Helloween -Sweet Seductions (3cd+1dvd) Japanese Only release - review/ulasan/photos...

Salam and Hello to everyone. As usual a short review/ulasan and photos show-off for those who wants to see the packaging in English and then in Bahasa Melayu Malay Language.

The photos will be to the end of the post.

Helloween's Sweet Seduction boxset total 4 discs (3cd + 1dvd) released only for the Japan market on 1st November 2017 and I got it on the exact day as they mailed it out much earlier.

It was reported that the selection of the songs for the 3 cds are voted by Helloween Japanese fans.

The cutesy Obi Strip for this release.

So below photo you get two seperate booklets, 
one are informations and colour artworks in English,
the other one is a black and white for the Japanese stories and lyrics.

So you got fast songs, slow songs, mid tempo songs, exciting songs and boring songs packaged in a simply Pretty box with Cute booklets and inlets like only the Japanese knows how to do it.

I like the Kai Hansen / Michael Kiske era albums but when it comes to Andi Deris era its hit and misses.

Some albums of Andi Deris era I do not really like and have no interest in listening again, but some like Straight to Hell are simply for me one of their best.
Maybe I will revisit some Helloween albums and like them better next time.

Or maybe its just I prefer Helloween when they are making happy music? I dont know.

But if you are a fan of Helloween or constant listener of Helloween, this so called "Japanese fans Best Of Helloween" boxset will please you.

You ask 10 Helloween fans to choose their favourite songs to fill up 3 cds, and surely you got 10 completely different selections.
I for one would cramp more Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske singing, and I would definitely drop King For A 1000 Years and replaced it with Keeper of Seven Keys as the 13 minutes epic to fill up the 3 cds.

So you have 
46 songs on 3 cds and 21 music videos on one dvd.

All songs are only from Helloween's studio albums so the breakdown is 

for  the 3 cds..,
4 songs from Walls Of Jericho

4 songs from Keepers Part 1
5 songs from Keepers Part 2
2 songs from Pink Bubbles 
2 songs from Chameleon

3 songs from Master of the Ring
4 songs from Time Of The Oath
3 songs from Better Than Raw
4 songs from Dark Ride
2 songs from Rabbit
2 songs from Keepers Legacy
2 songs from Gambling with the Devil
2 songs from Seven Sinners
3 songs from Straight out of Hell
2 songs from God Given Right
2 more songs are also from the special edition of God Given Right but never released in Japan before so for the Japanese fans its like a 2 new songs introduction.

Meanwhile ,
The 21 songs that appears on the dvd are video clips that are quite different from the selections of songs on the cds, so you will have songs like Forever and One, and Light The Universe which never appears on the cds.

So basically this is a very well thought out packaged and songs selections for the 4 discs if you like Helloween.

Thats about it, enjoy the packaging of this Japan only Sweet Seductions photos till the end of the post.

All the 4 discs have different artwork....

They even have the Pumpkin United new song promotions in Japanese text...
so this is quite a last minute thing to be included in this packaging...

Songs selection of this release...


Hi Semua, apa khabar...

Apa nak cerita pasal Helloween, korang samada suka atau tak suka...

ni pun apa aku tahu adalah koleksi lagu Helloween dari semua zaman dari Walls Of Jericho sampai God Given Right,
yang khabarnya diundi peminat mereka di Jepun untuk rilisan istimewa Jepun ni.

ada 46 lagu dalam 3 cd, ada 21 lagu dalam sekeping dvd.

Senarai dia tak sama untuk cd dan dvd, jadi memang berbaloi la, banyak lagu berlainan dalam format berlainan, memang seronok.
Cuma aku tahu bila aku nak tengok bahagian dvd dia, mungkin tak tengok terus... aku rip je cd ni letak dalam walkman aku dan dengar masa jalan kaki dan dalam public transport.. 
takde la nak dengar atau nak tengok kat rumah....

Jadi macam aku cakap kat atas kat cakap omputeh tu, satu cd tu lagu2 zaman Kai Hansen nyanyi dan Michael Kiske nyanyi.
lagi 2 cd semua lagu zaman Andi Deris.

Aku ada muslihat sikit zaman Andi Deris, contoh macam lagu "Are You Metal " , aku macam... nak tido siot. Punya la boring..

"Are You Metal?"..  apa siak?  no.. aku kat kerja suka cerita ngan kawan yang minat Depeche Mode, dengar pandangan dia dan analisa dia pasal DM. haha.
So aku konfem tak metal. haha.
Walau aku punya cita2... ialah Depeche Mode headline Hellfest satu malam, dan malam lagi satu Maiden.
Ohh ye, Hellfest tiket dahbis, aku ada yo-yo-oh ingat nak gi lagi pasal gossip kat tenet banyak cakap Maiden akan headline macam 2014, tapi belum announce lagik tapi puaka tiket dah bis... Dulu tak macam ni, sekarang Hellfest makin popular kot dan Hellfest ni kecik...
dalam 45,000 je tak macam Donington aku rasa 100,000 tiket pun dorang boleh jual setiap hari nye event.
Aku suka Hellfest, sapa nak gi backpack tengok festival rock omputeh dengan macam2 band aneka ragam, Hellfest is alright even korang gi sorang. Kul 2 pagi last band korang tak mau camping, korang boleh balik bandar Nantes, siap ada kedai2 halal masih operasi kat bandar tu boleh makan2.. tapi besok nya first band main kul 11 pagi jangan tak bangun..  haha.


Apa pun, raya tahun depan ialah 14 Jun. Bulan puasa start 14 May.
Apa pun... gigih menabung untuk backpacking 2018 Legacy of the Beast Tour, tapi nampaknya tour ni ialah untuk Eropah saje.
Ceritanya Maiden dah tempah studio sama yang rakam BNW dan TBOS bulan feb tahun depan.
Jadi, rasanya akhir tahun depan ialah rilisan album studio mungkin yang terakhir.
Ni semua biasa la gossip dan khabar angin peminat2 tapi kadang2 khabar angin tu possible betul ye tak?
Dan 2011 tahun baru cina dah lama kan?
jadi aku speku 2019 punya tahun baru cina, Maiden main rantau ni.
pasal dorang tentu nak lari dari kesejukkan benua mereka tinggal, so gi la main rock konsert kat Asia ke Australia ke South America hapa ke yang panas sikit, sambil buat duit.
apa pun, 
ni semua angan2 mat jenin je la kan..

tapi lepas album tu seven sinners yang ada Are You Metal kebabai tu, yang keluar lepas tu Straight Out Of Hell, aku mungkin pilih album ni sebagai antara terbaik atau terbaik dalam sejarah Helloween...
Apa aku tahu ni album dorang main kat Indon kot? entah.. aku ada dengar bootlegs rakaman di Jepun masa tour album ni, dashyat giler persembahan dan pilihan lagu2 dalam konsert untuk promote Straight Out Of Hell.

lepas tu keluar paling last tu, yang kulit album gambar salji tu God Given Right , aku dengar sikit kat internet... lagu2 dari album tersebut...
sedap la jugak, tapi malas nak dengar lagi sekali...

Tapi macam aku cakap.. mungkin lain kali dengar balik dan cukupkan korum Helloween aku..

so zaman Andi Deris ni aku ada sikit masalah sikit ada album suka ada langsung switch off,
zaman Kiske, Chameelon pun aku suka...
haha...

ohh yeah.... last Helloween datang main ialah tahun 2005, so aku speku Pumpkin United harapnya beraksi di Singapore/Malaysia ye tak?
Tentu boleh jual tiket kerana semua pun ada, dan lagu2 dalam setlist pun lagu2 pop hits mereka ramai yang suka.

Aku rasa ni koleksi sangat best la...

layan foto lagi.. dan bye...

ParadiseLost -OneSecond 20th Anniversary 2cd, HansenXXXWacken Live, Helloween Japan only Sweet Seductions boxset

Firstly, a happy new year to all Muslims celebrating the new Islamic year of 1439 last Thursday evening.
As usual I will start in English and then in Bahasa Melayu Malay Language. 
Lots of photos as usual, with a bit of review and opinion, plus lots of talk cock.

"Washes of digital sound
that had more in common with Depeche Mode
than Celtic Frost."

says this write up...

I bought this album again!! albeit 20 years gap. LOL!!!
Paradise Lost can play anything.
Though with new album MEDUSA they go back to their traditional death doom, growling, s... l... o....w... style.,  this is from what I hear on the internet, I have not yet bought the cd.
Even much slower than Plague Within before this.

I love this One Second album from last time it came out.
Basically its the best album that neither Depeche Mode or Pet Shop Boys did not make. 
Superb electronicpop songs like Mercy, Lydia, Disappear, One Second, This Cold Life, but do not be mislead about all the comments in the internet and magazines too much, there are still some very nice heavy fast songs here for example Say Just Words and Soul Courageous.
In addition , Blood of Another has this haunting keyboards sound.

Now, I bought it again for the Paradise Lost One Second 20th Anniversary Edition.

Not exactly so much for the remastered version, as I have no problem with the original pressing,
but because of the 2nd CD.

So now I have a official live CD of the concert that supports the One Second album.
SIX SONGS at least from One Second is played live on the 2nd cd in this 20th Anniversary release.
Plus more songs from Draconian Times album to backwards from their early days.., like True Belief, Shadow King etc..

A very nice live album, so its worth the buy for me this anniversary edition.

HANSEN & FRIENDS Thank You Wacken Live.

I bought this double disc (one cd and one dvd), is because there is a few nice live rendition of the Hansen XXX album.
This show was performed before the release of that XXX studio album.

Songs like Born Free and Burning Bridges are as great as any Helloween Classic.
Contract Song is hilarious and very funny, like any funny Helloween song.
The stage banter is comedic.
A very good buy. I dont have time to watch the DVD, as I only rip the music to my player and listen to the songs only when I am walking, waiting or riding on the public buses and trains.

I enjoyed this live album very much. I saw a bit of the dvd footage and its very nice too.

Oooohh The musicians and guest singers are great, the lady singer Clementine sounds and looks good too.
Ooohh and of course Michael Kiske is in the album too...

So if you are a Helloween fan, this is a very very good buy.


Speaking of Helloween..

There is a very very nice JAPAN RELEASE ONLY call Sweet Seduction.

It will be a 4 disc set of 3cd and 1dvd.
It will have few songs songs from each and every Helloween studio albums VOTED BY HELLOWEEN FANS IN JAPAN.
I think all the 3 cds will have a total of 46 songs with two unreleased songs in Japan.
Plus the dvd will have the music videos.

I hope to get my hands on this release. It will come out in November probably to coincide with the
Pumpkin United World Tour.
And I saw this so-called possible setlist of Pumpkin United.
What a dream setlist indeed.

So lets hope Pumpkin United play shows in both Malaysia and Singapore, so I can go two shows.

And if Helloween's PUMPKINS UNITED open for Iron Maiden on Maiden's heavily rumoured and gossip by fans worldwide of 2018 LEGACY of the BEAST tour,
then... I have an even stronger excuse for my what is now seems an annual backpacking adventure to see Iron Maiden play in different places, cities and countries again and again. If i can save up without disrupting my real life responsibilities that is, Lol!!!

Till Next Time, good bye..


SALAM SEMUA DAN SELAMAT MEYAMBUT TAHUN BARU KALENDER ISLAM.

OK, aku cuma cakap sikit je la tapi aku rasa nanti mesti panjang.

Pertama sekali paling atas tu, lagi sekali lepas 20 tahun, aku beli lagi album Paradise Lost One Second.
Memang, ni album memang terkejut beruk waktu tu.. dan akan lagi tambah terkejut beruk dengan beberapa album selepas ini lewat 90an dan awal 2000an.

Macam aku cakap kat atas ni la album paling terbaik yang Depeche Mode mahupun Pet Shop Boys tak keluarkan.
OK pasal PSB lagi happy sikit, memang sesuai lebih kepada DM.
Seperti sapa pernah baca blog ni, band music paling setan untuk aku ialah DM.

DM ialah satu2 nya band yang paling sesuai main kat Festival Hellfest. Main headliner malam.
Tentu seronok kalau Iron Maiden headline satu malam Hellfest atau Donington, dan DM headline lagi satu malam.

Apa pun, khabarnya Hellfest nye tiket dah habis dijual, padahal headliners dan banyak bands belum diumum, 
walau desas desus banyak kat forum Maiden ialah maiden akan headline Hellfest 2018.

Masa aku gi dulu Hellfest, masih boleh dapat tiket selepas Iron Maiden announce akan headline, tapi nampaknya sekarang tiket sold out dulu sebelum diumumkan..
Hellfest sangat best dan memang bands yang beraksi berbagai ragam dari pop rock sampai Tsujder sampai Emperor (dengan drummer Faust) seperti tahun aku pergi..
dengan clash giler2...
waktu Soundgarden main pentas utama, Paradise Lost main pentas kecil dalam khemah besar giler (teka la band mana aku gi tengok main kan? ) haha.
waktu Iron Maiden headline main 2 jam kat pentas utama, Watain main pentas kecil dalam khemah.
Memang giler babi clash2 kat Hellfest.

Aku pernah terfikir nak backpack lagi sekali, kalau Iron Maiden headline la, tapi dengan keadaan sekarang tiket dah sold out sebelum announcement band, aku rasa takkan dapat gi sana lagi la. haha.


OK nak cerita pasal album2 atas tu pun aku dah cakap omputeh, so korang baca yang text omputeh atas je la ...

Hansen and Friends XXX Live In Wacken, aku memang rekemen sapa minat Helloween beli.
Pasal ni memang lagu2 pengaruh style Helloween lama.
Kai Hansen kan..

AKU SANGAT REKEMEN KORANG GI MEMILIKI KEDUA2 PARADISE LOST DAN HANSEN ATAS TU.

Dan... Helloween Sweet Seduction yang atas tu pun, memang dahsyat kan, punya susah nak dapat informasi album ni, tapi ada la dalam internet senarai lagu yang dipilih oleh peminat2 Helloween di Jepun yang undi untuk koleksi giler babi terbaik dari ladang ni..

Aku harap aku memiliki koleksi unik ni, dan kalau ada kat tangan aku, aku cerita la kat sini nanti..

Dan paling last tu, aku jumpa kat satu website Brazil kot? entah betul entah tidak, tapi nampak macam realistik susunan lagu2 yang dijangka merupakan setlist untuk PUMPKIN UNITED.

Sekali je la kan Helloween main di Singapura/Malaysia kan waktu album apa eh, Gambling With The Devil nye tour,
aku takkan lupa Andi Deris cakap dia tengah berpeluh macam babi.
""Sweating Like  A Pig".
wahhh happy days...
Tu la, minat Helloween tapi peluang nak tengok mereka beraksi susah....

Aku rasa sangat terkilan ialah kerana tour Straight Out Of Hell, dorang tak main di Singapore atau KL, ni kerana album tu sangat dahsyat, dan lagu2 setlist untuk tour tersebut sangat dahsyat, dahsyat serupa semua planet di cakerawala tersusun satu barisan...

OK dah tu je...

nak borak banyak sangat nanti dah macam encylopedia lak posting... nanti sambung...

UP THE IRONS dan BELINDA CARLISLE RULES.

music at melody helloween chameleon

I lost touch on Helloween after they play Bukit Larangan Singapore in 24 Feb 2008. It was a fun and happy show with Andi Deris "sweating like a pig", and after complaining of the weather he can still wear that suit which is like the Gambling With The Devil cover.
From the start of the AC/DC intro tape For Those About To Rock, happiness is all around.
After that show I dont really bother about the songs from the next 7 Sinners cd.
Though I do check out a bit of the footage of Helloween's show in Taiwan for that 7 Sinners tour, there was one awesome video recording from the balcony. Happening Taiwan audience.

but then the last month or so, I sampled the three new songs Nabataea, Burning Sun and Another Shot of Life which is already on youtube before the launch of the new album is very nice. I think I listen to Nabatea once a day during the first week then. I really love this Nabataea song time changes.
These 3 songs makes me want to buy the new Helloween Straight Out Of Hell cd, but then I spend my money on another of the Rainbow deluxe 2cd instead haha.

I got an itch to listen to some old Helloween, so I rip my Chameleon cd to the mp3 player and also added a popular bootleg from the Chameleon tour in 1993 called Music At Melody.
Its the 2nd show from the tour, audience taped at Melody Stockholm 15 September 1993.

I like Chameleon, but of course it cannot be compared to the Helloween of the 80s as its totally different in style. By itself Chameleon is a great cd. 12 songs 71 minutes, the only song I dont like is Crazy Cat, the rest of the eleven I do enjoy.
First Time and Giants are still rockers. The inclusive of a short " If youre going to San Francisco dont forget to wear flowers in your hair " melody in Revolution Now is the best. Windmill, In The Night, Music, Longing are slow but pleasant.
Maybe I like it is because I listen to this Chameleon cd maybe once in two years? haha.
If I listen to it more often, surely I am less thrill.
The booklet is nice too, with the cute little cartoon drawings.

OK now......for the Music At Melody. I read somewhere Chameleon tour has lots of problems, I think its cut short, not too popular and then all the band problems and then goodbye Michael Kiske, and also the sad death of Ingo Schwichtenberg.

Check out the songs played.

1. First Time
2. Kids of the Century
3. Crazy Cat
4. When the Sinner
5. Step Out of Hell
6. I Believe
7. Pink Bubbles Go Ape
8. In the Night
(Michael Kiske - rhythm guitar)
9. Your Turn
10. Windmill
11. Giants
12. Music
13. Revolution Now
14. Guitar solo / Oriental Journey
15. Future World
16. The Chance
17. Eagle Fly Free
18. I Don't Wanna Cry No More
19. Dr. Stein

About 19 songs, 109 minutes as the recording of Dr Stein got cut off halfway, maybe the taper runs out of tape or something...But I think its a historic and important recording for Helloween fans even up till now, I think this recording is still going the rounds especially with everyone having internet.
You can hear problems, especially it being 2nd show. Kiske late on some parts, Markus bass problems, starts and stops.
Ooo Iron Maiden was mentioned, seems Helloween had played this place previously with Maiden.
I really like the audience guys surrounding the taper, they were singing and having fun in between songs, even singing Keeper Of The Seven Keys song, but were silent when Helloween were playing. I really like it. Its a good recording.
So, I wonder how the reaction really was that actual night for those expecting some speedier, faster, heavier songs as usually expected with this band.
- 11 songs from Chameleon ( except the ballad Longing )
- 1 song from a Chameleon single Bside
- 4 songs from Pink Bubble Go Ape
- and only 3 songs from the 80s, plus what is definitely a hint of Follow The Sign on the guitar solo.
- and Dr Stein is cut halfway..sigh.
- Also Kiske singing "Give It Away Give It Away" by Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Revolution Now intro.

But I love it, like I say, maybe because I think its been years since I listen to this bootleg.