''Keeper of the Seven Keys'' is a four-part album series by

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 ...

, composed of the band's second, third, and eleventh full-length studio albums as well as their third live album.

Part 1

''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I'' is the second 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 ...

/ heavy metal band

, released in 1987. It is considered to be one of Helloween's best albums, as well credited by many to be the birth of power metal and also including elements made popular during the

new wave of British heavy metal The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...

. " Future World" was released as a single and a music video was made for "Halloween." The band originally planned to release ''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I'' and ''

Part II Part Two, Part 2 or Part II may refer to: Films and television * "Part 2" (Twin Peaks), also known as "The Return, Part 2", the second episode of the third season of the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' Music * ''Part Two'' (Throbbing Gristle album), 200 ...

'' as a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

, but their record label refused, insisting that the albums be released separately. The album was re-released in 1993 as a double CD with ''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II''. It included the bonus tracks "Don't Run for Cover", "Living Ain't No Crime", and "Savage".

Part 2

''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II'' is Helloween's third studio album, released in 1988. The album capitalized on the success of ''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I'' and picks up where it left off.

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 ...

starts to come back into the picture as one of the premier songwriters in the band writing some of the most popular tracks to date. The album is one of the most influential power metal albums of all time, and many say that it really shows off the band's talent during this period. Success bloomed all over Europe, Asia and even the United States. The album went gold in Germany and reached #108 in the US. The album starts off with a short instrumental "Invitation". The second track, "Eagle Fly Free" became a trademark of the band after this album. "You Always Walk Alone" and "We Got The Right" were written by

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 ...

, then a new member of the band. "Rise And Fall" is more a

classic metal Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed ...

-sounding song played at breakneck speed and comical lyrics. "Save Us'" and "March of Time" were written by founder

Kai Hansen Kai Michael Hansen (born 17 January 1963) is a German musician who is the founder, lead guitarist and vocalist of power metal band Gamma Ray. He is also one of the co-founders of metal band Helloween, which he rejoined in 2016. He is a prominent ...

. The album contains two singles, which are " Dr. Stein" and " I Want Out". "Dr. Stein" has a very long and moody

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Comics * ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series * Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...

, played with a

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

tinge, very unlike other solos in the album as well as an

organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

solo. "I Want Out" remains one of the band's most popular songs, and has been covered by

Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...

HammerFall HammerFall is a Swedish power metal band from Gothenburg. The band was formed in 1993 by ex-Ceremonial Oath guitarist Oscar Dronjak. History Early days (1993–1996) HammerFall was formed when rhythm guitarist Oscar Dronjak quit Ceremonial ...

LORD Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...

and

Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup ...

. This song was written by Kai Hansen, and it's rumored to have to do with how he felt about Helloween, that maybe the band wasn't his anymore. The title track is the longest song of the album.

's "Eagle Fly Free", one of the well known songs of the album has also been covered, as

's "I Want Out", by bands like

Vision Divine Vision Divine is an Italian power/progressive metal band formed in 1998. History Originally a solo project from Olaf Thörsen (born Carlo Andrea Magnani). Soon, Fabio Lione rejoined him after the first Labyrinth period ("No Limits"), and the ...

, and Bassinvaders. The album was re-released in 1993 as a double CD with ''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I''. It included the bonus tracks "Don't Run for Cover", "Living Ain't No Crime", and "Savage".

The Legacy

''Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy'' is Helloween's eleventh studio album, released October 31, 2005. The musicians,

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),

(guitar),

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),

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) and new addition

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 ...

(drums, ex-Rawhead Rexx), see this recording in direct context with their 1987 and 1988 classics ''Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I'' and ''Part II''. The album is a double CD with nearly 80 minutes playing time and comes in a digipack with 6 flaps. ''Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy'' leans more towards the genre of

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...

than the previous album, ''

Rabbit Don't Come Easy ''Rabbit Don't Come Easy'' is the tenth studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 2003. It is the first Helloween album to feature Sascha Gerstner on guitars, who replaced Roland Grapow. No drummer is listed in the band line ...

'', which was much more of a power metal album. 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 Legacy World Tour 2005/2006

''Keeper of the Seven Keys – The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006'' is a

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by Helloween, released in February 2007, recorded in São Paulo (Brazil), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Tokyo (Japan).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keeper of the Seven Keys Album series Helloween albums