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Helloween 1987 - 1989

Produced Tommy Newton/Tommy Hansen, "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I" is met with enthusiastic reviews. Helloween even gains success overseas in America and Japan and is able to establish a large fan base. The second part is released in 1988 with "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part II", which turns out to become even more successful than its predecessor. Before the following tour, Helloween hire keyboarder Jörn Ellerbrock permanently for touring. The "Pumpkins Fly Free" world-tour is a success but in December Kai Hansen leaves because of personal problems with the other band members. He then moves on to form his own band "Gamma Ray". In January 1989, Helloween find a replacement in the guitarist Roland Grapow (ex-Rampage) from Hamburg, with whom they finish the tour off. The same year a live-album is released with various titles: "Live In The U.K." in Europe, "I Want Out - Live" in the U.S. and "Keepers Live" in Japan. To keep the money flowing in, Noise releases two best-of-albums "The Best, The Rest, The Rare" and "Pumpkin Tracks" in 1989. Then Helloween finds out about being ripped off by Noise and signs to the major label EMI. Noise files a lawsuit arguing that Helloween broke their contract. Helloween wins in the lower courts but loses in the fourth. Helloween are faced with harsh restrictions on releasing their material. They are not allowed to release their material anywhere else than where Noise is able to. This leaves fans outside Europe wondering about what has happened to Helloween.

Helloween 1989 – 1993

Finally in 1991 the single "Kids Of The Century" for the new album contains a message of the band about where they have been in the last 3 years and that they couldn’t release their new record as long as their sessions in court took place. The first album with Grapow, "Pink Bubbles Go Ape", becomes a commercial success but is seen as a poor successor to the previous albums. Most of the blame goes to producer Chris Tsangarides as far as the production and mix are concerned, but also the song writing is somewhat unfocused. Nevertheless, the album contains some very good songs by all members. To add to the problems, there are growing conflicts between Kiske/Schwichtenberg on one side and Weikath/Grapow on the other. Weikath tries to make his friend Andi Deris, singer of Pink Cream 69, join Helloween, but he feels loyal to his band. Because of their huge debts, Helloween are afraid of not getting anything in, and so they quickly release the following album "Chameleon" in early 1993, which sees the reunion with producer Tommy Hansen but is not successful at all. Despite the pretty good production and overall song quality, it drives off a lot of Helloween’s remaining fans, for few can accept the new music which now leans more towards AOR and mainstream rock, which is not how they expect Helloween to sound like. The poor performance on tour shows much of the tensions immanent in the band at that time. Before a gig in Japan, drummer Schwichtenberg collapses due to his misusing of drugs, and is replaced by session-drummer Richie Abdel-Nabi. Even worse, Helloween are fired by EMI.

Helloween 1993 with Ritchie

After the end of the tour in December 1993, Abdel-Nabi is dismissed from his position for most of the band members think that he does not fit the position. Tensions grow worse and worse and two weeks before the studio for the next production is booked, Helloween fire Kiske, for the rest of the band is not willing to share a studio with him another time. Weikath calls Deris again to convince him to take the vacant spot. The band chemistry in Pink Cream 69 is rotten at that time, and since he thinks he will not steal someone’s job, Deris decides to take his chances. Shortly thereafter in January 1994, the band manages to hire Uli Kusch as the new drummer (ex-Axe La Chapelle/Gamma Ray) and signs to Castle Communications.

During the production of the next album, the new Helloween feel the urge to come at least close to what they were hailed for in the Keeper-Era, for the last album did only harm to the band. They know that if they do not have success with the new record, there will probably be no Helloween anymore. To the media?s surprise, "Master Of The Rings" becomes an immediate success and Helloween are able to regain some of their old power and Andi Deris proves to be a worthy replacement for Kiske. Nearly a year after, the album is released in the U.S. with a bonus disc containing no less than 7 b-sides to commemorate the event. But on March, 8th 1995, a tragedy happens when former drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg commits suicide in Hamburg. Helloween dedicate their next album to him. "The Time Of The Oath", produced by Tommy Hansen and released in 1996, is based on the visions of Nostradamus, who foresaw troubled times for the years before the millennium. On the following word-tour, the fans celebrate Halloween?s return to top of the genre. Less than six months later, the live album ?High Live? is released, which is recorded on concerts Italy and Spain. The Japanese magazine "BURRN" elects Helloween as the best band of 1996.

Helloween 1994 – 2001

The year 1998 begins with the release of a 4-cd box called "Pumpkin Box" in Japan, which is a present for all Helloween collectors containing Helloween’s best material and some interviews. Later that year, Helloween present their third album with the new line-up. “Better Than Raw shows the band’s willingness for taking risks as the album combines new elements with the more traditional Helloween-style. The band tours as an opening act for Iron Maiden. In 1999 Helloween want to sign to a new record company but they still have to do one more record for Castle. Instead of throwing a best-of album on the market, they record "Metal Jukebox", a cover album containing rock, pop, and metal classics that influenced them in their past. Then in the year 2000, in order to receive a better promotion, Helloween sign to Nuclear Blast. Following suggestions of both the management and outside people, Helloween record the Roy Z/Charlie Bauerfeind-produced "The Dark Ride", an album that is totally different from their previous records, for it uses a lot of down tuned guitars and is characterised by a dark atmosphere. However, cohesion within the band is beginning to crack up as Michael Weikath, who is totally against this sudden change, gets into arguments with Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch about the musical direction they have in mind for Helloween. He later complains about not being allowed to take any part in the production of the album. At one point Weikath offers to leave the band in order to start something new. But Großkopf and Deris are not willing to let this happen as Weikath is seen as the main man by the fans and without him, Helloween would not be Helloween anymore. Besides, they both intend to continue with the music they have done on previous albums, whereas Grapow/Kusch want to stick the musical direction of "The Dark Ride". So shortly after the tour in 2001, they ask Grapow/Kusch to leave. The official reason for this is that they concentrated too much on their solo-projects. Later it becomes clear that "The Dark Ride" is Helloween’s worst selling album since "Chameleon". Definitely not what Nuclear Blast expected for their contract with Helloween.

Helloween is joined by Mark Cross (ex-Metalium), who replaces Uli Kusch on drums. It remains unclear who will be the new guitarist. Meanwhile, Kusch and Grapow upgrade "Masterplan", a project they would have done anyway, to a full band.

Helloween 2002 – 2005

After trying to lure his friend Henjo Richter (Gamma Ray) into the band, Michael Weikath follows a suggestion made by producer Charlie Bauerfeind and calls up guitarist Sascha Gerstner (ex-Freedom Call). Rehearsals with him on Tenerife show that he is a good choice, both as a guitarist and as member of the band, for the line-up gets along very well. Helloween then initiate their next production. Right at the beginning of the recordings in 2003, Mark Cross is diagnosed with mononucleosis, an illness that affects the organs and by which one is forced to refrain from any exhaustive work. Since Cross cannot go on with drumming, Helloween turn to Mikkey Dee (Motörhead, ex-King Diamond) to help them out. They choose him because he is known as a very talented drummer and most importantly, will not be mistaken for a replacement for Mark Cross’ as with Motörhead, he comes from a different genre. The recordings go pretty well, but soon Helloween have to realise that the insurance side won’t cover Cross’ absence because his illness could well last for over 2 years. Hence they are forced to look for a new drummer again. Since they are pressed by the management to record some more tracks for b-sides, Helloween invite Stefan Schwarzmann (ex-Accept, ex-UDO), a drummer Weikath knew back in the 80s, to Großkopf’s home studio, where they record the drums. It turns out that Schwarzmann is willing to join the band. A little after, the Charlie Bauerfeind-produced "Rabbit Don’t Come Easy" is released May 2003. The title was chosen to show that the band has returned to their more "happy"-side, for which they were known in the past and revolves about how similar the release of an album is compared to performing the trick of pulling about a rabbit out of a hat. In July 2003 Helloween are rehearsing in Hamburg, preparing for their longest world-tour ever. From the beginning of the tour in September, fans all over the world commend Helloween’s performance, which is better than ever. A sign of how well the new line-up is getting along. In October 2004, Helloween begin pre-production of their newest album. In February 2005, Schwarzmann and Helloween part ways amicably. During the tour it became apparent to him and to the rest of the band that, although things were going extremely well on the human side of things, they did not entirely share the same views musically. Schwarzmann decided to stay to help out the band during their pre-production until a replacement was found in Dani Löble, highly acclaimed ex-drummer of RAWHEAD REXX turned out to be the perfect man for Helloween.

Helloween since 2005

There had long been rumours that Helloween intended to release a follow up to the two legendary “Keeper” -albums but it is not until June that the band confirms “Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy”. A first single called “Mrs. God” is released on July 4th in South East Asia, followed by a world-wide release on September 5th. After the album's international release on October 31th, initial comments are talking of a landmark release.

November 2005, Jan Mathis

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