Official Helloween thread v. Pumpkins United

[bl5150]

Speaking of Deris, I've been cranking his last solo album and I think it's fucking great.  Typical Deris written style tunes, but some brilliant melodies and some nice in your face heavy songs too.

The Bad Bankers one?   My memory is that it started off pretty awful , had a couple of killers in the middle and then was very solid to the end.   Not often that I really dislike the first few songs and then enjoy the rest on an album.

[jjrock88]

I've never checked out any of Deris' solo albums, but I enjoyed everything I heard that he released with Pink Cream 69.

[MirrorMask]

Well, seems our assumptions were wrong!



I don't really like the idea. I'm a 100% Deris fanboy and I consider him the ultimate Helloween singer, but since Kiske is around, why force Deris to sing yet again Eagle Fly Free or Dr. Stein? duets are fine, but let Kiske sing his own songs without "robbing" Andi of one of his. All duets would be overkill.

[Mladen]

They might as well shake things up and go crazy splitting the vocals, it would be more interesting.

[Polarbear]

I love Hansen's comments!

Have two singers sing all the time, with Hansen (and possibly Sascha) doing backing vocals.

Go crazy with the singing department!!

[Samsara]

I will be happy regardless, but have a strong preference not to hear Deris do Kiske-era Helloween. Some fans, like myself, have been waiting decades for this, and as much as I respect Deris -- he's sang those songs fronting Helloween already. Let the guy whose voice put Helloween on the map sing the songs of his era.

Again, I'll be elated either way, but I'd prefer they stick to their eras, except for an encore.

[TAC]

Right. I did not wait 30 f'n years to see Eagle Fly Free, only to have it sung by Andi Deris!

I don't get any negative vibes from Deris either, he looks fine.

I didn't either. I was just commenting on MirrorMask's comment that Deris was smiling, which he was not.

[jjrock88]

It's too bad this tour isn't starting this spring!

We need some set list answers!! lol

[wolfking]

Deris solely singing something like Dr Stein and Kiske singing one of Andi's songs shows the band are all in good spirits with this tour and fitting in well with each other, but really seems like a bit of a piss take to the fans really.  I think he might be meaning that some of the Kiske songs will be duets.  Would be hard to see Kiske out the back while Andi sings Eagle.

[wolfking]

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/michael-kiske-explains-decision-to-reunite-with-helloween-i-cant-really-be-angry-anymore/

New, really informative interview with Kiske.  Worht a read.

[MirrorMask]

I wanted to post that, when I saw this thread upped I figured it would be that link 

Interesting read indeed, I would have never guessed that Roland Grapow was actually approached. It's also cool what he says about the positive message of being all together without booting Deris or Gerstner.

In a sense it's like the Iron Maiden reunion, Gers was there for 10 years and he was a nice bloke and it would have been cruel to sack him just for Adrian, and it would have been equally nonsense to ask Deris to step down after 22 years.

[jjrock88]

Kiske comes across as a real class act

[Samsara]

Kiske comes across as a real class act

Agreed. I mean, that interview really shows that he just realized, after all this time, it wasn't worth holding grudges and embraced the opportunities in front of him. Remember when Kiske was anti-metal? Same thing - I think he realized that he was being ridiculous, and embraced who he is, and got comfortable in his own skin.

I really can't wait for the U.S. dates for this. I won't miss it, even if I have to travel a little.

[wolfking]

I find it hard to believe that Roland was approached for this.

[Samsara]

I find it hard to believe that Roland was approached for this.

Speaking of Roland, is Masterplan worth checking out, and if so, which record?

[MirrorMask]

Easily the debut with Jorn Lande.

[jjrock88]

Yes the debut for sure. One song even has Kiske sharing the vocals

[Samsara]

Thanks. I'll look at picking that one up then.

[wolfking]

Easily the debut with Jorn Lande.

Aeronautics is almost just as good IMO.

[NotePad]

yea the first two Masterplan records are golden. Rea!ly  great power metal with a unique sound. Havent heard MKII. Time To Be King was very disappointing and lackluster. and the !ast one was decent but have a problem with the production. possibly because Roland produced it himself....im sure theyre big enough to get a bigger name producer.

[gazinwales]

I don't think they wanted a big name producer.
Roland has his own studio and does a lot of work for other bands.

[wolfking]

I don't think they wanted a big name producer.
Roland has his own studio and does a lot of work for other bands.

Yeah he does and he's normally pretty good, but Novum Initium was a great album but the production is some of the worst I've ever heard, it's horrid.

[TAC]

  Novum Initium was a great album 

Yes!

[TAC]

Not new apparently, but I just saw this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WvU7D08PPg

[jjrock88]

 

[wolfking]

I remember seeing those vids when they came out, cool shit.

[Samsara]

So bad ass. Never saw that before. 

[wolfking]

Andi is a cool ass motherfucker!

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/andi-deris-says-he-is-relieved-michael-kiske-is-back-in-helloween/

He sort of talks in places like it's a permanent thing.

[jjrock88]

I like how he described their relationship as being that they don't dislike each other lol

[wolfking]

I like he's looking forward the most too having a couple of songs off and going back having a smoke and some wine and watching the rest of the guys play.  Like, who says that, what a cool ass fucker!! 

[Polarbear]

Andi is a cool ass motherfucker!

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/andi-deris-says-he-is-relieved-michael-kiske-is-back-in-helloween/

He sort of talks in places like it's a permanent thing.

If the Pumpkins United touring lineup would become the official lineup of Helloween, that would be amazing!

[wolfking]

Andi is a cool ass motherfucker!

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/andi-deris-says-he-is-relieved-michael-kiske-is-back-in-helloween/

He sort of talks in places like it's a permanent thing.

If the Pumpkins United touring lineup would become the official lineup of Helloween, that would be amazing!

I don't know how I'd feel about it.  It seems too much of a novelty to become as serious full time thing.

[MirrorMask]

On the last tour, they opened with two Kiske songs and closed with two Kiske songs, everything in between was Deris', it comes as no surprise for me to read that the's happy to let Kiske sing his own songs again.

20 years of busting his ass off through records and album shows, after having saved a dead band back in 2004, and to listen everywhere how Kiske was better for those song... I can only imagine how annoying it must have been.

I don't know if the reunion is permanent, but where could they go from here? they've been around since forever, they're not old but they play a kind of music that requires a lot of intensity (can you imagine them at 65 playing Eagle Fly Free?), it would be kinda plain to go back to the regular lineup after that.

I think it will play out like the Dio reunion with Black Sabbath, they will do the tour and if they get along fine, they will consider a new album all together. But I assume that 2019 will be Gamma Ray's year as well, they will have a break and do something else in 2020.

[wolfking]

it would be kinda plain to go back to the regular lineup after that.

I find this comment interesting.  I love the Deris era more than the Kiske but am loving what they are doing with this tour.  Saying that, I would be more than happy for the five current members to continue after this and record another album and go back to doing what they have been for so many years. 

I don't think it would be plain going back, but more the fact as you say, afterwards, what now?  Can they possibly go back if all goes so well.  Only time will tell, but maybe they will make some coin out of this, go back and do it another in a few years or something, who knows.  And also, would having both singers and Kai together with Weiki and the rest of the band a sustainable and productive thing long term?  As I said, this feels more like a novelty kind of thing, but who knows.  Kiske is floating around doing his other stuff and Kai is still heavy into Gamma Ray also.

[MirrorMask]

Yeah, I basically meant the "What now" angle... I would be perfectly OK in seeing this and then in 2020 another tour with Deris only, as I've been doing anyway since I became a fan and walking away always happy and satisfied.