Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I

Last updated
Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I
Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1.jpg
Studio album by
Helloween
Released23 May 1987
RecordedNovember 1986 – January 1987
StudioHorus Sound Studio, Hanover, Germany
Genre Power metal [1]
Length36:58
Label Noise
Producer Tommy Newton, Tommy Hansen
Helloween chronology
Walls of Jericho
(1985)		Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I
(1987)		 Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II
(1988)
Singles from Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I
  1. "Future World"
    Released: 13 April 1987

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.

Contents

Background

Kai Hansen stepped away from doing vocal duties as he had difficulties singing and playing the guitar at the same time during the previous tour. It was an album dominated by Hansen, due to illness of co-guitarist Michael Weikath which prevented him from performing on much of the album. "Future World" was released as a single and a music video was made for "Halloween" but with 8 minutes omitted from the song. 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. In 1993, both albums were released as a double CD set with bonus tracks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Blabbermouth.net 10/10 [3]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 9/10 [5]
Metal Hammer (GER)6/7 [6]
Rock Hard 9.5/10 [7]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]

Loudwire named the album at third in their list "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time" and commented the album is "a tireless LP and perhaps the first genuine power metal album." [9] ThoughtCo also named the album in their list "Essential Power Metal Albums." [10]

Track listing

All songs written by Kai Hansen, except where noted.

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Initiation" 1:20
2."I'm Alive" 3:22
3."A Little Time" Michael Kiske 3:59
4."Twilight of the Gods" 4:29
5."A Tale That Wasn't Right" Michael Weikath 4:42
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
6."Future World" 4:02
7."Halloween" 13:18
8."Follow the Sign"Hansen, Weikath1:46
Total length:36:58
Expanded edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Victim of Fate" (re-recorded version) 7:00
10."Starlight" (remix)Hansen, Weikath4:15
11."A Little Time" (alternative version)Kiske3:33
12."Halloween" (video edit) 5:02
"Keeper of the Seven Keys, Parts I & II" bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Savage"Kiske3:23
14."Livin' Ain't No Crime"Weikath4:42

Personnel

Helloween

Production

Charts

Chart (1987)Peak
position
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [11] 10
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [12] 15
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [13] 58
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [14] 42
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [15] 18
US Billboard 200 [16] 104

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI) [17] Gold250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Cover version

Russian band Arktida covered the song "I'm Alive" in a single they titled "Я живой", romanized as "Ya zhivoy". The song was also covered by Luca Turilli and included in their single for "Demonheart".

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 is a union of all the living members of the Keeper of the Seven Keys: Parts I and II-era with the remaining members from the Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy-era.

<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.

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

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References

  1. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo (January 3, 2018). "The Best Metal Album From 40 Subgenres". Loudwire . Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  2. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 - Helloween | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  3. ↑ Bergman, Keith. "CD Reviews - Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part I". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  4. ↑ Berelian, Essi (February 2011). "Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 & 2". Classic Rock . No. 154. p. 88.
  5. ↑ Popoff, Martin (November 1, 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 157. ISBN   978-1-894959-31-5.
  6. ↑ Stratmann, Holger (March 1987). "Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys part I". Metal Hammer (in German).
  7. ↑ Trojan, Frank (1987). "Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part I". Rock Hard (in German). No. 21. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  8. ↑ Stagno, Mike (September 6, 2006). "Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys part 1". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  9. ↑ DiVita, Joe (July 5, 2017). "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire . Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  10. ↑ Marsicano, Dan. "Essential Power Metal Albums". ThoughtCo . Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2019.
  11. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  12. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  13. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  14. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Helloween – Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "Helloween Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Original German Gold record Award from Helloween "Keeper of the Seven Keys"".
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