Helloween - Walls Of Jericho review
| Band: | Helloween |
| Album: | Walls Of Jericho |
| Style: | Power metal, Speed metal |
| Release date: | 1985 |
| Guest review by: | iaberis |
01. Walls Of Jericho
02. Ride The Sky
03. Reptile
04. Guardians
05. Phantoms Of Death
06. Metal Invaders
07. Gorgar
08. Heavy Metal (Is The Law)
09. How Many Tears
Disc I [2006 Expanded Edition]
01. Starlight [1987 reissue bonus]
02. Murderer [1987 reissue bonus]
03. Warrior [1987 reissue bonus]
04. Victim Of Fate [1987 reissue bonus]
05. Cry For Freedom [1987 reissue bonus]
06. Walls Of Jericho
07. Ride The Sky
08. Reptile
09. Guardians
10. Phantoms Of Death
11. Metal Invaders
12. Gorgar
13. Heavy Metal (Is The Law)
14. How Many Tears
15. Judas [1987 reissue bonus]
Disc II [2006 Expanded Edition]
01. Murderer [remix]
02. Ride The Sky [remix]
03. Intro / Ride The Sky [live]
04. Guardians [live]
05. Oernst Of Life
06. Metal Invaders
07. Surprise Track
If you go back in time, to the year 1985, you will see a music world where the word "Power Metal" was absent from any metal definition lexicon. It was something unknown. At that time a band called Helloween tried to make its first steps into the music industry.
"Walls Of Jericho" is the first full length album of the band. With its speedy sound, catchy rhythm and Kai Hansen's powerful screams, it is considered to be one of the first albums that gave the spark to light this new eruptive genre of metal, called "Power Metal." Many well known bands of today are still inspired by this album.
Originally this album had only nine songs, but later in 1988 it was released as a compilation with the first "Helloween EP" and the song "Judas" which was only available on 12". "Starlight" is the first song of this album and begins with a very funny intro where we listen to someone who changes stations on the radio when he falls on a funny song "Happy, Happy Halloween?" (whose melody is found again in the beginning of the song "Walls of Jericho") and then comes Kai's screaming voice and Helloween's metal sound! There begins the journey into the unknown which opens new musical horizons. Raw and melodic, sketchy and funny sometimes, with many influences from Iron Maiden, Helloween's music doesn't leave you untouched.
If you consider that this is their first big album, you will be amazed by the quality, the talent, and the imagination of these young people. Although Kai Hansen wasn't written to become a singer, he accomplishes his tasks very well. He and Michael Weikath do a great job in guitars providing us very pleasant and wild solos. The whole album is a masterwork, a piece of what creative people can do.
If you are one of those that take an album as a whole (taking into account the cover, the booklet, the quality of the sound and every single thing) then you might be a little disappointed, since it's a very old album and like all the other of that time, it can't be compared with the appearance of albums of our times. I believe that the time has come for Helloween to start remastering their old albums, as many bands of that time did. But even this "handicap" is not important enough to make us change our minds about the importance and the value of this album.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by iaberis | 27.07.2006
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
9.6
9.6
|
Rating: 9.6 |
The Helloween debut. An album overshadowed by their classics, the Keepers duo. So when you ask people, what were the first and classic metal albums, few recognize this little gem. Even it take me some time to discover it because of that. The other problem is that the production isn't very good. But if you get the remastered album, the problem is fixed. Then, people see Helloween as a power metal band with high pitched vocals. And Kai Hansen nasal vocals are probably not too tolerable. It took me some listens to love his voice. And it's overall much faster than any other Helloween album. Read more ›› |
Comments
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Comments: 35
Visited by: 133 users
| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254  |
yes i am a crazy Helloween fanatic, and back in 1985 there wasnt anything quite like this at all - but i wasnt alive then and i wasnt in that situation when i thought 'wow - this is something really different' so when i listen to it now, i hear how this is something revolutionary and different but i dont actually feel it like i would if i was alive in 1985 maybe for the originality back then this should be given a 10, but musically compared to music nowadays shouldnt be given such a high rating everyone also seems to go on how much they love Kai's singing on this album, but i dont think it is very good at all!! he just hasnt developed his voice yet - the first time we hear him doing lead vocals and sounding good is on 'Land Of The Free' oh well. this is a good album, but i feel it is overrated so much compared to todays standards maybe it does deserve such a high rating for what it did to the world of heavy metal though
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698  |
Written by Baz Anderson on 24.08.2006 at 17:01 Yes, we must always judge an album, just like if we were back in the time it was released. You can't compare a band's music 20 years ago with bands of nowadays... it wouldn't be fair.
---- Bitch! Please
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523  |
I agree with iaberis 100% here, this disc is unique for it's time, though there are influences of other bands found in it. (Maybe it's just me, but I hear a lot of Accept influence...?) I recently got the 2 CD expanded edition of this CD, and still feel it's the best Helloween album (+ EP), not matter what anyone else says!
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Jason W. on 18.10.2006 at 03:45 It's not just you, to me they are clearly there too and back when it was first released the Accept influences were talked about quite a bit in most of the reviews back then. The only thing I don't agree about is the overall mark... I find it a tad too high because both the songwriting and performance weren't perfect (yet?). And the production an 8? This album is shoddy sounding to say the least I think I would rate ithe production a 6 at most. even for the production standards of the time this was quite shitty sounding. Oh and one thing the term Power Metal WAS around at in 1985 Metallica had already used it in 1982 as the title for their demo and also as a definition of the sort of metal they played.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.10.2006 at 08:13 Well glad to know I'm not off on hearing the Accept influences here...! And yes, you are right about the production on this recording, especially when I play a track off of this followed by Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, and even Accept's "Restless & Wild," which came out 3 years earlier...Even with this 2006 edition of Walls Of Jericho, the production still isn't great. It really makes me feel like I'm 10 playing Atari when I listen to this because the production is so dated!
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
True, true, but I didn't want to spoil the album rating with giving it a 6 on the production... it's such a great album... I don't know if there's Accept influences hre, but they do sound like Accept sometimes... don't know who influenced who... since I've only listenewd to later Accept's releases... I think I forgot to mention that above... but I wanted to!  About what Ozman said, I don't disagree, but there weren't any (or many) bands back then playing Power Metal... I learned the term "Power Metal" from Helloween and Blind Guardian. You could say of course that there were other bands before them playing, but they didn't sound much "Power" to me and they still don't. I strongly believe that Helloween was one of the bands that created this genre.
---- Bitch! Please
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254 |
the 'power metal' that we refer to nowadays is different to what the 'power metal' back then was though the term was used to describe bands that would just be described as 'thrash' now - bands like Metal Church for example
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
Exactly, that's what I mean when I say Helloween is one of the bands that created the new "Power Metal" genre
---- Bitch! Please
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| Talvi Posts: 825  |
Good, this album needed a review, and probably I agree with the rating. But if the problem is the production, then the remaster has a perfect 10, right?
---- My account on other musical pages: http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/ http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
Written by Talvi on 13.11.2006 at 23:40 Damn! The remastered versin came out, after I bought the old version!  Yes, I'd give it a 10. 
---- Bitch! Please
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| Talvi Posts: 825 |
Written by iaberis on 14.11.2006 at 00:07 Yeah! And then tell all that people that this album owns Painkiller xD
---- My account on other musical pages: http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/ http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
I'm not fan of Judas Priest. For me Painkiller is just another JUNK album!!!
---- Bitch! Please
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| Southern Wind Account deleted |
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| Baz Anderson Staff Posts: 13254 |
overrated? 'Painkiller' is a fantastic album! i dont know how 'rated' it is among the metal community - but only if they are saying it is the best album ever they are overrating it i love 'Painkiller'.. i dont know what that album has to do with this album though..
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| danzig111 Account deleted |
danzig111
Account deleted
Damn I love Helloween!   I just purchased this album about a month ago......Though Michael Kiske is their best vocalist by far and Kai Hansen does vocals on this album, I'd say this is the best Helloween album there is! THE GODFATHERS OF SPEED METAL!  
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023  |
This is the best Helloween album Except from Reptile all songs are totally awesome, this is probably the most even album Helloween has ever released.
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| Talvi Posts: 825 |
Written by Baz Anderson on 15.11.2006 at 20:22 Probably because both are what is called speed metal albums.
---- My account on other musical pages: http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/ http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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| Lord_Regnier Posts: 1469  |
My favorite Helloween album. Pure melodic speed metal.
---- "Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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| Hrothdane Posts: 489  |
I still need to get this album...
---- Despair is death, and I'm not interested in dying. Member of the True Crusade against True Crusades
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| TheHumanMachine Posts: 4  |
People generally know and talk about metallica and megadeth´s force and speed in their first records but i think they are missing a great cd like this one so i recomend it to all of them. Thus it´s amazing to discover the talent of these guys from the very beggining of their musical career. i like this album too much not only for the music also even for the lyrics and the ideas behind them. A must for every true fan of metal.
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Love it also  Historical and excellent.I have to listen to this more often.
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Mountain King K i K o Posts: 1361  |
Helloween is my 3rd favorite band and i own almost everything for them and although i think this is a good album for 1985, how the hell do some people say it's their best album? i mean it's not even close to being the best in the Helloween discography. Keeper 1 and 2 are definitely way better in every single aspect not to mention Time Of The Oath or The Dark Ride. But this is definitely a decent start. The other thing that i want to say is, HOW THE HELL DOES ANYONE IN THE WHOLE WORLD PREFER THIS OVER PAINKILLER??!!!! i love Helloween and Judas Priest so much but comparing this to Painkiller? Painkiller owns almost everything out there, and this is no match. Painkiller, Hell Patrol, Nightcrawler, Touch Of Evil, Between The Hammer And The Anvil, One Shot At Glory are revolutionary songs! many bands still TRY to imitate the heavy raw riffs and vocals to this day! On a special note, Gamma Ray literally used Leather Rebel's intro in their song "Hell Is Thy Home". Iron Savior use many Priest influences as well as tons of other bands (german, English, Finnish, American bands) try to sound like Judas Priest. Judas Priest have no weak album and Painkiller is definitely in the top 3...Respect.
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
Although I love all eras of Helloween, and appreciate all their albums, even "Chameleon", this one is still my fave Helloween album. The mix of primal speed, even aggression at times, mixed with killer melodies was literally genre defining at the time, and the album, and its songs really stand the test of time, and holds up amazingly well today. Compared to their albums now, it has a very raw sound, but that gives it it's charm, and the songwriting was surprisingly stellar for such a young band. Its historical importance is without question, and though it spawned many imitators, none yet have matched the sheer mastery of speed and melody as the plucky Germans acheived on this album. Definitely an undoubted classic album, and fully worthy of a 10/10, which is what I would give it. Timeless stuff! xD
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| RavenKing Posts: 1941  |
Written by Angelic Storm on 13.01.2011 at 20:25 This album, along with the EP that preceded it, are my favorite Helloween albums. I totally agree with everything you said about the album. As for "all eras of Helloween" and "Chameleon", you won't mind if I don't comment on the matter. You know how I hate everything about Helloweeen after the Keepers.
---- They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end But everybody's only looking out for themselves And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by RavenKing on 24.01.2011 at 03:11 Although I also love the Keeper albums, (and most people for sure rate those albums as the most classic Helloween material) for me the debut (and the EP) was the perfect mix of speed, aggression, and melody. It was equal parts intensity, and tuneful melodies. A feat that is very difficult to pull off. Not only have no imitators failed to match what they did with their very early stuff, even Helloween themselves, have failed to match it. The Keepers are absolute classics for sure, but the very early material of Helloween is really the hidden treasure. xD I certainly won't mind if you don't comment on it. haha I do know your opinion regarding that, and I respect it, although I dont share that opinion. Not really much point debating it though.
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| RavenKing Posts: 1941 |
Written by Angelic Storm on 24.01.2011 at 03:25 I also prefer the pre-Keepers era to the Keepers. And that's how I see this material too. Considering how I hate Powermetal in general, you would think I would dislike this stuff. But no. Even after so many years and a drastic change of tastes in favor of more extreme stuff, I still like very early Helloween quite a bit.
---- They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end But everybody's only looking out for themselves And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
Written by Mountain King on 13.01.2011 at 19:16 oh man, you sound like a fanboy!
---- Bitch! Please
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| Mountain King K i K o Posts: 1361 |
Written by iaberis on 26.01.2011 at 22:29 Who the hell are u to tell me what i sound like? I'm a well accomplished guitarist and vocalist and i can tell which album is better. Thank you...
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| iaberis Advice Troll Posts: 1698 |
Written by Mountain King on 26.01.2011 at 23:32 Who the hell are you to tell me to prefer Painkiller over this? I don't care if you're King of the Mountains, I don't care if I suck at guitar and can't sing, but no one shall tell me what to like! No disrespect about your skills 
---- Bitch! Please
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