hanging high up in the sky..."

It's all dramatic and drastic until suddenly, inexplicably, the guitars break into "Oh Susanna" for a couple of lines and then churn back into the fast, frantic and desperate.

There's a bit of a Judas Priest influence to "Watcher in the Sky" which is fast, frenetic and furious. It's easy to imagine a lone spacecraft endlessly circuiting the planet; watching, always watching, but unable to do anything else.

 Piano and tinkly sounds sparkle as we see a "Rising Star" illuminate the heavens, exploding in a firecracker of light then erupting into "Shine On".  The song explodes with dramatic and explosive power. Very stirring, very inspirational. The ending melodies are lingering and powerful. A grandiose way to include a damned fine album.

Gamma Ray have created their own epic sound, merging the heavy guitar and drums of Iron Maiden with the intricities and anthemic feel of Queen. Combined with Hansen's skillful guitar playing and harsh, yet somehow vocals, a general positive edge to the music and fine musical structures, they have again created an album of epic scale and beauty. It might fall a bit short of "Land of the Free" and is not quite as quirky as some of their earlier albums, but it is a damned fine production and deserves 9/10.

Scanner - Mental Reservation (1995)

"New Album! Melodic Power Metal. The come-back of '95!" proclaims a sticker on the cover of this highly attractive album. Was it a comeback? Well, it certainly is a good album, and one I was most pleased to add to my collection. I came upon it in a small local music store, Galaxy, one that specialized in techno and NZ music. It was not a store I visited regularly, its neighbor Echo records had a bigger range of my kinda music, and I was rather surprised to find not one but two copies of this in the bargain section. Turns out, that Scanner were also a techno band - not this Scanner, obviously, and they had ordered them by mistake. Thus they were sitting there, unloved and alone. I bought both, one for myself and one for one of my penfriends.

 A bit of history now - Scanner were a melodic metal band from Germany. My first introduction to their music was through the video Buy or Die, as featured on one of the Doomsday News compilations. They have released five albums - of which this one sits smack-bang in the middle at #3. I also own their first, but for nostalgia's sake, thought I'd spin this baby first.

It is a highly attractive package - the cover is moody and brooding - a city stands like it has been fossilized on the shores of an ocean. A young man, wrapped in a ragged cloak, stands on a cliff, staring out to sea. And above all, in the looming, sanguine clouds, an enormous eye sheds an almighty tear of sorrow. Inside the little booklet, the band have given themselves all starring roles - Axel is the Strongtormenter (guitarist), Haridon Lee the Naked Duke, John ABC Smith is Mr Bassic Instinct (bass) and DD Bucco is Lord of the Drums (guess). This is a concept album - but instead of it being all dragons and wizards and fantasy - it's a dystopic future:

"The past is deleted. What' left are my memories. They threaten to vanish more and more before being told the first time. So I will try to escape out of my MENTAL RESERVATION to record what happend. We lived in peace 'till the day the earth burst open and a dark appearing craeture gave a crystal - key to a little boy called Boris Jay. Boris was taught by the creature how to use the key and to .... .... BREAK THE SEAL."

It opens by the sea with the sussurration of waves and the mournful cries of gulls circling above. It crashes and whips into the frantic and fevered "Break the Seal". The bass line is high, tuned to a pitch that is almost irritating. Vocals are shrill, yet melodic, with an appealing edge to it. The rhythms are complex, the guitar solos raging.

Equipped with powers of destruction and far more confidence and knowledge than someone his age should handle, Boris returns to his home to achieve political ascendency. He succeeds and leads his people into worship of an "Upright Liar". It starts with a dire warning, before the vocals come rampaging on, in full shrill glory. Again, more melodic choruses. I'm getting used to the bass now.

Slower now, as Boris's homeland is at war with  seven nations as he expands through diabolical and nuclear means. "After the Storm" is like a storm itself - roiling clouds swell over the post-nuclear wasteland, whilst the survivors struggle trying to last another day.

"After the storm, we'd watch the new sunrise. But the sun is obscured in sight doesn't heave."

Slower, tortured, bitter. The PoV is now through the eyes of one of the survivors, he and his sister struggled through the wasteland, seeking sanctuary. She is sent to support a medical convoy and is eventually brought back, dying. Our protagonist mourns her, and "Her Infallible Smile" in this melodic and surprisingly beautiful ballad. The vocals are softer, gentler, with only the slightest edge of the shrill. They are filled instead with sorrow, regret and bittersweet memories.

Another faster, more technical piece. After the eventual execution of the evil tyrant, the few survivors have found partial sanctuary in the subway tunnels. But most suffer from mental disorders caused by war. Thus a Mental Healer appears on the scene with his "Conception of a Cure".

Resisting  his offers, our protagonist departs, heading to a place called STONEDHENGE. He returns to St. Clinton island some two years later and "reveals" in his life, taking a look "Into a Brave Man's Mind". This is another slower piece, combined with elements of anger and containing choirs, chanting in Latin. The vocals have an echoing, otherworldly edge to them now.

Alone in a population of 200, on Clinton Island, our protagonist mourns his solitude and wishes to share it with someone. He wants to come "Out of Nowhere" in another melancholic piece fueled with desperation. Despite the somewhat broken English, there are some nifty lines in here:

"I remember... once I believed in God but he left me in the lurch..."

"There's no sun in the shadow of unrequited love"

Peace finally comes to Clinton Island and the children who are born have never seen the war and dictatorship that destroyed their heritage. The people are self sufficient, they're happy. Until the "Nightmare" begins and the children are spirited away one day. The sky hung with volcanic clouds and it might have been a sign of Satanic mights. At night, during the rainy season, strange creatures come out from the volcano and the people follow them back into the volcano, hoping to find the missing children. Another tortured piece with shrill, hopeless vocals and further desperation and loss.

In the heart of the volcano, lives a vicious beast-master. The children are here too - trapped in cages with their brains being fed to the monstrous "Rubberman". The villagers are captured too, and forced to aid him in his cruel rituals. One night this monster chose one of the villagers and gave them the crystal-key, controlling him as though he were now his puppet. The vocals are lower in tone, until they give way to the chorus, with its jerky rhythms and howls that replicate the jerky, mannikin dancing of Albert Truestone, the new "chosen one".

Another time jump now - as our protagonist escapes the monsters of the volcano (leaving several dead in his wake) and escapes from the island to find sanctuary in one of the few remaining cities. Here society returns to a new sort of normal, with the people from the countryside all coming into the city to live. Population is 50 million and 6 million are unemployed. (I'm wondering what they were eating, personally). The government can't do anything to help this. The lyrics are quite hard to follow, I suspect that the song writer's English is rather lacking... It's a heavy piece with some slower moments. It's a "Wrong Lane Society".

Within a year, our protagonist has found employment repairing computer chips and Albert Truestone has become governor, and thus the vicious cycle begins all over again. I am thinking this may be some sort of allegory. Whatever the way "20th Century Crusade" is a racing, speed-esque number with melodic elements.

This Scanner album is an interesting one. It combines the melodic of the European Metal scene with the darker themes (post-apocalyptic social issues) and more aggressive sound and generally more technical, mechanical feel of American Metal. And it is a very good, complex and competent album with an interesting storyline and good contrasts between the heavier and more vicious, with the melodic and melancholic. It is just a shame that it was not, in fact, the comeback album they had hoped for. Also, the plot seems to jump about quite erratically and does not really make a great deal of sense. Still, it's a metal album, not a novel - so who cares?

I'm going to give it 8/10.

Rage - Reflections of a Shadow (1990)

My copy of "Reflections" looks rather the worst for wear. It was a pre-loved copy, acquired because I feared my cassette version would not survive the digital age. The creases are worn, and there is a hole drilled through the plastic box, indicating that before it was being loved, it was being very unloved; lying disregarded in a CD warehouse until finally its price was reduced. And then, of course, its previous owner chose to pass it on too. This poor, slightly battered, slightly marred cd has now found itself a forever home with me.

This is Rage's fifth album, and the third that I have reviewed (I do own their second, which will be reviewed in due course). It is clean, polished, and so very metal. The cover is, well a bit drab, and fairly bleak - a skull lying on concrete, casting a black shadow beneath it. Maybe it's supposed to be a mirror, not concrete. Hmmm. I remember reading once that Peavey Wagner, the vocalist, collected skulls. Alledgely it's legal to keep human skulls in Germany. The things that stick with you. Maybe this is one of his collection. Maybe it's called Yorick. His skull collecting is confirmed by this article here which also contains a nifty description of this cover that I am resisting plagerising and a review of this album.

I'm rambling. Sorry. Shall we give it a spin? Yes, lets.

"Introduction (A Bit More of Green)" is a nicely classically inspired instrumental. It does have a vaguely organic feel to it - like a sprouting shoot rising from a concrete wilderness.

"That's Human Bondage" has slamming rhythms but a relatively sedate pace. It's not about actual bondage, but about being trapped by society. Still, it's quite a fun song to scream along with when you're listening on headphones. Catchy chorus, vocals a bit indistinct in the verses.

The "True Face in Everyone" is another slower, heavy piece with nicely sung choruses. Otherwise kind of dull.

The heartbroken, tortured emotionally "Flowers that Fade in my Hand" is one of the stand out tracks on this album. Peavey's voice seems broken with his anguish and his desperation. And the music is heavy and emotionally fueled. His falsetto shrieks are a little too high pitched, alas, making him sound a little like a cartoon character*. But he can actually hold his notes quite well.This is the compulsory song about death:

"And I know my death holds no scares. There is no mysterium for someone who dares to die..."

Is "mysterium" actually a word? Yes! It means "overwhelming mystery". Wooh, new word to my vocabulary, taught by someone who doesn't even speak English as a first language (ha, Helloween taught me "darkling").

We pick up the pace again with "Reflections of a Shadow" with its thrashing beats, and rousing chorus. Nice keyboard/organ solo towards the end.

Crazy keyboards and distorted show-tunes type music "Can't Get Out". It's like someone is trapped within a record. Then the drums crash in and the beat begins. The vocals are fast, lower, Peavey is quite close to tripping over his tongue, or possibly falling into funk metal. It's nicely erratic and discordant, portaying a feel of confusion and desperation. I like it. It's different and interesting. The fade out is slow and eerie, and we get to hear Peavey speak - sounding not unlike Dan Swano in his Nightingale album, where he too sucuumbs to insanity.

Ah, now for one of my favourites - "Waiting for the Moon" starts with energy and passion, the vocals turning into snarling melody, twisting into a scream and then soaring into the chorus. This is a nicely catchy, faster paced number with good melodies and a refreshing sense of semi-positivity.

Now, we should have a little "Faith" in Rage. Starts with a scream, and then falls into Peavey's lower range, bitter and broken, pleading. The chorus is torn, pained. Strangely beautiful in its hopelessness. Also their most anthemic song - on this album at least, and contains one of my favourite lyrical quotes:

"We are branches on the tree of life, we can only get together by touching with our leaves. But we've got the same roots close in ourselves, so let's grow up to the sky."

A faster, victorious track, it's time to leave it all behind and "Saddle the Wind".

Another death song. We have "Dust" with its haunting and beautiful verses tainted somewhat by the squealing falsetto on the choruses. Peavey should stick to baritone and low tenor. It does create a mood of passionate desperation, however. Like he is screaming out his grief to the world. A fairly competent and invovled guitar solo.

Another raucous piece, "Nobody Knows" returns to the catchy speed rhythms of the past. Screaming, singing, shouting, Peavey seems completely capable of switching between the three within a few bars.

"Wild Seed" has a good narrative - a story about a young man gone wrong from the start. Fast, aggressive, with a nice warble in the chorus.

I'm not sure why, but I always think of Rage as being the aural equivalent of author Dean Koontz. Like Rage, Koontz is prolificate, releasing at least one book a year. Also, like Rage, he has his specific style which is appealing and with enough quirks to keep you reading his books. However, his books tend to blur into one and some are downright terrible, others just plain bland, and every so often you get the one that is pure gold. For Koontz it is "Watchers" and for Rage it is... not this album. Like Koontz, their earlier stuff is better, with more originality and passion, than the later stuff where it starts to feel like they are just in it for the money and because they are good at what they do.

This is not a bad album. It has some really good tracks, particularly the slower pieces. The album as a whole has cut down the pace rather since the earlier albums. It's not speed metal anymore, but not quite power metal either. It is, like a Dean Koontz novel, worth following through to its conclusion.

Rating = 7/10

* Ever since I read that "Skulls" review I can't stop thinking "Mickey Mouse"!

Helloween - Chameleon (1993)

Released in 1993, this is generally considered to be the low point in Helloween's career. It envelops a difficult part of their life - burned out after the Noise fiasco, with member cohesion and friendships crumbling, and the loss of Kai Hansen's genius. Like the lizard that gives it its name, it is an eclectic album, experimenting with a range of styles and rhythms. For all that the metal fans dislike it, it did receive rave reviews in NZ mag Rip It Up and it also finds favour with me. My musical tastes are nothing if not a little avant-garde, and my habits are nothing if not contrary. Whilst I would not consider it a necessity in every metal maniacs collection (mainly cos it ain't metal),  it holds a certain nostalgic appeal, combined with a level of insanity and genius. Helloween more recently did something equally experiemental, with the excellent "Unarmed" album, which is probably my top pick of their Deris days. But that is in the future, and this is the present, so let us now begin.

The cover sucks.
It's possibly the Worst Album Cover Ever. It's like they're not even trying. Four stripes - yellow, red, blue and green smeared across an otherwise white page. Pathetic. At least the little pumpkin cartoons that add a whimsical charm are still present, decorating every song. Although I have to confess, they look better in the smaller size of the cassette cover than enlarged for the cd.

At the back it says "Through hard times you find out who your real friends are."
I'm not sure if this is a barbed comment or not, given the turmoil in the band at the time, I'm thinking it may be so.  It was the last album with Kiske and Ingo.

This eclectic masterpiece is in fact the works of three of the band members, each of them creating music and lyrics for the rest to play. This is possibly what gives it its versatile, chameleonic, feel.

For the record:
Michael Weikath wrote: The First Time, Giants, Windmill, Revolution Now
Michael Kiske wrote: When the Sinner, In the Night, I Believe, Longing.
Roland Grapow wrote: I Don't Wanna Cry No More, Crazy Cat, Music, Step Out of Hell.

The album opens with a song about sex. This is "The First Time" that Helloween have a song with sexual connotations and innuendo. It begins with a squeal of feedback before the rock n roll rhythms take over. The chorus is nice and catchy. Drumroll to end it all, complete with distorted guitars and chimpanzees getting lively.

Then we sink into the opening beats of "When the Sinner". No idea how you'd categorise this song. Rock? It has quite dancey beats, kick horns. Kiske's vocals are damned fine, soaring up and down with youthful enthusiasm. The whole song contains the sort of vibrant energy that should have drawn in a wider audience. Jolly good guitar solo and a touch of piano.

Now into a powerful ballad, with enthusiastic acoustic guitar. "I Don't Wanna Cry No More" is Roland's song to his brother Rainer (presumerably deceased). Kiske's voice portrays the emotion well, combined with the light instrumentation. This is a song that is somehow both sad and celebratory at the same time.

And another switch, as we get jazzy with "Crazy Cat". The beginning sounds disturbingly like a dot matrix printer, before the kick horns rip in. The rock n roll rhythms transport you back to another era, maybe there are elements of Elvis here? Kiske is a big fan (but this is Roland's song). Lyrics are quirky and weird:

"Addicted to chicks! He's got a rental tree near the nudist beach, yeah!"

 It's energetic and crazy and probably about Fritz the Cat.

Now, for something a bit more emotional and powerful and downright METAL. "Giants" is possibly the only genuine metal track on this album, and what the others lack in majesty and power, it more than makes up for. From the soaring guitars, and dramatic music build slide guitar and then Kiske's voice, soaring high on currents of emotion and passion. This song is pretty damned epic.

A whistle-bang-whistle-bang follows on as the last chords fade and the "Windmill" begins turning. Piano, tinkling across the keys, Kiske's voice a gentle sussuration. Folk ballad? Vocals with acoustic guitar, a song that evokes memories, nostalgia, a feeling of peace and serenity.

"Don't feel alone and depressed, someone willl come at last. To soothe your stumbling mind to keep it away from the evil storm."

I always loved the lyrics of this song. I was 15 when it was released, and it gave me hope for my future. There's some pretty instense acoustic guitar strumming too. It's a very nostalgic and moving piece for me. Making me think of golden fields, and blue skies.

Now it's time to step back to the 70s, and time to put some flowers in your hair - because it's time for a "Revolution Now". The last of Weikath's contributions and with aspects of Sabbath and Trouble - that somewhat slow, slightly trippy, somewhat sludgy, psychadelic-doom sound (stoner metal?). The chorus is epic. The guitar solos are jolly fine. Fade out includes record scratching noises and grunting pigs. I am not sure why.

The acoustic-but-energetic "In the Night" really does do justice to Kiske's vocals and contains some very nice lyrics:

"When I wake up early in the morning, I catch a book and jump inside...."

And Kiske does his "Elvis voice". I love it when his vocals drop down an octave. Gives me shivers. The guitars are animated and filled with a playful joy.

Now, time for some "Music". Well, more music. This is a very powerful piece, building from a soft, almost haunting vocal line and with elements of classic rock. The stirring nature of the music and the power of the vocals, as they rise, soar, in celebratory harmony. It's slow and dramatic. The additon of the orchestra really helps improve the power.

"Step Out of Hell" is a song about drugs to what would be best described as dance-rock. Some reviews speculate that it's about Ingo and the lyrics centre on trying to help someone with a drug problem. The guitars are a little more energetic on this one, and Kiske's voice is as powerful as ever, but the cheesy keyboards feel awkward and a bit out of place. It is probably my least favourite song on the album.
Sadly, it's also prophetical:

"... go on like this you're gonna be dead..."

RIP Ingo.

Following on is the epic and beautiful "I Believe". Written by Kiske, this is him coming out of the Christianity closet in glory and triumph. It is a powerful and stirring song, even for a non-believer like myself. The rising melodies, the share jubilation and celebration in his voice and the full-on orcheastrations make me wish Kiske could perform with an orchestra all the time. And then he does his low-sexy-voice, except faster, and somewhat sinister. This is almost a song to inspire me to believe. But it's not preachy. Not really. Sure, he's singing about how important God is, but it's about his personal choice - not trying to inflict it upon the listener. Pure epic majesty.

Gentle strumming, provides acoustic support to Kiske's "Longing", it starts slow, but then the strings come in and then it becomes a thing of beauty. A song of loss, of love. Of longing. That final triumphant, symphonic blast...

"Here is love and there is pain; it's all around it's all the same".

You know what? This is a damned fine album! In fact, it's probably the most accessible Helloween album to the not-metal-fans and the structures and blend is an eclectic masterpiece. If I ignore the terrible cover and the internal band dramas and just concentrate instead on the extremely polished and brilliantly eclectic blend of music, that really deserves better recognition*.

I'd have to give this album 9.5/10.
Do you know what I want to see? Michael Kiske performing with an orchaestra. That would be amazingly awesome.

* Even the band pretend it does not exist - to the best of my knowledge, they no longer play ANY of these songs in any of their sets.

Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (1995)

After their previous album, Gamma Ray lost vocalist Ralf Scheepers to Primal Fear, a decent band on all accounts, and Kai Hansen took over vocalising duties. This album is very much like a follow-up to his last Helloween album (Keeper part two) with a strong fantasy flavour. It also marks the return of "Fangface", the deformed pumpkin-like creature from the Walls of Jericho album. From here on, Fangface become unofficial mascot to Gamma Ray and featured on many of their albums. Musically it is a lot more metal than the previous GR stuff, with the lyrics being somewhat more imaginative and fantastical. It is their first genuine Power Metal album.

This is one album that I was extremely excited by when it was released. Helloween had just dumped Kiske and Ingo; releasing the pretty good "Master of the Rings" album, but I was mourning the departure of my favourite vocalist. Not to mention that their previous album ("Chameleon", see next review) marked a dramatic musical shift for Helloween. I ordered it and eagerly awaited its arrival, opening the package with trembling fingers and stroking my fingers over the plastic box. You might say music was my life, when I was a teenager. I did not have too many friends and books and music were my escape from the trials and tribulations of a teenage reality.

The cover depicts Fangface like a cloaked comet, rising from a dreary, moonlit desert (looks a bit like the US SW) and encircling a more scenic, majestic land through which a river cuts. Two hands hold a crackling yingyang and an eagle soars beneath them. The cover unfolds with lyrics on one side and photographs on the other, including snapshots of all of the band members.

There is a Very Special Guest star on this album too, but we'll get to that when we get to his song. Actually, there's two, because Hansi Kusch of Blind Guardian is here too, singing the choirs.

The album starts with a gentle guitar and haunting vocals:

"Voices are calling from somewhere below..."

As we surge into the dramatic "Rebellion in Dreamland". This is epic power metal at its least pretentious - the lyrics are pretty cheesy (of course) but the music is complex whilst still feeling fresh and thrilling. Hansen switches from screaming to snarling and concludes with chanting.

"Have no fear.... rebellion is here!"

"Man on a Mission" rips right on in, energy and passion and pounding drums and raging guitars. Towards the end we fall into a nifty little sing-a-long bit, before roaring into the guitar duels of the pretty epic solo. Hansen is a good vocalist, but he's also an awesome guitarist. This song combines the quirk and fun of GR with the majesty and power of Helloween*. It merges seemlessly with the short and swift "Fairytale" before fading out.

The lower, epic rhythms bring on "All of the Damned" before we rampage into the guitar and Hansen's voices rasp out. The chorus is proud and loud. There are nicely changeable melodies and rhythms to keep it interesting, and a suitably rip-roaring guitar solo.

"I never thought I'd catch the rainbow, but in the end I had a dream..."

 This is followed by the stirring instrumental, "Rising of the Damned".

"Gods of Deliverance" is another epic power metal piece with suitably rousing spirit and jolly good rifts.

"Farewell" provides us with a slower moment. Kai's voice is a little raw and raspy for the ballads, but it does add an emotional edge of loss and longing. As the warrior sets off on his quest, it is with a certain amount of hope but also trepidation:

"Don't you try to stop me, all I know is I have to try. They'd be no sense in my life at all, if I stay."

Returning to the roots of speed metal, "Salvation's Calling" is like a blast from the past. Fast verses, catchy, sing-a-long bridges, a chorus that just makes you want to mosh.

Dramatic, racing; we gallop into "Land of the Free", before settling into a slower, haunting, spectral feel and rising in pace and spirit. The changeable nature of this song transports you to another time and place. The chorus is pure anthemic power, stirring and triumphant.

Light, haunting guitar turns to hymnal rifts as "The Saviour" makes his triumphant return. This blends into "Abyss of the Void". Hansen's voice does well in the slow bits now, as it drops an octave and loses the rasping edge.  It rises again for the chorus, celebrating the Saviour's victory:

"We fall to the ground and pray, cos he's the One. No demons left in this world, since he has won."

Now for the song that excited me most as a teenager, "Time to Break Free". Whilst Hansen's voice suits the music well - the savage, slightly snarling edge; this features the beautiful, clear voice of... you guessed it, Michael Kiske. Okay, so I was a little obsessed with him at the time. As pure and powerful as ever, I must have listened to this track a LOT. I can still remember all the words. The lyrics are great too - inspirational, making the spirit rise and soar - a great remedy for Teen Angst.

We conclude with the absolutely beautiful "Afterlife" a tribute to Ingo Schwinchtenberg. Here Hansen proves that he can do ballads. His voice, so raw and emotional, sends a shiver down the spine, complemented by the instrumentation structures. Haunting. A fitting finale to a damned fine album.

"Life's a dream that you will forget in the endless space. And the scars you got on planet Earth will be erased."

This is probably Gamma Ray's finest album, and one of the best true Power Metal albums. Forget about layers of complex symphonics, overbloated keyboards and the overly complicated structures that this genre is now famed for - this is pure, enthusiastic energy; raw and powerful and with some damned fast, fine guitars. True to the Heavy Metal sound, but with the passion and the intricities of Power Metal. It should be in every Power Metal fan's collection.

A highly deserved 10/10.

* Who, tbh, also had the "quirk"

Freedom Call - Live Invasion (2004)

Another of the NWOEPM, German band Freedom Call formed in 1998, with Chris Bay on vocals and David Zimmerman (from Gamma Ray) on drums and a couple of other members, including Sascha Gerstner who later left to join Helloween. It seems quite probable they are named after an Angra album song.

 I purchased this live version because a, I found it in a store and b, it seemed like a good way to get a lot of Freedom Call's songs in one handy package. It also contains a bonus with the unreleased "Taragon" ep and three cover songs (including one from Ultravox). Sadly, most of the banter between tracks is in German and I cannot understand it - not that they're in for idle chatter anyhow.

Packaging - pretty enough, but not overly stimulating. It is a live CD after all. The band, in sillouette,  facing their audience whilst lighting crackles up with the stage lighting. Inside are various pictures of the band, posting in various places, and also their names. They look like a fun bunch of fellows.

The album beings with a chanting welcome - as befits any live concert. Then the keyboards begin, and "The Spell" is unleashed.  You can imagine the spotlights strafing across the stage, the band appearing from the haze of dry ice as the symphonic sound arises around them. Then they fall into "We Are One" as the  melodies take hold. Bay's voice is mid-high and pure, soaring into a slightly nasal higher pitch, as he rises up the octave, sounding like he's smiling all the while. Repetitive lines, guaranteed to make the audience chant along.

Into a ballad now, get out your lighters! But not for long, because soon the stirring guitars and flaying hair will overwhelm you (and cause a fire risk). Bay's voice swoops and soars competently enough into "Freedom Call". Meanwhile the drums charge headlong and the guitars do their thing. Some nice lower vocals later on.

"Tears of Taragon" starts with the crowd rising their hands, clapping them together. The keyboards and low hymnal notes lure us in to this epic style piece. Nice soaring chorus:

"Fallen Angels, flying high in the sky
Fallen Angels, rescue me again"

 It is now time to undertake "The Quest", starting slow and then charging into the harder and heavier. Dramatic guitar, pace picking up. I guess the Quest is underway. Slowing again. Vocals slow, a little desperate, anxious.

"Heart of the Rainbow" offers nothing new, but Bay does sound very happy. Nice smooth chorus. Menacing middle bit. Keyboard solo! Then guitars. Bit pompous.

Fat-bellied keyboards intermingle with guitars as we charge into "Eyes of the World". It is very nice for Bay to introduce all the songs. Similar structures and vocals to all of the above.

Some nice, deep vocals lead us into a "Metal Invasion". The structure of this one is different, almost making me imagine a line up of armoured metal knights, chanting and stomping in unison.  It quickly switches back to the tried-and-true FC formula, alas.


The following tracks - "Land of Light", "Warriors", "Shine on" and "Rise up" offer pretty much the same. Solid structures, pompous keyboards, the occasional racing guitars and vocals that rise and fall up and down the same pitch. Nothing remarkable.

"Hymn to the Brave" is a hymn, an anthem, and is guaranteed for the audience to join in. The vocal style is lower, slower and far more powerful. The lyrics are repetitive but spirited:

"Brothers forever, brave at heart together we fight
Holy in heaven, will we march through space and time
Brothers forever, brave at heart together we fight
Holy in heaven, we will ever hear their cry..."

Tears of Taragon EP (with 4 bonus covers):

"Warriors of Light" begins with a good old-fashioned tribal rhythm, then a chat and falls into the recognised patterns of before. Solid, but nothing remarkable. Otherwise very similar to "Warriors" above.

"Dancing with Tears in your Eyes" is a cover of 80s electronic pop band, Ultravox. They have even captured the synth feel typical of that era, before soaring off into power metal. It's a pretty good cover.

More chanting marks the start of "Heart of the Brave". Lyrics leave a little to be desired:

"Born in a nation
A young generation
Is praying for salvation
Out of damnation"

We have piano to start "Kingdom Come". It's actually kinda haunting. Vocals are sweet and soft, almost feminine. I suppose this is the closest they get to an actual ballad, until of course they fall into the ominous chorus. This is probably one of their more original songs. It's pretty nifty.

"Tears of Taragon" again now, solid power metal song, good melodies - pretty much what you expect. With the added bonus of narration by Biff Byford of Saxon. He has a lightly accented and somewhat ominous voice. We get to learn more about Taragon now - seems to have suffered much the same way as Aina. Pretty much pure cheese, but still rather delicious.

One of my favourites is their cover of "Hiroshima", originally performed by Wishful Thinking in 1968. It translates well into power metal. Starting with traditional twangy instruments, the guitars crunch in whilst the keyboards struggle beneath them. Bay's voice casts the emotional edge well, with the rest of the music dying back as mere enhancement of his vocals.

Finally, another cover, this time one from Helloween. It is "Dr Stein". It's a decent cover of a fun song. I'm sure they love playing it. Bay ain't no Kiske, however.

Freedom Call are competent musicians, that have embraced the Power Metal genre heart and soul. Whilst they do have a certain energy and passion, they do not offer anything particularly new and original to the scene. This performance, containing songs from across three albums, I would consider all I need from this band. It gives me a nice cross section and although they do a decent job, they are not a necessary addition to any metal collection. Also, Bay's voice gets a little tedious after a time. Ultimately, it was the bonus cover songs that saved this collection for me - the cover of "Hiroshima" is beautiful.

Rating = 7/10

Edguy - Vain Glory Opera (1999)

So, it's probably time I took the opportunity to spin some Edguy. They were a fresh, young German metal band that formed in 1992, as what would probably be called the NWOEPM (New Wave of European Power Metal). Tobias Sammet, the vocalist, is one of the most admirable people in music - for not only does he have a damned fine voice but he also has a good, solid entrepreneurial sense. This is their second album, and it is something of a metal masterpiece.

In 1992, Tobias Sammet (who was born the same year as me) was merely 14 years old, and the fact that the entire band have endured, with only one member leaving them, is admirable. The band are, amusingly, named after their Maths teacher (according to wikipedia, knower of all things). They recorded demo tapes, sent them to record labels, and received many rejections saying that they were not going to endure in the long run.

Well, WIN to Edguy!

It is probably hard to be taken seriously when you are only 16 and trying to establish yourself in the music industry. Undetered by this, they self produced their first album - Savage Poetry, which was later re-mastered and released in 2000.

In 1998 (or 99 according to my cd pressing) they released this album, which brought them much wider acclaim and support from fellow power metallers. At this point, Tobias and his friends would have been over 20, and thus more likely to be taken seriously.

I already admired Tobias, but now that has just doubled. To find your dream at 14, and follow through with it - how many metalheads can claim that? He is also the primary song writer. Indeed, I think if there was one metal musician I could meet, it would be him.

The cover features an vaguely medieval looking seal - depicting two gryphons above a fleur de lies. Oh, and they're so young and fresh faced inside, clad in their medieval attire. Imagine if they'd been at our local Rockquest - I would have nearly died of glee! There's also the lyrics, of course, in a nice booklet.

In the style of old school power metal albums, this one opens with a classical instrumental, "Overture", but we also have Sammet "welcoming" us. His voice is powerful, both melodic and with a slight twisted snarl to it that he can put on when he wants to.

It them pounds in to "Until We Rise Again" with soaring, passionate vocals and inspiring, invigorating rhythms. Anthemic choruses. It is easy to see the Helloween ("Keeper") influence here, but Edguy are not mere imitators, they are a force to be reckoned with.  Pounding drums, complicated guitar structures.

More inspiring guitar, huge chords with intricate fingering entwining with them, ushers us in to "How Many Miles", where the keyboards now take flight. Another piece of soaring melodies, complex harmonies, diverse vocal styles and anthemic choruses.

"Scarlet Rose" is the first ballad, in which Sammet reveals his softer side. Delicate, romantic and beautiful, rising in power and passion. Evocative, stirring. Beautiful.

Stirring symphonies lead into the dramatic "Out of Control".

"Vain Glory Opera" is filled with power and light. Complete with triumphant keyboards and more intricate guitaring.

"We live to fight the hand of doom,we got the pride to strike the fool.
Vain glory be my wicked guide"

"Fairytale" charges in a fast pace with pounding drums and raging guitars. The chorus is splendid and anthemic, however.

"Walking on Fighting" begins with strumming guitar. Building, building, before the wall of of sound moves in. The vocals are lower, rising. I love the way Sammet sometimes rolls his Rrrs.

Another stirring ballad piece, "Tomorrow" starts with haunting keyboards and Sammet's "sweet" voice. Melodic, haunting and almost hymnal - by which I mean battle hymns, not the church kind!

This is followed by the rather more aggressive "No More Foolin'" proving that Sammet can switch from heart-breakingly longing to somewhat angry and taunting. Nice chorus though. Reminds me a bit of Judas Priest, actually.

Ad what better way to end then with a "Hymn"; anthemic, inspirational, powerful. It stirs the senses and awakens the warrior within. The keyboards help with their pompous bellows and Sammet's soaring vocals. This is a cover song, originally by Ultravox. Despite them being an electronic pop band, Edguy are not the only metal band to cover this song. Lunatica, who are symphonic with a female vocalist, do it as well.
Here's the original band (Remastered) singing "Hymn".
Here's Lunatica.
And Edguy.
I think we shall all agree that this works better as a Power Metal Song than 80s electronic pop. It is magnificant.

So, how to rate Edguy - a mix of creative genius and undeniable skill levels, passion and dedication. For an early album this is a polished and impressive album and clearly shows that Edguy DO have what it takes to endure and suceed. Tobias Sammet, I take my hat off* to you and your friends.

10/10.

* Well, I would if I were wearing one.

Unisonic (2012)

Michael Kiske reunited with Kai Hansen to produce an ENTIRE ROCK CD. How could I resist? How could I refuse? Two of my favourite metal idols back together. Sure, this isn't power metal, this isn't even completely metal, but that doesn't mean it won't be an excellent album, does it just?

First, let's look it over. I purchased the digipak because it had a bonus cd (containing a whole 3 tracks, but never mind). I don't know why, but I like digipaks. Sure, they're a bitch to store (since they won't fit in CD racks) and they collect dust (ok, so all my cds collect dust, cos I rip 'em and shelf 'em). It is attractively coloured in shades of blue, with a distinctly futuristic look, rather than the fantasy-esque of old. In the band photo, they all look very serious, except for goateed Kai Hansen, who is giving a little smirk.

"Unisonic" opens with a dramatic flourish, vocals racing up into a smooth and soaring chorus. Slammin' rockin' guitars and lots of energy. The lyrics are simple and repetitive - a great opening piece for both album and live performances with a rather complex and fast paced gutiar solo. Cleaner, polished and more mature than Helloween. Kiske's voice is clea, sweet and powerful.

A slower, but still dramatic opening to "Souls Alive" with twiddly guitar bits. Vocals are also slower, and rick with a good blend of guitars and vocals. This is pure rock with a touch of metal. It drops to a slower pace where Kiske's voice drops into his rich, lower notes, ending with a scream that proves he can still hold those notes!

"Never Too Late" starts with a bit of a quirk to it and good rock rhythms. Soaring into a great chorus. There is something so splendid about Kiske's voice, it fills me with joy and positivity, thrilling me to the core even to this day!


A modern, mainstream rock sound characterises "I've Tried".  The vocals are on a slightly lower register, rising up into a catchy chorus:

"I've never said I'm sorry, but god only knows I've tried..."

Ominous beats bring us into "Star Rider" with the litling vocals soaring up and down the octaves. Kiske still does a fine falsetto!

"Never Change Me" gives us a bouncy rock n roll rhythm with catchy beats.

There's a hint of glam in "Renegade" With its rich, thick vocals and higher pitched chorus. Nice flourishes of the guitars and a good solid guitar solo.

Another solid rock number, "My Sanctuary" has fast-paced vocals with sturdy guitar accompaniment. Soaring chorus and a nicely chanted conclusion.

There's a bit of an 80's rock vibe to the opening bars of "King for a Day". As powerful as ever, Kiske's voice soars and rises gloriously into an anthemic chorus, in which Hansen's distinctive vocals shadow his.

And for those that love the smooth, anthemic, feel-good pieces, "We Rise" certainly fits the bill. Kiske's voice is like a purr - smooth and sleek and the accompanying guitar rhythms reach deep down into the soul and fill the listener with, well, positivity.

We conclude with a haunting ballad, "No One Ever Sees Me", reminscent of some from Kiske's solo days: the sweet melodies, the bittersweet lyrics, the melancholic vocals. Accompanied by acoustic gutiars and somewhat soul-wrenching. Beautiful.

Now, for the three bonus tracks:

"Over the Rainbow" is another ballad; haunting and melancholic. The guitars a gentle accompaniment to the heart-breaking vocals.

Followed by "Souls Alive". I'm not sure how this differs from the previous version, except that it is two seconds shorter.

"The Morning After" is another haunting piece, the opening somewhat reminding me of Sting's ballads, for some reason. Maybe it's the guitar. It quickly surges into a rather rockier chorus, before slowing down  again.

This is not Helloween, this is not Gamma Ray. It is heavier than Kiske's solo work, although probably closer to that than any of the former. And you know what? If you want to hear Kiske doing power/symphonic metal, you just need to pick up an Avantasia album or any of his other side projects. This is more polished than the 80s stuff, with a clarity of sound and complexity of rhythm that is pure rock (with a touch of metal).

It's good stuff - 9/10.

Rage - Secrets in a Weird World (1989)

This is German speed metal band Rage's fourth studio album. It has a rather uninspiring cover - the three band members all looking suitably bored in sunglasses and black and white.

It begins with the classically inclined "Opus 33 Nr 3" a slightly ominous piano piece with solid beats - somewhat one-fingered playing.

"Time Waits for No One" is a determined and powerful song. Peevey's voice alternates between soaring and screaming, with a little shouting thrown in for good measure. Nice skillful guitar solo.

The guitar surges with the bass in slow steady beats before taking off at a gallop in "Make My Day".  Lyrics are fast paced and aggressive:

"This is the sign of my deadly hammer, leaving its marks in your face right now..."

My favourite line is:

 "I'd like to smash all your toys to pieces, tickle your feet until you drop down dead..."

"The Inner Search" delivers pure speed with a cruisy chorus and some surprisingly menaingful lyrics:

"Be True to yourself, that's all you have to be..."

There is something inspiring about "Invisible Horizons" which reveals Peavey's love of the extra-terrestrial. This was the first Rage song I ever heard, from the compilation cassette "Thrash the Wall", a single album that pretty much shaped my musical future. It is quite an intense song, with melodic vocals, pounding drums and chugging guitars. 

"She" gets off to an ominous start. The title is rather ambivalent - it could be a love song (but this is Rage, so that seems unlikely), could be about a lady of the night... but no, it's about a car. A distorted, snarling (and possibly backwards) voice gets this song kicking into action. Indeed, this is about Christine, the red plymouth fury of the Stephen King novel.

With a determined beat and guitar flare, we shift into "Light into the Darkness". A slower pace and an almost positive vibe.

"... Blossom's better than decay"

We charge on in to "Talk to Grandpa" - a song about communicating with the dead to find out what happened to his money. Fairly repetitive, but catchy chorus and aggressive riffs.

"Distant Voices" is about those voices you hear before you fall asleep. The ghosts that call for you. Peavey likes to write songs about death and the supernatural - as you may have noticed. It is a slightly slower piece, with a hint of the eerie about it, but mostly classic Rage.

Slower, creepier, with a hint of the classic rock to it, "Without a Trace" has a jerky, rock beat. As you may be able to guess, it's about the Bermuda Triangle and other such mysterious - possibly supernatural, disappearances.

"Lost Side of the World" starts with slow, deliberate beats gathering in tempo until they erupt into the chorus. Has a few slower moments but is otherwise classic Rage.

Rage have found their stride - and whilst it is decent speed metal with good rhythms, catchy choruses and intriguing lyrics, it's nothing exciting or earth-shattering dramatic. They're a good, solid band  but this does not offer anything new or original or different from many of their other albums (admittedly most of which come after this one).

Solid metal, that I'm going to rank a 7/10.

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)

As promised, now it is time for the glory that is Keeper of the Seven Keys, part two, the follow up to tbe wonderful Keeper of the Seven Keys, part one and one of the definitive metal albums of all time. Here is where Power Metal began. That's not to say that Helloween are technically Power Metal, nor that they are the only band that can claim the honour of being the root of all that is awesome, but merely that this is one of the major contributing albums to the slightly pompous, extravagant genre of Power Metal. Helloween are more straightforward, but no less epic and this album is AMAZING.

When I was younger, relying on a fairly small allowance to afford the extravagances of cassettes, my brother and I bought a fair amount of music. I bought part one, he bought part two. This was a pity, because it meant that I could not really listen to this album. Since he preferred to sit in his room, door closed, music loud, burying himself within the immensity and engulfing himself fully in its richness, I could not easily join him. It is actually rather an awkward feeling sitting in your siblings's room, trying to sink into a sort of meditative, music induced state. Thus, I didn't really get to hear this album as much as I would have liked. I distinctly recall sitting outside his bedroom window one evening, whilst the power of the music poured through the window, listening. At this time, I also had a number of penpals and we exchanged cassette recordings around the world, sharing each others mix tapes. This, my friend, was how you learned about new bands before the interweb - before you could touch a button and hear samples from every single cd you can think of. Via snail mail... and mix tapes.... anyhow, I had a lovely penfriend in Sweden and he recorded this album for me so that I could listen to it too.

Of course, eventually, I purchased the CD. Along with Helloween's entire backlist, half of which I have on cassette tape as well as CD. Hey, you cannot have too much of a good thing - and at least I can listen to them in my car!

The cover is beautiful, moody and somewhat fantasy-esque. In the foreground, a hand inserts a key into a lake (from which faces stare out), whilst gnarled green hands grasp at it. The robes indicate that this may be the seer of visions - the cloaked figured from part one. The background is split in two by dark and brooding clouds - on one side, a monolithic rock formation glows in the mid day sun, in the other fires burn over a desolate and forboding, spiky black landscape. The cover is bordered in a chain of autumnal leaves. Inside it is all plain black text on white paper - very straightforward and simplistic, but pratical and easy to read.

This was Helloween's last album with Noise - a company that basically screwed them over. This cd went Gold in Germany, made it to #108 on the USA charts but despite being a highly successful album, they did not see much in the way of profits from it. Shortly after this they broke their contract, got into terrible legal battles (with Noise), weren't able to tour or release in the States for some years and not only that, but Kai Hansen left, not wishing to deal with the pressures of being in such a big band. Funnily enough, his band, Gamma Ray sort of took over the power and glory of this album with their "Land of the Free" release in 1995.

An eagle soars over forlorn, windswept cliffs in "Invitation" as the instruments rise in power and might, beckoning us onwards.

It swoops and strikes, charging in to the speed metal anthem of "Eagle Fly Free". The guitars are a wild and reckless beast, the vocals untamed and melodious. The drums... well the drums are slamming, beating a rapid and, at times, slightly monotonous, slightly tinny beat. Kiske displays his immensely powerful vocal talents, holding the note, unwavering for a good 15 seconds.

Then it is in to "You Always Walk Alone". I love the rhythms and structure of this song, it's so lively and inspirational, it fills my heart and soul with such empowerment.

"... the strength we have inside yourself is so more than you will know."

The highly entertaining "Rise and Fall" follows it up. It starts with rockin' beats and wooden laughter. You also get to hear Kiske say "bullshit" which is worth it in itself. The shifting rhythms and quirks of the backing music add to the somewhat comedic, fairy tale feel - as do the lyrics:

"A little dragon could spit fire, but never sought for something bad. He didn't know the knight's desire to throw a lance into his head."

It does make you ask two questions, however: How is luck like a ball? And what exactly did the queen of Los Angeles do with a chair? Sometimes I wonder if Weikath is on something when he writes his quirkier tracks. I mean, sheep?

Another quirky number is "Dr Stein" - a song about Frankenstein. For anyone who has heard Helloween as much as I, the opening chords are unmistakeable. This is probably one of their most famous songs - but there was no video made until it was re-released as part of the "Unarmed" album. Also written by Weikath, the lyrics are somewhat silly and rather fun. The guitars rise and fall in a complicated duet, with the keyboards arcing around them.

The anthemic "We Got the Right" follows. Kiske's voice is in fine form, a powerful tool with less support from the instruments in this piece.

Then it is time to get back into the speed metal with the raging "Save Us".  It is followed up by the equally powerful "March of Time". Two very fine examples of the speed metal genre, back to back. The racing guitars, the clanging drums, and above all, Kiske's voice soaring like the voice of a god, filled with power and glory. I have heard the chords and the rhythms of Helloween's music described as "happy sounding" and it is. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the technical terms to be able to tell you WHY their melodies sound positive whereas others do not, but the lyrics certainly help:

"Life's too short to cry, long enough to try..."

The final normal-length track is "I Want Out" which has an entertaining video. With its enthusiastic rhythms, catchy choruses and charismatic frontman, this track became a hit. Once again, the drums seem a little too high pitched on this piece, not sure if that is intentional or a result of not such great production. Once you start noticing it, however, it becomes a little annoying - and I don't want to be annoyed by this album. It's Helloween - it should be awesome! Everything should be absolutely perfect.

The final track is the epic "Keeper of the Seven Keys" and is a piece so majestic that it inspired me, in my teenage years, to write a highly derivative and pretty cliched fantasy novel. But not one that will ever see the light of day, I promise*.
And just to prove that nothing is ever original and that Helloween inspired other people to do the same thing - here's a D&D comic inspired by the same thing. Seriously, my characters even had similar names!
Anyhow, clocking in at over thirteen minutes long, it almost deserves an entire blog post of its own - but "The Seven Angels" didn't get one, so it isn't going to either.

It starts with light guitar, and Kiske's beautiful low vocals, soaring behind it are classical instruments, rising with power and might. This might be where the roots of Symphonic Metal began.
Our hero ("you") prepares for his coming Quest.
And off he sets, with the drums and guitars keeping pace.
The chorus rises, filled with power and ambition.

 "You're the keeper of the seven keys, to lock up the seven seas. And the seer of visions said before he went blind 'hide them from demons and rescue mankind'."

The first key belongs in the sea of hate, the second the sea of fear.

"Throw the third key into the sea of senselessness and make the people hold each other's hands..."

Fourth goes into the sea of greed.
The fifth into the sea of anger.

Meanwhile, something wicked is stirring, the guitars thrash and race and below it you can hear something growling.

Kiske becomes more urgent and insistent - urging you to "throw the key or you may die...". After the frenzy, the music dies down, mellowing into a haunting echo. Has the key been thrown? Is this the calm before the storm?

And where do the sixth and seventh keys belong? Who knows, it's never defined.

The devil is waiting on the shores of the last lake.
It might have been better to have Kai sing the voice of the devil - Kiske has the voice of an angel.
(Then again, Kai's a dwarf, right).

The guitar heralds the throwing of the key and the ensuring battle between the devil and the hero.
Don't worry, the hero wins and an earthquake swallows the devil down again.
Now it is time to celebrate.

I have noticed that there is a rough edge to this album - it has a slightly raw, untamed feel to it - not the overly polished and produced feel of later albums - such as "Pink Bubbles". I think that is part of the appeal, as it makes you feel closer to the band, making them seem more visceral. Although the higher pitch to the drums gets a little irritating. Also, the quality is not great - I have it at full volume to listen to it and when I put in my new Unisonic CD instead, it almost blew my speakers - it was that much louder. I guess that shows what effect 20+ years has had on sound quality.

Overall, however, this is an awesome album and should be in the collection of anybody who considers themselves a true metal fan.

I'm going to give it a 9.5/10 thanks to those drums.
I'm sorry Ingo...

If anyone does want to buy these two albums - they are now available as a set. Which includes some bonus tracks. These tracks I shall be reviewing in a later post.

* Michael Weikath would totally sue my tail. And as much as I'd like to meet him, in a courtroom over copyright violation is not the time and place for that!

Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius (1993)

This is the third Gamma Ray album and the last with Ralf Scheepers on vocals (he went off to join Primal Fear). It also follows the departure of Uli Kusch who later went on to replace Ingo in Helloween. Interestingly enough, in 2001 he and Roland Grapow were both fired from Helloween via an email from Weikath - which means Weikath may not be the nicest person to work with. I had not known that, but my interest in Helloween had lapsed significantly by the turn of the century. He and Grapow are now in Masterplan.

Anyhow, back to Gamma Ray - this is another rockin' album, harking more to the fun of "Heading for Tomorrow", rather than the more serious "Sigh No More". The music displays a fair amount of playfulness and creativity.

Originally published in 1993, this is the 2005 re-release - which comes with bonus tracks.

The cover is a ying and yang atom, with water and fire, electrons zapping around them. On the back of the booklet, the band are all pulling funny faces, although Dirk Schlater looks more like a zombie than a goofball. The only two I can immediately recognise are Ralf and Kai. Kai actually bears a resemblance to Fangface - maybe it's the grin. Inside they look far more mature and serious - and so young.

Ralf Scheepers also has nearly a four octave range* - varying from high-pitched tenor, to shrieks and a deeper baritone.

The album starts hard and fast with the kick-arse "Tribute to the Past". Gamma Ray are starting to show more Power Metal influences now, although the whole PM genre was only just gaining momentum. The vocals race forward, soaring forth into the chorus, whilst beneath them the drums pound away in speed rhythms.

The rocking "No Return" brings with it catchiness and a good, solid rhythm. Also, Ralf doing his baritone-thing.

"Last Before the Storm" is a somewhat less inspiring number. It's a solid metal song, but not nearly as catchy and more aggressive.

Then into something a little slower, "The Cave Principle" which quickly surges into a rather thrashier number. I've never been sure of the meaning of this song.

Frantic guitar and frenzied drumming leads us into "Future Madhouse" which is as compelling as it is speed metal. The verses are a bit blah, but the bridge and chorus are good and catchy.

"Our future is a madhouse and we all are moving in!"

 The quirkiest track on the album - "Gamma Ray" starts with an odd popping-stretching noise before going into a kinda pop rhythm and rockin' out. This is the editted version - as an added bonus we also get an extended version. It's more rock and has a rather more modern, popular twist to the melodies and rhythms. I always fancied it took a little bit - a mere fragment - of techno into its structure. There's a few explody noises too.

Just found out, this is a cover song. Originally done by a band called Birth Control, whom I've not heard of.

Another lively and inventive number, "Insanity and Genius" has rhythms you could dance to - were you so inclined; good melodies, strong vocals and bizarre lyrics:

"Sometimes my womb bears an actor."

 Slow, melodious and melancholic with shadows of Dire Straits, "18 Years" begins as a ballad. It comes in rather rockier, and Ralf shows that he is capable of holding a note for some time. By the end, it is frantic and urgent.

The next track, "Your Turn is Over" is fast-paced and my least favourite track on this album. Vocalist on this one is Dirk Schlachter. I wondered why the vocals were rather more gutural and aggressive. Guitars and backing instruments are also uninspiring.

In the next track, "Heal Me", Kai takes over the vocal duties. A slower, powerful number. For all his raspy-edge, Kai can do the low and melodic quite well. I wonder what his octave range is (I'm guessing he'll be another almost-four). The song twists and turns - one minute slow and mellow, the next screaming and angry. It's great. My favourite is the fairy-tale/masquerade ending, when the piano/keyboard comes in and brings with it a strangely carnival feeling slightly reminscent of Queen:

"Come on my friend and join the ball and everything is beautiful. Even the band ... is magic. Imagine you're a superstar - you're gonna fly, you're gonna go far... so far!"

"Brothers" is another rockin' number, with the catchy rhythms and deeper vocals courtesy of Ralf. The lyrics are fun and relatively shallow, but there's a general mood of friendship and happiness.

The extended version of "Gamma Ray" follows, bringing more technical noises and a few samples.

This is followed up by a cover of Judas Priest's "Exciter" - which proves Ralf Scheepers might have been a better choice than Ripper Owens. Fast paced and furious, pure thrash and a track that immediately evokes memories in me - as Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengence" was one of the first cassettes I ever owned. I'm not even sure I still have it...

Finally we conclude with another cover - this time of the awesome Helloween track, being performed live (to great celebration from the fans) - "Save Us". Funnily enough, the album the original of this is from is next on my list to play. Ralf does a  commendable job - he was asked to be vocalist of Helloween before they grabbed Kiske (he declined because he thought Tyran Pace were gonna be big. They weren't).

This is an album of highs and lows - there are some spectacular tracks - especially "Heal Me", but also some rather less inspiring numbers. On average though, it's still probably worth an 8/10.

Don't worry, I'll be giving the next GR album a higher ranking. It's "Land of the Free".

* As I have previously noted, does Michael Kiske. However, Kiske's voice is more angelic and powerful, whereas Scheepers has a raw edge.

Michael Kiske - Instant Clarity (1996)

Michael Kiske departed ways with Helloween on not-so-pleasant terms in 1993. Also given his marching orders was Ingo Schwichtenberg. Kiske fared rather better than poor Ingo (who died shortly afterwards) and has gone on to have an extremely involved solo career - both producing his own solo albums, performing in Tobias Sammet's Avantasia project, guest staring on Gamma Ray cds and now joining up with Kai Hansen again in a band called Unisonic (I just bought that album, my third purchase this year - this CD buying must. end. now.)

This was his first solo album and I pounced on it and ripped into it. And yes, I admit, I was disappointed. Whilst Kiske's voice is as splendid as ever, the music stylings are not as heavy nor as sophisticated as those of Helloween - even the Chameleon years. It does have some really good tracks on it, but it's all a bit hoo-hum, middle of the road. I'd love to have seen more experimentation - like what happened in "Chameleon" and Helloween did later with "Unarmed".

Kiske is an accomplished singer - he possesses an almost 4-octave vocal range - according to wikipedia, and I gather this is note-worthy - it means he can do the higher pitched notes (and hold them for some time) and also the low baritone. Not to mention his clean, polished edge, like golden honey - rich, sweet and highly enticing. He also plays piano and guitar. Other guest stars on this album are Kai Hansen and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden).

Packaging - a very green eye gazes out of the cover, long lashes - probably female. Lightning crackles around a sunset reflection-in-lake scene. Inside - lyrics, pictures of Kiske, looking faintly like he is daydreaming. There's a little comment at the back too, rather snidely directed at the "Remaining rest of Helloween..." This is one case where I am sure there shall not be a reunion tour.

Opening track - "Be True to Yourself" is something definitely worth being - and probably something Kiske feels he is finally doing, now that he is free from Helloween. It's a nice track, with great vocals and simple music stylings. More pop-rock than his earlier stuff. Still pretty catchy, especially in the chorus.

"Don't wanna look back, gotta to start to see the future..."

 "The Calling" starts a bit harder, faster. Again, catchy choruses, nice soaring vocals over those.

A plane soars in for "Somebody Somewhere" which is a gentler number, filled with longing and wondering. Vocals are very emotive.

Another slower number, "Burned Out" is the sort of song you might need to listen to, were you burned out without love. The vocals are, as always, amazing but the music is just that - music to support the vocalist. There is a hint of despair, or perhaps desperation, here. Not a lot, but enough to make you feel as though he were walking alone, along beside a river.

 We pick up the pace in "New Horizons", again the verses climax into the soaring choruses. This is probably one of the heaviest of the songs, with a  full on guitar solo - and it is noted that Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) did play a part in this track.

"Hunted" has a different pace and vibe, a little more anger.

"Always" is a beautiful number. It begins with piano and is probably the most memorable song on the album. This is one that will linger with you. It is dedicated to the memory of Ingo. The emotive vocals will bring a tear to your eye. Play it loud.

Alas, it is followed up by the rather bland "Thanx a Lot". Fast verse, more melodic chorus - this is beginning to get a bit of a similar structure. Some nice chug-chug guitars though. It does slow down a bit towards the end.

Acoustic guitar and vocals characterise "Time's Passing By" which is rather a rock number.

Another angry song, "So Sick" has slightly murky-sounding vocals and abrupt bass. Until, of course, he "sees the light" and Kiske's magical voice takes over.

The final track, "Do I Remember a Life?" is one of my favourites (along with "Always") and is an acoustic and classically rendered masterpiece. Gentle, soothing music that seems to speak along with the vocals. The song rises and climaxes, surging with power and force before descending again into a melody that will linger with you after the disc has finished its spinning.

It is plain to see, that with this album, Kiske wanted to take on a different direction and leave the past - and pain - of Helloween behind him. It is a very nice rock album, with some very good guitar soloing and powerful pieces, but ultimately, one that requires several listenings to to truly appreciate. I do like this album, and I like it rather a lot, but I could never quite pick up the energy to purchase his other solo ones - even the one in which he sings Helloween songs. The follow-up to this one, "Readiness to Sacrifice" has its charms, but I found "Kiske" to be a little bland. Maybe I should have listened to it again, in more depth.

I'm giving this one 7/10.

Tomorrow I'm up to L, and Swedish band Lake of Tears.

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys (part one) (1987)

Helloween are my favourite band. And this is one of their best albums.

Of course, to my one loyal reader, you already know of my love for this German band - or at least the way they were back in the late 80s, when they were at their finest. So, you don't really need me to tell you this twice. But it's worth repeating anyway.

It is not, alas, a long album - having only six entire songs and a couple of short bits. But do not let that deter you - for one of the songs IS 13 minutes long. The cover speaks volumes - it shows a hooded, faceless figure, levitating a ball of glowing keys (seven of course) whilst behind him - through an open window, you can see a serene lake, surrounded by mountains. Evocative - it makes you wonder - who is he? What do the keys open? Unforunately, for the answers about the keys, you have to wait for the next album.

This is the first album with the adorable Michael Kiske on vocals, and with Kai Hansen taking most of the guitaring roles, as Michael Weikath had injured his wrist and was unable to perform.

It is a simple single-fold sleeve, but does manage to fit all the lyrics in - although the font is rather small.

Let us begin with our "Initiation" into the glory that is Helloween. Tolling bells; triumphant, swelling guitars. Ahhh, it makes your heart soar to listen to it.

"I'm Alive" is a joyous celebration of being, well, ALIVE! The lyrics are not earth shattering, but the energy, the sheer intoxication of this song cannot help but fill your soul with hope and joy.

This feeling continues into "A Little Time", although it has its gloomier moments. So much metal is so angry and aggressive - Helloween chose instead to play the sort of music that thrills and excites you, making your spirit soar. Clever interplay, quirky little guitar gimmicks and the playfulness of the vocals and music add to this impression.

The energy and pace of "Twilight of the Gods" makes it a masterpiece. No need for fancy synthesizers or orchaestras (although those would be wicked) - Helloween achieve a climax of sound with just guitars, drums, vocals and choirs. Masterful, beautiful. It brings a tear to my eye and I've pretty much cranked my speaker volume up as high as it can feasibly go.

Hell, my neighbours deserve to learn the power of Helloween. They play their music all the time, anyhow (at least they have reasonable taste and it's rock, not rap or dubstep).

A softer, heart-breaking number - "A Tale that Wasn't Right" allows Kiske to truly shine, the emotion and power in his young voice - he's only 18/19 here. Wow. Damn, those tears are back...

When I was a teenager, most of my peers had crushes on movie stars or boy bands (yup, we had them in my day too) - but me, I was "in love" with Michael Kiske. I'd still love to meet him (although I no longer fantasize about marrying him).

And now "Future World" - the first Helloween song I ever heard. It was on the "Thrash the Wall" compilation cassette*. From its celebratory opening chords, to its highly sing-a-long-able chorus, to its positive, positive message

"... cos we all live in future world, a world that's full of love..."

 Even the band admit that the lyrics are fluffy and over-idealistic (I believe Weikath dissed them in an interview I once read - I read a lot of Helloween interviews - claiming they'd never write that sorta nonsense again) but to a teenage girl, facing (albeit pretty mild) bullying, peer pressure, teen angst and a lack of friends - it is a message that sticks - and it was right - my "future life would be glorious" - or at least pretty damned good.**

The jarring beginning and crashing beats of "Halloween" are powerfully evocative. Like being steamrolled with music. The vocals are magnificant, the music stupendous, little quirks like the tinkling of magic in the air, the whispering voices... all combines to create a wonderful, dramatic, evocative, melodramatic and overall wonderful aural experience. Masterfully clever, and even at 13 minutes long (the video is much abridged), it changes pace and style enough to keep you entertained.  Oooh, that sounded like a flurry of bats!
 (Btw, if you watch the video, make sure you check out Kiske's expresion when the demonic voice tries to corrupt him. It's priceless. If he didn't decide to follow the path of using his glorious voice, he would have made a decent actor, I reckon - he's definitely charismatic and expressive enough.)

The haunting little instrumental, with whispering voice, bids us to "Follow the Sign" and probably subtly encourages us to buy the next album. Which, if you've heard this one (and if your music mood sensors are wired like mine) - you will anyway, since one is NOT enough.

 THIS is the essential album for every speed metal, power metal fan's collection. If you like this genre of music and you do not have this album - BUY IT NOW. And, while you're at it, you might as well get the second one too, because together they are EPIC.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you my rating - but I will anyway - a triumphant 10/10.

 * Oddly enough, I don't think I liked it that much on the first listening (my brother can probably recall my comments). I believe at that point I was in my "Sepultura phase" which lasted about one week and then I turned up the volume on "Future World" and it hit the pleasure synapses in my brain and I fell instantly, irrevocably, in love. Back in those days (remember, I was around 13), I used to watch RTR countdown, which was the NZ music chart show, counting down the top selling cassingles for that week (nowadays, that would be itunes downloads, for all you modern-day teens) - and every week I would make my own list. This song stayed at #1 for an awfully long time, until finally getting shunted off by the Escape Club's haunting "I'll Be There".

** Although I am sure my 13-year old self would have considered it more glorious had Michael Kiske come and whisked her away!

Gamma Ray - Sign No More (1991)

January 17th, 1991 was a significant one for Kai Hansen. It was his birthday. It was also the day the Gulf War officially began (Codename - Operation Desert Storm). I was 13 at the time, attending a music course whilst my parents and brother were off in Nelson. Although we were far from the conflict and it never had any direct effect on us, the declaration of war - any war - is not something you wish to be apart from your nearest and dearest for.

This album, released in 1991, is clearly inspired somewhat by the Gulf War.

After the power and the might of the symphonic power metal of Fairyland, Gamma Ray are actually refreshing. There is something overly flamboyant and pompous about Symphonic Power Metal, and although Kai Hansen may be somewhat responsible for the creation of the genre itself, his own projects are traditional, honest hard rockin' heavy metal. Catchy, great guitar, Scheepers' vocals are excellent and the lyrics are intelligent and interesting.

The cover is kinda tacky though. Given it was released in the early 90s, and the 80s had still not finished their influence - we have skeletons in suit, tails and tophat, with a rather psychadelic sky. Meanwhile the band name looks like something from a video game. Ah, but we'll forgive them, cos they're awesome. No printed lyrics, sadly, just a one-fold affair with a grainy photography showing two of the band members - leather jackets, long hair, a third being neatly bissected in half so that you can only see his clothes and not his head! And the other members are entirely absent (I think  they were five, at that point?). The rest of the photograph is moody sky and what might be fields. It loks cheap and almost like a poor copy - except that I'm fairly certain I got it through a reliable source - ie: a music store.

Gamma Ray have chosen to go in a different direction from Helloween, their style is more influenced by rock and politics, less speed and more rhythm.  The album opens with "Changes" - a song that is both catchy and beautiful, with Scheepers voice smooth and haunting. Not quite a ballad, but definitely an inspirational piece.

"... Don't wanna cry no more, wanna sigh no more... Changes... all around me now..."

In contrast, "Rich and Famous" is a bit of social sattire.  Rocking rhythms; catchy, repetitive choruses, a hearty dose of irony and humour. Fun stuff.

We get back into more serious issues with "As Time Goes By" which opens with speed metal beats. More tongue-in-cheek political lyrics here. It also has the finest guitar solo on the album - with the soaring, rising, inspiration riffs not disimilar to Helloween's "Eagle Fly Free".

Slower with a steadier beat,and a slight melancholic edge, "We Won't Stop the War" is about the obvious. Puncuated with horns.

As a change "Father And Son" is a softer ballad with a harsher center, about the relationship between father and son. A relationship fractured and efforts made to mend the broken bridges.

"One with the World" is about attempts at salvaging the mess that the world is in:

"Do you think there's a chance for this world to live in unity as one?"

Like most Gamma Ray songs, it displays truly that rockstars could be both intelligent and have strong political views - in the wake of the whole glam rock explosion. The video is cheesy as hell though!

"Start Running" has a frantic, hurried pace that befits the lyrics. It sounds angry, even when it is making delcarations of a more positive nature:

"No single person can change the truth We have to move forward and do it side by side"

It is not one of my favourite songs.

Back into the beats as we "Countdown". More political lyrics, somewhat nihilistic worldviews. Good beats and great guitar rifts.

"Dream Healer" opens with chugging base and rhythmic guitar. The vocals are otherworldly, slightly new-age-esque. Brilliant.

Finally, we end with "The Spirit", a magnificant, beautiful song with rising powerful guitars and soaring vocals. It asks all sorts of important questions and comments:

"If I could ask the maker about the masterplan, would He give an answer and would I understand?"

I think you will get the opinion that I am rather fond of Gamma Ray. And you would be 100% correct. There is an honest purity to their music: it is rock, with a touch of speed and a lot of melody. The lyrics are easy to hear, even without being printed, and they are both intelligent and thought-provoking. Kai Hansen is a guitar god and Ralf Scheepers has a damned fine voice.

I shall give it 8/10.

Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle Earth (1998)

It came as quite a surprise to me that I only own one Blind Guardian CD. Seriously? Why have I not got more by this epic fantasy-esque power metal band?* Maybe it is because, whilst I am a big fan of the genre and the atmosphere of their music, I am not *quite* so fond of Hansi Kursch's voice, which is a little too raw and razor-edged for me.

This album is, you might realise, inspired by the works of JRR Tolkien. Other albums have drawn inspiration from George RR Martin, Michael Moorcock and Robert Jordan. Yes, geeks make the best metal. This band formed in Germany in 1984 as Lucifer's Heritage, later changing part of their line-up and their name, in 1987 to become the band we know today.

Whilst larger based around the guitars and drums of Speed metal, this album also marks the first where they started to incorporate classical instruments and arrangements in their melodies - and to great improvement of power. They also make use of folk tunes and instruments to enhance the fantastical nature of their music.

The track listing for this CD - 22 tracks - looks very impressive, but somewhat less so when you realise that a significant proportion of them are less than a minute in duration and a mainly bits of dialogue between the tracks. This makes the album work better as a coherant whole, instead of my usual habit of dumping it on my computer playlist and setting it to random. Thus I imagine I shall learn a lot from my dissection of this album track-by-track.

This CD is based on the Silmarillion. Which I haven't read. So, I am afraid that this track dissection may not be quite as informative as you might like. Also, with 11 of the tracks being short excerpts (taken from the actual book), I shall not be devoting a single paragraph to every track.

First, however, let us examine the fine packaging. For, the cover is richly illustrated by Andreas Marschell and decpits a dark lord (Morgoth) sitting atop a throne, surrounded by goblins (or orcs?) whist a ghostly elf (Luthien) dances before him and a smallish wof snarls at her. It certainly captures the dark fantasy vibes well, however. Inside, the lyrics, plus five passages that relate to the general plot of the album.

If you are curious - Wikipedia has the full track/plot dissection:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightfall_in_Middle-Earth#Thematic_references

Appropriately, the album opens with a battle - a "War of Wrath" - and a defeat. This ominous intro leads us into the rather aggressive (and slightly demanding) "Into the Storm"..

"Give it to me, I must have it. Precious treasure. I deserve it."

 The screaming demonic vocals of "Lammoth" bring us into the rather more melodic "Nightfall", in which Hansi's voice is really rather sweet. This changes quickly into a raspy scream, but is worth enjoying while it lasts.

What rather bugs me with the lyric sheet is the insistence on placing a space before the contraction apostrophes - "hope 's..."  My inner editor does not like it.

Some of the lyrics are kind of funny:

"Like sorrowful seaguls [sic] they sang..."

The chorus is easily the best bit of this song.

The little folk ditty, "The Minstrel" is like (very brief) music to my ears, until we are hit by the fury that is "The Curse of Feanor", with its angry vocals and aggressive pounding rhythms, rolling into the frenzied, frantic verses and into the (somewhat) melodic chorus.

Then, someone is "Captured" and tortured by the Darklord (I presume, he certainly has an evil laugh). Being welcomed into the realm of darkness and despair, "Blood Tears" will be cried as "we are both condemned to live". And I find another typo on hte lyric sheet. Tsk tsk!

"Mirror Mirror" has a slightly celebratorious feel - as a hidden city is constructed, to protect those within from the destruction outside the island sanctuary. It is a very powerful, defiant track.

A more melancholic excerpt - in which it is time to "Face the Truth" before heading into the dark and desperate track that is "Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)". There are some nice, melodic passages in this song but it is all flavoured with a hopelessness and death.

"Noldor, blood is on your hands. Tears unnumbered. You will shet [sic?] and dwell in pain"

 Another lovely little ditty, "The Battle of Sudden Flame" brings a little light and majesty into the album before being defeated by the almighty "Time Stands Still (at the iron hill)". I am always amused by how the Germans (and also the Swedes) pronounce the "R" ir "iron". This is a song about a battle - and this is relfected in the furious melodies, battling against the layered vocals with changing tempos and soaring choruses.

"The Dark Elf" is a menacing, but haunting, little narrative, as the seed of evil is grown. This leads into the rather beautiful "Thorn", which is actually a song of betrayal. There are some lovely folk-inspired melodies in here, evoking visions of a soldier forcing his way through a writhing, wild thicket.

Slower piano notes bring us into the haunted "The Eldar". Here Hansi's golden-throated vocals are back in force. They give a voice to an ancient Elf king, giving his final farewell to his subjects. As he becomes closer to death, he becomes more frenzied, and his subjects lend their chorus to his final cries, calming him enough to complete his song of doom.
So far it is my favourite song on this album.

"Nom the Wise" is mourned in a short passage probably taken directly from the book.

"When Sorrow Sang" would be more appropriately named "when sorrow screamed" for it is a song of fury and rage, anger at the loss of a loved one to the fangs of evil.
Rather ironical when he is screaming lyrics like:

"When sorrow sang softly and sweet"

A beautiful and classical piece, with a choir of singing voices takes the lost "Out on the Water", their last sanctuary. It delivers us into "The Steadfast", in which the evil villain (Morgoth) delivers a rather menancing threat to a half-mad captive, before celebrating his apparent victory in "A Dark Passage". It is a song of triumph and a small dose of gloating.

"And thus ends the Fifth battle, by the treachery of man, the field is lost..."

This is a powerful album, as intense and multi-layered as the books that inspired it. The melodies and rhythms, the changing tempos and general epic feel have created a truly majestic album. Alas, whilst I can appreciate the sheer intensity and power, I do find that Hansi's voice grates on me after a while. Although I do really love his ballads.

For sheer impressive scale and dramatic effect, I am going to rate this an 8/10.

* Actually, that's kinda a lie - I only own one CD, but I do have some on cassette tape. I even have the capability to play them now. Maybe when I'm done reviewing my CDs, I'll shift onto my cassette collection.