Keeper of the Seven Keys

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Keeper of the Seven Keys is a four-part album series by Helloween, composed of the band's second, third, and eleventh full-length studio albums as well as their third live album.

Contents

Part 1

Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I is the second studio album by German power metal/heavy metal band Helloween, released in 1987. It is considered to be one of Helloween's best albums, as well credited by many to be the birth of power metal and also including elements made popular during the new wave of British heavy metal. "Future World" was released as a single and a music video was made for "Halloween." The band originally planned to release Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II as a double album, but their record label refused, insisting that the albums be released separately.

The album was re-released in 1993 as a double CD with Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II. It included the bonus tracks "Don't Run for Cover", "Living Ain't No Crime", and "Savage".

Part 2

Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II is Helloween's third studio album, released in 1988. The album capitalized on the success of Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and picks up where it left off. Michael Weikath starts to come back into the picture as one of the premier songwriters in the band writing some of the most popular tracks to date. The album is one of the most influential power metal albums of all time, and many say that it really shows off the band's talent during this period. Success bloomed all over Europe, Asia and even the United States. The album went gold in Germany [1] and reached #108 in the US.

The album starts off with a short instrumental "Invitation". The second track, "Eagle Fly Free" became a trademark of the band after this album. "You Always Walk Alone" and "We Got The Right" were written by Michael Kiske, then a new member of the band. "Rise And Fall" is more a classic metal-sounding song played at breakneck speed and comical lyrics. "Save Us'" and "March of Time" were written by founder Kai Hansen.

The album contains two singles, which are "Dr. Stein" and "I Want Out". "Dr. Stein" has a very long and moody solo, played with a blues tinge, very unlike other solos in the album as well as an organ solo. "I Want Out" remains one of the band's most popular songs, and has been covered by Gamma Ray, HammerFall, LORD and Sonata Arctica. This song was written by Kai Hansen, and it's rumored to have to do with how he felt about Helloween, that maybe the band wasn't his anymore.[ citation needed ] The title track is the longest song of the album. Michael Weikath's "Eagle Fly Free", one of the well known songs of the album has also been covered, as Kai Hansen's "I Want Out", by bands like Vision Divine, and Bassinvaders.

The album was re-released in 1993 as a double CD with Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I. It included the bonus tracks "Don't Run for Cover", "Living Ain't No Crime", and "Savage".

The Legacy

Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy is Helloween's eleventh studio album, released October 31, 2005. The musicians, Andi Deris (vocals), Michael Weikath (guitar), Markus Grosskopf (bass), Sascha Gerstner (guitar) and new addition Dani Löble (drums, ex-Rawhead Rexx), see this recording in direct context with their 1987 and 1988 classics Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II. The album is a double CD with nearly 80 minutes playing time and comes in a digipack with 6 flaps. Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy leans more towards the genre of progressive metal than the previous album, Rabbit Don't Come Easy , which was much more of a power metal album. It was produced by Charlie Bauerfeind (Blind Guardian, Halford, Rage) and features Blackmore's Night singer Candice Night on the track "Light the Universe".

The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006

Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006 is a live album by Helloween, released in February 2007, recorded in São Paulo (Brazil), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Tokyo (Japan).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helloween</span> German power metal band

Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. It is said that the band is one of the most influential European heavy metal bands of the 1980s. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weikath and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. By the time Hansen left Helloween in 1989 to form Gamma Ray, the band had evolved into a five-piece, with Michael Kiske taking over as lead vocalist. Schwichtenberg and Kiske both parted ways with Helloween in 1993; Schwichtenberg died two years later as the result of suicide. Between then and 2016, there had been numerous line-up changes, leaving Grosskopf and Weikath as the only remaining original members. As a septet, their current lineup includes four-fifths of the Keeper of the Seven Keys: Parts I and II-era (1987–1988) lineup, featuring three additional members, vocalist Andi Deris, guitarist Sascha Gerstner and drummer Daniel Löble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kai Hansen</span> German guitarist and singer

Kai Michael Hansen is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of another power metal band Helloween, which he was a part of from 1983 to 1989 and rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent figure in power metal and has sold millions of albums worldwide. He is regarded as "the godfather of power metal", having founded two seminal bands in the genre. In 2011, he joined the band Unisonic featuring former Helloween vocalist Michael Kiske. Hansen and Kiske reunited with Helloween in 2017 for a world tour with all current members, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of release of the albums Keeper of the Seven Keys Parts I and II.

<i>Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I</i> 1987 studio album by Helloween

Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I is the second studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1987. It marks the first appearance of vocalist Michael Kiske, and is considered the album that created the genre of European-style power metal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Kiske</span> German singer (born 1968)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingo Schwichtenberg</span> German musician

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<i>Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II</i> 1988 studio album by Helloween

Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II is the third studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1988. The album sold well, and success bloomed all over Europe, Asia, and even the United States. The album went gold in Germany and reached No. 108 in the US.

<i>Chameleon</i> (Helloween album) 1993 studio album by Helloween

Chameleon is the fifth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1993. It is their most musically adventurous release, but also their least commercially successful, and is their last studio album to feature singer Michael Kiske until 2021's self-titled album, as well as their last with original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg. It was Schwichtenberg's last album to be recorded during his lifetime. This was also the last album on EMI Records.

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Pink Bubbles Go Ape is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1991. It marked the departure of guitarist Kai Hansen, with Roland Grapow replacing him. It was also the first album released on EMI Records.

<i>Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy</i> 2005 studio album by Helloween

Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy is the eleventh studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 2005. It is the first album with new and current drummer Dani Löble and a continuation of their 1987 and 1988 albums Keeper of the Seven Keys, Parts I and II. The album is a double CD with nearly 80 minutes playing time and comes in a digipack with 6 flaps. It was produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and features Blackmore's Night singer Candice Night on the track "Light The Universe". The album's opening track, “The King for a 1000 Years” is, to date, the longest song released by the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Weikath</span> German guitarist (born 1962)

Michael Ingo Joachim "Weiki" Weikath is a German musician, best known as a founding member and one of the guitarists of pioneering power metal band Helloween.

<i>Helloween</i> (EP) 1985 EP by Helloween

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<i>Walls of Jericho</i> (album) 1985 studio album by Helloween

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andi Deris</span> German singer (born 1964)

Andreas "Andi" Deris is a German singer, best known as one of the three co-lead vocalists of the power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of the metal band Pink Cream 69.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markus Grosskopf</span> German musician (born 1965)

Markus Grosskopf is a German musician best known as the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the power metal band Helloween.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sascha Gerstner</span> German guitarist

Sascha Gerstner is a German musician who has been one of the guitarists and backing vocalists of power metal band Helloween since 2002. As of 2016, he is Helloween's second-longest tenured guitarist, surpassing his predecessor Roland Grapow, who stayed in the band for 12 years. He is also a former member of Freedom Call.

<i>Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006</i> 2007 live album by Helloween

Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006 is the third live album by German power metal band Helloween, released in February 2007. It was recorded in São Paulo (Brazil), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Tokyo (Japan). The album contains the CD Live In São Paulo and the DVD Live On 3 Continents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future World (Helloween song)</span> 1987 single by Helloween

"Future World" is a song and a single made by German power metal band Helloween, from the album Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I. It is performed frequently by Helloween and Gamma Ray at their concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want Out (Helloween song)</span> 1988 single by Helloween

"I Want Out" is a song by German power metal band Helloween from the album Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2, that was released as a single in 1988.

<i>Helloween</i> (album) 2021 studio album by Helloween

Helloween is the sixteenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released on 18 June 2021. The album is the first released with the "Pumpkins United" line-up, which marked the return of original member Kai Hansen on guitars and vocals and Michael Kiske on vocals in 2016, in addition to the five-member line-up active since 2005.

References

  1. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Keeper+of+the+Seven+Keys')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
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