Review Summary: I would like to wish everyone a...
Known as important innovaters of power metal,
Helloween's roots lie in Hamburg, Germany, a country that would become known for its numerous power metal acts such as
Gamma Ray and
Blind Guardian. For a great deal, the (European) power metal movement was pioneered by Helloween.
Still, the
Helloween EP should be rather referred to as a traditional heavy metal/speed metal hybrid. The group chose its influences well, with
Iron Maiden and
Judas Priest having obviously inspired a great deal of the sound. Many of the riffs and solos wouldn't have been misplaced on a record by either of the two, and fans of the late 70's/80's metal scene should put a definite liking in Helloween's work.
What seperates the band from its inspirers are mainly the tempo, lyrics and vocals. The music is faster and cheesier than that of their British contemporaries, which are two of the main features that eventually added the power to the metal, so to say. The vocals, however, are a different story. Helloween, at this point, does not employ the high-register, semi-operatic vocals of the likes of Halford and Dickinson, which would become a staple of the to-be-newly-laid genre. Hansen, who took vocal duties upon him up to the full-length debut
Walls of Jericho, makes use of a raw yet passionate tone, while adding some regular high screams, which he hasn't got that much actual talent for, making them sound rather funny (which is a good thing, as it suits the unserious sound of the band).
Because essentialy, Helloween's debut EP is just a fun album. Not yet upbeat melodies/operatic vocals power metal, but instead something driven by traditional, sped up heavy metal riffs and raw but fitting vocals. The production sometimes lacks, resulting in a somewhat chaotic listen, but this is a minor issue. This self-titled debut was a great start for the band, although it would not entirely forebode their future sound...
Yoda recommends:
Starlight
Victim of Fate
Murderer
- Kai Michael Hansen ~ Vocals, Guitar
- Michael Ingo Joachim Weikath ~ Guitar
- Markus Grosskopf ~ Bass Guitar
- Ingo Schwichtenberg ~ Drums
