Helloween Guitarrists

[Hellovarius the Simp]

I use thin picks as well but heavy picks. Heavy riffing with light picks?

[icecab21]

since when are heavy riffs power metal? what do we mean heavy here? i think of power metal guitar as being on the upper end and lighter end of disortion and pitch in metal.

[Babylon]

I think as long as Michael Weikath is in the band it will always sound like Helloween, he's what Steve Harris is to Iron Maiden

Yea definitely, he may not be strictly an "original" member, but he's pretty much the soul of the band and they kept going thanks to him.

[hiro23]

that's what I mean, Weikath is responsible for how the band sounds, many people like it, some people hate it but you can't deny that he's been the driving force of Helloween for the longest time.

[icecab21]

i think the bus driver has been the driving force of the band

[hiro23]

Icecab:you like taking what I say literally don't you?

[icecab21]

i hate it but sometimes it just happens

[hiro23]

Icecab:it's cool, I just thought it was funny

Babylon:Many people seem to forget that Weikath contributed many of the popular Helloween songs that made up the first three albums.

[Ragehead91]

I know ppl who say that Weikath ruined the band. But I disagree with them. But these commets mostly come from Kiske ass-lickers anyway so...

[hiro23]

Ragehead:I also don't get it, I mean Weikath wrote songs like Eagle fly free and dr stein which are considered to be Helloween classics, I know he doesn't write every song but hell Steve Harris in Iron maiden does the same thing.
If you have many people in a band who can write why not let them? I know most will probably give the reason that they write horrible songs but obviously they are good enough to keep the band on top and they have thousands of fans because of those so-called horrible songs, Weikath in my opinion IS Helloween.

[Mehida]

Weikath was one of the main reasons of the success helloween had in its early years, together with Kiske and Hansen.
But does not make sense in my opinion, to continue with a band after 20 years, releasing modern copies of your most famous albums, while touring once again the same places and so on.
For me the magic is completly gone, the vocalist doesn't fit in that band at all and I already heard the new songs thousands times before in other bands (not literally).
I by far prefer Place Vendome (Kiske) than Helloween. (I'm not a Kiske ass-licker, by the way)

[icecab21]

i don't think the relationship between helloween and other power metal songs is closer to the relationship between place vendome and other melodic rock songs.

[Ragehead91]

Weikath was one of the main reasons of the success helloween had in its early years, together with Kiske and Hansen.
But does not make sense in my opinion, to continue with a band after 20 years, releasing modern copies of your most famous albums, while touring once again the same places and so on.
For me the magic is completly gone, the vocalist doesn't fit in that band at all and I already heard the new songs thousands times before in other bands (not literally).
I by far prefer Place Vendome (Kiske) than Helloween. (I'm not a Kiske ass-licker, by the way)

I completely disagree.
I don't see why it doesn't male sense. By your definition every band should disband after releasing a few albums. Helloween proved that they like to experiment with their sound (Sometimes 180° turns like Chameleon and sometimes just little changes) and they always stay fresh. Andi Deris is a awesome singer who fits the band perfectly and you really can't compare stuff like Gambling, Dark Ride, Better then Raw or Perfect Gentleman with old Helloween.
I agree that Place Vendome with Kiske is good but I would always chose Helloween over it.

[Babylon]

Babylon:Many people seem to forget that Weikath contributed many of the popular Helloween songs that made up the first three albums.

I know! He is so underrated as a songwriter. Hell, KOTSK is one of my favorite songs of all time, it is just brilliant and IMO about 10 times better than its counterpart on Keeper 1, Halloween. I love Kai Hansen, but for me the best songs on the Keeper albums are Weikath's.

Weikath was one of the main reasons of the success helloween had in its early years, together with Kiske and Hansen.
But does not make sense in my opinion, to continue with a band after 20 years, releasing modern copies of your most famous albums, while touring once again the same places and so on.
For me the magic is completly gone, the vocalist doesn't fit in that band at all and I already heard the new songs thousands times before in other bands (not literally).
I by far prefer Place Vendome (Kiske) than Helloween. (I'm not a Kiske ass-licker, by the way)

I don't think post Kiske/Hansen albums are modern copies of the old stuff. One of the reasons why I like this band so much is that every album sounds different and fresh. And with the current line up, they kick ass live... I don't think there could have been a better choice than Andi to replace Kiske. Obviously he's not gonna sing the songs from that era exactly like Michi, but he does put a lot of feeling into them and he's an awesome, fun frontman.

[hiro23]

Mehida:it's okay if you don't like Helloween these days, however I do have to agree with Ragehead you make it sound as if every band should break up after a few good albums.

Babylon:I agree, I think the stuff Helloween is doing now kicks ass, and I don't see why people keep saying it sounds too much like their old stuff, I really don't think it does, to me they keep progressing in their sound, this is just my opinion by the way but at least Andi Deris has his own sound when it comes to singing and he doesn't sound too much like Geoff tate from Queensryche.

[Florian]

I agree, Weiki wrote great songs like Eagle Fly Free, Rise And Fall and many more, but I prefer Halloween to Keeper Of The Seven Keys. And I prefer the Keeper I to the Keeper II (but I still love this one).

[Babylon]

I agree, Weiki wrote great songs like Eagle Fly Free, Rise And Fall and many more, but I prefer Halloween to Keeper Of The Seven Keys. And I prefer the Keeper I to the Keeper II (but I still love this one).

Well it is all a matter of personal taste. Would be way too boring if we all liked the same things I like Keeper 2 better than part 1, but I love them both.

BTW, I am listening to "Giants" right now... damn what a great song! ... Weiki again

but at least Andi Deris has his own sound when it comes to singing and he doesn't sound too much like Geoff tate from Queensryche.

Yep, he's got a unique voice, you can immediately tell it's him.

[Ragehead91]

Well, I could agree to that and say that Kiske is a Tate rip-off but that would make me sound like a hypocrite since my favourite singer is basicly David Coverdale 2.0 with a small Dio patch.

[icecab21]

These guys would sound like they do with or without the singers that came before them.

[hiro23]

That's very true, cause Weikath has decided what the Helloween sound should be, however I believe Andi Deris has contributed a whole lot to the band.

Way more then a previous singer who claims that metal music is for idiots.

[icecab21]

i mean a singer has the same voice no matter who came before or after. kiske would sound like kiske with or without tate since they simply have simular voices. if tate had started singing later people would be talking about how tate sounds like kiske or something.

[hiro23]

I'm not debating who came before or after, it just sounds like kiske doesn't try to be original, I could be way off but that's just what it sounds like to me. Don't get me wrong I think he sounds great however I just prefer Deris for several reasons(mind you these are my own so no one has to agree with them)
1.He at least tries to not sound like everyone else, some things work and some things don't work however I don't believe there is a voice like his.

2.Deris doesn't believe that metal is for idiots, Kiske has really blasted metal and metalheads ever since he was kicked out of Helloween, this does not mean he's a bad singer however it does turn me off to him when he's insulting a huge amount of his own fanbase.

3.Deris writes metal songs, I know this gets debated frequently however the songs that Deris writes are way more in tune with metal subjects, no disrespect to Kiske but most of his songs tend to be a bit on the pop side.

Last but not least Deris allows others to co-write with him a lot more, Kiske was less willing to co-write, now I know there are some songs that he did co-write with others, however if you look at the bulk of the material he wrote for Helloween most of them are done only by him whereas Deris has a ton of songs he co-wrote with other members.

These are my reasons for liking Deris more, as I stated before no one has to agree with it, it's just why I have the opinion that I do.

[icecab21]

I’m not sure either but I think its more nature than training that these guys sound the way they sound. When I listen to the guys talking voices it just seems natural that they sound like they do when they sing.

[hiro23]

Okay you got me there, however I still prefer Deris's voice to Kiske's

[Ragehead91]

I'm not debating who came before or after, it just sounds like kiske doesn't try to be original, I could be way off but that's just what it sounds like to me. Don't get me wrong I think he sounds great however I just prefer Deris for several reasons(mind you these are my own so no one has to agree with them)
1.He at least tries to not sound like everyone else, some things work and some things don't work however I don't believe there is a voice like his.

Agreed

2.Deris doesn't believe that metal is for idiots, Kiske has really blasted metal and metalheads ever since he was kicked out of Helloween, this does not mean he's a bad singer however it does turn me off to him when he's insulting a huge amount of his own fanbase.

Also veeeeeeeeeery much agreed. I would've less of a problem with the guy if it wasn't for his constant metal and metalhead bashing. If he likes his music more, okay. But he should stop bashing the metal scene.

3.Deris writes metal songs, I know this gets debated frequently however the songs that Deris writes are way more in tune with metal subjects, no disrespect to Kiske but most of his songs tend to be a bit on the pop side.

Agreed but I guess this one boils down to the individual taste of the listener.

Last but not least Deris allows others to co-write with him a lot more, Kiske was less willing to co-write, now I know there are some songs that he did co-write with others, however if you look at the bulk of the material he wrote for Helloween most of them are done only by him whereas Deris has a ton of songs he co-wrote with other members.

I never really thought about that. But I guess this is not really his fault. I think this was the way the band did things back then. So I don't blame him for that.

[Babylon]

These are my reasons for liking Deris more, as I stated before no one has to agree with it, it's just why I have the opinion that I do.

I completely agree with you on everything that you mentioned. I would also add that Andi is a great frontman. Ok, I never saw Helloween live with Kiske, but from videos I've seen and concerts I've heard, Deris got him beat there. I mean, in terms the way he connects with the audience and how he talks to them and also you can tell he's really enjoying himself and just having fun onstage.

And of course, there are other reasons of my own, which I'm not going to discuss here

[Ragehead91]

Okay, I agree too. Andi seems to have fun on stage while Kiske, at least from the videos I've seen with him, well, it seems that he isn't enjoing it at all.

[hiro23]

Andi seems like he does it cause he enjoys it, whereas with Kiske it seems he merely did it cause he had to.

[icecab21]

kiske enjoyed being a frontman so much that he has not had a concert since 1993.

[hiro23]

kiske enjoyed being a frontman so much that he has not had a concert since 1993.

Exactly