Helloween
Walls Of Jericho

THE REVIEW

It's 1986 when four guys, after years of hard work, bring forth the most devastating album they have ever produced: that's right, we are facing "Walls Of Jericho" (which also includes the mini-LP "Judas", dating back to 1985), the first album produced by Helloween led by the then very young Kai Hansen.

This record represents the birth of old Power Metal thanks to riffs on the verge of speed, catchy choruses, and a good dose of technique, all without a keyboard. Certainly more raw than the other CDs produced by the pumpkins, the joyful melodies that are imbued in the subsequent "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" Parts I and II are not missing. Also noteworthy is the heavy devotion to NWOBHM, although the personalized sound that the guys from Hamburg will propose in later works is noticeable.
As mentioned before, this is a great CD where you'll find very few dips in quality. It begins with the lightning-fast "Starlight," followed by other splendid songs like the beautiful "Victim Of Fate," the extraordinary "Phantoms Of Death" and "Metal Invaders," and a real anthem like "Heavy Metal (Is The Law)"... But I haven't yet talked about the best track on the album, that bomb of a song, "Ride The Sky," which I think is their best ever, introduced by the medieval trumpet orchestra of the Title Track, it starts with a lightning riff that still gives me goosebumps today, continues with orgasmic bass parts, proceeds with an epic chorus accompanied by terrifying solos to give life to an amazing song.
Perhaps "Reptile" and "Guardian" spoil, along with an almost horrible production, this CD, which however remains of the highest level. This is also noted by the performance of the four pumpkins, starting with Ingo Schwichtenberg (R.I.P.) who does great things on the drums and the great Markus Grosskopf who, between tapping and pleasant phrases, shows off his great technique on the bass. Also worth mentioning is Michael Weikath who does a good job on the guitar along with Kai Hansen, the latter also engaged in vocals (where, however, sometimes he is off-key, although in many points pleasantly marking the sense of roughness already present in the album), who will later be replaced by a certain Michael Kiske, who will contribute to giving a less raw style to the band.

I would like to conclude by saying that in my opinion, this is Helloween's best album, even superior to the two subsequent Keepers, because among the works churned out by the Germans, this is surely the most sincere and direct, which I prefer to the "Oktober Fest" melodies that we will find in their upcoming albums.
A great work that gives life to true Power Metal and marks the birth of the pumpkins' myth.