Even with the sudden thrash surge that was taking over the metal underground in the mid to late eighties, Helloween didn't hop onto the bandwagon, at least not the way that other German acts were at the time. When the band released their debut full-length "Walls of Jericho," there were a few other up and coming bands in Germany by the names of Sodom, Kreator and Destruction, all of which released their ruthless music in one form or another around the same period, but instead of releasing a record full of vicious riffs and ugly vocals, Kai Hansen and company delivered the best record that Helloween has ever put their logo stamp on, and it had none of the aggressive assets that made those future-legends stand out. Sure, the music on here is faster than anything the band would ever release again, but I'd hardly call it aggressive or barbaric, especially with all of the melodies and solos that make up a significant portion of the music.
After releasing the five-song self-titled EP several months earlier, Helloween unleashed their debut full-length "Walls of Jericho" which could only be described as Europe's answer to American classics that were released a year earlier such as Omen's "Battle Cry" or Jag Panzer's "Ample Destruction." The Germans had the speed, riffs, melodies, solos and everything else that goes into making a top-notch '80s speed/power metal record. But most importantly, they knew how to write songs that didn't get boring or tread upon a repetitive path that would bore the listener. There's a great mix of faster riffage that was undeniably influenced by bands like Venom, Metallica and Slayer, midpaced riffs made to get your headbanging and plenty of phenomenal solos and melodies that provided even more reasons to fall in love with the music. Kai Hansen's vocals usually draw a pretty split response from Helloween fans, but I have zero complaints about his style or performance on this album. His vocals aren't exactly pretty (like the man who would later take the reins in Michael Kiske), but they fit the music. His high-pitched yells aren't on par with Halford, but they aren't horrible, in fact, they make classic songs like "Ride the Sky" and "How Many Tears" the epic anthems that they are as his vocals mesh with the rest of the music perfectly.
The only complaint about "Walls of Jericho" that I can make is that the band decided to start the album with the best song the band ever wrote in "Ride the Sky," a masterful song full of terrific riffs, an unforgettable chorus and plenty of lead guitar wizardry. Luckily, the rest of the songs on this record are awesome as well. "Reptile" and "Guardians" are both worthy songs and both show off Markus Grosskopf's bass skills, which is just another reason why Helloween kicks so much ass on the debut. "Phantoms of Death" is a bit more epic than the other songs on here as the verse features (what I believe is a) keyboard parts that back Hansen's vocals as well as plenty of amazing solos and melodies throughout, while "Metal Invaders" and "Heavy Metal (Is the Law)" should please all of the speed-freaks who need their dose of fast riffs. This is definitely one of my favorite power metal albums and it's easily one of the best old-school metal albums from Germany. It's a shame that the band would abandon this sound down the line (the next album, actually) to pioneer the typical Euro-power metal (ugh) that's become prevalent today, but I can always come back to this masterpiece and enjoy Helloween in their finest hour.
Highlights
"Ride the Sky"
"Phantoms of Death"
"Gorgar"
Final Rating
Masterpiece [9.2/10]
