Time of The Oath (1996)
This album a a bit heavier and a lot darker then its predecessor, Master Of The Rings. A concept album about the predictions of Michel Nostradameus, the album is considered one of, if not Helloween’s best album. However it is surely one of their best and a classic to be sure. The songwriting by the band fantastic. Many fans consider this album as the peak period for the current lineup at the time, even though Better Than Raw is the best in my opinion. Uli Kusch came into the mix and wrote a few songs, however his best songwriting is yet to come with Helloween. The band upped the heaviness on this record, bringing plenty of speedy, crunchy rockers to the table, and throwing in heaping amounts of their trademark dual guitar magic. While the vocals of Deris sound especially strong throughout The Time of the Oath, it’s the shredding yet tasty solo work of both Michael Weikath and Roland Grapow who steal the show here. With a return to the type of six-string arrangements that were so prevalent on the classic Keeper of the Seven Keys albums, as well as their Walls of Jericho release, the two axe-slingers are on the top of their game here. Tracks like “We Burn”, “Steel Tormentor”, “Wake Up the Mountain”, and “Power” feature plenty of speedy riffs and melodic solos, in many cases the two guitarists weaving blazing neo-classical runs around each other in dramatic fashion.
Deris shows his emotional side on the heart tugging ballad “Forever and One (Neverland)”, a real “raise your lighter” arena rock tune, while he shows that he can certainly handle the furious power metal burners like “Before the War” and “Kings Will Be Kings”, complete with plenty of nimble drum work from Kusch. Prog fans will love the epic “Mission Motherland”, a song that really packs a punch, with plenty of raging riffs, keyboards, and complex arrangements. The title track is a change of pace for the band, more of a doomy vibe that what we are used to hearing from the band, plus a little touch of Rainbow Rising type medieval metal. For pure catchy metal with a great hook, check out the chugging “A Million to One”, with Deris throwing in a great vocal that drives the song to anthem status.
The track “The Time of the Oath” reflects on Act V of Faust Part Two, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Andi Deris plays the part of Mephistopheles, reclaiming the soul of doctor Faust, whereas the “Johann Sebastian Bach” children’s chorus (conducted by Axel Bergstedt) sings the Dies irae from the traditional requiem, representing the angels rescuing Faust’s lost soul. Japanese version contains two bonus tracks. “Still I Don’t Know” and “Take It To The Limit”. These two tracks are ONLY found on the first pressing for the Japanese version of “Time Of The Oath”. They’re not on any singles or on any other versions of the album. The UK version has a special edition that has a cool slipcase and poster in it.
Tracklist:
1. We Burn (Deris) 3:04
2. Steel Tormentor (Weikath/Deris) 5:40
3. Wake Up The Mountain (Kusch/Deris) 5:01
4. Power (Weikath) 3:28
5. Forever And One (Neverland) (Deris) 3:54
6. Before The War (Deris) 4:33
7. A Million To One (Kusch/Deris) 5:11
8. Anything My Mama Don’t Like (Deris/Kusch) 3:56
9. Kings Will Be Kings (Weikath) 5:09
10. Mission Motherland (Weikath/Helloween) 9:00
11. If I Knew (Weikath) 5:30
12. The Time Of The Oath (Grapow/Deris) 6:58
13. Still I Don’t Know (Grosskopf/Deris) 4:11
14. Take It To The Limit (Kusch/Deris) 4:04
Total Running Time: 70:09
Recorded 1995 and mixed at Chateau du Pape, Hamburg
Mastered by Ian Cooper at Metropolis, London, England
Produced by Helloween and Tommy Hansen
Mixed by Tommy Hansen
Andi Deris (vocals)
Michael Weikath (guitars)
Roland Grapow (guitars)
Markus Grosskopf (bass)
Uli Kusch (drums)
