After the critically panned reviews and sales failure (although they got my money) of the massive musical changes that came from the album “Chameleon”, it was obvious that Helloween had a lot of work to do to regain the faith of their fans and the heavy metal community as a whole. The complete change of direction of that album caused fans (particularly myself) a lot of heartache, and one could only wonder if they could ever return to the heady position they had once held through the second half of the 1980’s decade.
The fallout from all of this was reasonably swift. Drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who had not been a part of the writing process for that album, and had memorably reviewed one of their own songs from that album “Windmill” as “Shitmill”, was the first to fall. Increasingly over the years Ingo had faced problems with drugs and alcohol, but also having been diagnosed with schizophrenia he would often refuse or forget to take his medication, all of which led to an increasing deterioration with his mental state and drumming skills live on tour. Michael Weikath had to make the difficult phone call to inform Ingo that until he could get all of his troubles under control, that he could not continue to be a part of Helloween. His tragic passing 18 months following this is still one of the saddest stories in music.
The second to fall was lead vocalist Michael Kiske. The band was now playing to half-full venues, Kiske was concerned about his throat and his singing and stage presence was at odds with what his bandmates were looking for in order to promote the band in the best way. Many of the European dates for the tour to promote “Chameleon” were cancelled through either poor ticket sales or through Kiske’s illness, and it was obvious that there was still much dissention within the band. At the end of 1993, Kiske was fired from Helloween. In the years since, given his outspoken annoyance with heavy metal and his own following of a direction in much softer forms of music in his solo projects, Kiske was lumbered with much of the blame for the direction and performance of the “Pink Bubbles Go Ape” and “Chameleon” albums, a blame that perhaps has truthful elements but is in no way a fair comment.
With two keys members of the band to replace, the trio of Weikath, guitarist Roland Grapow and bass guitarist Marcus Grosskopf also negotiated out of their record contract with EMI and had moved to the smaller yet more comfortable settings of Castle Communications. The band then hired Andi Deris, lead vocalist for the band Pink Cream 69 and also an accomplished song writer. Andi had had passing contact with band over the years, and was a good fit to bring into the band. On drums they picked up Uli Kusch, whose previous gig had been with Gamma Ray. By the time Uli came on board, the song writing had almost been completed, and he was in time to commence the recording of the new album. Both Andi and Uli recorded the album under the notion of being temporary members of the band, a situation that was resolved a month after the album was released, at which point they were appointed as permanent members of Helloween, and thus came the album that signalled the band’s return to the world stage, “Master of the Rings”.
The instrumental intro of "Irritation" kicks off the album, in a callback to the glory days of the band on the Keeper albums, before the raucous beginning of "Sole Survivor" signs on with intent the revival of Helloween from the outset. The superb drum fill from Uli Kusch that opens the album, and his first recording on a Helloween album, is superb. It is a great piece, though it does become the most interesting and difficult piece of drumming he does on the album. No matter, better was to come on albums down the track. The heavy guitar riff from Weikath blasts the album immediately into the right direction. Andi Deris announces his arrival in emphatic fashion, his vocals punching through with passion, and the album is off to a great start. "Where the Rain Grows" is a great follow up, again played at a great pace, and the real "happy" guitars that made Helloween what they were in the late 1980's. You get that old uplifting feeling from these early tunes, a quality that had gone missing on the previous couple of releases. "Why?" comes out as a rather scathing lyrically based song, questioning why it is that if an omnipotent being exists, why does it not stop all of the harm that is occurring in the world. As Andi Deris' first stand alone composition for his new band, it makes quite a statement. The same is true of "Mr Ego (Take Me Down)", another lyrically hard hitting song that is backed up by great music, though on a less vibrant note. At over seven minutes it is progressive not only in style but in length, and perhaps it overstays its welcome a little. What really comes through on these songs is that not only has the band begun to rediscover some of their early mojo, they still have the ability to make a statement without ramming it down your throat. The fact that this song, when released as a single, was dedicated to Michael Kiske, gives you the impression that the scars over that bad blood had not yet healed over.
"Perfect Gentleman" is not only the most surprising song on “Master of the Rings”, it is also quite possibly the best. It mixes heavy guitar with light keyboards, genuine enthusiasm with pointed lyrics, and sung in the blinded belief of the honest opinion. The performance of Andi Deris, playing the part of the 'genuine man' is marvellous and makes the song a gem because of it. You can only imagine that this was a biography of someone the author of the song knew.
Even given the highest quality that the first half of this album provides, the terrific songs keep coming into the second half. "The Game is On", "Secret Alibi" and "Take Me Home" are all good songs that don't quite reach the heights of those earlier, but are more than just average songs.
As someone with an avowed distaste of power ballads on any metal album, it comes as much of a shock to me than anyone else that I love "In the Middle of a Heartbeat", as big a power ballad as you could ever hope to hear. And yet, it is performed so well, and sung with such passion that you cannot help but like it. On an album full of surprises, this was a pleasant one. I did spend a long time when I first got this album trying to find a way to not like this song, and failed. The album then concludes with "Still We Go", another almost biographical song that comments on the rise, and fall, and (hopeful) rise again of the band. Roland Grapow excels in these types of songs, and here he is at his best. Great stuff.
Given my love for the early albums of this bands – nay, not love, obsession – you would expect that I was waiting expectantly on my local record stores doorstep waiting for the door to open on the day that this was released. Well, you would be well mistaken. Because after the release of “Chameleon”, I gave up on Helloween ever recovering, and promptly dismissed them from my mind. Then the terrible years of 1994 and 1995 took two years from my life, and it wasn’t until late in 1996 that I actually returned to my favourite record store, Utopia Records, with a life in balance and money in my account ready to spend on some new albums. On this particular day, and with no knowledge of what had happened to Helloween over the preceding three years, I discovered that in my time away, they had released TWO new studio albums, and also a double live album. With my bad memories of what had been produced on their previous two albums now having dissipated far enough back into the mist of time, I bought all three immediately, and climbed back onto the train with my other purchases for the short trip back to home, anxious to listen to all of the albums I had found. So it wasn’t until 2.5 years AFTER this album was released that I actually heard it for the first time. And it blew me away. Not because it was the best album of all time, but because it was so different from “Chameleon” and the rubbish the band had put forth for that album. With two new members of the band, you could tell immediately that thy had been revitalised, and it was a really joyous moment for me as a fan of the band. Yes, Andi was different from Michael as a vocalist, but it still sounded great. The song had a great basis lyrically, actually trying to say things rather than just waffle about nonsensical matters. And the music was terrific. The great dual guitars from Weikath and Grapow, and that marvellous bass from Marcus. And yes, Uli instead of Ingo, but still terrific. I still remember the first time I listened to this in our little one bedroom house in Erskineville in the inner suburbs of Sydney, and how I felt that day. And of course, the endearing thought that I had wasted 2.5 years NOT having this album, and I could have been listening to it all of that time, all because their last album was so shit. Never mind, I have well and truly made up for it since.
My edition of this album came with a bonus CD, that not only contains Roland's own "Grapowski's Malmsuite 1001" as a tribute to his hero Yngwie Malmsteen, but other excellent B-side material "Can't Fight Your Desire", "Star Invasion" and "Silicon Dreams". It also has cover songs such as "I Stole Your Love" by Kiss, "Cold Sweat" by Thin Lizzy and "Closer to Home" by Grand Funk Railroad. All of these songs appear on the singles released from the album and complement the actual album excellently.
The style of “Master of the Rings” is caught somewhere between an out-and-out power metal release and a progressive rock element, with an assortment of songs that on the whole combine to make a terrific album. Needless to say it is a vast improvement on its predecessor, and though many of the songs have great riffs and terrific drumwork as well as Deris’ awesome vocals, it is different again from anything the band had produced before.
I have been listening to this again over the last two weeks on the loop for this podcast, and I have enjoyed every damn second of it. It was the comeback album the band needed, and it does so perfectly. Nothing can compete with those first albums that the band produced, but this Mark III lineup kicked itself off with an album the equal of another Mark II line up, Deep Purple, had done 20 years earlier. And the good news was, there was plenty more to come.
