There are few records I have listened to as much as this one, though I originally owned it on cassette, like most music I owned in the 1980's. It's an amazing record, somewhere between Iron Maiden and Metallica, melodic, but fast, hard-hitting but fun. They are criminally over looked and this record, along with Part 2, is some of their best work.
When I was about 13 or 14, I saw the video for 'I Want Out', a melodic metal anthem with a very Maiden-like triumphant chorus. It summed up my early teenage discontent perfectly and I went out and bought that EP, which started a love affair with Helloween. The EP was a live EP and so I tracked down their LP's - most notably this record and Part 2 as well. Both are anthemic and exciting, positive and electric. At a time in my life when I was more interested in the Misfits, Minor Threat and Ministry for their anger and directness, Helloween became the pick-me up when things got me down. At the time, among my group of friends, thrash was king, punk right behind and we laughed at bands like Maiden and their old-school melodic output, listening to bands like Coroner, Forbidden, Destruction, SOD, Metallica, DRI, Slayer and Anthrax for their hardcore thrash and fresh take on metal. But, Helloween always stayed in my listening rotation, even though I didn't pass the cassettes around to my friends, knowing that they would turn it off as soon as they heard the high vocal tones, keyboards and orchestral openings to each album. That didn't stop me from absolutely loving this band though.
The above youtube link is for the intro track and the first cut on the record, 'I'm Alive', a true melodic metal classic. The playing is virtuosic and just mind-blowing. It's a perfect representation of what this band can do, operatic vocals, soaring, technical guitars and such a fast, driving song you just feel like going out and taking on the world. At least I always do when I hear it.
'Future World' is a side 2 cut, one of my favorite from their entire catalog. Such a tremendous track and again, so triumphant and fun, its hard not to want to sing along. It also highlights their fantasy/sci-fi leanings for lyrics and album themes, if the wizard on the cover of the album didn't already key you into that fact...
This band will always be close to my heart and mean more to me than any of their melodic metal counterparts, like Maiden. They made an intense impact on me and I still love this band like few others.
I found this record and a new favorite record store on my last trip to Seattle at a shop called Zion's Gate, which sounds like a head shop and half of the store is dedicated to Reggae and dub, but the other half is metal, which seems like a strange mix, but the owner is also the owner of Kreation Records, a metal label and the very label that repressed Sleep's 'Holy Mountain' to give you some idea of their street cred. I bought something like $300 in metal records and cd's when I was there and it is an absolute must-visit if you are in Seatown.
Thanks, Boom! Love Helloween!!!
ReplyDeleteDid you know of them before? I always seem to suprise people with this Helloween. After I played them for Linda, she asked, "How have I never heard of them before?" They just seem to have flown under the radar, though they have also been around for a while now and have a huge underground fan base from what I can tell.
ReplyDeleteWell, the only reason I had found them was the simple fact of being into the whole metal scene. My friends and I had to search the lame music store bins to find these gems because we were fed up with the whole glam/popular metal scene. Plus being a huge Iron Maiden fan, one is easily drawn to similar artists.
ReplyDeleteWe really had to go to a college town music store up in Cedar Falls, IA in order to find the rare stuff, and that is where I get introduced to all of the late 80's alternative stuff.
Then Nirvana brought alternative to the charts in 91' and everyone is sublimely happy!