Helloween have made a main name in power metal for 40 years now. Celebrated around the world and still selling out to this day, the band has announced an anthology record to celebrate that 40 years. Titled “March Of Time”, the 42 track record will span from the very beginning up to current day including their reunion.
Formed by Kai Hansen, Michael Weikath, Markus Grosskopf and Ingo Schwichtenberg, Helloween burst onto the scene in 1985 with their self-titled EP and quickly found fame as the leading lights of the German metal movement, setting new standards for melody and speed. Stepping down from the mic, guitarist Kai Hansen brought in 18-year-old Michael Kiske to front the band, and it wasn’t long before they’d created their first true classic. ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I’ was stuffed to the gills with immortal anthems such as ‘Future World’ and ‘I’m Alive’, but it was 1988’s second installment that made them famous on both sides of the Atlantic. Bolstered by ‘I Want Out’ and the high-flying ‘Eagle Fly Free’, ‘Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II’ got them support slots with Iron Maiden, Ozzy and the Scorpions, but darker times loomed.
In 1989 Kai Hansen left the band to form Gamma Ray, and Helloween tried commercial rock for size with ‘Pink Bubbles Go Ape’. After 1993’s divisive ‘Chameleon’, they parted ways with drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who would sadly pass away two years later. Michael Kiske left the fold soon after. Helloween had come to a crossroads, and in 1994 they barreled though it recruiting Pink Cream 69 vocalist Andi Deris and making a staggering return to form with ‘Master Of The Rings’, the beginning of a new golden age. The albums that followed – 1996’s ‘The Time Of The Oath’, 1998’s ‘Better Than Raw’, and 2000’s brooding ‘The Dark Ride’ – inspired a whole new generation to form bands, resulting in the glorious second wave of European power metal.
The entry of guitarist Sascha Gerstner (2002) and drummer Dani Löble (2005) to replace the departing band members Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch marked the definitive end of the line-up carousel and formed the core unit that has lasted ever since.
In 2016, Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske returned to the band to create a seven- member lineup for the Pumpkins United titled world tour, a celebration of their immense history. The tour became nothing less than a triumph and catapulted the band into new spheres: 69 Shows in 32 countries on three continents, selling out arenas and headlining the biggest festivals such as at Wacken, Rock Fest Barcelona or co-headlining Rock in Rio, their performances attracted more than one million fans and underpinned the status of Helloween.
It was such an incredible success, that the band entered the studio to create their monumental self-titled 16th studio album, an album that reached several No. 1 and top 10 positions all over the world. With no doubt, it proved to be the most important reunion in metal since Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith rejoined Iron Maiden.
TRACKLISTING
“Walls Of Jericho/Ride The Sky”
“Metal Invaders”
“Victim Of Fate”
“How Many Tears”
“Eagle Fly Free”
“Halloween”
“A Tale That Wasn’t Right”
“Future World”
“March Of Time”
“Dr. Stein”
“Keeper Of The Seven Keys”
“I Want You”
“Kids Of The Century”
“Number One”
“Windmill”
“Sole Survivor”
“Perfect Gentleman”
“In The Middle Of A Heartbeat”
“Why?”
“Forever And One (Neverland)”
“Power”
“Steel Tormentor”
“Hey Lord!”
“I Can”
“If I Could Fly”
“Mr. Torture”
“Hell Was Made In Heaven”
“Light The Universe”
“The Invisible Man”
“As Long As I Fall”
“Kill It”
“Where The Sinners Go”
“Are You Metal?”
“Nabataea”
“Straight Out Of Hell”
“Waiting For The Thunder”
“Heroes”
“My God-Given Right”
“Pumpkins United”
“Best Time”
“Fear Of The Fallen”
“Skyfall”
