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Helloween - Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy review



Reviewer:
9.6

546 users:
7.85
Band: Helloween
Album: Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy
Release date: October 2005


Disc I
01. The King For A 1000 Years
02. The Invisible Man
03. Born On Judgment Day
04. Pleasure Drone
05. Mrs. God
06. Silent Rain

Disc II
01. Occasion Avenue
02. Light The Universe [feat. Candice Night]
03. Do You Know What You're Fighting For
04. Come Alive
05. Shade In The Shadow
06. Get It Up
07. My Life For One More Day
08. Revolution [Japan bonus]
+ Mr. God [video][Russian Edition bonus]

Helloween are the godfathers of Power metal. Keeper of the Seven Keys, especially the second part, is the the Holy Grail of Power metal. But it doesn't matter who dares to touch it, anyone who takes a classic and tries to make it better really has guts. It takes a very strong will to take a name as Keeper of the Seven Keys and make a third part of it. Now, those who oppose may say 3 things: that Helloween is already dead; that you can't do it without Michael Kiske; that you can't do it without Kai Hansen.

Of course, Helloween isn't dead. They showed it mainly on the Dark Ride, being that the best Helloween effort ever, beating their own classics. As I've said before, Andi Deris to me is the true voice of Helloween. He is metal. He is powerful. And if he doesn't have the range Kiske has, his distinctive voice fits much better to the Helloween sound. The only fault here is that Kai Hansen isn't here. Even Helloween has managed to survive without him, you can't deny that he is an amazing music and songwriter. So did they do it?

They did it. Helloween really did it. They have showed us that they were gods of power metal before, and they still are. In my opinion, this album is probably overall as good as any of the two original Keepers. It's far more solid than those. The bad songs here are not filler. But the excellent songs just don't reach the musical mastery of epics like Halloween and songs like March of Time. Even though, the overall quality is much better. The goofy songs are very good, especially the single Mrs. God. The hits are awesome, like The Invisible Man. The other songs are also of high quality, like Pleasure Drone and The Shade in the Shadows, which both have the best chorus here. The epics are amazing, even though it's risky having both of them as openers.

That brings as another topic: Why two cds instead of just one? Maybe it's so the bonus track, Revelation (a very good song, I recommend getting it if you can) could fit. Or maybe it's for revenge. Let's remember Helloween wanted to make both the classic Keeper albums as a double cd album, but they couldn't.

Another highlight is the diversity of sounds. The sound is much more progressive and diverse than before. Usually, Helloween had on almost every album, 3-5 minutes songs, with 1 epic, probably 2, that lasted a bit longer. But check the songs on this album: 2 epics. 3 long songs. 4 of average length, 3 short ones, and 1 ballad. Helloween never had an album that was so rich, even though I'd add one more ballad here. But Light the Universe is probably their best ballad, at least with Andi Deris.

So well, here we have the renewed Helloween, improving their already awesome classics into a new one. And well, as a final note, forget the name of the album. Many people just despise it because they don't like it as much as the original Keepers. Just remember, the music it's what it counts. And here, there is very good music.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Production: 10

Written by Talvi | 20.12.2006




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Staff review by
Jeff
Rating:
7.5
The release of this "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part III - The Legacy", end of this epic story started by Helloween 18 years ago with the amazing "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I", is like a big event in our Metal world. But it's also a bit hazardous and the band probably knows that a lot of people are waiting to see the result especially when you know that the tow firsts "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" are considered like classics.

Read more ››
published 17.10.2005 | Comments (8)


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 87 users
20.12.2006 - 16:43
hottercraft

Good review, but I think this mark is higher than the mark it should have, it isn't a so great album in my opinion...
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20.12.2006 - 19:50
Rating: 9
Katatronik
Angel of Lust
Very good review, the return of the great Helloween!
This is a wonderful album IMO, though a lot of people doesn't appreciate the title... It has also very good progressive elements within, which I like very much... Up the pumpkins!
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and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."
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20.12.2006 - 21:21
Talvi

Well, I didn't expect people supporting me xD. Looks like very few people like this album... I don't understand it...
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My account on other musical pages:
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27.01.2007 - 23:01
Baz Anderson

well i have liked everything that Helloween has put out - so i wasnt exactly expecting to not like this.
it is another great album, i liked it a lot when it first came out - but my opinion of it has lowered just a little bit.
i still really really like the album but i think it is too long, and the songs dont grab you in as much as they should do

it is definitely a great album though
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25.02.2007 - 23:25
Rating: 5
Zenzero
Zenzero
I hate this work starting to the title....
WHY????WHY?????? Why call it Keeper of the seven keys??????
There are some good songs... but I think It's worste than The dark ride, the time of the oath, Better than row and master of rings!!!!!!!!!!
Without talking the first works......
Maybe it's better than rabbit don't come easy.... maybe.....

There won't be another Keeper good like the first two!
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05.03.2007 - 19:01
Talvi

Written by Zenzero on 25.02.2007 at 23:25

I hate this work starting to the title....
WHY????WHY?????? Why call it Keeper of the seven keys??????
There are some good songs... but I think It's worste than The dark ride, the time of the oath, Better than row and master of rings!!!!!!!!!!
Without talking the first works......
Maybe it's better than rabbit don't come easy.... maybe.....


Sorry dude, I just review the music, not the title
There won't be another Keeper good like the first two!
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11.07.2007 - 02:04
4look4rd
The Sasquatch
I do like this album a lot, and its not so far behind from the 2 "classic" keepers
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11.07.2007 - 08:41
Rating: 9
Grey_Dandelion

i agree totally with the review Hellloween old or new is a great music band
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Don't turn away just take my hand and when you make your final stand i ll be right there i ll never leave all i ask of you is believe...
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07.05.2008 - 04:06
Dowi

When I was going to listen to the Keepers for the very first time in my life, I was really expecting to listen to some kind of "heavenly stuff", because I already knew that they were like, I don't know, sacred stuff for everyone, but I was a little dissapointed, I'm sorry, but the keepers, both of them, are really overrated, they are great albums but they aren't "Sgt. Pepper's", now, I'm a fan of the Deris era, I have all their albums, "The Legacy" is good but The Dark Ride is more enjoyable, and it's funny, but I think their best album is "Walls of Jericho", Deris and Kiske can't do it better than Hansen!!
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11.11.2008 - 17:47
Rating: 8
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
I totally agree with you. This album is completely uncomparable to Keeper 1&2, Helloween is not the same band att all anymore which for me makes them the most interesting (and the best) power metal band in the world.
But with uncomparable I don't mean bad - except from some boring tracks at the second disc and some half-crappy lyrics (but not under Helloween standard), this album is completely flawless! Awesome performance, super production and hell, everything is great!
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19.08.2009 - 09:16
Rating: 8
roger73

Written by Dowi on 07.05.2008 at 04:06

I'm sorry, but the keepers, both of them, are really overrated, they are great albums but they aren't "Sgt. Pepper's",


They are "Sgt. Pepper's" for power metal

Back to Legacy:

At CD 1 are first epic, The Invisible Man and Mrs. God very good songs, Pleasure Drone and Silent Rain ok. At second CD i like Light The Universe and Do You Know What You're Fighting For. Occasion Avenue is too complicated - common mistake of such epics. But starting with Come Alive is Legacy going down to mediocre, not much creative songs. Overall - fine album, but A Ark Ride si way better. Not comparable with Keepers 1 and 2 - it's normal power metal album (8/10) vs. classics
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18.11.2010 - 00:18
Rating: 6
Metal Invader

I dont like this album as Keeper album..only few good songs holding 2 cds..some even with in that time few years old rifs made for Dark Ride album..awrage album..nothig else imo and im a big fun..maybe thats why expected more from such great band..and they show with 7sinners that they can do a great album..but Legacy..sorry..imo not good!!
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20.01.2020 - 18:07
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
IMO they could re cord keeper part III in 80's before change style a bit and Micheal left. It would be classic, this is good but enver will count as classic
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