Review HELLOWEEN “Live at Budokan”

German metal heavyweights Helloween played a show in Japan in September 2023 as part of their “United Forces 2022-2023” tour. The show at the legendary Budokan in Tokyo was recorded and will be the basis for the new live album of the metal kings. The album, “Live at Budokan”, will be released in different formats, from vinyl to Blu-Ray and DVD.

As expected, the album comes with a massive sound. Three guitars and three singers, together with Helloween veteran Michael Grosskopf on bass and Dani Loeble (drums) provide a very dense and powerful sound that resonates in each of the 15 songs on the album.

Helloween covers all eras of the band’s impressive history. It begins with a new song. “Skyfall” is taken from the “Helloween” album, which contributed a total of three songs. Besides “Skyfall” the fans could also enjoy live versions of “Best Time” and “Mass Pollution”.

From new we take a big step back in time as there is a medley in the middle of the set that takes everyone back to the roots of the Hamburg powerhouse. “Kai’s Medely” is the title of a 16-minute summary of the very early days. “Metal Invaders”, “Victim of Fate”, “Gorgar”, “Ride the Sky” and “Heavy Metal” are highlights when it comes to heavy metal from Germany and the medley with Kai Hansen on vocals will remind everyone of their own youth. The raw and untamed spirit of these songs is still infectious and a highlight of the album.

Since Helloween has a lot of timeless classics in their portfolio, things stay exciting with songs like “Dr. Stein” and “Save Us” from the “Keeper…” days. As a symbol for the harmony in the band, Michael Kiske and Andi Deris share the vocals on “Dr. Stein” and the same goes for “How Many Tears” before we enter the Deris era with “Perfect Gentleman” from the “Master of the Rings” album.

The highlight of every Helloween show is without a doubt the popular “Keeper of the Seven Keys”. At least for me this song is very special as I still remember the great feeling of holding the vinyl version of this album in my hands when I was a kid in 1988. The magic of that record and its title track is still alive, and this 20-minute version gives you goose bumps, especially when the chanting fans take over.

“Live at Budokan” isn’t Helloween’s first live release, but it’s the first one that includes new songs. As we’re used to from the six-piece from Germany, the sound is great. It’s a lot of fun to listen to the album and even better to watch the show. Helloween hasn’t lost any of its importance and magic. On the contrary, the guys are still riding the all-time high wave and fortunately there is no end in sight.