There must be a conspiracy going on somewhere between record companies as recent releases by the likes of Gamma Ray & Place Vendome pit former Helloween alumni Kai Hansen & Michael Kiske in direct competition with their former band thanks to the release of the third 'Seven Keys' album from the pumpkin headed ones. That both Hansen & Kiske were integral parts of the first two Seven Keys albums simply makes the match up even more interesting.

That Helloween have been at the forefront of European melodic power metal for nigh on twenty years  and in that time have paved the way for many of today's genre leaders is indisputable, unfortunately throughout their career inconsistency has often been the watchword of the bands recorded output. Classic albums such as the original Seven Keys duo and the Andi Deris fronted 'The Time of The Oath' opus interspersed with truly dreadful efforts such as the ludicrously titled 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' - who can forget the classic 'Heavy Metal Hamsters?

So seventeen years after the band last visited the 'Seven Keys'  realm the band return almost to their roots with 'The Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy'. From the opening track, 'King For A Thousand Years' it is apparent that, despite numerous line up changes along the way, Helloween are back to their very best and that all of the trademark pieces of the Helloween jigsaw are in place from the overblown songs of epic proportions that match the likes of  'Halloween' & 'Keeper of The Seven Keys' that  graced the first two albums in the series,  to the furious double kick drumming, blistering twin guitar work, numerous mid-song time and tempo changes and of course  the operatic completely-over-the-top vocals. What more could any self-respecting Helloween fan ask for.

Seriously top marks must go to new drummer Dani Löble who holds the whole album together with some incredible skin pounding and together with bassist Markus Grosskopf  produce a solid rhythmic base on which Weikath & Gerstner can weave their own brand of six string sourcery. Indeed not since the halcyon days of the guitar pairing of Weikath & Hansen has the Helloween guitar attack sounded so focused and together. The legacy, if you will excuse the pun, of the first two 'Seven Keys' albums is certainly in no way diminished with this release and the continuity with the earlier work is maintained especially through the aforementioned 'King For A Thousand Days' and the equally epic-like 'Occasion Avenue' with the respective use of a soft spoken introduction to the former track and the clever use of the samples from older material that prefaces the later. Indeed 'King For A Thousand Days' kicks off a trio of songs rounded out by 'Invisible Man' and 'Born On Judgement Day' that are equal to anything the band have committed to tape in the past.

The use of the 'Seven Keys' monicker may be seen as a very clever, brave and some may say risky marketing ploy, which to some extent is aimed at enticing back older fans who were with the band in that era. However with 'The Legacy' Helloween have produced an album that stands easily alongside the two other parts of the trilogy and may very well win as many new fans for the band as it re-ignites the interest of the longer term listener.

Let us know your views on 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy'

Track List

King For A 1000 Years
Invisible Man
Born On Judgement Day
Pleasure Drone
Mrs God
Silent Rain
Occasion Avenue
Light The Universe
Do You Know What You're Fighting For
Come Alive
Shade In The Shadow
Get It Up My Life
For One More Day

Line Up

Andi Deris - Vocals
Michael Weikath - Guitar
Markus Grosskopf - Bass
Sascha Gerstner - Guitar
Dani Löble - Drums