Keeper Of The Seven Keys - Helloween

Advantages: Top vocals, guitars and metal
Disadvantages: none

...Do you remember the eighties? Remember those eighties bands… sure you do: bands like Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Human League and… Helloween. ‘Helloween?’ you shriek. What in blue blazes is that all about? Well, they were not an eighties band in the way ‘eighties bands’ are depicted, but they certainly were around at the time. Whereas the aforementioned bands played soft synth pop, Helloween played Metal… Heirs to The Scorpions, Helloween hail from Germany, but whereas The Scorpions play a lighter shade of Metal, Helloween play it fast, they were and are a Thrash Metal Act. Still at it now in 2007, I am reviewing their third album which was originally produced in February 1987 and then repackaged along with bonus tracks in 2006. They have been through a few band member changes since, but the line-up at the time of ‘Keeper of the 7... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: great vocals and production
Disadvantages: definately not what you expected from these guys, lack of good riffs and solos

...Chameleon by many regarded as the worst Helloween offering to date since with this album the band goes further away from the metal path and continues to go down the softer road they started to travel with their previous album,Pink Bubbles Go Ape. I do not mind a good rock album once in a while and with great musicans such as Helloween and amazing vocalist such as Michael Kiske grabbed my intrest to look closer into this album. The album begins with probably the best track found on this album, "First Time".This does in fact remind a litle like early Bon Jovi, a good and solid rocktune which well could have chances to hit the charts! After that track I was eager to the hear the next song. Unfortunately from the second song, the downhill starts. "When The Sinner" sounds boring and uninspring, and i would classify this song as a poor pop... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: kiske has great voice and a few great tracks.
Disadvantages: a lot of filler material, not what you expect from Ex-Helloween singer.

...Michael Kiske was one of the most liked singers in heavy metal in the 1980s. He started as the lead singer for Helloween when he was only 18 years and the band released "Keeper of the seven keys". This album is regarded as birh of a totally new genre of musik, namely "power metal". Michael Kiske has a great range and can sing in a very high pitch like nobody else. The guitarduo Hansen and Weikath were considered to be one of the best guitar duos ever, remembered from very catchy twinguitar harmonies. After the release of Keepers of the seven keys 2 Hansen left the band. Their next album "Pink bubble goes ape" was more of a (hard)rock album than metal album, this album sounded more like Bon Jovi than previous Helloween. Their next album "Chamelon" (i've written previous a review on this album here on Ciao) is often regarded as the worst... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful