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Helloween is a German power
metal band.
Helloween history has been characterized by different moments: name changes, ups, downs,
leaving, new members...
Few bands get to the top and drop out so fast as Helloween.
The first name of what will be known as Helloween was "Second Hell",
the band started in the beginning of '80's, was composed of three people: Kai Hansen (vocals &
guitars), Markus
Grosskopf (bass guitar), & Ingo Schwichtenberg
(drums).
This band changed name to Iron Fist in 1982 then with the entry of a new guitarist Michael Weikath, (who left a band known as Powerfool) the name was definitely changed in Helloween: It was the year 1983!!!.
After
two years full of specimens finally Noise Records asked them to recorded two
songs for a collection named Death Metal (This title
had nothing to do with the style of the songs!!!) "Metal Invaders"
and "Oernst of Life" (an old Weikath's song at the time of Powerfool).
This is can be regarded as Helloween's first album exposure. Soon after, Noise released three Helloween albums: a mini-LP simply entitled Helloween, a full-length LP called Walls of Jericho, and the Judas EP. The line-up for all these album were Kai on vocals and guitar, Weikath on guitar, Markus on bass, and Ingo on drums.
But this formation changed again in fact while touring to promote these releases,
Hansen couldn't sing and play guitar at the same time, so that they searched
someone to take his place as the vocalist for the group. So while on tour, they
tested Weiki's ability to sing and eventually nabbed the singer for Tyran Pace,
Ralf Sheepers. Ralf committed to completing the tour the band, but did not want
the full-time position. So, after the tour was over,in 1986,
they invited an 18-year-old named Michael Kiske to join
the band.
With
this formation were realized authentic masterpieces: Keeper Of
The Seven Keys Pt. I (1987)
and Keeper Of
The Seven Keys Pt. II (1988)
becaming particularily popular in Japan, America and Italy too. The band was
more popular than ever, but difference of opinion began to occur between Hansen,
Kiske, and Weikath. The conseguence of this was the leaving of Kai Hansen to
pursue other works. The reason for leaving is mostly disputes with Michael Weikath
but also when the rest of the band want to leave Noise records and sign up for
EMI instead. Kai will be replaced with Roland
Grapow from the band Rampage.
In 1991, EMI released the first single from the new album, Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Pink Bubbles was the first album not produced by Tommy Hansen, but by Chris Tsangaris. The band, and in particular, Weiki, was not happy with his job. Tensions began to again form in the band pitting Miki, and Ingo against Weiki and Roland with Markus in the middle of it all. But the band continued on.
The
tensions in the band got worse and worse in particular with the released in
1993
of Chameleon.
But surely the worst episode happened with drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who
had some schizophrenic hereditary problems. During a show in Japan, he dropped
on the floor and started to cry compulsively. While touring, he used to become
very depressed, and then this was compounded by euphoric moments caused by cocaine.
After the tour, Helloween reluctantly asked Ingo to leave the band and clean himself up.
Everybody knows how this story ended: Ingo commit suicide, jumping in front of s subway
train (R.I.P. Ingo)
Furthermore, Michale Kiske also left the band, and then began a solist carrier the formed a group called Supared
Helloween
lost no time in trying to find a replacement for Michi. They invited Andi Deris (ex-Pink Cream
’69) to replace Michi's place and Uli Kusch (ex-Gamma Ray)
to the play the drums. In this way the band reuniting with Tommy Hansen to release
Master
Of The Rings in 1994.
This album (for me one of the best) it's very important for the story of the
Band because can be considered a "back to the root" after the exspherimental
period of Chameleon fortunately not developed.
With the stern wind in the 1996 they released The Time of the
Oath, a double-live album named High Live.
In 1998, they have just released their lastest album, Better than Raw another great and excellent album.
In 1999
they decided to
do a covers album Metal JukeBox (recorded
in 1999 at Fixitinthemix, and Crazy Cat Studios in Hamburg, and MiSueno studios
in Tenerife) they decided to not make it the typical covers album. Typical meaning
doing covers of 80s metal bands and punk bands, etc. Since many bands do and
already HAVE done this. So they decided to put songs by bands they listened
to before metal was even around and now you have Metal Jukebox. Many songs on
this album you may not have heard, and others you may have heard, but all in
all these are all fine renditions to bands who really had a big impact in the
music scene and an impact on Helloween as well. Some songs were not even metal
but they have been Helloweenized to make them unique! In Sascha Gerstner formerly
of Freedom Call was called in to replace Roland Grapow. 
At the end of
2000
they released The Dark Ride a very
unique...combining of modern elements with the
The band has currently finished recording the new album slated for release in
the Spring of
Rabbit Don’t Come Easy : it's a great album, this is what a Helloween album should sound like. If you like Keeper of the Seven Keys don’t think about buying this album, just do it!
Cheers!
Michael , Andi, Markus you are the best... continue like that and everything
will go fine!
Happy happy Helloween, Helloween, Helloween... Happy happy Helloween, ooh ooh ooh!