The Time of the Oath

The Time of the Oath is the seventh studio album by German power metal band Helloween, released in 1996.[2][3] The album is dedicated to the memory of former drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, who committed suicide the previous year.

The Time of the Oath
Studio album by
Helloween
Released1 March 1996 (Japan)
5 March 1996 (USA)
11 March 1996 (UK)
Recorded1995 at Chateau du Pape, Hamburg, Germany
GenrePower metal
Length1:01:29 (w/o bonus tracks)
1:31:45 (w/ bonus tracks)
LabelVictor Entertainment
Castle Communications
Raw Power
ProducerTommy Hansen
Helloween chronology
Master of the Rings
(1994)		 The Time of the Oath
(1996)		 High Live
(1996)
Singles from The Time of the Oath
  1. "Power"
    Released: 16 January 1996
  2. "The Time of the Oath"
    Released: 2 May 1996
  3. "Forever and One (Neverland)"
    Released: 4 September 1996
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

Album description

The Time of the Oath is a concept album. According to Andi Deris, it is based on the prophecies of Nostradamus, referring to the prophecies made for the years 1994 to 2000. Nostradamus' interpreters believe that he predicted a third World War followed by a millennium of peace if humans made the right choices. The album is meant to reflect the choices of humanity. The Keeper that appears on this album, having returned from the first two Keeper of the Seven Keys albums and later to return on the third, could represent God, or the stupidity of humanity in the form of the seventh trooper in the song "Before the War."[4] Instead of a space scene as on the cover of Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1, the area under the Keeper's hood is filled with stars and a line of golden rings, in the fashion of Master of the Rings' artwork. The track "The Time of the Oath" reflects on Act V of Faust Part Two, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Andi Deris plays the part of Mephistopheles, reclaiming the soul of doctor Faust, whereas the Choir of the Orchestra "Johann Sebastian Bach", Hamburg, (conducted by Axel Bergstedt) sings the Dies irae from the traditional requiem, representing the angels rescuing Faust's lost soul.

The album contains three singles: "Power", "The Time of the Oath", and "Forever And One (Neverland)". The latter has a different track listing for the German release, which is titled "Forever And One Live".

It was the first Helloween album where all five band members got a songwriting credit.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."We Burn"Andi Deris3:04
2."Steel Tormentor"Michael Weikath, Deris5:40
3."Wake Up the Mountain"Uli Kusch, Deris5:01
4."Power"Weikath3:28
5."Forever and One (Neverland)"Deris3:54
6."Before the War"Deris4:33
7."A Million to One"Kusch, Deris5:11
8."Anything My Mama Don't Like"Deris, Kusch3:46
9."Kings Will Be Kings"Weikath5:09
10."Mission Motherland"Weikath, Helloween9:00
11."If I Knew"Weikath5:30
12."The Time of the Oath"Roland Grapow, Deris6:58
Japanese Version Bonus Tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Still I Don't Know"Deris, Markus Grosskopf4:13
14."Take It to the Limit"Deris, Kusch4:04
Expanded Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Still I Don't Know"Deris, Grosskopf4:13
2."Take It to the Limit"Deris, Kusch4:04
3."Electric Eye" (Judas Priest Cover)Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford, K. K. Downing4:06
4."Magnetic Fields" (Jean Michel Jarre cover)Jean Michel Jarre3:41
5."Rain" (Status Quo cover)Rick Parfitt4:33
6."Walk Your Way"Grosskopf4:56
7."Light in the Sky"Deris2:35
8."Time Goes By"Deris2:24
  • M - 3,4 also appears on The Time of the Oath single.
  • M - 5,6 also appears on the Power single.
  • M - 7,8 also appears on the Forever And One single.

Personnel
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References
  1. The Time of the Oath at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  2. "The Time of the Oath". Encyclopaedia Metallum. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  3. "Helloween – The Time Of The Oath (tracklist and versions)". Discogs. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
  4. "Andreas Deris speaks about The Time Of The Oath". Archived from the original on July 19, 2010.
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