Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Helloween
Label: Metal-Is Records
Released: 2002
Rating: 3.5/5
The elder statesmen of German power metal decided in 2002 to release their first real “best of” album, not counting “The Best, the Rest, the Rare” (1991), and a double one at that. With guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch gone by the time this compilation came out, they found themselves in a spot much like the ones they’d been in before, when their creator and mastermind Kai Hansen (now vocalist and guitarist in Gamma Ray) and singer Michael Kiske (now in Place Vendome, and solo) left the band. So this is a band that has been through plenty of lineup changes, ups and downs in its history. Their style has shifted accordingly, and you can split it into three big periods. First came the faster, harder sound of the era with Hansen on vocals and guitar (83-86), then the melodic “power” metal of the Kiske years (87-93), and finally the much more polished, symphonic style of today with Andi Deris on vocals (1994-).
As a longtime fan, what interested me most when it came out was which tracks from their rich catalog they’d put on these two discs. But I was a bit disappointed with the selection, mostly because of a few songs that have absolutely no business being on it.
The first, “golden” disc is mostly tracks from their earlier period. The only real standouts are the excellent “Mr. Torture”, the fun “I Can”, the already slightly “cheesy” “Power” and the always emotional “Where The Rain Grows” from the last four albums. Then come two of their biggest hits right away, “Eagle Fly Free” and “Future World” from their golden era with Kiske. These are all brilliant songs, sure, but we’ve heard them “a thousand times” already. Still, a few pleasant surprises follow. Tracks like “Metal Invaders”, “Murderer” and “Starlight” (the last two reworked) are definitely a pleasant surprise, since these are old “burners” you’ll hardly ever hear at their shows anymore. They all date from the time when the man who’s now the “chief” of Gamma Ray was still screeching wildly behind the mic for Helloween. What especially thrilled me is that “Starlight” is sung by Kiske, which makes it an excellent and very rare take on the original. Two more well-known tracks from Kai’s days follow, “How Many Tears” and “Ride The Sky” (remastered version). And then comes a more than brilliant pick, namely “Halloween”. In my opinion the best song in their history, next to “Keeper”, of course. The commercial “A Little Time” and the always killer “I Want Out” are here too. What I don’t get is what “A Tale That Wasn’t Right” is doing on the first disc. My guess is they only included it because it’s a ballad, and the band does love its ballads.
The silver disc kicks off by rewarding us with a reworked version of the one-of-a-kind “Keeper Of The Seven Keys”, which I mentioned earlier. A fair reward, because the next two tracks, “Dr. Stein” (remastered) and “The Chance”, are regular “guests” at their shows. Then there’s something I couldn’t call pretty even on my best behavior, a rather syrupy pop ballad, “Windmill” from the album “Chameleon” (1993), which is also, in its own way, an interesting look at what stylistic leaps the band made in its past, or how it even “toyed” with “pop” metal. Tracks from Deris’s “era” follow. These are the well-known ones like “Soul Survivor” and “Perfect Gentleman”, plus the ballads “In The Middle Of A Heartbeat” and “Forever And One”. I have no idea how a cliché-ridden, boring song like “Kings Will Be Kings” ended up on this selection. That’s a question plenty of people will be scratching their heads over. On the other hand, “The Time Of The Oath”, “Midnight Sun” and “Mr. Ego” (“Take Me Down”) are among the best picks on the second disc. The last two tracks, “Immortal” and “Mirror, Mirror”, are a decent choice too, though they could have picked some other good song, and “The Dark Ride” (2000) is really full of them. The compilation also comes with an interesting booklet that includes some band history, among other things, but it’s nowhere near what Iron Maiden gave us with the limited edition “Best Of The Beast” (1997).
If you’re lucky, you might also get your hands on a special bonus CD called “Buried Treasure”. This bronze disc contains rare bonus tracks from their singles from 1991-1999. Some of them were only released on the official Japanese editions of the albums.
Helloween rewarded us with a few bonus tracks that could easily have made it onto a proper album as regular songs. Contrary to expectations, they’re mostly not from the Kiske era. “Shit And Lobster” could have been a great track, but Kiske tries a lot less with his singing than you’d expect. “Oriental Journey” is a Grapow solo masterpiece that makes up a bit for the weak impression. But Kiske botches it again with his singing (practically talking), and “I Don’t Care, You Don’t Care” and “Ain’t Got Nothin’ Better” come off as completely uninspired. Next up is “Moshi Moshi Shiki No Uta”, Kusch’s drum solo from the “Hey Lord” single. A fun thing, but where are the Helloween we want? Just when I’d almost given up on there being anything substantial on the disc, I suddenly found my jaw hanging open. The tracks that followed were performed by Deris. “Can’t Figt Your Desire”, “Star Invasion” and “Silicon Dreams” are the best you can expect from Helloween, pure power speed metal. “Grapowski’s Malmsuite 1001” (“In D Doll”) is another superb Grapow solo showcase, in the style of someone like Malmsteen, and it shows why the current guitarist will never be as “cool” as he was. “Electric Eye” is of course a cover of the Judas Priest classic, and I can say Andi really put in the effort with his singing. And the best, of course, comes at the end. It’s a real shame that a track like “A Game We Shouldn’t Play” wasn’t on the European version of “Better Than Raw” (1998).
Treasure Chest is a must-buy for anyone just getting to know Helloween’s music, while the limited edition with the “Buried Treasure” disc is the main reason, and probably the only one, for old fans to buy it too.
Lineup
Andi Deris – vocals (CD1: 1-4 and CD2: 5-14)
Michael Weikath – guitar (all tracks)
Markus Grosskopf – bass (all tracks)
Roland Grapow – guitar (CD1: 1-4 and CD2: 3-14)
Uli Kusch – drums (CD1: 1-4 and CD2: 5-14)
Michael Kiske – vocals (CD1: 5,6,9,12,13,14,15 and CD2: 1-4)
Kai Hansen – vocals/guitar and guitar (CD1: 5-15 and CD2: 1-2)
Ingo Schwichtenberg – drums (CD1: 5-15 and CD2: 1-4)
Track list
CD 1:
1. MR. TORTURE
2. I CAN
3. POWER
4. WHERE THE RAIN GROWS
5. EAGLE FLY FREE
6. FUTURE WORLD
7. METAL INVADERS
8. MURDERER
9. STARLIGHT
10. HOW MANY TEARS
11. RIDE THE SKY
12. HALLOWEEN
13. A LITTLE TIME
14. A TALE THAT WASN’T RIGHT
15. I WANT OUT
CD2:
Disc: 2
1. KEEPER OF THE 7 KEYS
2. DR STEIN
3. THE CHANCE
4. WINDMILL
5. SOLE SURVIVOR
6. PERFECT GENTELMAN
7. IN THE MIDDLE OF A HEARTBEAT
8. KINGS WILL BE KINGS
9. TIME OF THE OATH
10. FOREVER AND ONE
11. MIDNIGHT SUN
12. MR. EGO
13. IMMORTAL
14. MIRROR MIRROR
