1984 to 1986

Hamburg Power Metal band HELLOWEEN quickly developed a large and loyal fan base built upon a series of strong album releases that culminated in the twin album project 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys'. Stylistically, HELLOWEEN has trod a path from Speed Metal through an ill fated dalliance with injecting oddball humour through to career revival delivering consistent melodic Metal. However, in spite of two decades of maturity HELLOWEEN is still known to show its Speed Metal teeth on occasion.

Guitarist Kai Hansen, previously with ANCIENT CALL, bass player Marcus Großkopf, previously of TRAUMSCHIFF, and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg had been playing together since the late 70s with an inaugural band unit billed as GENTRY. This unit in 1978 featured singer / guitarist Peter Sielck, Hansen, singer Frank, bassist Christian and drummer Johannes. The GENTRY membership was fluid, but Großkopf and Schwichtenberg enrolled some two years later, after which the group evolved into SECOND HELL then, in 1982, IRON FIST. Sielck departed IRON FIST later that same year, effectively putting the band on ice, so during this period of inactivity Hansen received an offer to join POWERFOOL, featuring guitarist Michael Weikath. As things turned out Hansen lured Michael to his own band, during late 1983, and then changed the name to HELLOWEEN in 1984. The new name was thought of by Schwichtenberg, the drummer also being responsible for switching the letter 'O' to a pumpkin. This malevolent vegetable would soon become known as one of Heavy Metal's best known trademarks.

The group came to prominence upon their signing to leading German Metal label Noise Records and two tracks 'Oernst Of Life' and 'Metal Invaders' on the notorious 'Death Metal' four way split album shared with HELLHAMMER, RUNNING WILD and DARK AVENGER in April 1984. Their debut mini-album, 'Helloween', and first, full length album 'Walls Of Jericho', both produced by Harris Johns, provided HELLOWEEN with plenty of media attention and critical favour. The mid 80s saw a massive resurgence of interest in German Rock bands and HELLOWEEN quickly established themselves at the top of the heap with successive strong releases.

The five track 'Helloween' had been recorded in January and February 1985 at Musiclab Studio in Berlin. From the outset the band showed they were prepared to mix humour with blistering Metal as a waking headbanger cracks a can of beer then indulges himself in some "Happy happy Halloween" kindergarten music before the opening riff of 'Starlight' rudely interrupts proceedings. A hugely promising first offering, the mini-album, issued that May, peaked with 'Victim Of Fate', this careering slab of pure Thrash often still quoted by fans as HELLOWEEN's finest work.

The 'Walls Of Jericho' set, cut in September and October also at Musiclab, gave the band room to display their full potential. Whilst riffs raged and guitars wailed, the group did offer up some oddball humour with 'Heavy Metal (Is The Law)', 'Gorgar', an ode to a pinball machine, and the bizarre 'Reptile', with lyrics about a toilet dwelling beast and masturbating businessmen. Despite these quirks, reviews praised the Speed Metal artistry of 'Ride The Sky', 'Guardians' and 'How Many Tears'. From this album HELLOWEEN had a remixed version of 'Murderer' included on the 'Metal Attack Vol. 1' compilation, released in April 1985. 'Ride The Sky' was also taken from the 'Walls Of Jericho' album for the Under One Flag 'Speed Kills II' compilation, released in 1986.

For a few European concerts, TYRAN PACE singer Ralf Scheepers took over vocal duties from Hansen, who was having problems with his voice. Scheepers was asked to join the band full-time after the tour but declined the offer. Live work that year saw European shows flanked by GRAVE DIGGER and CELTIC FROST in February, followed up by the band's debut in North America, performing with EXODUS. On april 20th HELLOWEEN played the Eindhoven 'Aardshock' festival. The 'Judas' EP, recorded at Horus Studios in Hamburg, arrived in July.

HELLOWEEN set about changing their musical direction, intending to add more scope to their music with the recruitment of ILL PROPHECY's frontman MICHAEL KISKE, who, at just eighteen years old, took over vocal duties from Hansen. On November 25th 1986 the new look band, in collaboration with producers Tommy Newton, VICTORY guitarist, and Tommy Hansen, set to work on a fresh album. It is worth noting that HELLOWEEN subsequently re-worked two ILL PROPHECY era tracks for their own use, 'A Little Time' and 'You'll Always Walk Alone'.

1987 to 1988

HELLOWEEN peaked with an elaborate brace of concept albums centred upon the 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys' tale. The first 'Keeper...' album, produced by VICTORY's Tommy Newton at Horus Sound Studio in Hannover, was a useful vehicle in gaining popularity for the band outside Europe. It was released in February 1987 and world-wide it went on to sell over half a million copies, shifting over 125'000 in Germany alone. Live promotion, seeing the inclusion of onstage keyboard player Jörn Ellerbrock, commenced in Europe on April 3rd, sharing stages with New Jersey Thrashers OVERKILL. HELLOWEEN appeared at the 'Giants Of Rock' festival in Hameenlinna, Finland on August 15th prior to hooking up as support to DIO for shows in Italy and Spain. Noise issued the 'Future World' single in September, this including a new version of 'Starlight' with Michael Kiske on vocals. Released in America on the RCA label, 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys' peaked at number 102 in the Billboard charts and its success enabled the band to appear as part of the 'Hell On Wheels' North American tour along with GRIM REAPER and ARMORED SAINT commencing September 18th in Washington DC and running through until November 14th. RCA did not curry favour with the band though when they released the 13 minute track 'Halloween' as a 4 minute edited single. The quintets first tour of Japan took place in November 1987, prior to recording 'Keeper... Part 2'.

The band entered Horus Sound Studio again during May 1988, completing tracking mid-June. 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys: Part 2' emerged in August, entering the UK charts at number 24 and the US Billboard charts at 108. In Sweden, the record gained a top ten placing. In later years album track 'I Want Out' would be covered by two high profile artists, HAMMERFALL and SONATA ARCTICA.

HELLOWEEN appeared at the August 20th 1988 Castle Donington 'Monsters Of Rock' festival before performing the same duties as the event roved around Europe with festival stops in Schweinfurt and Bochum, Germany, Tilburg in Netherlands, Lausanne in Switzerland, Modena in Italy, Athens in Greece, Pamplona, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Cascais in Potrugal and finally Paris, France. They then toured as support to IRON MAIDEN throughout Europe and Scandinavia before their own German headlining dates in October and a UK tour in November.

1989 to 1993

'The Keeper Of The Seven Keys' albums had positioned HELLOWEEN as a leading international act. However, stardom, and in particular touring, became anathema to the driving force behind HELLOWEEN, guitarist Kai Hansen, who left in January 1989 to form the studio project GAMMA RAY with former TYRAN PACE vocalist Ralf Scheepers. Ironically, in certain territories GAMMA RAY, which rapidly evolved beyond the studio confines, overtook HELLOWEEN in the popularity stakes. HELLOWEEN persevered and Hansen was replaced by ex-RAMPAGE guitarist ROLAND GRAPOW. That same month the group signed to IRON MAIDEN's management Sanctuary Music and, convinced that signing to a major label would further their career, began efforts to extricate themselves from their Noise deal. The band contracted to EMI Records and promptly landed themselves in a lengthy legal wrangle with Noise, who claimed that they were still under contract. During this period of inactivity the press speculated that Kiske was to join IRON MAIDEN.

In April and May 1989 HELLOWEEN again toured North America on the same bill as ANTHRAX and EXODUS. A live mini-album 'Live In The UK', recoreed in Edinburgh, Scotland and Manchester, charted in Great Britain but would provide ardent fans two more reasons to shell out for product as the record was issued in Japan as 'Keepers Live' with different artwork and in America as 'I Want Out- Live', again with completely different artwork. HELLOWEEN launched into another US tour on April 3rd 1989 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, Washington. These shows lasted until mid-May when they hopped across the Pacific for nine Japanese shows.

Following all the delays, HELLOWEEN seemingly committed commercial suicide by releasing the ludicrously titled 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' album in March 1991. Supposed to show that the band had a sense of humour, the Chris Tsangarides produced album, with song titles such as 'Heavy Metal Hamsters', only served to alienate their former fans. Slammed by the media, 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' only scored a number 41 chart position in the UK and 32 in Germany. It seemed that, at a critical juncture, HELLOWEEN had lost their artistic credibility. Internal divisions were also besetting the band, they would later admit a polarisation between the Kiske/Schwichtenberg camp and that of Weikath and Grapow. Unfortunately, worse was to come when Noise Records, having won a court decision, placed an injunction on the album, effectively stopping its release and any live work in Germany. EMI and Noise finally reached agreement, allowing 'Pink Bubbles Go Ape' to be released across Europe on April 20th 1992. An extensive round of Japanese dates were conducted in September and October.

In 1993, EMI Records released the band's new album 'Chameleon', a record that was certainly not up to the standards of the past and found HELLOWEEN seriously lacking in direction. The album had escewed all Power Metal and Thrash elements in favour of progressive, near Pop leanings. The album had been laid down at Chateau du Pape studios in Hamburg was produced by Tommy Hansen and mixed by Michael Wagener. 'Chameleon' attained a number 35 position in Germany but failed to chart in the UK. With sales nosediving, it came as little surprise when EMI dropped the band.

The band's woes continued as an unplanned for shift in personnel saw the induction of drummer Riad 'Ritchie' Abdel-Nabi. In the midst of a Japanese tour, commencing on November 26th at the NHK Hall in Tokyo, a troubled Ingo Schwichtenberg had been hospitalised due to what was described as schizophrenia brought on by drug abuse. Abdel-Nabi completed the dates before vacating. The drummer went on to create BABYLON 27 with erstwhile KINGDOM COME guitarist Heiko Radke-Siab.

1994 to 1997

As well as negotiating with a new label the band had used their period away from the spotlight for a drastic rethink in both musical and personnel terms. In a dramatic facelift, both Ingo Schwichtenberg and MICHAEL KISKE departed. In January 1994 Andi Deris, nabbed from the successful German outfit PINK CREAM 69, took over on the microphone. In the spring former HOLY MOSES, GAMMA RAY and DIE SKEPTIKER member Uli Kusch was recruited as a session drummer. HELLOWEEN returned in the summer of 1994 signed to Raw Power, an offshoot of Castle Communications.

A new HELLOWEEN album, 'Master Of The Rings' recorded at Chateau du Pape in Hamburg by producer Tommy Hansen and issued in September 1994, ploughed a much more traditional path harking back to their Noise days. Jörn Ellerbrock provided complimentary keyboards. The album charted strongly in their home country, reaching number 23, and even reached the number 1 position in Japan. A single, 'Perfect Gentleman', featured HELLOWEEN's take on THIN LIZZY's 'Cold Sweat'. Quickly following up would be the video collection 'The Pumpkin Video' in November.

The January 1995 Japanese single 'Sole Survivor' notably hosted cover version B sides of KISS' 'I Stole Your Love' and GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's 'Closer To Home'. The group was forced to take a break in early 1995 when Deris suffered a throat infection, forestalling any live work. Fate was not kind to ex-member Ingo Schwichtenberg who, suffering from depression and fighting a longstanding drug problem, committed suicide on March 8th 1995.

The group returned in 1996 with the single, 'The Time Of The Oath, which included covers of JEAN MICHEL JARRE's 'Magnetic Fields' and JUDAS PRIEST's 'Electric Eye', and an album of the same name, which found Tommy Hansen once more behind the desk. 'The Time Of The Oath', peaking at number 31 in Germany, was loosely based upon the prophecies of Nostradamus. A further single, 'Power', hosted a take on STATUS QUO's 'Rain'. Touring with BRUCE DICKINSON and SKIN, HELLOWEEN were also to release the 'High Live' concert recordings on both CD and video during September 1996.

Former singer MICHAEL KISKE also released a solo album 'Instant Clarity' featuring Kai Hansen in 1996. Guest appearances on 'Instant Clarity' include those from GAMMA RAY and original HELLOWEEN guitarist Kai Hansen plus IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith. ROLAND GRAPOW also took time away from the band schedule to record 'The Four Seasons Of Life' solo album. Guests included PRIMAL FEAR's Ralf Scheepers, HELLOWEEN's rhythm section of bassist Marcus Großkopf and drummer Uli Kusch, ROUGH SILK keyboard player FERDY DOERNBERG and German guitar hero AXEL RUDI PELL. Initial copies of the album had to be withdrawn because the cover artwork was deemed to be too close to that of famed Classical label Deutsche Grammophon.

1998 to 1999

HELLOWEEN made a triumphant return in 1998 with the Tommy Hansen produced 'Better Than Raw' album, preceded by the February single 'I Can', sounding heavier than ever. 'Better Than Raw' was the first band product to be partly crafted at Andi Deris' home studio, Crazy Cat, at Mi Sueno on the Spanish isle of Tenerife. Songs were cut both at the singer's residence and the familiar haunt of Chateau du Pape in Hamburg. Jörn Ellerbrock again provided keyboards with ZED YAGO's Jutta Weinhold donating backing vocals.

The album, hitting number 19 on the German charts, quickly racked up Japanese sales of quarter of a million plus and HELLOWEEN fever satiated with the release of a four CD compilation, 'The Pumpkin Box', and a double album set 'Karaoke Remix'. HELLOWEEN played selective European dates as guests to IRON MAIDEN. To close the year the band returned to North America for their first showing in many years, performing just one concert at the Coney Island High club in Manhattan, New York on December 20th.

Side endeavours abounded during 1999. Großkopf made space to execute a side endeavour SHOCKMACHINE. Joining in the proceedings for the eponymous album would be, vocalist Olly Lugosi, X-13 guitarist Rolly Feldman, HELLOWEEN members drummer Uli Kusch and guitarist ROLAND GRAPOW and ROUGH SILK keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg.

ROLAND GRAPOW released his second solo outing, 'Kaleidoscope', recorded at Crazy Cat Studios in Hamburg and mixed by Michael Wagener at Wireworld Studios in Tennessee. Vocals came courtesy of ex-LOUDNESS and OBSESSION frontman Michael Vescera, bass from YNGWIE MALMSTEEN man Barry Sparks and drums courtesy of ARTENSION and METALIUM's MIKE TERRANA. Also featured would be keyboard player Jens Johansson.

Kusch too would get in on the action pursuing his project CATCH THE RAINBOW, a conglomeration of name German Rockers dedicated to paying homage to RAINBOW. An album, 'A Tribute To Rainbow', arrived in 1999 which featured the entire HELLOWEEN cast, alongside GAMMA RAY, PRIMAL FEAR and BRAINSTORM personnel, as guests.

The band's next outing took the band away from the expected format as September 1999's 'Metal Jukebox', again recorded in two studios in Tenerife and Hamburg, provided fans with an insight to the band members own favourite songs as the group re-worked an eclectic range of tracks. 'Metal Jukebox' saw HELLOWEEN tackling the SCORPIONS 'He's a Woman-She's A Man', JETHRO TULL's 'Locomotive Breath', CREAM's 'White Room', FAITH NO MORE's 'From Out Of Nowhere', THE BEATLES 'All My Loving', FRANK MARINO's 'Jaggernaut', SENSATIONAL ALEX HARVEY BAND's 'Faith Healer', DAVID BOWIE's 'Space Oddity', FOCUS' 'Hocus Pocus' and even ABBA's 'Lay All Your Love on Me'.

2000 to 2002

Marcus Großkopf contributed to EDGUY mainman Tobias Sammet's ambitious AVANTASIA eponymous project album of 2000. The same year saw the issue of a worthy HELLOWEEN tribute album 'The Keepers Of Jericho'. The album benefited from cover artwork by Uwe Karczewski, the man responsible for the sleeve artwork on HELLOWEEN classic albums 'Walls Of Jericho' and 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys'. The album included many of the European Metal scene's rising stars and saw reworks by acts such as METALIUM, HEAVEN'S GATE, SONATA ARTICA and Italian acts RHAPSODY, DARK MOOR, LUCA TURILLI and LABYRINTH.

HELLOWEEN would shift labels to the ever expanding Nuclear Blast concern for their next effort 'The Dark Ride' issued in October 2000. The band opted to record entirely at Andi Deris' Tenerife home studios, working with producers Roy Z and Charlie Bauerfeind. Although charting well across Europe, reaching number 26 in Germany, the making of the album would apparently put the band members under a strain which would publicly surface with great ramifications some time later. Although issued in Europe and Japan in 2000 'The Dark Ride' would have to wait a full two years for an American release.

On May 23rd 2001 HELLOWEEN played its first ever show in Russia at the St. Petersburg Yubileyni Sport Hall, performing two days later at the Moscow CSKA Sport Hall. With touring complete, 'The Dark Ride' album had been deemed successful although, unbeknownst to fans, discontentment was simmering in the ranks.

In August the band suffered a major blow when both guitarist ROLAND GRAPOW and drummer Uli Kusch quit. The pair would soon be announced as having forged a fresh project with SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen. However, news also leaked out that the duo had also assembled a project with the strange title of MR. TORTURE (later scrapped), cutting demos produced by ex-SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap and confirming their intention to work with ex HELLOWEEN vocalist MICHAEL KISKE. Later still it would transpire the Grapow / Kusch venture had been renamed MASTERPLAN and the pair were in cahoots with the highly rated erstwhile YNGWIE MALMSTEEN vocalist JORN LANDE. Grapow would find the time during this period to guest session on Swedish act LOCOMOTIVE BREATH's 'Heavy Machinery' album.

By mid September it was announced that British drummer Mark Cross had joined the HELLOWEEN fold. Cross had a cosmopolitan range of credits across the Rock field with Greek acts SCRAPTOWN, MAGNA CARTA and SPITFIRE, occult Metal band NIGHTFALL and more recently KINGDOM COME and METALIUM.

GAMMA RAY guitarist Henjo Richter would also be in the running although apparently his services were offered purely on a temporary basis. By July media attention was focused upon FREEDOM CALL guitarist Sascha Gerstner as being Grapow's successor, his recruitment being confirmed by mid August.

ANDI DERIS would donate his services to the GERMAN ROCK STARS October 2001 song 'Wings Of Freedom' in honour of the September 11th World Trade Center victims. Großkopf would assist his erstwhile HELLOWEEN colleague Kai Hansen by filling in for an injured Dirk Schlachter of GAMMA RAY for October German gigs. A lavish retrospective set, 'Treasure Chest', would be released in March 2002 through the Metal Is label. The limited edition box set would complete with a full bonus disc of rarities.

The undoubted international success of 'The Keepers Of Jericho' tribute album in 2000 spawned a further collection for 2002. 'The Keepers Of Jericho Part. II  - A Tribute To Helloween' issued by the Spanish Arise label comprised respectful homages from artists such as IRON SAVIOR, POWERGOD, AXENSTAR, DRAGONLORD, HIGHLORD and FRETERNIA amongst many others.

Recording of a new HELLOWEEN album in late 2002 would see MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mickey Dee stepping in as Mark Cross was suffering from mononucleosis caused by contracting the Epstein-Barr virus.

2003 to 2004

With drummer Mark Cross forced out through ill health, mononucleosis caused by contracting the Epstein-Barr virus, by February 2003 reports emerged that ex-RUNNING WILD and ACCEPT skinsman Stefan Schwarzmann had taken the position. In disturbing echoes of the disastrous 'Pink Bubbles' era a press statement alleged the forthcoming album was to be entitled 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy'! Fans breathed a collective sigh of relief though when the record emerged and stood up as a fine melodic Metal album in keeping with their recent tradition. The drums were separated out with Cross performing on two album tracks, with Mickey Dee on the remainder. Schwarzmann had cut drums for projected B side recordings of ACCEPT's 'Fast As A Shark', QUEEN's 'Sheer Heart Attack' and the original composition 'Far Away'. Forced out of HELLOWEEN, Cross made a recovery and set to work in Greece with his act VALANOS, subsequently joining US act WINTER'S BANE. Besides his HELLOWEEN activities Schwarzmann made time to deliver a guest appearance on a solo project of FEUERENGEL frontman Boris Delic entitled DER BOTE.

HELLOWEEN would schedule South American shows through September with stops in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico before uniting with JAG PANZER and BEYOND THE EMBRACE for a short burst of North American dates in October. European headline gigs, with fellow German veterans RAGE acting as guests, would take the band through until the close of November. RAGE had earlier cut their 'Soundchaser' album at vocalist Andi Deris' Tenerife studios, the singer guesting on the track 'Wake The Nightmares'. HELLOWEEN would tour North America in 2004 commencing in January 15th in Sayreville, New Jersey. Japanese dates later that month would see British band DRAGONFORCE as support act before a run of dates in Indonesia. The band's headline set at the August 'Wacken Open Air' festival in Germany saw a reunion with original frontman Kai Hansen for two songs 'How Many Tears' and 'Future World'. That same month HELLOWEEN announced they had signed a new deal with SPV Steamhammer Records. In November a significant behind the scenes change saw longstanding live keyboard player Jorn Ellerbrock superseded by former REVOLVER man Friedl Amon.

2005 to 2007

February 2005 saw HELLOWEEN amicably parting ways with drummer Stefan Schwarzmann. New man behind the drums would be the GLENMORE, RAWHEAD REXX and BLAZE credited Dani Löble. First product to emerge from the new recordings, billed 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy', would be the release of a single, 'Mrs. God', in Japan in early June. A DVD compilation, 'Hellish Videos: The Complete Video Collection', arrived via Sanctuary Entertainment in August. The new album notably included Candice Night of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT guesting on the track 'Light The Universe'.

A mammoth world tour, allied with PRIMAL FEAR, commenced in the Czech Republic in November and taking in Slovakia, Poland, Finland with support from THE STORYTELLER, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Holland, Belgium, France and Spain into December before resuming in 2006 with shows across Germany, Austria, Rumania, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Switzerland and the UK. HELLOWEEN hit South America, with concerts in Mexico, Costa Rica and Nrazil, during March. Interestingly, GAMMA RAY's Kai Hansen made it clear in interviews during this period that he would be keen to pursue a full-blown HELLOWEEN reunion. However, MICHAEL KISKE, whilst not objecting to festival dates, issued a staunch rejection.

HELLOWEEN announced plans for US tour dates, packaged with KINGDOM COME, for October. However, these shows were cancelled, the band citing "logistical and organizational problems". Meantime, ex-singer MICHAEL KISKE announced that he intended to rearrange and re-record all of the songs that he wrote with his former band for an album to be released through Frontiers Records.

November's single, 'Light The Universe', proved notable, issued as a duet between Andi Deris and Candice Night of BLACKMORE'S NIGHT. An accompanying promotional video was directed by Alexander Diezinger at Veldenstein Castle in southern Germany. In 2007 HELLOWEEN launched the joint DVD and CD package 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys - The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006 - Live On 3 Continents'. ANDI DERIS also contributed vocals to the song 'A Perfect Day' included on a 2007 Nuclear Blast Records' 20th anniversary compilation album.

In a bold move, Andi Deris hinted at a full-blown European tour alongside GAMMA RAY for the summer months.

For the group's compilation set 'Unarmed - Best Of 25th Anniversary', released on 16th December 2009, HELLOWEEN took the unusual step of completely re-recording their favourite archive tracks with producer Charlie Bauerfeind. This included the 70-piece Prague Symphonic Orchestra performing the 17 minute 'The Keeper's Trilogy'.

Garry Sharpe-Young