Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Helloween
Label: Castle Communications
Release: 1994
Length: 50:12
Rating: 4/5
In 1993, German power metal champions Helloween were creatively, morally and commercially flat on the floor, and it looked like they’d stay there forever. Their highly controversial albums, »Pink Bubbles Go Ape« (1991) and »Chameleon« (1993), both released on the label giant EMI, failed to bring the commercial success they were after. On top of nearly every member of the band being at each other’s throats at the time, »Chameleon«, with its experiments in progressive rock and pop, also drove off a hefty chunk of the traditional metal fanbase. Then-singer Michael Kiske, with his problematic, ‘rock star’ behavior and completely different musical taste, was driving a wedge between the members, while an even bigger problem was original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who had started losing his battle with drugs and alcohol. After a major drug incident he was kicked out of the band, and his (temporary) replacement in the middle of the »Chameleon« tour was Richie Abdel-Nabi, a rather clumsy fill-in drummer who never managed to learn (or simply couldn’t be bothered to learn) most of Helloween’s material.
Right after the end of that catastrophic tour, in the middle of which they’d also lost a hefty share of their fans, original guitarist Michael Weikath, his guitar partner in crime Roland Grapow and bassist Markus Grosskopf made the fateful decision to throw Kiske out of the band and steer Helloween back, on the next studio album, to the old, beloved and much-demanded power metal sound the problematic singer had been pulling them further and further away from. They found their vocal replacement in a surprising way in Andi Deris, former singer of German melodic rockers Pink Cream 69, who happened to be in a dispute with the rest of that band at the time and so showed up at Helloween as if on cue. Weikath had been secretly courting Deris for Helloween ever since the release of the utterly botched »Pink Bubbles Go Ape«, but back then Deris was still a sworn member of Pink Cream 69. The new drummer turned up in Uli Kusch, a former member of Gamma Ray, which means that under Kai Hansen’s mentorship he already had some experience playing the Helloween legacy and was more than a fitting replacement for the unfortunate Schwichtenberg.
On their sixth studio album, »Masters of the Rings«, released in 1994, Helloween wanted to go back sonically to exactly where they’d left off after the two »Keeper of the Seven Keys« power metal masterpieces. They pulled that off at least partly, and even that exceeded all expectations, making this record one of the most successful comebacks on the metal scene. Deris admittedly didn’t have a voice of Kiske’s technical caliber and rank, but he made up for it with a distinctive sound, far more eclecticism and a specific charisma, which included a dose of (black) humor too, something Helloween desperately needed if they wanted to revive their trademark ‘happy Helloween’ style. »Master of the Rings« spawned as many as four singles, »Where the Rain Grows«, »Perfect Gentleman«, »Mr. Ego« (Take Me Down)« and »Sole Survivor«, which spoke volumes about the band’s newfound ambition, now that they’d moved from EMI after that failed chapter to a smaller subsidiary label, Raw Power.
That Helloween wanted to revive at least some of the magical atmosphere and mythology of »Keeper of the Seven Keys« is evident from the album cover and its semi-conceptual nature: the keeper of the seven keys, having successfully defeated the devil, now becomes the master of the seven rings of cosmic balance, with which he can carry on his eternal fight against evil. Today there are tons of power metal bands with similar, more or less hopelessly cheap quasi-conceptual fairy-tale messages, but only Helloween were always completely genuine and sincere about it, and on top of that they softened the whole thing with their trademark humor.
Deris brought a strong melodic songwriting ethos over from Pink Cream 69, which injected a bit of hard rock/AOR charm into traditional Helloween power metal, especially on the tracks where the charismatic singer left his mark, and that’s exactly the first three songs on the album, not counting Weikath’s instrumental intro »Irritation«. This classical-style guitar solo, accompanied by programmed orchestral flourishes courtesy of old Helloween friends, keyboardist Jorn Ellerbrock and the excellent producer Tommy Hansen, makes for a brilliant intro to the energy bomb called »Sole Survivor«, on which Helloween immediately announce that they’re ‘back’, meaning they’re breathing power metal with full lungs again and a brand-new era can begin. Uli Kusch’s cataclysmic drum fills are at least on par with his predecessor’s, while the moment of truth for everyone who couldn’t just get over Kiske’s departure arrives when Deris proves he’s more than a worthy successor to the ‘legend with problems’, winning over even the most hardened metal purists with his outstanding vocal charisma. The new singer shines especially on the highly melodic chorus, which seems tailor-made for his hard/melodic rock vocal approach, while the two guitarists pull off a veritable galaxy of tasteful harmonies that once again recall the ‘good old days’ of the eighties.
The excellent »Where The Rain Grows«, marked by a distinctive guitar phrase and Grapow’s classical-style passages, which clearly show that this guitar master could finally let loose completely, is also blessed with a strong melodic rock chorus. The exchange of guitar solos between Weikath and Grapow is done in an exceptionally intelligent way, while the epic atmosphere is effectively rounded out by yet another autobiographical lyric, about the ‘lost ones’ returning to the scene after spending time in the ‘rain zone’. Deris’s star moment on »Master of the Rings« might well be »Why?«, which is without a doubt one of the most innovative songs on the album, with tasteful acoustic arrangements, flowing guitar harmonies and a triumphant chorus. »Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)«, in which Grapow lyrically pins Kiske’s ego problems on him, is mostly laid down at a slow tempo, but it’s still a surprisingly fun ride with a surprising rhythmic twist in the final, somewhat more experimental part. Here too, despite the dominance of the two guitarists’ sprawling, fiery passages, you can hear synthesizer lines in the background, something you can catch on most of the »Masters of the Rings« songs, which is another nice novelty, though to the delight of the traditional fans they didn’t overdo it.
One of the funniest moments of the album is also the social burlesque »Perfect Gentleman«, which boasts a very interesting central arrangement and a highly melodic chorus, while Deris, with minimal help from Grapow’s backing vocals, shines once again with his pronounced vocal charisma and eclecticism. Once again, in the lyrics and between the various playful sound effects, you can feel that unmistakable, endearing Helloween humor that must not be missing from any of their albums. And when it comes to playful ideas and inventiveness, the absolute winner of the Helloween ‘kiddie carousel’ is always the immensely likable »The Game Is On«, on which its creator Weikath revealed himself as a big video game fan. So it’s no surprise that it’s packed with witty sound effects lifted straight from old 8- and 16-bit consoles like the NES, SNES and Game Boy, while one of the verses refers to the adventures of the well-known mustachioed Italian plumber in the land of mushrooms and turtles. The nostalgic chorus, the aforementioned electronic effects and the cheerful atmosphere will take many a listener back to their childhood years on a fresh spin.
»Secret Alibi«, which successfully blends positivity and melancholy, features a strong hard rock guitar phrase, so Deris’s vocals feel right at home here again and this time even reach a few higher notes. It’s worth mentioning here that Deris never wanted to imitate Kiske’s ‘operatic’ approach, even though in the following years his voice improved incredibly on the technical side too. The exchange of guitar improvisations is once again a feast for the ears, and this time the eternal classicist Grapow, who ‘grows wings’ again, is especially impressive. »Take Me Home« also has a completely unconventional intro (by usual Helloween standards), with funk-style guitar improvisations at the start, while the entrance of Deris’s vocals and the shy synth textures in the background add a generous melodic rock aura to the traditional Helloween sound, especially in the chorus.
»In the Middle of a Heartbeat«, where Deris tears open his heart with deeply felt singing, is a charming love power ballad that more than successfully continued their reputation as convincing makers of atmospheric ballads. The acoustic guitar arrangements in the background are tastefully accompanied by symphonic synth curtains, which only boosts the ethereal atmosphere. From past experience, I can confirm that even the most hardened metal-loving gals, who usually look down their noses at AOR ballads from bands like Asia or Whitesnake, don’t see »In the Middle of a Hertbeat« as something overly syrupy that would make them feel awkward and exposed. »Still We Go«, easily the heaviest piece on »Master of the Rings«, with plenty of half-playful, half-creepy effects, is the ultimate message to all the fans that Helloween are back on the metal highway. This closing treat is really a collage of all their most distinctive sonic elements, while its somewhat darker atmosphere compared to the rest of the album already hints at where Helloween would take their style and ambience on the next studio project, »The Time of the Oath« (1996).
On »Masters of the Rings«, an unexpectedly successful and witty return to the victorious power metal battlefield, Helloween rose from the ashes like the mythical phoenix and made happy everyone who had already given up on them in the early nineties. Even at release, the album was innovative and eclectic enough that nobody could doubt the new energy and work ethic that came with the two new members, and at the same time it was a fitting continuation of their power metal legacy, so the old fans started coming back once they saw the band was on the ‘right track’ again. After their unpopular experiments with prog rock and pop, which brought very mixed results, Helloween started playing power metal again, meaning what they did best. Their regained reputation in the metal community only grew with each following release, every one better than the last, at least until 2001, when the »Masters of the Rings« incarnation of the band fell apart.
Lineup
Andi Deris – vocals
Michael Weikath – guitar
Roland Grapow – guitar
Markus Grosskopf – bass guitar
Uli Kusch – drums
Production
Tommy Hansen
Track list
1. Irritation
2. Sole Survivor
3. Where The Rain Grows
4. Why?
5. Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)
6. Perfect Gentleman
7. The Game Is On
8. Secret Alibi
9. Take Me Home
10. In The Middle Of a Heartbeat
11. Still We Go
