HELLOWEEN's MICHAEL KISKE Praises ANDI DERIS's Songwriting Skills, Says Band Has 'Great' Ballad In Can For Next Album

Michael Kiske has revealed that HELLOWEEN has a ballad recorded that was left off the band's new, self-titled album. Calling the Andi Deris-penned track "maybe the best sucker that he has written," the singer made his comments while talking to Eonmusic.

Speaking about the new album, which recently went to No. 1 in HELLOWEEN's native Germany, Kiske said: "We really refused to set ourselves under any kind of pressure as much as we can avoid it, to fulfil any expectations other than trying our best to make the best songs. It makes no sense when you try and write in a certain direction. I don't even think anyone can do that; you have ideas for songs that you work out, and then they are what they are. The album is what it sounds like at the moment when the seven of us make an album, and we are all very happy about how it gets received."

Talking about the reaction to the set which features his first HELLOWEEN album in 28 years, Michael continued: "It's global, the reaction. I didn't hear anything negative, and that's amazing. I don't even remember that we've ever had such a positive response. People are tired of the pandemic, and they've waited for something like this to happen for a long time. This combination makes people being so excited and positive about it, and it's wonderful — it really is."

However, Michael revealed that there was at least one song left over from the recording sessions, a ballad called "Into The Sun", which he believes could have made the album even better.

"I still think we could have used the ballad," he said. "The way they produced it, during the production they changed it so much that in the end he [Andi Deris] didn't like it anymore. They changed the key to a lower key, they used a different kind of instrumentation with a piano and stuff like that. I liked it, but the producers and himself, they were just not so happy with it, so they want to come back next time to the original version and do it the way it was in the beginning. That's the only thing I think the album could use — not killing any songs, just put that extra ballad on there”.

Going on to praise Deris's songwriting ability, he concluded; "'Into The Sun', I think that's the name of it. Great, great song. Really, maybe the best sucker that he has written. He's a great songwriter”.

Read the entire interview on Eonmusic.