Time of the Oath [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Helloween | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 9, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• ASIN: B00005OW5X
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #484,637 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. We Burn

2. Steel Tormentor

3. Wake Up the Mountain

4. Power

5. Forever and One (Neverland)

6. Before the War

7. A Million to One

8. Anything My Mama Don't Like

9. Kings Will Be Kings

10. Mission Motherland

11. If I Knew

12. The Time of the Oath

Editorial Reviews

Japanese pressing of the new CD from the veteran German metal act adds 'Still I Don't Know' & 'Take It To The Limit'as bonus tracks. The initial pressig also includes five color stickers. Album was recorded by members of Unchanged, who also did their previous album 'Masters of The Rings'. 12 TRACKS --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great album - remastered, January 2, 2008

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Time of the Oath (Exp) (Audio CD)

Helloween had made a good effort at redeeming their legacy (built with The Keeper of the Seven Keys albums and then squandered with the disastrous Pink Bubbles Go Ape and Chameleon) with their 1994 album Master of the Rings, but they still had a lot to prove with their 1996 follow-up The Time of the Oath. Fortunately the band was more than up to the task.

As much as I enjoyed Master of the Rings, The Time of the Oath is even better. It helps that this is without a doubt a fist in the air, headbanging,100% METAL album. Maybe the continued presence of new vocalist Andi Deris (ex-Pink Cream 69) gave the band a new outlook, or just a chance to start over, but Helloween took the opportunity to bring back the galloping leads, anthemic choruses, and powerful melodies that so defined their early sound (and pretty much created the power metal genre). It worked when they were a hungry young band in the 80's, and it worked again with the older, wiser band in the 90's. The higher production values the era had to offer made a difference as well.

The Time of the Oath is a remarkably strong melodic power metal album, and a worthy addition to the Helloween legacy. Songs like "Steel Tormentor," "We Burn," "Mission Motherland" and the title track all stand out as some of the album's best offerings, though there really isn't a weak moment on the entire album (though the song "Anything My Mama Don't Like" seems better suited to Deris's former band than Helloween). The band is extremely strong musically, and became stronger in terms of vocals and songwriting with the addition of Andi Deris. Between this album and Better than Raw, Andi Deris really established himself as the definitive Helloween vocalist.

Edition Notes: Sanctuary finally got around to remastering the Helloween catalog in 2006, and they certainly did it right. In addition to digitally remastered sound, the reissued version of The Time of the Oath serves up an entire second disc full of bonus tracks, all of them studio songs including a fantastic cover of the Judas Priest classic "Electric Eye." This is a great assortment of b-sides that absolutely fit the character of the regular album. You also get expanded liner notes, photos, etc. plus a nifty slipcase for the disc. This is what a remastered version of a great album is supposed to look and sound like. If you already own The Time of the Oath, it's time to replace your old version!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cool Concept focused around Nostradamus, June 13, 2006

By 

Concerned One "Thrashfan" (IA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Time of the Oath (Exp) (Audio CD)

This album was brought out my second year in college, and it is what inspired me to truely start collecting Helloween albums. This was the first hints of what darkness helloween could brew up if they put their mind to it. Somewhat darker, and more grinding loud than previous albums, Oath stormed into stores with blistering tracks like Wake Up The Mountain and, Before the War, and We Burn (the blistering lead off track which sets a killer pace for the rest of the album). This album screams see us live, we'll blow the roof off the house (see High Live).

Now as for the 2006 Edition, This is excellent to have, cause the bonus track are very well put together and a necessary to any collection. Still I Don't Know has an awsome intro, and Take it To the Limit has a cool sound all of it's own (great melody). And of course, electric eye, yes, priest re-done well, a fitting tribute. All of the other tracks are just incredible as well, adding basically a new album to one that was already excellent. I already own two version of this Particular album (CD and Cassette), and I still felt the need to buy this re-master, because the bonus disc is worth it. Also the new album/liner notes continue the biography/interviews of the other re-masters. Money well spent.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time of the Oath, August 1, 2005

By 

TCHR73 "TAJ" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time of the Oath (Audio CD)

Running solidly in the vein of the Keeper tradition, Time of the Oath is a very dark, heavy, and fast album set around the premise of the end of mankind (cheery, huh?). From the blazing opener We Burn to the closing title track Time of the Oath, this CD delivers throughout. Some listeners might be startled by the tracks Forever and One, If I Knew, and Anything My Mamma Don't Like, but these fillers are backed by strong tunes like the thunderous Steel Tormentor, the lively Power, the blistering Before the War, the galloping Kings Will be Kings, and the epic Mission Motherland. This is another great album from some truly great musicians. Definitely a Keeper!