''Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy'' is the eleventh studio album by German

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...

, released in 2005. It is the first album with new and current drummer

Dani Löble Dani may refer to: People * Dani people, a people living in the central highlands of West Papua * Dani (surname), a surname * Danes (Germanic tribe), a tribe in southern Scandinavia * Dani (footballer, born 1951) (Daniel Ruiz-Bazán Justa), Spa ...

and a continuation of their 1987 and 1988 albums '' Keeper of the Seven Keys, Parts I'' and '' II''. The album is a double CD with nearly 80 minutes playing time and comes in a digipack with 6 flaps. It was produced by

Charlie Bauerfeind Karl Rudolf "Charlie" Bauerfeind (born 30 May 1963) is a German sound engineer and producer who has worked mostly with power metal bands such as Angra, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Primal Fear, Rage, HammerFall and Saxon. Works Production ...

(Blind Guardian, Halford, Rage) and features

Blackmore's Night Blackmore's Night is a British-American neo-medieval folk rock band formed in 1997, consisting mainly of Ritchie Blackmore (acoustic guitar, hurdy gurdy, mandola, mandolin, nyckelharpe, and electric guitar) and Candice Night (lead vocals, lyri ...

singer

Candice Night Candice Night (born May 8, 1971) is an American singer and musician. She has been the vocalist/lyricist and multi-instrumentalist for the traditional folk rock project Blackmore's Night since its origins in 1997 with her husband, guitarist Ritch ...

on the track "Light The Universe". The album's opening track, “The King for a 1000 Years” is, to date, the longest song released by the band. When asked about what inspired them to make a third ''Keeper'' album, bassist Markus Grosskopf said: The intro of the song "Occasion Avenue" uses samples from "Halloween", "Eagle Fly Free" and "Keeper of the Seven Keys" with Michael Kiske on vocals. One of the samples is a clip from a previously unreleased live version of "Keys" with Kiske singing the first part of the chorus and the crowd joining in.

Track listing

Disc one

Disc two

Personnel

Andi Deris Andreas "Andi" Deris (born 18 August 1964) is a German singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of the metal band Pink Cream 69. Singing style Deris has a high baritone ...

– vocals, additional keyboards *

Michael Weikath Michael Ingo Joachim "Weiki" Weikath (born 7 August 1962) is a German musician, best known as a founding member and one of the guitarists of pioneering power metal band Helloween. Biography Weikath was born in Hamburg and was musical from a ...

– guitar *

Sascha Gerstner Sascha Gerstner (born 2 April 1977) is a German musician who has been one of the guitarists and backing vocalists of power metal band Helloween since 2002. He is also a former member of Freedom Call. Biography Gerstner grew up in Nuremberg, ...

– guitar, additional keyboards *

Markus Grosskopf Markus Grosskopf (born 21 September 1965) is a German musician who is the bass guitarist, backing vocalist and a founding member of the power metal band Helloween. Biography Grosskopf started playing bass at the age of 15 when he became friend ...

– bass *

– drums Guest musicians *Friedel Amon - keyboards *Backing vocals by

Oliver Hartmann Oliver Hartmann (born 28 June 1970 in Rüsselsheim, West Germany) is a German metal vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer who performed in various acts, either as guitarist, solo or choir singer. He is best known for his role as vocalis ...

and Olaf Senkbeil *

- guest vocal on "Light the Universe" *

Michael Kiske Michael Kiske (born January 24, 1968) is a German singer and lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Kiske has released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock ...

- cameo vocals on "Occasion Avenue"

Credits

*Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind *Recorded, engineered, mixed & mastered by Charlie Bauerfeind at Mi Sueno Studio in Tenerife, Spain *Backing vocals recorded by Charlie Bauerfeind at House of Music Studios in Winterbach, Germany *Vocals of

recorded at Cove Studios by Pat Regan *Design and cover artwork by

Martin Häusler Martin Häusler (born January 24, 1971 in Heidelberg, Germany) is a German portrait photographer, music video director and art director. In the United States, and other English speaking countries, he uses the adjusted spelling of his name Martin ...

*Photography by Mathias Bothor

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2005 albums Helloween albums SPV/Steamhammer albums Albums produced by Charlie Bauerfeind Sequel albums