German Speed-Metal heroes Helloween have managed to do the impossible: bring together two generations of fans by fusing their 80's and 90's line-ups. Put it this way: imagine Van Halen going on tour with both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. Or Iron Maiden touring with Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di'Anno. Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio. You get the picture: it's never been done. It was quite a gamble, but the gamble paid off. Not only did it work in a live setting for their "reunion" tour, it has since spawned a fantastic new studio record and now the band is on a roll. What could have been considered a mere gimmick now turned into a full-fledged project. This is the next era of Helloween: forty years into the band's career, this is a new beginning.
This concert was postponed three times since 2020, so the Parisian return of the Pumpkins was highly anticipated. Their last concert here took place almost five years ago at the Zénith, and it was past time for the Teutonic Power Metal septet to make its return.
Much like Maiden, the triple-guitar attack works like a charm, with axemen Sascha Gertsnener, Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath weaving powerful harmonies and exchanging breathtaking solos throughout.
For people my age, it is a treat to see and hear Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske play and sing classics from the Helloween repertoire like "Ride The Sky," "Dr. Stein" or "I Want Out" or anything from the Keeper of the Seven Keys records alongside the the material from the Andi Deris era.
With such an avalanche of great tracks from their current record and old classics, this was a heavy metal even not to be missed. Because, as we know, Heavy Metal is the Law.
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