HELLOWEEN — Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I (review)

HELLOWEEN — Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I album cover Album · 1987 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
RuneWalsh2112
This album marked my introduction to Helloween and it was quite an effective introduction indeed! Surprisingly enough it actually turned out to be my least favorite of the four Kai Hansen-era releases, once I've started to explore the band even more, but that doesn't mean that there isn't enough great material here!

"Initiation" is the obligatory intro track which unfortunately isn't nearly as effective as the previous two openers. The signature jingle is there but the rest of this minute long intro sounds like an epic overture to the album that actually isn't as epic as its individual pieces. "I'm Alive" is a classic Power Metal classic that introduces us to the gorgeous vocalist Michael Kiske!

I tend to skip "A Little Time" on my play-thoughts of the album since I feel that the track ruins the energy that was created on "I'm Alive". This is where "Twilight Of The Gods" comes to my rescue with another great Power Metal classic. "A Tale That Wasn't Right" is a decent ballad that I listen to on some instances but, most of the time, I get impatient and just skip right onto "Future World"!

"Future World" is easily this album's most know track. This is both good, since it's a pretty awesome track, and not so good, since it does feel a bit overplayed at times. Kiske's falsetto vocals are easily the highpoint of this track for me and they sound as impressive today as they did the first time I've heard them. The 13 minute opus "Halloween" is where the album goes from excellent to masterful. I've been in love with this composition ever since I've heard it for the first time and I honestly can't tell you where the minutes disappear while I experience this track but I don't regret a single one of them! "Follow The Sign" concludes the album with a premonition of the themes that will be played out in full on the next release. I've never been a big fan of these types of tracks because I just don't see a point to them.

Overall, "Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part I" is an important album in the band's discography since it fully embraced the potential new genre of Power Metal and opened up the flood gates for many imitators. The album is still a blast to my ears but I tend to listen to it with a slight caution, as to not to overplay some of its material. Highly recommended to fans of Power Metal, but I'm sure that most of you have already experienced this album!

***** star songs: Halloween (13:20)

**** star songs: I'm Alive (3:23) Twilight Of The Gods (4:30) Future World (4:03)

*** star songs: Initiation (1:19) A Little Time (4:00) A Tale That Wasn't Right (4:44) Follow The Sign (1:47)
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