Helloween & Gamma Ray

Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "Land Of The Free II" (G)

Mine looks entirely different.

1. From The Ashes
2. When The World (I know: Flash of the Blade rip-off but later a nice bombastic midpiece!)
3. To Mother Earth
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" (H)

Album 14: Helloween - Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003)
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" (H)

Forostar said:
Not even Onhell?
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I'm currently re-listening to my entire helloween catalog to make a fair assessment... I only own three gamma ray cd's and I think I've commented on them. So I'll get on this thread in like two days or so, I barely started two days ago (I have two mp3 cds in my car so I only hear them when I drive).
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" (H)

Looking forward to it, Onhell, don't worry take your time.

As you noticed I took a long break myself as well.... let me see, where were we?

Rabbit Don't Come Easy, huh? I recently played it a couple of times and I guess that this album could be the worst one of the post-Grapow/Kusch period. Quite some fillers. I guess my pick will be:

1. Liar
2. Open Your Life (I like those couplets, interesting guitar riff)
3. Hell Was Made In Heaven
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "No World Order" (G)

Forostar said:
Album 9: Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy (2005)
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I really like this album and while lyrically it weaves between decent to weak, it is musically very consistent at "Really Good."
Since it is a double disc (as the original keepers was intended) I'm picking six songs.
1. The Invisible Man
2. Silent Rain
3.King For 1000 years
4. Occasion Ave.
5. Do you know what you're fighting for?
6. My Life for one more day.

I still like all the other tracks, except for Mrs. God, but these really stand out to me.

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Forostar said:
Album 11: Helloween - Chameleon (1993)
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LOVE this album! It is very different (duh), but I think it's great. For the exception of Music and Revolution Now, it is a rather solid outing.
1. Crazy Cat. fucking awesome track, love the horns in it
2. Windmills
3. Giants a good track, but personally BARELY beats out I Don't Wanna Cry No More.

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Forostar said:
Album 12: Helloween - Master Of The Rings (1994)
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this is an odd album. As a whole I find it weaker than Time of the Oath, but oddly has more stand out tracks than said album.

1. Where the Rain Grows
2. In the Middle of a Heartbeat (I'm a sucker for power ballads AND the solo is beautiful)
3. This is a tie for me between Sole Survivor and Secret Alibi.

[/quote]
Forostar said:
Album 14: Helloween - Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003)
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This was a royal piece of shit I owned for six months and it stunk so bad I ended up returning
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "No World Order" (G)

Natalie said:
I didn't really want to revive a dead thread, but I also didn't want to create a new one to discuss a band if a thread for that band already exists. I just listened to Helloween's The Best, The Rest, The Rare and as I've been listening to alot of Edguy recently and have been told that they're a clone of Helloween, I was quite eager to hear some of their material. And I was rather disappointed. That's not to say I don't think they have good songs, but they really did not live up to my expectations (I really think some of it has to do with the vocals). While I can see where Edguy has some of their influence from, I think that Edguy are unique enough and are in fact, better, than Helloween. Probably I'll get a thread going on Edguy in the near future.
Click to expand...

I am a bit surprised if you don't like Michael Kiske's vocals if you like Sammet. Sammet is obviously influenced by Kiske (and Dickinson). But that might grow if you hear him more often, who knows.

I guess it's not unimportant to realise what Helloween has brought to the metal scene. Maybe you find it difficult to call Helloween unique because tons of bands sound like them? If you hear any resemblances, just remember:
All those other bands sound like Helloween, and not the other way around. They are (one of) the most influential pioneering power/heavy/speed metal band(s).

Helloween popularized a style of
- fast and melodic metal
- with very fast guitar harmonies
- and double bass drums
- and most importantly: high clean vocals

All these typical Helloween aspects landed into: tadaaaa...

...Edguy

Does all this make Edguy a clone of Helloween? Not really. As I tried to point out here, I think Edguy used a lot of lyrical and title ideas of Iron Maiden and Bruce Dickinson, but musically they just have been influenced by Helloween (and other bands). That's not strange because many German bands have been influenced by Helloween. Still Edguy bring enough of their own to be noticed. Their bombastic passages, their intruiging guitar solos and their talent to write catchy melodies.

The Helloween comparison has disappeared on the last couple of Edguy albums, since Edguy have changed their style towards a more commercial sounding Bon Jovi party rock that I despize. But to be honest, I can't judge all their post-Mandrake tracks since I don't follow the band well anymore. After Mandrake, their lyrics might have gotten more "independent" but titles like Lavatory Love Machine, Fucking with Fire (Hair Force One), Superheroes and Aren't You a Little Pervert Too don't really evoke my interest. I remember I was quite dissappointed by their change of approach since they were one of my favourite German bands. Maybe I should give the band another chance and not be blinded by some of those kinda hairband titles and lyrics.

To end this post positive about Edguy:
I have always loved the band's melodic guitarwork immensely. The intro and the opening solo of The Kingdom is just phenominal.

And I find The Headless Game one of the best metal songs ever written.

Despite the bad sound and the not yet fantastic musicianship I really enjoy the early demos by Edguy, have you heard them? I love the atmospheric keyboards and the guitar solos were very well done for such an age!

Link to info on first demo.
Link to info on second demo.

Audio:
Check out a very young Edguy on songs like Final Gate, Voices From The Past & Midgets of Metal (despite the humor not a party song or anything like that). If you want, try to find more of these songs on YouTube. :)
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "No World Order" (G)

Hey Forostar, thanks for the reply and ensuing links!

I am not claiming to know much of either band, and I understand why the titles of their later songs would turn anyone off (I also haven't heard any of their newer stuff). For the moment I am perfectly content with Mandrake and sampling things from earlier albums. The thing about the vocals on Helloween that I don't like is not the high voice, its his voice when he sings the normal stuff, it somehow sounds very thin. I would say Halford or Bruce are better any day because they hit those high notes nice and clear but also have a better low range (that sounds deeper somehow). I dunno, it could also be that I had such high expectations of the band...
Anyway, off to check out some Kamelot :).
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "No World Order" (G)

You're welcome!

Try to hear all those demo songs, it's worth it!  :)
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "No World Order" (G)

Edguy began as a Helloween clone. Most obvious in their album Theater of Salvation, specially the first track "Babylon." After that they do take off on their own road. Their material after Mysteria is not my favorite by far. they went from thoughtful melodic metal, to mindless cock rock. Also there is no longer a distinction between Avantasia (Sammet's "solo" project) and Edguy, at least soundwise. Kiske is a better singer than Sammet, there is no question of that. I'm not talking about taste, but skill.

At any rate, I still enjoy Edguy's recent material, but miss their earlier sound. I'm hoping they'll pull an In Flames and return to their good ol' sound after another album of "experimentation."
 
Re: Helloween & Gamma Ray - "No World Order" (G)

Oh there's no doubt about Kiske's skill. Actually, I wasn't about to compare him with Sammet because they have very different styles, which is why I thought I'd compare him to Bruce and Halford.

...and Forostar, I loved the demo material!
 
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Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

Yes, I'm sure... 

Anyone heard Gamma Ray's new album, To the Metal? I didn't like it first, but most of the songs (that they played from that album in Helsinki) were great live, and it's grown on me.  My favourites are Deadlands, To the Metal, Time to Live, and Empathy.  All You Need to Know (featuring Michael Kiske) is pretty good too.

And Gamma Ray was awesome live (my second time, but the first time I knew the songs).  The audience also was fantastic, outshouting Kai several times.  He told the audience to shut up (with humour, of course) at one point because they wouldn't let him speak. :D  They seriously wanted to hear Ride the Sky, I tell you.  One of the most "fun" gigs I've been to.

And they did play it, eventually.
 
Thanks for the update! I didn't have a clue that they released a new album, lately!
I am curious, and hope there's less copying than last time.

I need to check it out.
O no, here we go again:

Metal Gods rip off  :down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92WdCOXVNBg

What a rip off. Man, so naive.

If more songs were made with the same stupidity, this is going to be the first new GR album I am not going to buy.
 
It's still a surprisingly good song live (then again, so is Metal Gods).  But I suggest you try the whole album anyway.
 
As far as Helloween goes, I'm pleased by it. I've said it before, Helloween, if anything, is consistent. They rarely put out mind blowing material, but they do manage to put out decently forgettable stuff :). I might pick this one up. I didn't pick up Deal with the Devil or whatever it was called, but his one I'm digging. Added to the list of Apocalyptica, Blind Guardian and Iron Maiden
 
I'm seeing them live at least, will probably have to check out the album.  I might download it before I buy though (rare for me with new albums), since most of their latest albums have been rather disappointing with the excpetion of some individual songs.
 
Agreed. I'll listen to more samples before deciding, they have bitten me in the ass before, I'm looking at YOU Rabbit Don't Come Easy, you piece of shit.
 
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