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Siamo nel 1986 quando quattro ragazzi dopo anni di fatica danno alla luce l'album più devastante che abbiano mai prodotto: proprio così, siamo davanti a "Walls Of Jericho" (contenente anche il mini-lp "Judas", risalente al 1985), il primo album prodotto dagli Helloween guidati dall'allora giovanissimo Kai Hansen.
Questo disco rappresenta la nascita del vecchio Power Metal grazie a riffs al limite dello speed, ritornelli orecchiabili ed una buona dose di tecnica, il tutto senza tastiera. Sicuramente più grezzo degli altri cd prodotti dalle zucche, non mancano però le melodie gioiose di cui sono intrisi i successivi "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" Parte I e II. Da notare ancora la pesante devozione alla NWOBHM, anche se si percepisce il sound personalizzato che i ragazzi di Amburgo proporranno nei lavori successivi.
Come detto prima questo è un grandissimo cd dove troviamo veramente pochi vuoti di qualità. Si comincia con la fulminea "Starlight", per poi trovare altre canzoni splendide come la bellissima "Victim Of Fate", le straordinarie "Phantoms Of Death" e "Metal Invaders" e un vero e proprio inno come "Heavy Metal (Is The Law) "... Ma non ho ancora parlato del miglior pezzo del disco, quella bomba di canzone che è "Ride The Sky", secondo me la loro migliore di sempre, che introdotta dall'orchestra di trombe medioevali della Title Track, comincia con un riff fulmineo che ancora oggi mi fa accapponare la pelle, continua con parti di basso da orgasmo, prosegue con un ritornello epico accompagnato da assoli da paura per dare vita a una canzone pazzesca.
Forse "Reptile" e "Guardian" rovinano, assieme ad una produzione pressoché schifosa, questo cd, che però resta sempre di altissimo livello. Questo si nota anche dalla prestazione delle quattro zucche, a partire da Ingo Schwichtenberg (R.I.P.) che alla batteria fa grandi cose e dal grande Markus Grosskopf che, tra tapping e fraseggi piacevoli, al basso fa mostra della sua grande tecnica. Da ricordare anche Michael Weikath che fa un buon lavoro alla chitarra assieme a Kai Hansen, quest'ultimo impegnato anche alla voce, (dove però qualche volta stona, anche se in molti punti in modo piacevole marcando il senso di grossolanità gia presente nell'album), il quale sarà poi sostituito da un certo Michael Kiske, che contribuirà a dare un nuovo stile meno grezzo alla band.
Vorrei concludere dicendo che a mio avviso questo è il miglior disco degli Helloween, addirittura superiore ai due successivi Keeper, perché tra i lavori sfornati dai tedeschi questo è sicuramente il più sincero e diretto, che preferisco alle melodie alla "Oktober Fest" che troveremo nei loro prossimi album.
Grandissimo lavoro che da vita al vero Power Metal e sancisce la nascita del mito delle zucche.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Ride the Sky (05:57)
Much too long I've been a prisoner here
The hour has come to break out
Shackled and chained almost goin' insane
It's better to live on the run
Set me free, set me free
Send me a sign, wanna leave it all behind
I'll be leaving the hands of doom
Rearrange the master plan, take the future in my hands
To be free and not trapped anymore
Chorus:
Ride the sky, Ride the sky
Give me wings to fly, Ride the sky
I have to think for myself and then act
In conformity of my own thoughts
No one should tell me what's wrong and what's right
Why don't you leave me alone
Set me free, set me free
Chorus
03 Reptile (03:45)
Coming from the sewerage creepin' thru the pipes
Born from modern chemistry a thing that is alive
Growing in this rotten crap at places no one wipes
Eating rats and stinking shit and all it needs to thrive
The scientists got no way to fight
For they can't find any weak point to get rid of it right
You live your life and you don't know what's goin' on
You just can't stop a thinking that the officials do you wrong
You're sometimes wondering what the hell bit your baby's arm
And the nuns at the holy mission can't keep the tramps from harm
Even thieves around dark corners too scared to leave the door
Frustrated businessmen needing a wank can't find themselves a whore
You won't believe 'till you know that it's real
From the pain in your stomach and the horror you feel
You need a shit so you head off to the loo
You're coming to the bog, now what you're gonna do !
Chorus:
There's the Reptile (Reptile)
Just see his eyes
Reptile (Reptile)
Can you see the beast arise
Chorus:
Reptile (Reptile)
Creeping up on you
Reptile (Reptile)
There's nothing left that you can do
Solo: Kai / Mike
Chorus:
And there's the Reptile (Reptile)
Hidden till now
Reptile (Reptile)
But now it's there you don't know how
Chorus:
Reptile (Reptile)
Just watch it grow
Reptile (Reptile)
And there's no more human being left but you
Oerrrps!
04 Guardians (04:19)
(M&L - Hansen)
We're living in our units
And one thing we can do is
Work for a life without a fate
We don't pay any taxes
But the state is the axes
Of our minds without love without hate
We have a higher order
No one needs to be a hoarder
Our society is such a glorious thing
In our centers we can dream of
Anything you never think of
You can't say we are puppets on a string
Our minds are kept so clean
Checked up on a screen
They're holy men, they're saints
Without them we might all fail
We don't know war and crime
Things of ancient times
We just see it if we put on video
The blue pass is for my life
And the red one's for my wife
It's the only thing we really need to show
There are still some without rules
But I tell you, they're all fools
The Guardians will find them as we've seen
We got banks where we freeze them
They get new brains screwed in then
And act contrarily to what they have been
With new minds made so clean
Checked up on a screen
They will be the saints
Without them we might all fail
Guardians of our lives
Protect security
They turn the key and they step in
Controlling you and me
Guardians of our lives
Take care eternally
Guardians of our lives
Protect security
They turn the key and they step in
Controlling you and me
Guardians of our lives
Take care eternally
Puppets on a string
Puppets on a string
05 Phantoms of Death (06:37)
There are phantoms here on earth who take away our lives
They kill your kids and they rape your wives
They rip your flesh tear your heart take you down to hell
They don't give a damn on any kind of life
Phantoms bring evil, destruction and death
Night after night the same old game
They all look so harmless but deep in their hearts
Satan is lurking, and he will break out
Always someone at your back only waiting to attack
Chorus:
Phantoms of death, Phantoms of death
The empire of deceivers is built upon your fear
You'll have to lose it 'cause the end is near
Warheads, armies stand to strike I know it isn't right
I wanna get out of here I don't wanna die
Infernal destruction of fire you'll burn
Then you'll be helpless but it's not too late
Stand up right now and you'll be the winner
Or Satan will get you, take you forever
Genocide everywhere, where's the saviour of this world
Chorus:
Phantoms of death, Phantoms of death
Solo: Mike / Kai / Mike / Kai / Kai / both
Where is he the promised saviour the one who'll save the earth
Perhaps he'll come to bury us but then it'll be too late
Who are they who are the phantoms who will end our lives
It's you and me, you and me open up your eyes
Phantoms bring evil, destruction and death
Night after night the same old game
They all look so harmless but deep in their hearts
Satan is lurking, and he will break out
We are all parasites of this world we shall die
Chorus:
Phantoms of death, Phantoms of death
06 Metal Invaders (04:11)
Fool moon standing in the streets
I know the time is near
Incarnate power roaring from the sky
Unrelenting forces blasting through the air
Roaring thunder lift your hands and pray
Running through the empty streets they're looking for the fight
Swords gleam in the light of moon the gods prepare to strike
Chorus:
Metal invaders, ready to strike
A warning from hell, be careful tonight
Dark night overwhelming bright light
See the demons fly
Can't trust your senses fear you'll have to die
Super mighty shadows casting amplitudes to ears
Sounds you've never heard that take you high
Time has come for them to rise, invasion is their doom
Riding high on iron horses in the light of moon
Chorus:
Metal invaders, the gods on their ride
Sworn to bring metal, mayhem tonight
07 Gorgar (03:55)
You're runnin' around in the gamblin' hall
Every night it's the same
You're lookin' for something new to play
To win and have fun is your aim
A pinball speaks to you
His metal voice is knockin' in your head
You can't resist you'll have to play
You're just another victim caught in the trap
Chorus:
Gorgar will eat you, Gorgar - man you'll never win - hey
Gorgar will eat you, Gorgar - but you keep on playin' - hey
Your blood is boilin' your eyes grow wide -
Advance - too late
Gamblin' fever has taken your mind - this fuckin' machine of hate
You spend all your money but you'll never win
You're always the loser and the robot's voice keeps hammering
Chorus:
Gorgar will eat you, Gorgar - man you'll never win - hey
Gorgar will eat you, Gorgar - but you keep on playin' - hey
Wastin' money for fun every night
Livin' for today no thoughts for tomorrow
Man you are dead don't you realize
Wake up and live before it's too late
Solo: Mike / Kai
Chorus:
Gorgar will eat you, Gorgar - man you'll never win - hey
Gorgar will eat you, Gorgar - but you keep on playin' - hey
TILT
09 How Many Tears (07:17)
A lot of things occur each day
We've got to live with on our way
There's so much misery on the screen
With commercials in between
And the Russians won't be so late
Uncle Sam don't wanna wait
No matter if you're black or white
You never ever had a right
And look up to the eternal skies
See warfare even there
What once has been a paradise
Now destruction and despair
In other worlds the children die
Lacking food ill from a fly
Oppressed by troops to tame their land
It's all the same again
If any man is free on earth
Then tormentors steal his birth
They slam gun butts in his face
And leave his woman choked in mace
So stand up for our human rights
Push back this pest of hate
Raise you voice pass on the light
Unite! it's not too late
Chorus:
How many tears flow away
To become a sea of fears
How many hearts are torn apart
Till another torment starts
But before the world
Turns into a sun
All cruelty and violence
On earth will be dead and gone
So stand up for our human rights
Push back this pest of hate
Raise you voice pass on the light
Unite! It's not too late
Chorus
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