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 page 2 / 2
- 1
- 2
Comments: 35
Visited by: 133 users
| Mountain King K i K o Posts: 1361  |
Written by iaberis on 27.01.2011 at 01:11 no it's all good. i was saying what i prefer. I love Helloween and Priest a lot so I'm not taking sides with any band. I just think Painkiller is much better than Walls Of Jericho in every aspect...
Loading...
|
| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
Written by Mountain King on 27.01.2011 at 15:17 I love both those albums pretty much equally, I don't think I could choose between them. lol
Loading...
|
| RavenKing Posts: 1941  |
Written by Angelic Storm on 27.01.2011 at 15:25 Give me "Walls Of Jericho" over "Painkiller" anytime.
---- 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
Loading...
|
| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by RavenKing on 28.01.2011 at 04:24 Same for me.
---- 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 
Loading...
|
| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62014  |
Nice review Kostas, but just its speed metal not power, those early bands was more speed, PM came later
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
|
- 1
- 2
Hits total: 10832 | This month: 8