Helloween & Gamma Ray

....so should Andi Deris, even though I'm a big fan.

So what does everyone think of My God Given Right?

I like it. Its different then they're last few. Its got more if an 80s rock mixed with pop style to it. Still some great power metal on it though, you can always expect that from Halloween. But they're always doing something different. It depends on whose songs make it onto then album. This time it was mostly Deris songs that made it into the album, so we ended up with a poppier sound. I'd like to have more Weiki and Marcus songs, because they write the most classic sounding Helloween power metal songs, and that's what I really want from them. Claws is an awesome song!

I do love the new album. But next time, I'd like to see them consciously decide on a direction for their next album. Or collaborate with each other more. I think recently the producer realizes they don't work like that anymore, which is why their newer albums do in fact sound more cohesive due to the production sound of the newer stuff. Like Gambling With The Devil, sounds like one cohesive piece even though each member wrote their own songs hundreds of miles away from each other. In fact, I'd love another Gambling with The Devil. Amazing album. Classic Helloween style power metal on that album.

This is missing on My God Given Right. Other then the Weikath songs, the songs are mainly standard sounding pop metal etc. With typical verse-chorus-verse-chorus structures. That's why I love when Weikath and Marcus have more input- we get more progressive Halloween albums, like Gambling With The Devil.

Nonetheless, I like My God Given Right. But I expected more. I'm disappointed there wasn't more input from the other band members. Compared to the other guys, Deris doesn't write many power metal songs so that creates a problem.
 
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Despite my feelings of indifference towards Kiske's voice, I am incredibly impressed by how strong his voice still is. Especially when compared to other classic heavy metal vocalists like Dickinson, Halford, and Tate.
 
I have a feeling there will be some sort of reunion. They all seem to be warming up to the idea. My guess would be a concert, possibly a tour with Helloween and Unisonic where they play live together, and call it a reunion tour.

And who knows, maybe that could lead to some sort of a reunion on a new Helloween album. I certainly don't see Kiske replacing Andi Deris, there's no way. But I could see Kiske singing with him on an album. Or they could do what Sabbath did with Dio.
 
I don’t know, I haven’t read the whole thread, but am I the only one who finds Kiske a wee bit overrated? I mean, he’s good and everything, but not really my type and definitely not the best singer ever (and yes, I’ve had that argument before). He has this tendency to… bleat, which sometimes spoils my enjoyment of the song (yes, I’m looking at you, Keeper of the Seven Keys The Song!) I definitely don’t miss him. I liked Kai as vocalist much more and I’m perfectly fine with Deris.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
I don’t know, I haven’t read the whole thread, but am I the only one who finds Kiske a wee bit overrated?
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Nope. I think his voice is tolerable at best and annoying at worst.

Also, I'm not a Helloween fan by any stretch, but I definitely prefer Deris in most cases. Overall I think Gamma Ray is better.
 
JudasMyGuide said:
I don’t know, I haven’t read the whole thread, but am I the only one who finds Kiske a wee bit overrated? I mean, he’s good and everything, but not really my type and definitely not the best singer ever (and yes, I’ve had that argument before). He has this tendency to… bleat, which sometimes spoils my enjoyment of the song (yes, I’m looking at you, Keeper of the Seven Keys The Song!) I definitely don’t miss him. I liked Kai as vocalist much more and I’m perfectly fine with Deris.
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I've been saying this for a long time. But I can see the possibility of a reunion.

I do think he's overrated and bland. He's talented and can hit amazing notes, but he isn't very diverse. Deris is much better for Helloween. Obviously he can't go as high as Kiske, but he can still sing in a similar style sometimes. For example, Falling Higher. And they still continue to write classic Helloween style songs, like World of War. Deris just brings another style to it. I love it.

I'm never excited to hear Kiske because I know what I'm gonna get. Whereas Deris surprises us. He tries different things with his voice.
 
I am not sure how Kiske can be seen as overrated? His gift (a bright, high and clean, natural sounding voice) is not 13 in a dozen. Not in the least. It's a rare talent.

Lately the metal scene is full of people with vibration in their (sometimes crappy or forced) voices. Kiske fitted excellent to the Keeper albums and he did some great stuff afterwards such as in The Chance or Giants. Kiske was part of that success and it lifted Helloween to a higher level.

I really like some albums the band did afterwards (especially their nineties albums and also The Dark Ride), but I can't say I like Deris more than Kiske, nor do I see how Kiske can be overrated. Hell, reading this forum, I rather say he is underrated. Some people have no clue what he meant and how special his voice is.

You may dislike him, but saying he's overrated is a bit of nonsense. Look, I can agree that his output in music is not that interesting in the last 10 or 20 years (then again, Helloween sounds rehashed for ages as well). But the voice, no, that's a different discussion.
 
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Forostar said:
I am not sure how Kiske can be seen as overrated? His gift (a bright, high and clean, natural sounding voice) is not 13 in a dozen. Not in the least. It's a rare talent.

Lately the metal scene is full of people with vibration in their (sometimes crappy or forced) voices. Kiske fitted excellent to the Keeper albums and he did some great stuff afterwards such as in The Chance or Giants. Kiske was part of that success and it lifted Helloween to a higher level.

I really like some albums the band did afterwards (especially their nineties albums and also The Dark Ride), but I can't say I like Deris more than Kiske, nor do I see how Kiske can be overrated. Hell, reading this forum, I rather say he is underrated. Some people have no clue what he meant and how special his voice is.

You may dislike him, but saying he's overrated is a bit of nonsense. Look, I can agree that his output in music is not that interesting in the last 10 or 20 years (then again, Helloween sounds rehashed for ages as well). But the voice, no, that's a different discussion.
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Well, my post was from a more subjective point of view than I realised. Believe me or not, I have met a lot of people saying the only Helloween was with Kiske, that Kiske is a god, that he has to return, otherwise Helloween suck etc. And I just can't relate to that. Also, his "influence" has brought us John Arch or Charles Sabin - guys who are very much respected across the metal field, but I have trouble listening to them - that wailing/bleating really gets on my nerves after a while. It might be technical, it might be innovative, but I have a hard time listening to it. It's the same with Kiske - Keeper albums would be (IMHO!) much better with a different vocalist, I'm sorry. I mean (for example) the part on Keeper (the song) between 1:54-2:04 and 2:16-2:23. He's trying so hard to sing high and mighty, it loses me halfway. It's just obnoxious. But tastes differ, hell, I'm the guy with Jordan Rudess as an avatar, right? :D
 
Yeah, the guy who's in a band with a singer I terribly dislike. Annoying wailer number one! :)
Ever heard him doing Maiden's Gangland?

Gang laaaa ha ha ha ha ha haaand where to find my trail
Gang laaaa ha ha ha ha ha haaand I'll go up the hill

images

This discussion certainly is about taste, and not much else.
JudasMyGuide said:
Well, my post was from a more subjective point of view than I realised. Believe me or not, I have met a lot of people saying the only Helloween was with Kiske, that Kiske is a god, that he has to return, otherwise Helloween suck etc. And I just can't relate to that.
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I can't relate to such black and white reasoning either, but it really depends on how people are listening, and on what they find important.

I am glad I appreciate Helloween with Kiske, Helloween with Deris and Helloween with Hansen on vocals. I love Walls of Jericho to death!

I do not think a band per se sucks with singer A or B, unless I really dislike him. The band's song material matters. Do I hear melodies (or solos) I like? Do I hear some daring stuff? Do I hear rehashed work? It's all important. Kiske is the perfectly fitting nighingale in some of most wonderful soundscapes created in the history of metal. Deris has a less pleasant voice, but he sang on some fine albums, and has written strong songs! How can I dislike the guy? No way!

Maybe that's why I do not cast aside the Blaze years so easily. E.g. I really dig The X-Factor, because I appreciate the good things about it.
 
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I'm not saying Kiske isn't talented. He definitely is. I just prefer Deris because he can sound gritty and do more. If Kiske just had a bit more rasp or grit to his voice I'd like him much more.

Tobias Sammet is a great example of a Kiske influenced vocalist. On the earlier Edguy albums pre-Hellfire Club he could sing a lot like Kiske. But he could also sound darker and have raspiness. IMO he was like a better version of Kiske ;p Keep in mind I'm talking about younger Tobias Sammet. Nowadays he sounds different. He couldn't keep it up. Which is something you have to credit Michael Kiske with; he can still sound just like his younger self.
 
I've read that before, but I always knew Edguy was greatly inspired by Maiden. The two bands that made Edguy who they are would be Helloween and Iron Maiden. Listen to The Savage Poetry. Whereas most of their stuff has more of a Helloween style, The Savage Poetry was straight-up Maiden worship. (I've only heard the 2000 version and its one of their best albums). And to me at least the song titles were a dead giveaway from the very beginning.

I don't like what is called symphonic power metal. Which is why I love Helloween and Edguy. They are the only two power metal bands I love, and it's amazing how many comparisons can be made between the two.
 
Night Prowler said:

This guy sings occasionally for Gamma Ray when Kai's voice is in bad shape.
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He's officially in the band now:

NEWS FROM THE GAMMARAY CAMP:

The band has decided to further on work with two singers for several good reasons.

So from now on the vocals there will be Mr. Kai Hansen as usual plus and welcome please Mr. Frank Beck with whom the band has done already a good amount of shows in the past. We found out that Frank is not only a great singer that very much fits into the band from his voice and from his temper of the voice and his kind of singing but as well as a very very good human being that is fit to live up to the extreme expectations that we as a band have for people joining.

Mainly this guy cannot only sing, he can party, too and that’s very important. So that was reason one.

Another good reason was that Kai just felt that it’s time for him to cut a bit shorter on singing because he found out that his long touring especially headline shows after a while always tends to fuck up the voice and end up with something that is not a hundred percent. So sharing the vocals makes things much easier and much more pleasurable.

It will not only give the band a new dimension soundwise or vocalwise but it will as well – and here is reason number three – give Kai the freedom to move around on stage a lot and plus create a bit more action on the live performances and be more free to play the guitar which actually he does like a lot.

So ladies and gentleman please welcome the new GammaRay and please welcome Mr. Frank Beck.
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History repeats itself once again (Helloween)! Interesting. I wonder if this will have some effect on the creative process as well.

And... smoking also kills Kai's voice.
 
Funny how they like him cuz he can party as much as them. That's the real reason these bands stay around so long...and is why they never tour the US. They could, but they'd draw very small crowds of mostly men. But in Europe and other places they're very big and likely don't play only sausage tests. Just a thought.

How the hell is the next album gonna be with 2 singers? I don't like that. BUT maybe this will improve the musical side of things. Kai is a guitar god we must remember. Now he'll have more time for that!
 
Wow! Now that's a while ago since Ralf joined the band again(?)

And nice to hear this song, from an underrated album. Man I need to see these guys live again.
 
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