HELLOWEEN: The Time Of The Oath (HEAVY METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

If "Master of the Rings" was the album of the return to grace, "The Time of the Oath" is clearly going to be the record of the resurrection and the return in strength and shape for Helloween. This record will simply put them back in the club of the greatest melodic heavy metal bands. Indeed, the band, this time remained stable in terms of line-up, came out of a long and successful tour and took the whole year 1995 to prepare this new album which will be released the following year.

Firstly, The cover has everything to please the fans: the wizard is back as well as the illustrations of pumpkins. Helloween also finds again and even more than on "Master...", the way of melodic speed metal, showing itself even at the limits of Thrash while sounding progressive on some occasions. And on the 12 tracks of the disc, there is no dead time and the whole is very balanced.

The album contains several types of tracks. First of all, there are ultra speed tracks that remind us of the "Walls of Jericho" era, but without the raw aspect, such as the very short 'We Burn' that opens the record in a thunderous way with just a lull in the vocals on the chorus while the drums don't leave any respite, or 'Before the War', with its warlike and very direct beginning and a general tone reminding of Accept. Andy Deris seems very comfortable on this kind of tracks and it is besides him who composed them alone, proof of his great implication in the band.

In addition to that, there are some softer tracks, purely Helloween style, both fun and energetic. There is first of all the absolute hit of the album, 'Power', with its unstoppable melody and its amazing chorus, then 'Wake up the Mountain', excellent title written by a Uli Kusch. Finally we can mention the formidable and very fast 'Kings we be Kings' which presents a huge rhythmic part and a splendid and melodic vocal in a rather dark tone.

Then there are two ballads, much more successful than those presented in the past, 'If I Knew' and 'Forever and One'. Special mention to this last one with its piano parts, its deep and low vocals and especially a soft and fine music. Finally, Helloween offers two very long tracks at the end of the record which give it a very strong depth and a darker aspect of the best effect. 'Mission Motherland' and its nine minutes is very heavy with quite complex musical parts interspersed by very calm and airy breaks quite prog in spirit. The record then ends with the very good 'Time of the Oath', also heavy and dark, with an epic aspect for a whole musically very rich.

"Time of the Oath" is clearly one of the best albums of the band, all times combined, to be classified next to Keeper of which it is the worthy heir. It will completely relaunch Helloween which will become again one of the spearheads of the genre and will gain a new generation of fans. - Official website

HELLOWEEN

THE TIME OF THE OATH

CASTLE

HEAVY METAL