Album Review: Helloween's Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part 1 & 2)

Welcome back to part 3 of Power Metal Pandemonium fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

This month has been a blast so far! Earlier in the month we looked at a classic album from Iron Maiden and it’s impact on Power Metal’s distinct vocal style, and in the middle we heard the soaring guitar work of Yngwie Malmsteen and how it shaped how guitarists of Power Metal would play. Today, we finally take a look at the sword & sorcery behind Power Metal’s image & reputation. The bread & butter, as it were. We’ve gone to England & Sweden, so now it’s about time to head into Germany, where many future Power Metal bands would eventually form, but it was one band that many metal historians claimed were the de-facto group that formed the sub-genre’s fantasy image. That band.....is none other than Helloween.

Now, you probably giggled a little when you read that name, but I insure you they are no joke! As one guy on Metal Evolution’s episode on Power Metal described Helloween, they were Germany’s answer to Iron Maiden, and I can certainly see why. They had the intensity of Yngwie and the range of Bruce Dickenson, but it’s the stuffing inside of their songs that really gave this sub-genre is delicious flavor. So join me will you, as we take a look at both entries in the Keeper Of The Seven Keys duo, and see just what they offered. Let the review begin!

Background
After the success of their first release in 1985, Kai Hansen stepped down as lead vocalist for Helloween (Although he continued to play guitar on subsequent releases), and was replaced by 18-year old Michael Kiske, formerly from the Hamburg band Ill Prophecy. With the new lineup fully formed, the band went to record labels Noise International and RCA to propose an idea of a double LP to show off this new form of the band. Both group shot down the idea, and insisted that both parts of the double LP be released separately. So that’s exactly what happened: on May the 23rd of 1987 Keeper of the Seven Keys - Part 1 was released, and Keeper of the Seven Keys - Part 2 in August of 1988. Both releases were monumental in Power Metal’s history, but I’ll get to that shortly. The Keeper of the Seven Keys duo managed to obtain a surprising amount of success not just in their native Germany, but world wide as well. In their home country, Part 1 got to number 15 on the German Album Charts, while Part 2 managed to go even higher and reach number 5 on the German Album Charts. Over in Sweden it was 42 & 7, the Swiss had them at 18 & 6, and the U.S. had both records at 104 & 108.

I should note that both Keeper of the Seven Keys CDs obtained a surprising amount of success over in Japan (In addition to what I mentioned above). Part 1 got to number 50 on Japan’s Albums Chart, while Part 2 got to number 27, a considerably higher spot. Just a weird little fact I thought you might enjoy.

Basic Description
Cheese. Pure.....unadulterated.....cheese!

If a modern Power Metal fan thinks the modern day form of the sub-genre is goofy, they’re in for a rude awakening when they listen to both of these albums. Though Powerslave & Odyssey could be goofy, they were also intense. With the Keeper of the Seven Keys albums? You will be wondering if you’ve just got out of a 12-hour marathon of Dungeons & Dragons, complete in cosplay! Though the fantasy theme has always ran strong in Power Metal, it was it’s earliest days where it’s presence was perhaps the strongest. It was apparent from the first note of each record that Helloween knew what they were doing: creating powerful metal music, but with a fantasy edge that gave things more of a fantastical/epic feel. On top of that, the cheese that was made from these two albums has managed to age incredibly well since their releases back in the late 80s, enough to the point where they sound remarkable fresh even in 2017! That factor makes both albums living relics of the past, acting as portals to Power Metal’s past, and to what Power Metal would become in the future.

Best Track
On Part 1, you simply gotta give it up to Halloween. Though I prefer the shorter edited version (The original goes on for 13-something minutes), one simply can’t deny the power that both version. The band doesn’t let up for even a second as the song goes on, and Michael Kiske’s vocal performance is incredible. As much as Bruce Dickenson helped create the template for Power Metal vocals going forward, Kiske added more onto the foundation that his British counterpart established. The instrumentation is crisp, and the atmosphere is an equal mix of hokey & badass. Definitely a song you shouldn’t skip!

Halloween (Original)

Halloween (Edit)

With Part 2, it’s a little more difficult to pick out. The fantasy-style subject matter has always been a little stronger on this release (More on this in a sec), and as such comes across as more Power Metal in approach. That being said, I’m definitely a big fan of the middle track, Dr. Stein. It’s a little strange to use the story of Frankenstein as the subject of a Power Metal song (The story is more Gothic in flavor than Power), but leave it up to Helloween to give it that fantasy spin. The song has a great pace, never going to fast or slow, and hitting that middle sweet spot perfectly. Coupled with Michael Kiske’s excellent singing voice, and you got a classic 80s hit!

Dr. Stein

Worst Track
Let me state this: Keeper Of The Seven Keys part 1 & 2 rightfully deserve the praise they got back in the day, as well as the praise they still receive today. Both records were crafted with such care it’s honestly hard to actually pick out something to criticize. Apart from the massive cheese factor that some might not like, the only fault I could find would be with Part 1. As strong as the fantasy themes are on the album, Helloween doesn’t quite harness said themes to their full potential. They definitely use them, but they seem to be a little cautious about it when compared to Part 2.

Other
If you’re interesting in listening to both Keeper of the Seven Keys albums, check out the links below:

Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part 1)

Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part 2)

Overall Impression & Rating
If Powerslave was the mind, and Odyssey was the body, then it’s save to assume that both Keeper Of The Seven Keys albums are the soul of Power Metal. Without the soaring fantasy flavor, the genre could have very well died right when it started! Luckily, Helloween knew what they were doing, and crafted fantasy epics of such an enduring scale they still stand tall among the modern masters of Power Metal. You really can’t get a full picture of what the sub-genre was like until you listened to these bad boys. Regardless, find these albums, and give them a go!

Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part 1) gets a 8.5 to 9 out of 10.

Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Part 2) gets a 9.5 out of 10.

So that concludes part 1 of Power Metal Pandemonium. The origins of this mighty sub-genre are certainly something to celebrate, and these bands still happen to be going strong today. Now, just because it was guys that helped create Power Metal, doesn’t mean that women didn’t have a hand in it. In fact, the fairer sex has a surprisingly strong presence within the sub-genre, so join me next month for part 2 of Power Metal Pandemonium, when we’ll look at power metal bands where the ladies are in control. Until then, make sure you got all of your keys on your keychain.

Album Review: Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force (Odyssey)

Welcome back to part 1 of Power Metal Pandemonium fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

2 weeks ago, we took a look at the vocal groundwork layed down by Iron Maiden and their frontman Bruce Dickenson. This week, it’s time to examine the instrumentation side of Power Metal’s origins. For those who are newer to this sub-genre, it’s not just the voice that makes the music. It’s the people behind the instruments that make it as well. From the drums, to the guitar, to even the keyboard, you need a strong band behind your back to ride out on the battlefield. There were many individuals & groups that helped create Power Metal’s distinct sound, but it was one lone Swedish man that really planted the seeds. 1 lone Swede that brought such a mastery of the guitar to the table, every Power Metal band since has tried to emulate in some way. That’s right, I’m talking about Yngwie Malmsteen!

I briefly made mention of this man when I did my overview on Alcatrazz over a year ago, and I’ll repeat myself here: Yngwie has an ego that’s higher than Willie Nelson with a vault of weed, but the man can sure as hell play the guitar! There haven’t been many people who can play as fast or as harmonious as Yngwie, but there’s been many who have come close. His contributions to music are legendary, whether it’s towards Neo-Classical, Hair Metal, or the subject of the coming months. With that said, let’s take a look at his crowning achievement of the 80s, Odyssey, and see just what he contributed. Let the review begin!

Background
About half through the tour for his 3rd album Trilogy, then singer Mark Boals walked out due to drugs issues that Yngwie was going through, only to be replaced by original singer Jeff Scott Soto, who was fired shortly afterwards. A beacon of hope would arrive in the form of Joe Lynn Turner, who was previously the singer for the classic band Rainbow, and who would later go on to front the equally classic Deep Purple. Joe brought an incredible force to the band with his voice, which complemented Yngwie’s guitar work very well. However, even with this beacon of hope, dark times were coming for the mighty Swede.

Let’s start off with the car accident: on June 27th, 1987, Yngwie was having a drunken joy ride in his cream colored V12 Jaguar E-Type (Ironically, the same car was used in a music video for his 3rd album), and had the misfortune to wrap the damn thing around a tree! This event was just one thing on the 2-year long shitstorm list that was to come his way. After the accident he had actually died for a moment, only to be comatose for a week due to brain swelling. From there it was a hard 6 weeks of physical therapy, and in the process it was discovered that his right hand couldn’t hold a guitar pick properly. Not long after his mother would pass away back in Sweden due to illness, and his brother would die not long after that. On top of that (Weeks before might I ad), the infamous 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake struck L.A., wrecking his incredible mansion. Once the therapy was finally done, Yngwie was afraid to pick up a guitar because he thought that he didn’t have him in it anymore. However, with the record company (Polydor Records) knocking down his door, and the discovery that his longtime manager stole all his cash, the Swede pulled up his bootstraps, went back into the studio, and on April 8, 1988 (More irony: this album was released a year after I was born), Yngwie & his band released their comeback album, Odyssey.

Odyssey would go on to be Yngwie’s highest charting album, staying at the number 40 spot on the US Billboard 200 for a solid 18 weeks, and it would reach the top 50 in at least 5 other countries as well. Reviews were generally mixed between good & okay, with those on the okay side of things citing Yngwie’s trama from the car accident, along with a few other personal issues he went through. Regardless, Odyssey would go down in his discography as once of his most commercially successful albums of all time.

Basic Description
Badass.....but maybe a little goofy.

Alright, let’s get the badass part out of the way. Yngwie’s guitar work is some of the most famous there is in the world of Heavy Metal, and even beyond in certain cases. This guitar adonis is capable of going the traditional metal route, the pop stylings of Hair Metal, proto & full-blown Power Metal, and trudges through the realm of Neo-Classical, all at the drop of a hat. As he plays, he never seems to skip a note, and when a song has multiple guitar styles, his ability to transition between styles is seamless. It really comes across as if Yngwie has complete control over the axe, it’s power & fury utterly tamed. Joe Lynn Turner is pretty badass in his own right. As I listened to Odyssey, I was surprised by how similar his voices was to Bruce Dickenson. He’s not quite as capable of reaching the operatic heights that Bruce can, but he makes up for it by being a little more smoother with his voice. He can register pretty high with the volume of his vocals, but it’s obvious by listening to Odyssey that he tries to be a little more versatile when he sings.

Now here’s where I talk about the goofy side of Odyssey. Despite Joe Lynn Turner’s voice, and despite Yngwie bringing in that Power Metal/Neo-Classical, this record is still mainly Hair Metal at the end of the day. Now, I love me some Hair Metal. Always have, and I always will. However, when the over-the-top fantasy nature of Power Metal mixes with the excessive nature of Hair Metal, you get an album that I can only describe as a explosion of WTF & awesome. Yngwie and the rest of the band look like they come out of an Aqua Net factory, but despite the look, the musical talent easily shines through the fumes!

Best Track
Odyssey is jam-packed with a selection of some of the best Hair Metal tinged Power Metal tracks ever put to a tape/record/cd (Take your pick), so picking out what would be considered this album’s best track is something of a crime. Instead, I’ll be talking about my 2 favorite tracks off of Odyssey, and the first is the infectious Deja Vu. A song that never lets up, Deja Vu shows off how fast & rhythmic Yngwie can be on the guitar, as well as the man’s musical knowledge and depth. Joe Lynn Turner does a good job as well, matching his voice up to Yngwie’s singing, keeping up with the pace of the guitars, and not skipping a beat in the process. It’s an impressive feat if I say so myself.

Deja Vu

My second favorite track would have to go towards the Hair Metal-inclined Now Is The Time. The instrumentation is fantastic, and the vocals are great as well, but it’s the lyrics that attract me to the song. These are some of the goofiest things I’ve ever heard in my entire life, and I was resisting the urge to laugh constantly as I listened to this whole song. Don’t believe me that this song has funny lyrics? Here’s just the first bit:

*Hold on tight/In the heat of the night/Baby there can be no escape*

If you can resist having a laughing fit, try listening to the whole thing.

Now Is The Time

Worst Track
Kinda like Powerslave from 2 weeks ago, Odyssey was crafted with such care & quality that there really isn’t much to complain about. That being said, the three instrumentation tracks aren’t quite as great as everything else. One of them was fine (Krakatau), but it’s the tracks Bite The Bullet & Memories that really come across as time-wasters. Running at 1:35 & 1:14 respectively, these two songs really seem to exist just to full out space on the album, and are rather forgettable in the long run (Although the overall quality is still good).

Other
If you’re interested in listening to Odyssey, check out the link below:

Odyssey

Overall Opinion & Rating
Odyssey is a textbook example of classic 1980s Heavy Metal. Even though it was released towards the end of the decade, and Hair Metal’s popularity by that point was wearing thing, Yngwie & Joe Lynn Turner went out to prove that their style of music was still top notch, and boy oh boy did they succeed! Even nearly 30 years after this album’s release, Odyssey more than adequately proves it’s worth, and acts as another gateway into the realm of Power Metal. Definitely a record to have in your collection!

Odyssey gets a 9 out of 10.

So that was part 2 of our look into the origins of Power Metal. Now that I’ve talked about the story’s behind the vocal work & instrumentation, it’s time to take a look at the final piece of this outrageous puzzle. So I’ll see you in 2 weeks, when we’ll look at what actually puts the power.......in Power Metal. Until then, may you embark on your own incredible odyssey.

My Top 10 Heroes Of The Storm Characters (2.0)

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

So last year marked the 1-year anniversary of Heroes of the Storm’s release, as well as my original list of my 10 favorite characters. A lot has changed since it’s release, both good & bad. A host of new characters from across Blizzard’s franchises came in, and shook things up (Again, both good & bad). New maps increased the worlds you’d come across, and overall expanded the game’s appeal. Since it’s now 2 years since HotS came out, I figured it’s only appropriate to talk about more of my favorite characters to use. With that out of the way, here are 10 more of my favorite Heroes of the Storm characters. Enjoy!

10) Lunara (Spotlight) & Ragnaros (Spotlight)           

We start off this list with characters that ended their respective years (2015 for Lunara & 2016 for Ragnaros). A strange way to start, but an appropriate one. For starters, there’s Lunara. A fragile ranged assassin, she’s also a wily individual, manipulating the forces of nature to poison her foes. Hoping around the battlefield, this exotic dryad can be a surprisingly powerful foe is played properly, as is evident by the numerous players that often get infuriated by her. If there was one complaint I had, it would be that she really wasn’t an appropriate concluding character. In a way she was rather underwhelming, especially since Cho’Gall was released the month prior (See my original list for details on him). She’s definitely improved since then, but still wasn’t the right choice to close out 2015.

On the other hand, there is Ragnaros the Firelord. A towering figure of flame & anger, this impressive melee assassin’s mastery of fire can’t be beat by anyone else in the nexus. Ragnaros was a far more appropriate character to end the year on than Lunara was: his skills are far more exciting & mighty that the dryad’s mastery of nature, and his ability to takeover his team’s keeps (As well as the ruined keeps of his enemies) to heighten his power leaves lesser being in awe. I was far more entertained by Ragnaros than Lunara. My only gripe.....was that, as a Warcraft character, was released the month that the original Diablo turned 20. Without going on a massive tirade, let me just say that I thought it was a slap in the face for Warcraft to end the year for Heroes of the Storm, when Diablo was being celebrated. Despite that, the Firelord was a scorching good time.....pun intended.

9) Greymane (Spotlight) & Zul’Jin (Spotlight)

From concluding characters, we make our way to starting characters. After concluding 2015 with a fine but ‘Meh’ assassin in the form of Lunara, 2016 started out with.....a ‘Meh’ character? Don’t take what I just said to heart, as Greymane is not a bad character. The King of Gilneas is a wily foe: able to take shots at enemies while he’s human, he can close the distance & embrace the worgen curse, slashing foes into chunky pieces. For a character like that, I’m actually quite surprised as to how little I think of Greymane now, much less play him.

Luckily, I wasn’t bored with the starting character of this year. The Warlord of the Amani, Zul’jin is what Greymane should have been at the start of 2016, and is absolutely fun to play. Despite being a ranged assassin, this vicious troll has a rough-and-tumble playstyle that lends itself well to players who like a “In Your Face” style. The more you hurt Zul’jin, the more furious his attacks are. Even if his health is low, all he has to do is retreat into his hiding place, and call upon the spirits of the forest to rejuvenate him. Build Zul’jin just right, and he can carry your team to victory numerous times.

8) Artanis (Spotlight/Trailer)

I distinctively recall being slightly angry at Artanis when he was first announced. For starters, people who pre-ordered Legacy of the Void got him a week early. In hindsight, I see the business side of it: a nice little bonus to show off a new product while establishing another product at the sametime. Then came his release, and I half to admit.....I was a little surprised at him. For a character claiming to be such a powerful warrior, I was shocked at how much damage I wasn’t doing. On top of that, a lot of his skill didn’t quite execute themselves as well as they should have been. So, I remained disgusted with him for a few months......then the fixes came.

After the fixes arrived, my opinion about Artanis changed dramatically. His attacks felt far more impactful than they did before, and his skills acted far more in line than they did before. I thought that he was mildly entertaining before, but after they fixed him, he was much more enjoyable. You know you find a character enjoyable when you buy one of their skins, which should tell you how I think of him now.

7) Varian (Spotlight)

When I heard that the king of Stormwind was coming into HotS, I was rather conflicted. On the one hand, it was another WoW character. Coming off of the Starcraft-themed Machines of War event, you’d think they’d put out another Starcraft character. On the other hand, I get why he’s in the game. One of the most central figures in Warcraft’s history, it makes sense that he would come to the Nexus, especially since he died in Legion. Perhaps the most intriguing about Varian is that he’s HotS’s first every multiclass character (Warrior/Assassin), and when it came time to play him, I gotta admit.....I liked em!

Not to say that Varian wasn’t gimmicky, cause he was. The multiclass concept behind him was intriguing, but ultimately it came across more as an attention grabber than something gamebreaking. Despite that, he was a solid melee combatant. He could go toe-to-toe with just about everybody, and thanks to his versatility, he could adapt his fighting style to suit whatever situation he runs into. Varian was quite the surprising character to be added to HotS, and despite him being from WoW, is more than welcome to stay for the ride.

6) Probius (Spotlight/Trailer) ***

A probe? They had the balls, to give one of the greatest MOAB games of all time a probe!? Nope! Nope! Does not compute, does not compute, does not compu.....(Please stand by)

To be honest, I was actually surprised by the inclusion of this character. The day before he was announced, there was a preview of some kind of Protoss hero on HotS’s facebook page, and I immediately thought of Karax from Legacy of the Void. I wasn’t completely wrong: we got a builder hero to be sure, and I was right that it came from the Protoss faction of Starcraft, but it wasn’t an actual member of the Protoss race. Immediately, Probius came across as something of a joke character, and in my first 2 games, I certainly went along with that thought. However, that would actually be doing this little probe a huge disservice, as he’s actually one of the most surprising heroes to be released in 2017 so far. If you manage to get him ahead of your team, you can setup a zone of attack due to his ability to warp in pylons, creating an energy field that recharges you & powers up your photon cannons. Coupled with your warp rifts, you can almost deal Assassin-level amounts of damage. For anyone that picks on little Probius, go back & give him a try. You’ll be just as surprised as I was.

5) Lt. Morales (Spotlight/Trailer)

When I talked Lili from my original list, I briefly talked about the character presented here, Lt. Morales. I couldn’t tie them back on that list, and so I thought that the Starcraft medic should be placed here instead. However, I couldn’t place Morales at number 4: since that list she’s gone through some changes, many of them good, but a small number that were bad. I would complain about her displacement grenade ability, but it would come across as childish. Taking her faults out of the picture, Lt. Morales can actually be a potent support character. Forgoing healing her entire team, she instead can focus on helping a single individual, restoring their health & bolstering their defense. Even if enemies manage to get in range, Morales can launch a grenade & blow them away. When she’s up there in terms of power, she can give a member on the team a stim drone, or she call down a medivac to transport the team to a point on the map. If you prefer to help out a single teammate rather than everybody else, Lt. Morales is the character for you.

4) Zarya (Spotlight) & Lúcio (Spotlight) & Genji (Spotlight)

Much like Tracer from my list last year, there was no way I could ignore Overwatch’s next two offerings to the Nexus. However, I kind of like these two a little more than the British firecracker. Unfortunately, Tracer had received changes that were rather.....unsavory. In many ways she was nerfed to a point where I found her to be nowhere near as fun as she was at launch. Zarya & Lúcio, however, have stayed their respective courses, and remain enjoyable to play.

Let’s start off with the Russian beauty, Zarya. Her abilities translated surprisingly well to Heroes of the Storm. While she isn’t mobile like Tracer or her Brazilian counterpart, she’s still capable of providing shielding to herself & her allies, increasing her damage in the process. Also capable of launching balls of plasma that can increase in power, the strongest woman in the world can eventually bend gravity to her will. She can pull people in with her signature graviton surge, or she can repel foes with her expulsion zone. Either way, you don’t want to mess with this pink-haired fury.

Then there’s Lúcio. You wouldn’t expect a DJ to be an invaluable member to a team, but you’d be wrong! Translating incredibly well as far as his abilities (Even his Wall Ride trait works surprisingly well), his ability to heal his allies through music is simultaneously simple yet incredibly potent, as is his speed boost song. Lúcio brings his signature sonic barrier to the nexus, but he now has the second ability to distort his music, and damage enemies in the process. Easily one of my favorite support characters, but not my number 1 support character.

Finally, there’s Genji. The one thing I have to give credit to the HotS team is how well they’ve been able to translate the characters of Overwatch over to a MOAB like Heroes, and our resident cybernetic ninja is no exception. Though he’s not quite as mobile as his FPS counterpart, the still more that successfully translated his abilities & flavor with laser precision. He still attacks with his shurikens, has agile leaping & movement abilities, and when he unleashes his dragonblade, the damage output is frightening as ever. Never underestimate a ninja with cybernetics in his body.

3) Cassia (Spotlight)

Much like Xul from last year, this year had some Diablo 2 nostalgia in store for the Nexus. I admit that the Amazon was my least favorite character from D2, as I thought she seemed to be a “All-For-Nothing” kind of character when it came to how she fought. With this version, it’s obvious where they put her (Ranged with javelins), and I’m thankful for that. I should say that, for an assassin character, she’s a bit more tanky than most. Thanks you her trait, you can actually absorb an impressive amount of damage as long as you’re on the run. Given that she has a shorter range that most ranged assassins, this damage absorption is definitely important. That said, this fearless Amazon is definitely welcome among the combatants of the Nexus, and I’ll gladly fight by her side.

2) Dehaka (Spotlight) & Gul’dan (Spotlight/Trailer) & Auriel (Spotlight/Trailer)

It was hard for my number 2 spot. Each of the characters that took this spot I enjoy using pretty often to such a degree, I couldn’t pick just one of them. Each of them all exhibit really cool traits: Dehaka is a beefy tank that can heal himself & be a little stealthy, Gul’Dan’s destructive magic is matched only by his desire for life-force, and the Angel of Hope is the first character I ever purposely played to level 10 under the old system. She was what Kharazim should have been: a healer that could not only help her teammates, but could also handle a fight by herself. For the longest time Auriel was actually my number 1 character, but another would surprisingly take the spot. What individual managed to take the number one spot? The answer......may surprise you.

1) D.Va (Spotlight)

I am genuinely surprised by the one that would take this spot. To be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of Overwatch’s resident Korean gamer girl. She always seemed to be for more skilled players, and with her health & skill changes, the brat has become rather squishy as of late. However, leave it to the HotS team to translate an FPS characters to the MOAB format. To be honest I was incredibly worried that her play style would have been mangled in the change, but I was shocked when I played her, and realized that they translated her skills almost to the letter, and her attitude seemed to be a little more friendly. She’s genuinely a blast to play, and unlike her Overwatch counterpart, D.Va in the Nexus is a hardy hero.

So these were 10 more of my favorite Heroes of the Storm characters. It’s definitely been a chaotic game since my last list, but with all the stuff they’ve added & tweeked, it’s been a fun ride. See you all after next week, when we’ll resume with part 2 of Power Metal Pandemonium.


***
If you’re curious about my original list, check out the link below:

My Top 10 Heroes of the Storm Characters (Original)

Also, like the Nostalgia Critic reference I did at my no. 6?

Album Review: Iron Maiden's Powerslave

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome.......to Power Metal Pandemonium!!!

I know I was hinting about it all throughout last month, but I wasn’t exactly beings subtle about it. Can you blame me though!? Right up there with Thrash Metal, Power Metal is one of my favorite sub-genres in all of metal. The soaring vocals, the loud & sometimes hokey instrumentation, and the fantasy-oriented lyrics create a music style that’s very over the top, but at the same time gets the audience heavily involved, and creates what I can only describe as a “Happy” vibe. From June all the wall until August all things Power Metal will be talked about & reviewed. For this month, I’ll be review albums that each contained an important component to the formation of this glorious sub-genre. For today’s album, let’s take a look at the vocal blueprints of Power Metal. There was only one band that gained the honor. One band with a lasting legacy. One band that still has relevance here in the modern day, and will likely never fade away from the metallic spectrum. The band in question......is Iron Maiden.

Ah yes, Iron Maiden. From 1980 all the way to 2015, these pillars of The New Wave of British Heavy Metal have crafted some of the most iconic albums in all of metal. How fortunate that the album I’m looking at today happens to have the word “Power” in it’s title. Even if it didn’t, the music contained within is more than worthy of being called a progenitor of Power Metal. So dust off your time machine, and travel back to the time of the ancient pharaohs. This is a look at the classic Powerslave, so let the review begin! 

Background
After the conclusion of their successful World Peace Tour in December of 1983, the band took 3 weeks off in January of 1984 before they regrouped in Jersey (England). As with their previous record, this was where most of the album's writing took place before the band began recording at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. Recalling that under such a short space of time, Steve Harris said that Rime of the Ancient Mariner was written relatively quickly, and was inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem of the same name. The song directly quoted two passages from the poem, it also contains different moods & sections, and it was due to this variety that the song would become a fan favorite.

Once the writing was finished, the band took another short break while Powerslave was mixed at Electric Lady Studios, New York, before reconvening in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to rehearse for the World Slavery Tour. It would begin in Poland of August 1984, and would end in California by late 1985. The stage setup was an impressive sight: mirroring the sandy album cover, there were columns, an Egyptian album cover, pyro, and a imposing mummified hydraulic Eddie that would move around all throughout the show. The set was so impressive, it even managed to fill up the iconic Radio City Music Hall in NYC. During the tour for Powerslave, they did their first ever show behind the Iron Curtain, as they visited Hungary & Poland, which was incredible for the time. It would continue into South America, where they would play for the first time to an estimated audience of 300,000 at the inaugural Rock in Rio as special guests to the band Queen.

Released on September the 3rd of 1984, Powerslave was received very favorably upon it’s release. It reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, but in the United Kingdom it made all the way to number 2 on their official albums chart. In the years since it’s release, many other music sources continued to heap rightfully earned praise upon the album. Allmusic gave it 4 ½ out of 5 stars, which a review from 2006 over on Sputnikmusic gave it a full 5 out of 5. Over on the website Metal Archives, Powerslave has lavish piles of praise tossed upon it, with only 1 review giving it a 60 out of 100.

Basic Description
Awesome!

Like I said above, each of the albums this month focus on one particular aspect of Power Metal’s formations. For the starting album, it was highly important that we took a look at the vocals behind what would eventually become Power Metal. Though their original singer Paul Di’Anno was great in his own right, in my personal view, Bruce Dickenson is Iron Maiden. Possessing a vocal range possibly even greater than Paul, Bruce can go from soaring angel all the way to a more humble tone at the drop of a hat. His voices never loses clarity however, and you’re always able to hear what he’s singing. Power Metal vocalists must be capable of changing not only the volume of their voice, but the pacing as well, and in my view Bruce Dickenson is the audio face of Power Metal’s most early days!

The rest of the band is no slouch either on Powerslave! Nicko McBrain, despite the ridicule he sometimes receives, does a great job on the drums. Steve Harris is a wizard on the bass guitar, and the twin guitar duo of Dave Murray & Adrian Smith have a thunderous yet controlled output on their axes. Coupled with the vocal output from Bruce, and the end result is nothing short of 1980s Heavy Metal magic!

Best Track
Dear god, this is a hard thing to ask! With the exception of just 1 song (Maybe 2 if you’re picky, but I’ll get to that in a bit), every song on Powerslave is 100% 1980s metal gold! From the energetic Aces High, to the nuclear protest track 2 Minutes To Midnight, to the Egyptian-infused title track, Maiden crafted an incredible record that’s still popular among fans of the band to this very day. It’s so hard, as I like each & every single song contained within Powerslave. There’s fast songs, slow songs, and songs that are in between. Without wasting anymore words, let me just say that every song (Minus the bad one) on Powerslave is worthy of listening to.

Worst Track
Back In The Village is perhaps the only bad song on Powerslave. It goes through the motions of something like Aces High, but due to Bruce’s surprisingly lackluster voice, it makes the whole song strangely forgettable. Once could chalk it up to the fact that Flash of the Blade & The Duellists came before, and those tracks had some intense vocals. One could say because of that, maybe Bruce’s vocal work could be weak on Back In The Village, but others could say that perhaps Maiden was coasting a little when it came to this track. I have a feeling it’s the latter more than the former.

Back In The Village

A dishonorable mention goes to the concluding track Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, but that’s more to do with it’s running time than anything else. Seriously, 13 minutes & 14 seconds!? In 1984!? I don’t think anybody was ready for a metal song that long, especially when Heavy Metal was still trying to find it’s footing a little in the early 80s. To be fair, Rime Of The Ancient Mariner would be eclipsed by Empire Of The Clouds from their 2015 release The Book Of Souls, which plays for an immense 18 minutes & 1 second. In hindsight, 13 minutes doesn’t look so bad, don’t you agree?

Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

Other
If you’d like to take a listen to Powerslave, there’s a link below:

Powerslave

Overall Impression & Rating
Powerslave is a fantastic offering from the British lords known as Iron Maiden. If Back In The Village wasn’t on here, I would have gladly given this a perfect 10! Sadly, I gotta be objective, and 1 bad song can blemish an album. Even with that said, one cannot deny the gloriousness of this record! It’s lasting legacy was a template for other bands in the 1980s, and for many bands beyond. Bruce Dickenson’s voice is on point on this record, and laid the groundwork for vocalists that walk the Power Metal path. Even if you’re only remotely interested in Iron Maiden, I’d highly suggest Powerslave as your starting point. You won’t regret it!

Powerslave gets a 9 out of 10.

So that marks the first review of Power Metal Pandemonium, showing off a legend of a band & their contribution to the genre’s distinct vocal style. In 2 weeks time you’ll see another legend, and hear their contribution to Power Metal’s iconic instrumental style. In the meantime, I think a return to the Nexus is in order. See you tomorrow!