“didn’t want to die with this anger”

They were among Germany’s most popular heavy metal exports in the 1980s. After 20 years of Natsch, singer Michael Kiske returned to Halloween with Kai Hansen. In the T-Online interview, Kiske explains how the reconciliation happened and how things will continue.

Halloween Were Able To Exit With Part Two Of “Keepers Of The Seven Keys” Hamburg Not only break the speed limit, but also create real hit singles that were well received not only at home, but also in the rest of the world. Europes and also America. But new vocalist Michael Kiske also said goodbye five years later in 1993, after original vocalist and guitarist Kai Hansen left in 1988. band and singer split Controversy. And the resentment lasted 20 years.

Fast Forward: Helloween continued to release successful albums, with a new line-up and Andy Derris on microphone. Kai Hansen celebrates successes with Gamma Ray and Kiske takes a break from earlier Metalscene, but returned with a number of projects in the new millennium. And then that: Kiske and Hansen return to Halloween in 2016, where Darris lives. So Helloine, as in the past few years, plus two new old voices. From now on the band has three singers and wants to open Travel Walk. From these concerts the idea of ​​a new album emerged in this formation. And that’s now available with “Halloween.”

20 years of anger just gone

“It feels like coming home, but it’s also new,” Kiske said in an interview with T-Online. “In the beginning my main motivation was simple Peace Close it For a long time I was not ready to even think about it. It wasn’t until much later that rethinking began. “And it was favored by the fact that former comrade-in-arms, Helloween boss Michael “Weik” Weikrath, just backstage at a celebration after years of radio silence in Kiske.

“Wacky came up to me and asked an important question that completely disarmed me. He looks at me, comes up to me and asks, ‘What did I do that you can’t forgive me?’ He immediately touched me and then I noticed that I no longer get angry at all.”

“I didn’t mean to die with this grudge”

There was still no talk of returning to the band. Kiske was glad he could leave the gossip behind. His old colleague Kai Hansen, who had a good relationship with both sides, talked about a reunion with Helloween. For Kiske this was not an option at first, but then he tried the “Pumpkins United Tour”.

the rest was still the futuremusicAs Kiske revealed: “My first motivation at the time was really just that I wanted to make peace first. It was important to me, but neither of us thought much about the future. Then came the seizure.” And we worked out contracts. , which expired at the end of the concerts. So you weren’t bound by anything, you could go your way without tension. But I wanted to participate, I wanted to bring peace And didn’t want to die of this indignation.”

but after concertThen someone wondered how it would go and all the musicians would be interested in a new album in this formation. And there was no trace of Zoff, traveling ego or top dog behavior in the new album. “The bands all have strong personalities, everyone has their own mind. Everyone says what he thinks. But he’s usually always creative, made sense in terms of material and always really sensible It’s an exchange.” And in the late 80s this would not have been possible.

“Convinced” about the future

But what’s next for one of the most influential and successful metal bands in Europe? Will this project stay with just one album featuring characters or can the headbangers expect new fodder out there?

quite possible! Kiske: “If things are going as they were before, there’s no need to stop. We’ve got to get along so well. It’s got to be fun. And that’s when you can play such big concerts like we present.” And if it’s going great and it’s so much fun, why stop? It’s a lot to do with how long it’s been like this. But believe me!”