HELLOWEEN - Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part II (1988)

When writing about one of the standards of the subgenre like a Keeper record, one would think that my niche as a relatively newer fan - discovered Helloween less than ten years ago, and really started picking apart the history of power metal less than two years ago - would be to divorce the album from its context and listen to it simply as a piece of music.  It's impossible, though.  The retroactive narrative that Helloween invented power metal as we know it with this record is too pervasive.  So listening to Keeper II, I spent a lot of time wondering when it became obvious to listeners at the time that Helloween were, well, what they were.

I envy the astuteness of those who talk about Helloween's early work - confidently called by Wikipedia "speed metal rather than power metal," although I know many would dispute that - as having immediately stood out to them for its sense of melody and/or its sense of humor.  How and when would the average bear have realized that this was a special band?  It may have been the goofy opening of "Starlight," or whatever the poppiest chorus is on the first EP ("fly high, touch the sky!").  I can't really see it myself, even with the benefit of knowing how it turned out.  Helloween (the EP) is blessed by two main things for me: the way Kai and Michael W. (hereafter "Weike," so that I can give Michael K. the first name) play off each other while leaving room for Markus to be part of the mix, and by their commitment to speed - how can a band play such coherent songs so fast?  It's cursed, again to me, by a gap between the level of big choruses they're attempting and the singer who's attempting them; the end result is pleasantly unhinged, but not particularly funny, poppy, or proggy.  Maybe Walls Of Jericho tips the future's hand a little more - it's got some more knowingly silly material, going so far as to put "Reptile" as the second full track, and if you squint you can maybe see the overt FM-radio rock influence in parts of, say, "Phantoms Of Death."  I get the sense that the band were still seen as very much amongst the early speed-power scene* in those days, in no way apart from it.  For good reason!  They're far from the only act of their era to employ a speedy two-guitar attack, mix musical chops with a propensity for hooks, or go on tangents with their guitar solos.  Walls era Helloween seem more like a good example of early speed/power metal than they do an obviously pioneering act.

So, did that change when the hypothetical listener first hit play on his or her record or cassette** of Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part I, and got to hear Michael (Kiske) smoothly hit the high notes in the second half of the verse of "I'm Alive" without needing to shriek or rasp?  I guess to me, as revered as Michael is, he rarely rises to the level of being a uniquely good singer rather than a "good metal singer," if that makes sense.  He's still straining for high notes and/or the right pitch sometimes, harsh on the ears sometimes, and difficult to understand sometimes.  Just because he's a better singer than Kai for this particular material*** doesn't make Helloween the first power metal band to have a vocalist with a wide range and a melodic sensibility.  The Kiske-penned "A Little Time" makes the non-metal rock influences especially overt, but again, they were already doing a little bit of that anyway, and it's not as if metal didn't come directly from and cross-pollinate with what we now call classic rock.  But there's something on Keeper I that more obviously speaks to bigger ambitions than does Walls.  I'd say it's "A Tale That Wasn't Right" that really hammers it home.  For a band whose whole thing is to be fast and constantly on the verge of spinning out of control to commit to a full-on ballad about heartbreak... isn't that more the territory of (pejoratively) the sellout-iest of "hair metal" bands, or (more approbatively) rock-and-roll bands who're less concerned with whether or not they're sufficiently "metal" as they are with writing good songs?  Thundersteel-era Riot wouldn't write a song like ATTWR.  Maybe now after the one-two-three punch of that, into "Future World," into "Halloween," it's clear that Helloween are something different.  At minimum, the stage is set for the next record to continue to push the envelope...

...But even that is an oversimplification.  At least if you believe current interviews, Part II isn't an evolution from Part I so much as a calculated decision that if their proposed double album had to get broken up into two parts by record company fiat, that they should manufacture a transition by putting most of the Kai songs on #1, and then load the second batch with mostly Weike songs that were a little less like classic metal and a little more like whatever they were becoming.

The actual answer (obviously!) is that there isn't only one transition point.  Helloween were always Helloween, and having those guys in the band playing music and time were all that it took for them to become the band that they had been evolving into from the start.

Anyway, here's the record they put out in 1988.

Track One:  "Invitation"

I guess having companion "I" instrumental intro tracks was part of the bit.   Helloween eschew the "happy happy Halloween" intro completely for the first time (and also pass up the chance to build off "Follow The Sign") and instead give us a rather nondescript marching beat.

 

Track Two:  "Eagle Fly Free"

I mean, it's "Eagle Fly Free."  What else is there to say?

All right, I'll at least try to dissect the appeal of this one track such that it would go on set the template for what the world expects from EUPM.  First of all, if you want to distill Helloween into one song, this wouldn't be a bad choice.  It's kind of the platonic ideal of the concept of Helloween: you have a killer riff, and fast riffs superlayed on it, and then a prechorus that goes harmonic, and then smoothly transitions into a more traditional soaring**** metal chorus; only some of their songs include all of those elements at once.  Obviously the chorus is big, bouyed a singer who can actually nail the notes cleanly, and some brass notes on the synth to really punch up the final repetition.  Throw in an unusually bass-heavy solo that itself has its own embedded drum spotlight, and lyrics that go to a few unexpected places for a metal song with a guy shreiking about a bird ("...and we make our bombs atomic/ Or the better, quite neutronic/ But the poor don't see a dime"), and you've got a punchy opener that holds up to replay value.

In 1988, Helloween are far from the only metal band playing really fast, often augmented by machine-gun drumming, and hitting big high-pitched choruses.  You can get that fix just as easily from "Harder Than Steel," or "Thundersteel," or probably a bunch of other songs even without "steel" in the title.  But the haunting prechorus is a key part of why EFF stands apart, with the band showing their gift for two key elements of the Helloween sound: vocal harmony, and transition.  A prechorus is almost expected in PM today, but based on my sampling of '80s work it seems like kind of a Helloween specialty among PM.  From the beginning, I mean, part of their pre-Keeper work too.*****  I'd have to explore more of the mid-'80s German PM scene to say whether or not this was more widespread there than in the US; Running Wild's early work does include some dabbling in prechoruses, although they tend to sound less like a distinct section compared to in "Eagle Fly Free."  That's one of the things that you perhaps get from bands along the Iron Maiden lineage that have a grounding in classic rock/metal, since there are tastes of it in Dio and Manowar too.  Whatever the case may be, Helloween excel at that flow - the song goes down in pitch slightly or stays steady for the setup section, and then finally goes up in pitch for the hook - and they've got the knack for vocal hooks.

So, as reductive as it is to insist that all power metal needs to take after EFF, the song absolutely lives up to its stature as one of those classics that's too good to even quite take for granted.

Track Three:  "You Always Walk Alone"

Okay, this is a little different.  And in only the second (real) track, too!  On paper, YAWA "should" be a mess, with a bunch of different parts that rarely repeat, all played fast enough that I expect the song to fall apart.  It never really does.  It's hard not to get sucked into the conviction with which Michael delivers the part about the drunk man.  Since I can't call much other than the main hook to mind from memory, but I'll never complain about listening to it, I guess YAWA would be the definition of an album track.

Track Four:  "Rise And Fall"

I'd somehow managed to forget all about "Rise And Fall" before proverbially digging out Keeper II to listen to again, so I got a chance to get freshly appalled.  Okay, that's too strong a word.  Basically, at this point in the track listing, the listener is thinking that okay, this is going to be a record full of songs of anthems about living in this world.  And now suddenly the band are being silly in a way that pushes the sound effects to the forefront in a "look at us, we are being silly!" that I find rather unpleasant.  Michael is a little shrill here, and I just don't like the tune much.  The attempts to split the difference between talking about the unexpected turns of life and sex jokes doesn't work for me.  There's very much a place for comedy in power metal; this ain't it.  Pass.

   

Track Five:  "Doctor Stein"

I've mentioned a few times never having gotten the appeal of "Doctor Stein," with its big demerit being that it's another "funny" song that's not actually very funny, being built around a premise that's not even  really a joke.  But especially in the context of the album, I can tell you what DS does have - a big straightforward guitar hook that's hard to resist.  DS sounds really good on just a sonic level, especially the part where the circusy gitar solo melds into an full-on organ solo.  The trak successfully conveys the "fun monster movie" vibe, and the lyrics having cleverer turns of phrase than I originally appreciated, and... okay, fine, "Doctor Stein," you win.  You and I are cool.  As long as I don't have to listen to you too often.  It's not like you're "Rise And Fall," here.

Track Six:  "We Got The Right"

No full-on ballads on Keeper II, but "We Got The Right" kind of slots into that niche just by having a slower tempo and going softer during several distinct interludes.  I wish someone had reminded Michael that he didn't need to do the ear-splitting shriek all verse long.  Lyrically, we're back to the sort of generalized defiance that's vague enough that the listener can decide that it applies to whatever they're doing.  I'd call the finished track good rather than great, but I really appreciate that they're attempting a song structured differently than anything that's led up to it so far.

Track Seven:  "March Of Time"

Finally, something written by Kai!  And we really needed a strong couple of headbangable riffs just around now, even if the song ends up reading as fairly melodic.  Smart construction here with song/lyric synergy, as the prechorus is all wailing desperation with a gorgeous minor chord, setting up a more driving chorus, that, well, just keeps relentlessly moving forward no matter what else is happening.  You know, the way time does.  

I really like MOT.  One of those examples in which every little choice they make seems to be the right one - special shout out to the strummed bit (I think acoustic guitar, although it could be bass) underneath the downbeats of the prechorus.  I think it's one of the best songs on the record, and it's probably the one to which I have the strongest emotional reaction.

The piano part is so integral to the "March Of Time" intro and the chorus that I'll mention that, as I often do, I'm surprised Helloween never (as far as I know) recruited a dedicated keyboardist as a full-time band member.  For a band that's so traditionally structured as guitar/guitar/bass/drum, they really use a lot of keys, and it will only get more prominent as they move into the '90s and '00s.

Track Eight:  "I Want Out"

When I was first conceiving this writeup, I thought I'd spend more time talking about Keeper II as the end of this era of Helloween.  The "classic lineup" is falling apart right as it's getting established, here!  Their biggest hit is a core band member's resignation letter!  Surely there's drama to mine, no?

Well, if there's tumult in the record, it is not audible to this listener.  Like, not at all.  Maybe testament to the iron fist with which Weike and Markus steer the ship, Helloween never particularly sound like a band on the outs.  Even when songs go places I don't understand, I can't think of a single time in which it feels like the guitars are out of step with each other, or with the bass.  Michael never sounds uncomfortable singing Kai's lyrics.  Helloween are a unique metal band that's a little off kilter in a fun way, but I'm not hearing musical differences coming to the fore.  I've yet to see any comments from Kai suggesting any lie in the public story that he was completely on board with hiring a dedicated singer so that he could focus on guitar.  And even if his songs on Keeper 1 lean more "classic metal," it's not like there's a clear gap in creative direction.  Helloween still had pop-rock aspirations from the start, including on the Hansen tracks.  Kai remains the guy who wrote "Gorgar," "Future World," and this song here that's tailor-made for FM radio, down to the siren-like guitars.  So, actually listening to "I Want Out," I'm still hearing a band that seems totally happy to be writing catchy songs that go hard.

Track Nine:  "Keeper Of The Seven Keys"

And here we are with the big closer.  At thirteen and a half minutes, KOT7K almost has to be our other main outlet for a mix of soft and loud parts.  It's another one that I got really sick of when I was in my initial Helloween phase, and I think it's just because there's so much of it.

Nowadays, I like KOT7K fine, but I still don't find it all that captivating, on a personal level.  I used to think the issue was the fantasy/religion lyrics,****** especially the tedious premise of actually going through a series of items one at a time.  But that's not it.  I like lots of songs that have fantasy-based lyrics, both with and without Christian themes.  There's nothing inherently wrong with a song taking the structure of a hero's quest externalizing humanity's flaws as enemies to overcome.  Furthermore, I've always really liked "Halloween," a thirteen-plus minute epic that has considerably worse lyrics than does KOT7K.  Maybe it's that the main verse/chorus sections are mid-tempo, so it forces the listener to actually pay attention to the cheesier elements rather than brushing them aside; the spoken word parts very much do not help with that.  Or maybe it's the lack of a really killer main riff to tie the song together.  I just now listened to "Helloween" and "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" back to back to try to make sense of it, and I can confirm that the former absolutely kicks ass for its first five minutes and its last four minutes, and that most of the stuff in between has more hits than misses.  The latter has some cool stuff, but it's honestly a bit of a slog.  And Michael makes more frequent questionable vocal choices, specifically regarding when to caterwaul.  

Now, don't get me wrong, this is still Helloween here, so the playing is still top notch.  They can still get me, at least when I'm in the right mood, amped up, especially during that pretty intro/outro riff, and the "disease, my friend" section, and the part where the Satan tries to make the Keeper stray.  I maintain, though, that this is not Helloween at their very best.  Which is a shame for the big culmination of two records' worth of music.

Bonus Track:  "Save Us"

"Save Us" has been part of every version of Keeper II in the streaming era, so I'm just so used to it be there.  I like having a palate-cleanser of speedy metal (with a splash of social commentary) after the more sprawling title track.  On some level it's another one that I enjoy thoroughly and then forget immediately, but that does mean that I get to re-remember how much I like the buildup in the outro with the back and forth vocals followed by the final "please, save us now!"

Other thoughts:

I am starting to get tired of writing now, and I have nothing of any interest to say about "Savage," "Livin' Ain't No Crime," or "Run For Cover." 

To the extent that there's any through-line between the Keeper records, it's in the notion of following "the Sign."  Part I's soundscape of a closing track mentions the Keeper, and then the phrase "follow the sign".  That lyric makes its way into the chorus of "Eagle Fly Free" apropros of nothing, as well as of course being part of "Keeper Of The Seven Keys," the song.  I see no reason to doubt what the band members say about any whiff of "concept album" here being some combination of false marketing and a thing that they did to amuse themselves.

Listening to Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part II as a verbose blogger rather than as a casual music listener is a totally different experience that makes me value it more.  As one can tell from the track by track, I think it's a very inconsistent record.  I'd definitely rank my beloved The Dark Ride higher, and by a fair margin too.  What Keeper II is, though, is a fun adventure through the nascent world of power metal.  The band are bringing in a lot of different elements and as long as it works together, they're keeping it all in.  Where most records are content to "mix things up" by alternating two loud songs with one ballad, or alternating songs about history with songs about monsters, or whatever, Helloween are providing an impressive amount of sonic diversity where, pre-Keeper, they were a band that basically just did three things or so.  I've talked myself into extolling a few late-'80s records - one by Riot, one by Running Wild, both of which I expounded on ad nauseam - as the twin apices of a certain strain of '80s power metal.  And they are.  And if you want a bunch of songs that are basically all in that particular vein, you might not be able to top Death Or Glory.  Keeper II is less an apex of the form than a sign to, uh, follow, of the different things that power metal could be.  It's one of the most exciting records of its era.  You can see why it spawned a movement.  And if not every track is a winner, well, to paraphrase the wisdom of Butt-Head, if they didn't have the parts that sucked, the other parts wouldn't be as cool.

Keeper I is clearly better, though; I don't know what the Keeper II devotees are hearing differently.  Bring back Kai!  (Oh, wait, they did.)

Favorite track:  "Eagle Fly Free"

Runner up:  "March Of Time"

Least favorite track:  "Rise And Fall"

Rating:  4/5

Coming up:  Probably a bonus pair of posts on Cloven Hoof's A Sultan's Ransom, if I find it interesting enough.  And then at some point back to the main Metalstorm list, with the '90s.  Whenever I get around to it, as always!  

 

*Simply being German makes me want to classify them as "second wave" power metal, but I can certainly see the argument that anyone trying to find much daylight between Kai-fronted Helloween and the American "first wave" (what we now call USPM) is engaging in revisionist history. 

**Or eight-track?  I hope not!

***If there's inherent cream among Halloween singers that universally rises to the top, explain why Michael's take on "Victim Of Fate" from the Keeper I expanded/whatever release is actually overall slightly inferior to Kai's original vocal.

****Pun unavoidable.

 

*****One of the more obvious lines, at least in my mind, between them and Maiden.  I assume we've all noticed that the "Ride The Sky" prechorus heavily echoes the one from "2 Minutes To Midnight?"

******Speaking of that, though, I hadn't realized until now how out of character the song is for Helloween's usual deal.  Power metal is all about dragons and magic swords... except that Helloween, the band that popularized what would become the main branch of EUPM, kinda aren't.  Now, obviously, they do some songs about monsters.  But if you want songs encouraging you to put on your armor and go on a quest, I'm struggling to think of other examples of Helloween being your band for that.  They usually seem more interested in talking about wacky characters, or sharing general thoughts about what it means to be human.