October 2025 Feature Release - The Guardians Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Guardians, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is the 2017 Helloween cover album by German power metal band Masterplan, PumpKings. Since it's Halloween month, this seems like a fitting choice as the album covers songs from founding guitarist Roland Grapow's time with Helloween. Expect some of Helloween's greatest hits from that era, though sadly none of the classics before then.

https://metal.academy/releases/7683

I've done my review, here's it's summary:

Re-recording albums can cause some mixed reactions from a band/artist's fanbase. Some enjoy the idea of earlier songs getting a more modern production, while others prefer just hearing new songs. Sadly, we live in a world where people can easily judge something before giving it a try. One other suspicious thing was the timing; at the same time as this release was announced, his former band Helloween embarked on the Pumpkins United tour that saw the return of Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske, but not Roland Grapow. Turns out it was a big coincidence, since Roland began working on the project a couple years before that tour. All I'm gonna say is, this album is a great way to revisit some Helloween classics, with Rick Altzi's vocals guiding you through alongside the other members. The songs are mostly from Pink Bubbles Go Ape, Chameleon, and Master of the Rings, plus a few other songs Roland has written in his remaining albums with the band. Those remaining songs from The Time of the Oath and The Dark Ride have the epic heaviness that would shape up some of Masterplan's more well-known material. The more rock-ish songs are given a heavier treatment. The quirky songs aren't the best but still fun. We should also be grateful for Masterplan's existence that would continue the darker heavier sound he wanted to make since The Dark Ride. PumpKings is for fans of Helloween and/or Masterplan, better if it suits what you really like....

4/5

Recommended tracks (one song per original album): "Mankind", "Still We Go", "The Time of the Oath", "Music", "The Dark Ride"

For fans of: Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius