Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke with Helloween's guitarist Michael Weikath about the reunited classic line-up and the new upcoming studio album on June 18 via Nuclear Blast
Photo Credit above Martin Hausler
Watch Interview Here
How did the band reunite to create this album?
"It just happened on the way we have been doing the shows and then someone said you have to do a Pumpkins United track (single), which we did. Then we had these concerts (Pumpkins United ) and everything went so well, which had people crying in the first rows. it went so well we kept going. It was enjoyable and someone said because you have done the Pumpkins United recording (one single) and you proved that you can, you will have to do an album. The fans said so, the media said so, the record company said so and management said so and then we said yes."
When asked about the musical style of the new album
"We did try to put some Queen parts in it. Also Kai Hansen has a Brain May Audio Plug in which he also used wherever he could and that is the Queen aspect of it we always forget to mention. There is a bit of Judas Priest in there cause I wanted to mimic Priest Riffs or things they are known for on their older albums because they are so compatible with Helloween stuff.The album is magic in the way that it comes across and the way it sounds. Also everything was transferred onto analogue tape and mixed by analogue means."
Why did Michael Kiske not contribute as a songwriter on the new album?
"Kiske said to me I guess I quit for this time (meaning not contributing a song) He said I got so so many ideas but it did not sound so much like Helloween, it sounded more like poppy or country stuff, the way I understood. And that was ok cause we had enough of other music and he had stuff to do being involved in a full fledged Helloween production like this. He (Kiske), arranged with Deris the vocal lines. So I guess that was already a plethora of things to be done without one of his own tracks being produced."
Produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Dennis Ward, the new HELLOWEEN LP was recorded in part at the H.O.M.E. Studios in Hamburg (where everything started in 1984). The same recording console used for such HELLOWEEN albums as "Master Of The Rings", "Time Of The Oath" and "Better Than Raw" was utilized to record the band's new material. The effort was mixed at the Valhalla Studios of Ronald Prent (IRON MAIDEN, DEF LEPPARD, RAMMSTEIN).
Track listing:
01. Out For The Glory
02. Fear Of The Fallen
03. Best Time
04. Mass Pollution
05. Angels
06. Rise Without Chains
07. Indestructible
08. Robot King
09. Cyanide
10. Down In The Dumps
11. Orbit
12. Skyfall
Anthrax Charlie Benante Interview- Talks Covers Album 'Silver Lining' & Anthrax Studio Album Update
Burning Witches & Artillery Interview w/ Laura Guldemond & Michael Bastholm Dahl