Legendary German power metallers HELLOWEEN have posted a video on their official Facebook page of band comedian and guitarist Michael Weikath giving fans an entertaining tour of their rehearsal room:
The band start the summer dates tomorrow 24th May at Metallsvenskan in Sweden and have 5 more dates through the summer. For more information, check the official HELLOWEEN website at this location.
According to Nuclear Blast, legendary German power metal generators HELLOWEEN return to their old label home Nuclear Blast, where they released two albums – “The Dark Ride” (2000) and “Rabbit Don’t Come Easy” (2003), both of which have just been re-issued with extended bonus material.
Nuclear Blast are overwhelmed to bring the band back into the fold: “We are more than proud, that HELLOWEEN is part of the Nuclear Blast family again,” Label owner Markus Staiger announces. “All those years we had a friendship-like connection and ways crossed on a regular basis at concerts and festivals. HELLOWEEN to us is a matter of the heart, there’s not only the two records to mention, but an act that influenced me and many of our employees. Together there are big plans and we are looking forward to having another productive and successful cooperation.”
The band itself are equally celebratory. Vocalist Andi Deris: “As a label, Nuclear Blast is “Heavy Metal to the bone”, and we are really looking forward to working together with a lot of familiar faces.”
HELLOWEEN are currently busy working on the successor to “Straight Out Of Hell”, that saw the founders of German Melodic Speed Metals playing a total of 84 shows in 34 different countries. After summer, the band will hit the MiSueno Studio on the isle of Tenerife with producer Charlie Bauerfeind (GOTTHARD, HAMMERFALL etc.) to record a new album set to be released in early 2015.
5TH ELEMENT, Italian DEPTH Singer Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese‘s side project, recorded and released a new version of their HELLOWEEN‘s “Judas” cover, previously released by Epicus Records on “HelloRay” tribute album. The song is available for free streaming on the band’s official channel and for free download through their official Facebook page. Check it out below:
Line up:
Morby (DOMINE): Vocals
Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese (FROM THE DEPTH): Guitars
Santo Clemenzi (DEIMOS): Bass
Giulio Capone (TEMPERANCE): Keyboards
Massimo Goletti (DEIMOS): Drums
Produced by Santo Clemenzi and Raffaele “Raffo” Albanese
Mixing and Mastering by Santo Clemenzi
More information at http://www.facebook.com/5thelementproject
German power metal generators, HELLOWEEN, have just announced via a post on their official facebook page that they are going to start working on a new album. They also posted a Christmas message for their fans:
“We wish you a Merry Christmas and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
After a short break we´re moving to a cave to be buried in tapes, microphones and guitars to write a new killer album! Stay tuned!”
Metal Shock Finland‘s Blackdiamond has recently conducted an interview with HELLOWEEN‘s guitarist Michael Weikath which can be listened at this location.
Source: Bravewords.com
In the second part of an interview with Dead Rhetoric, UNISONIC vocalist MICHAEL KISKE discusses the rumours currently circulating about a possible reunion with his former HELLOWEEN bandmates. An excerpt is available below:
Dead Rhetoric: There’s been some talk lately of a potential reunion between you and the Helloween guys, so I wanted to get your thoughts. Any truth to these rumors?
Kiske: “No. That’s something the Helloween guys are bringing up. They have that in their head for whatever reason…I don’t know why. They have their own singer (Andi Deris). I wouldn’t do that. I’m up for peace, up for talking everything out and getting everything out of our systems. I met up with Michael Weikath a couple of weeks ago in Sweden. He was extremely nice and friendly. It was clear they have changed their mood. They’ve changed their attitude toward me.”
“They really did me a lot of wrong over the years. I don’t want to pass the blame here, but they’ve accused me of doing things that they know very well are not right. They needed some stuff to convince the old fans that it’s good I’m not there anymore, and they went way too far. One of the things that I was really pissed about was this ‘musical direction’ talk, as if I would be the person to tell anyone what kind of music he should do! Everyone who knows me – anyone who really knows me – knows my attitude is totally different. I would always say ‘Do what you believe in. Whatever song is your song, write it, go play it.’ I would never be the person to tell anyone in Helloween the direction we were supposed to go. That was so ridiculous, to blame me for the things that came up. Yes, I was responsible for my own songs, but it was always something the band made work…or not.”
Dead Rhetoric: I talked to Weiki in person when they were here in the States in September and we talked about Chameleon, and how the band was trying to be like QUEEN…
Kiske: “I don’t think we were a band anymore in those days. We didn’t try anything on Chameleon; there were three songwriters trying to make a solo record. We were not functioning as a band anymore. Totally dysfunctional. But about this reunion thing, I’m in Unisonic now. I don’t know how they have suddenly changed their tone and why I should be there for a reunion tour and all. Like I said: I’m fine with making peace, but you can’t undo the past. I’m a typical person. I can easily forgive, but I never forget. If someone betrays me, I tell them, ‘Okay, I forgive you. Go in peace. I don’t trust you anymore. You showed me who you are. I’m not saying you can’t change, but you have to do a lot to convince me you have changed.'”
Go to this location for the complete interview.
Source: Bravewords.com
MAGNUM OPUM ROCKESTRA (under conductor Marcel Heijnen), a 32-piece orchestra accompanied by the METALFORCE 1 rock band and led by vocalists which decisively influenced the metal scene in recent years and decades, kicked off the Christmas Metal Symphony European Tour on December 13th in Trollhättan, Sweden.
Fan-filmed video of vocalist Michael Kiske (UNISONIC, ex-HELLOWEEN) performing the Helloween classics ‘March Of Time’ and ‘I Want Out’ has been posted online:
Other vocalists on the bill include Joey Belladonna (ANTHRAX), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), Udo Dirkschneider (UDO, ex-ACCEPT) and Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH) Musical director of the production is Joost van den Broek (ex-AFTER FOREVER).
Tour dates include:
December
17 – Würselen, Germany – Royal Event Center
18 – Bochum, Germany – Ruhrkongress
19 – Prague, Czech Republic – Mala Sportovni Hala
20 – Oberstraubing, Germany – Airport – Great Hall
21 – Balingen, Germany – Volksbank Fair
22 – Milan, Italy – Live Club
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 