HELLOWEEN – Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy

Turn back the clocks to 1987, and relive the enormous success of Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1 and it’s not so good but very OK follow up Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2 the year after.

And after several line-up changes, a few below par albums, a devastating suicide, and more line-up changes, turn the clock to 2005. Keeper Of The Seven Keys is yet again to hit the stores, and now it’s The Legacy.

The quintet of long-serving Marcus Grosskopf and Michael Weikath, singer for 11 years Andi Deris, and freshmen Sasha Gerstner and Dani Loeble don’t make it easy for themselves — simply because you’re bound to compare the new album to two of the best albums they’ve ever done.

Well, to get things even more into perspective, Deris debuted with the brilliant Master Of The Rings, and also the very good follow-ups The Time Of The Oath and Better Than Raw. After two albums that fell a bit into the disappointing category, with The Dark Ride and Rabbit Don’t Come Easy, something bigger just had to happen.

And it did. Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy is a double album, and believe this, there isn’t a single bad moment on it. Really. “The King For A 1000 Years,” with it’s 13-something minutes is a masterpiece. Further into it, “The Invisible Man,” “Pleasuredome,” and “Silent Rain” are great efforts with powerful choruses and steamin’ guitar riffs.

Helloween has really outdone themselves this time. When you are replacing Disc 1 with Disc 2 you might think, “well the first CD was great, but this cannot last …,” then you are hit in the face with one of this year’s best Metal tracks called “Occasion Avenue” and it’s an 11-minute orgasm. Nothing less.

“Light In The Universe” features Ritchie Blackmore’s spouse Candice Night on vocals. A fine track of the more mellow kind, which gives the album the dynamic it needs.

“My Life For One More Day” closes the 13-track double album. Around the epic “The King For 1000 Years” and “Occasion Avenue,” there are plenty of great tracks to easily conclude that this release is the best since Master Of The Rings. Should their upcoming tour does not include these two epics, there will be a riot. Guaranteed.