HELLBOOK

70 | 71
The quartet of songwriters comprising Weikie,
Andi, Sascha and Markus again raise expectations
after those years of tireless creative
contributions.
The masterpiece has an impressive
opening tale with the progressive,
mystical Nabataea. The composition
evokes this legendary kingdom that
was discovered in the early twentieth
century and is the origin of
many myths and legends, as
well as Petra’s Secret, while
hiding us behind a musical
cliff. Nabataea is a unique
creative piece with musical
reminiscences, and
we can hear several
independent melodic
developments in the
course of its short
seven minutes.
The soaring creation and the most overwhelming track
on the new album is entitled Burning Sun. It is a complex,
direct and hymnal track written by Weikie, with elegant
instrumental arrangements full of beauty. It is sharp and
pure, as are Sascha’s World of War, Markus’ Far from the
Stars, or Andi’s Live Now! and Waiting for the Thunder.
The array of musical colours displayed by the impressive
Hold Me in Your Arms, Straight out of Hell, Asshole,
Years, Make Fire Catch the Fly and Church Breaks Down
has been shaped into a monumental album, where the
band make each idea work, without cracks or bumps.
This is improved still further by an immeasurably broad
pitch range in Andi’s performance on vocals. And there's
a fitting tribute to the memory of Jon Lord through the
wonderful rendition of Burning Sun (Hammond Version),
included as a B-side on the CD.
With positive fan and media recognition, Helloween
set out on a successful world tour, recalling a highlight
from their own history by revisiting the Hellish
Rock Tour along with Gammaray together on the same
stage.
«We have created better ones so
we control the way…»
HEROES
‘To embrace your origins
and to leave
behind the frontier
of your primeval
world is the
path to blindly face
the future.’ It seems
the perfect ending for a new
beginning, driven by the strong
instinct to improve themselves, to keep
innovating and not to rule out risks.
Now 30 years have passed
since those eager, visionary
teenagers started
their journey with their
first official
recording, and
in May 2015
Hellow
e e n
will released their long-awaited 15 th studio album entitled
My God-Given Right. Together with their successful team of
collaborators, our tireless band recorded the entire album
between October 2014 and February 2015 at their own Mi
Sueño Studio in Tenerife.
As with their seven previous works, their long-term producer
Charlie Bauerfeind handled the whole production and every
recording duty. Helloween have also returned to the German
record label Nuclear Blast, a cooperation that had been
suspended since the release of Rabbit Don't Come Easy in
2003.
In addition to this, Martin Häusler brings back to us his mastery
as a designer and illustrator by presenting us a stunning
cover in full 3D, with a groundbreaking choice of colour
palette, dominated by white with slight contrasts of blue
and shiny elements. In line with the album's title, it seems
to lead us to a new beginning full of light, fresh energy and
purpose, like those pumpkin robots ready to march. Just in
a simple way, direct and thrilling, like a virginal blank page.