956. Helloween / Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2. 1988. 5/5

Sometimes it is handy to have an exchange student come to your school for 12 months. We did so in my final year of high school in 1987, and when Hans returned to his native Norway we kept in touch via letters (no emails and texts and Facebook in the good old days). Having introduced us to Helloween the previous year, I made mention in one of my responses that I was enjoying their music thoroughly. His reply was to send over yet another cassette, this one containing the brand new release, Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II, which was all the rage in Norway, but was nowhere in sight in Australia. Thus was my first exposure to an album that was to dominate my listening for the next 12 months.

This album often appears to be either praised as a brilliant addition to the band's legacy, and a standard bearer for the genre that they were blazing, or that it is a weaker, less heavy version of the band, stripped of the speed and power that was a part of the band in its beginning. In general, these opinions will vary as to whether those people grew with the band through the 1980's, or came into the band at a later date either through isolation or age barriers. As someone who was fortunate enough to discover the band when they were at their theoretical peak my opinions settle in the first category. In this day and age I can see why others opinions may not match with mine. On a more thorough listen today, I guess I can completely understand why many out there may think this is less dazzling than previous efforts, or even future efforts. cartoon play around music. Whereas the songs on Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I equally drew on positive attitudes towards life along with science fiction themes and even the power ballad, what do we have here? "Rise & Fall" is full of complete nonsense lyrics - fun yes, but very cartoonish. "Dr Stein" pokes fun at the old Frankenstein story, changing it up and really once again having fun with the whole story. "I Want Out" is a teen anthem that could apply anywhere through your lifetime, but appears aimed at that age group. But guess what? I LOVE those songs! They are brilliant, mixing the fun of their subject matter into music that is happy and joyous. They all have those 'happy guitars' that made Helloween the band it was during this era. Mixed in with these light hearted songs are the serious, hard core lyrical songs, such as "We Got the Right" and "March of Time" and "Eagle Fly Free". Each of these are epic in their own right. Apart from their lyrical exhibitionism, the songs climb throughout to reach crashing crescendos, while Michael Kiske's vocals soar to unobtainable heights for those mere mortal like me who want to sing along.
This album is heavily weighted with material by Michael Weikath, whereas the previous album had more material from Kai Hansen. The brilliant instrumental "Invitation" segues straight into "Eagle Fly Free", which not only is a marvellous opening track, it also gives every individual the chance to show their wares - Kiske his vocal talents, Weiki and Kai their own solo spots along with the dual harmony break, and Marcus and Ingo both get a solo spot of their own as well. A terrifically constructed song. This is followed by "You Always Walk Alone", which is a come down from the previous song. "You Always Walk Alone" changes in tempo and pace a bit too much, such that it can feel a bit choppy. The final third of the song, from the solo breaks to the climbing vocal strains of the final chorus is excellent, it's just that sometimes the first half of the song can get a bit lost within itself. "Rise and Fall" and "Dr Stein" are the two Weiki fun numbers, which Miki has a ball with when singing them. They are both uplifting, humorous and playful songs, perhaps not of the serious nature that was expected of heavy metal, but a part of the next generation.
"We Got the Right" and "March of Time" return the album to serious topics within the lyrics, but the songs are quite magnificent. They rise in majesty mainly thanks to Miki's vocals and the backing chorus, which helps turn good songs into great ones. The musicianship here also is top shelf, complementing everything that has been inspired by the writing. These are followed by the anthemic "I Want Out", the single from the album whose video showcased the brilliant musicianship of the group as well as their playful side. The lyrics may appear somewhat teenagerish if taken on face value, but the message behind them is significant, and helps to make this one of Helloween's most identifiable songs. Certainly my kids know it off by heart.
The album concludes with the second part of what has become known as the Keepers Trilogy, with the title track "Keeper of the Seven Keys", which like its counterpart on the previous album stretches beyond thirteen minutes while telling its tale through the changing tempo and waves of guitar. It's a fitting way to conclude an album that is epic in its own way.

It will be easy to conclude that I love this album. Indeed, alongside everything Helloween had released to this point of their career, I find it to be completely brilliant. This was the music of my late teens, alongside the typical contemporaries such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest who obviously influenced them so much. Others may see flaws and lack of power within and judge it accordingly. As one of those albums that attached itself to my soul in those formative music years, it is one that I cannot imagine living without.

Rating:  "Leave time behind, follow the sign, together we'll fly someday".  5/5