German power metal legends Helloween stormed into London’s Eventim Apollo for their 40th anniversary tour and left no doubt that they’re still the kings of the genre they built. This wasn’t a nostalgia act cashing in. This was a masterclass. Forty years on, they sound sharper, heavier, and hungrier than ever.
They opened with March of Time, an instant declaration that this night wasn’t about pacing. The King for a 1000 Years and Future World followed, pulling the crowd into a full-scale sing-along before This Is Tokyo lit the place up with a modern edge. From there, it was an onslaught: We Burn, Twilight of the Gods, and Ride the Sky hit like a freight train. Every riff landed with intent, every chorus bigger than the last.
The new material from Giants & Monsters stood tall next to the classics. Into the Sun, Universe (Gravity for Hearts), and A Little Is a Little Too Much proved Helloween aren’t stuck in the past. These songs sound massive live, full of that trademark mix of melody and muscle that nobody else has managed to replicate.
The pit was chaos from the start. The room was packed to the gills, a sea of denim, patches, and raised fists. Three vocalists should be a recipe for ego, but Michael Kiske, Andi Deris, and Kai Hansen work in perfect balance. Kiske still soars, Deris adds grit, and Hansen brings that wild, raw spark that started it all. Together they form something close to magic.
Then came I Want Out. The crowd lost it. For me, that one hit deep. I learned to play bass by obsessing over the Keeper of the Seven Keys albums. The first song I ever nailed was I Want Out, sitting in my room chasing that galloping line. Hearing it now, decades later, with thousands of voices screaming the chorus back, was the kind of moment that punches you right in the gut.
The acoustic section gave everyone a chance to breathe. Pink Bubbles Go Ape, In the Middle of a Heartbeat, and A Tale That Wasn’t Right were stripped back but still hit hard. Then came the knockout encore: Power, Heavy Metal (Is the Law), Halloween, Eagle Fly Free, A Little Is a Little Too Much, and Dr. Stein. Each one a reminder that this band doesn’t have an off switch.
Standing there with thousands of voices rising on Eagle Fly Free, it hit me how few bands ever get to sound this good, this far in. Helloween never lost the plot. They just kept writing new chapters.
