Maximum Metal Rating Legend
5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
3.5 Good - Most of the record is good, but there may be some filler.
3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
1.5-1 Bad - Major problems with music, lyrics, production, etc.
0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style. Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent broke supporting themselves and trying to improve. Major releases usually have big financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to keep biases out of reviews and be advocates of the consumer without the undo influence of any band, label, management, promoter, etc.

The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.
Band
Helloween
Title
Master Of The Rings (Expanded Edition)
Type
LP/EP
Company
Sanctuary Records
YOR
2006
Style
Power
7/3/2006 - Review by: Eric Compton
Helloween - Master Of The Rings (Expanded Edition) - 2006 - Sanctuary Records

Track Listing
DISC ONE
1. Irritation
2. Sole Survivor
3. Where The Rain Grows
4. Why?
5. Mr. Ego
6. Perfect Gentleman
7. The Game Is On
8. Secret Alibi
9. Take Me Home
10. In The Middle Of A Heartbeat
11. Still We Go

DISC TWO
1. Can't Fight Your Desire
2. Star Invasion
3. Cold Sweat
4. Silicon Dreams
5. Grapowski's Malmsuite 1001
6. I Stole Your Love
7. Closer To Home
A return to glory! After the two failed attempts to re-invent themselves, Germany's Helloween emerged victorious with a new start on "Master Of The Rings". With 1991's "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" and 1992's "Chameleon", the band found themselves at odds over their direction, song craft, and management. Ousting both vocalist Kiske and drummer Schwichtenberg (who sadly took his own life shortly thereafter), the birth of a new Helloween unfolded. By the Fall of 1994 the band had a new vocalist in former Pink Cream 69 member Andi Deris and a new drummer in Uli Kusch. The end result is one of the best entries to the Helloween catalogue and my personal favorite of the band's career.

As a part of the Castle Music "Expanded Edition" series, "Master Of The Rings" gets the full re-master treatment as well as additional liner notes and a whole disc worth of bonus tracks. Among the bonus cuts comes a cover of Lizzy's "Cold Sweat" as well as the Paul Stanley anthem "I Stole Your Love". Folks who were lucky enough to buy the North American limited edition of the release back in 1994 already has this 2CD version, but now with that going at an estimated $25 on Ebay, unlucky fans can now pick the release up on store shelves domestically and at a much lower price.

This was the album that finally saw the two worlds of Helloween collide in mid-stream. The rock ethic of "Chameleon", along with Deris' obvious hard rock background, combined with the fast and furious pace of "Keeper Of The Seven Keys", really showcases what I would consider the first "modern" power metal album. It was after this release that you saw bands start to merge sounds together, probably inspiring bands like Edguy, Shakra, Thunderstone, and the like to firmly accept the fact that power and hard rock can blend into a smooth, delightful beverage.

Note - It is interesting reading the liner notes of this re-issue. Michael Weikath states that this album is conceptually linked to "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" and at one point was meant to be "Keeper Of The Seven Keys: Part Three".



--EC 05.22.06
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    N/A :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: HELLOWEEN
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Better Than Raw (Expanded Edition)
2006
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton7/3/2006
-
Chameleon (Expanded Edition)
2006
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton7/3/2006
-
Gambling with the Devil
2007
SPV/Steamhammer
Frank Hill10/19/2007
4
Keeper Of The Seven Keys: The Legacy
2005
SPV/Steamhammer
Stygian Steel10/14/2005
-
Keeper of the Seven Keys--Part 1
1987
Noise International
Frank Hill10/30/2003
-
Master Of The Rings (Expanded Edition)
2006
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton7/3/2006
-
Mrs. God
2005
Victor Entertainment
Eric Compton8/18/2005
-
Pink Bubbles Go Ape (Expanded Edition)
2006
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton7/3/2006
-
Rabbit Don't Come Easy
2003
Nuclear Blast
Eric Compton4/10/2003
-
The Time Of The Oath (Expanded)
2006
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton6/9/2006
-
Walls Of Jericho (Expanded)
2006
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton6/9/2006
-

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: HELLOWEEN
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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