Place Vendome

It's not your typical metal release, but anyone that has read an interview with Michael Kiske in the last ten years shouldn't be surprised to hear that. The voice of Helloween's groundbreaking Keeper of the Seven Keys walked away from the metal scene years ago and never looked back. Well, he does look back every now and then, but my guess is it's mostly for the money. Regardless though, he can still sing and when you surround him with great musicians and let Dennis Ward handle the production, how bad can it be, right? Well, it's not what it could be ... What in a perfect world it SHOULD be, but there are some nice moments. Definitely something you have to be in the mood for and go into with an open mind, but it is well done for what it is ... which, I guess, is sort of a mostly laid back, etheral, sort of rock cd. It's a nice one for the collection, but if you're hoping to hear Michael rip it up like the old days, consider yourself warned. --Scott