Helloween - Treasure Chest


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Metal-Is/Sanctuary Records
Catalog Number: MISDD015
Format: CD
Total Time: 156:43:00

Helloween's Treasure Chest is a shameless cash-in from their record label Metal-Is/Sanctuary Records, who should be ashamed of themselves. Whilst it would be quite easy to get side-tracked into discussing the virtues (or lack there of) of their record label, I'll jump straight into the review.

This review will be sectioned off into three parts:

  • Regular buyers of Helloween CDs

  • New fans to Helloween, and

  • Absolute fans of all things Helloween

Firstly, let's attack those who like Helloween and enjoy buying their albums. Treasure Chest is a complete rip-off from start to finish with the only "additions" being the complete re-mastering of all the songs along with the full re-mixing of 5 of the 29 tracks - "Keeper Of The Seven Keys," "Dr. Stein," "Murderer," "Starlight," and "Ride The Sky."

Secondly, for those not knowledgeable of Helloween's history or are new to the genre and to the band, then this is a terrific place to start with an album that completely covers each of their albums, beginning with Helloween (1985), Walls Of Jericho (1986), Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 1 (1987), Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Part 2 (1988), Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991), Chameleon (1993), Master Of The Rings (1994), The Time Of The Oath (1996), Better Than Raw (1998), and finally The Dark Ride (2000). The difference in sound across Helloween's career and all the changes in their line-up are all shown, and heard, on the album.

Helloween - Treasure Chest - Buried Treasure bonus diskAnd finally, for those who are absolute nutters on all things Helloween and who must have everything they've ever done - then buy the BOX SET version of Treasure Chest (MISBX015) that contains a bonus third disc with 11 more tracks all of which are the rare B-sides taken from previously released singles.

So, to summarise Helloween's Treasure Chest.

  • The Positives: The liner notes, the photographs, Helloween's biography, the number of tracks presented, the booklet, & the length of the two discs. Oh, and let's not forget the unmistakable vocals of both Andi Deris and Michael Kiske.
  • The Negatives: This is a rip-off, this is a rip-off, and this is a rip-off. But for new fans of Helloween, then this is not a rip-off.

Enjoy - or don't.

[This review originally appeared November 2002 at the ProgPower Online review site; Metal-Is is no more and Sanctuary has been subsumed (consumed) by the Universal Music Group and the Sanctuary name all but gone (artist management seems to be what's left) ?ed.]


Tracklisting:
Disc One: Mr Torture (3:28) / I Can (4:38) / Power (3:28) / Where The Rain Grows (4:43) / Eagle Fly Free (5:11) / Future World (4:02) / Metal Invaders (4:11) / Murderer (remix) (4:32) / Starlight (remix) (4:13) / How Many Tears (7:15) / Ride The Sky (remix) (6:43) / Halloween (13:18) / A Little Time (3:58) / A Tale That Wasn't Right (4:42) / I Want Out (4:39)

Disc Two: Keeper Of The Seven Keys (remix) (13:49) / Dr Stein (remix) (5:03) / The Chance (3:46) / Windmill (5:13) / Sole Survivor (4:30) / Perfect Gentleman (3:50) / In The Middle Of A Heartbeat (4:26) / Kings Will Be Kings (5:08) / Time Of The Oath (6:56) / Forever & One (3:53) / Midnight Sun (6:19) / Mr Ego (7:00) / Immortal (4:04) / Mirror, Mirror (3:41)

Disc Three Buried Treasure (Ltd Edition Version Only): Shit & Lobster (4:10) / Oriental Journey (5:44) / I Don't Care, You Don't Care (4:00) / Ain't Got Nothin' Better (4:39) / Moshi, Moshi-Shiki No Uta (6:48) / Can't Fight Your Disease (3:45) / Star Invasion (4:47) / Silicon Dreams (4:17) / Grapowski's Malmsuite 1001 (In D-Doll) (6:33) / Electric Eye (4:06) / A Game We Shouldn't Play (3:38) Total time w/bonus: 209:10

Musicians:
Andi Deris - vocals
Kai Hansen - guitar, vocals
Michael Kiske - vocals
Roland Grapow - guitar
Michael Weikath - guitar
Markus Grosskopf - bass
Uli Kusch - drums
Ingo Schwichtenberg ? drums

Discography:
Helloween (ep) (1985/1987)
Walls Of Jericho (1985)
Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Pt 1 (1987)
Keeper Of The Seven Keys, Pt 2 (1988)
Live In The U.K. (1989)
Keepers Live (1989)
Pumpkin Tracks (1989)
Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)
The Best, The Rest, The Rare (1991)
Chameleon (1993)
Master Of The Rings (1994/2001)
Mr. Ego (ep) (1994)
The Time Of The Oath (1996)
High Live (1996)
Better Than Raw (1998)
Pumpkin Box (1998)
Metal Jukebox (1999)
I Can (2000)
Mr. Torture (2000)
The Dark Ride (2000)
Treasure Chest (2002)
Treasure Chest Box (2002)
Rabbit Don't Come Easy (2003)
Keeper Of The Seven Keys ? The Legacy (2005)
The Singles Box (1985-1992) (box set) (2006)
Live In Sao Paulo (2007)
Gambling With The Devil (2007)

The Pumpkin Video (VHS/DVD) (1994/2000)
High Live (VHS) (1996)
Hellish Videos (DVD) (2005)
Live On 3 Continents (DVD) (2007)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin DE

Added: December 19th 2004
Reviewer: Gary Carson
Score:
Artist website: www.helloween.org
Hits: 3653
Language: english

  

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