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 Time of the Oath
Studio album by Helloween
Released	29 February 1996 (Japan) 5 March 1996 (USA) 11 March 1996 (UK)
Recorded	1995 at Chateau du Pape, Hamburg, Germany
Genre	Power metal, heavy metal
Length	61:29 (w/o bonus tracks) 91:45 (w/ bonus tracks)
Label	Victor Entertainment Castle Communications Raw Power
Producer	Tommy Hansen
Helloween chronology
Master of the Rings (1994) The Time of the Oath (1996) High Live (1996)
Singles from The Time of the Oath
"Power" Released: 16 January 1996 "The Time of the Oath" Released: 2 May 1996 "Forever and One (Neverland)" Released: 4 September 1996

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
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 I, 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".

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"We Burn"	Andi Deris	3:04
2.	"Steel Tormentor"	Music: Michael Weikath, Lyrics: Deris	5:40
3.	"Wake Up the Mountain"	Music: Uli Kusch, Lyrics: Deris	5:01
4.	"Power"	Weikath	3:28
5.	"Forever and One (Neverland)"	Deris	3:54
6.	"Before the War"	Deris	4:33
7.	"A Million to One"	Music: Kusch, Lyrics: Deris, Kusch	5:11
8.	"Anything My Mama Don't Like"	Music: Deris, Kusch, Lyrics: Deris	3:46
9.	"Kings Will Be Kings"	Weikath	5:09
10.	"Mission Motherland"	Music: Weikath, Helloween, Lyrics: Weikath	9:00
11.	"If I Knew"	Weikath	5:30
12.	"The Time of the Oath"	Music: Roland Grapow, Lyrics: Deris	6:58
Total length:			61:29

Japanese Version Bonus Tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Still I Don't Know"	Music: Markus Grosskopf, Lyrics: Deris	4:13
14.	"Take It to the Limit"	Music: Kusch, Lyrics: Deris	4:04

Expanded Edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Still I Don't Know"	Music: Grosskopf, Lyrics: Deris	4:13
2.	"Take It to the Limit"	Music: Kusch, Lyrics: Deris	4:04
3.	"Electric Eye" (Judas Priest Cover)	Glenn Tipton, Rob Halford, K. K. Downing	4:06
4.	"Magnetic Fields" (Jean Michel Jarre cover)	Jean Michel Jarre	3:41
5.	"Rain" (Status Quo cover)	Rick Parfitt	4:33
6.	"Walk Your Way"	Grosskopf	4:56
7.	"Light in the Sky"	Deris	2:35
8.	"Time Goes By"	Deris	2:24

• 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

• Andi Deris - vocals
• Michael Weikath - guitar
• Roland Grapow - guitar
• Markus Grosskopf - bass
• Uli Kusch - drums

Charts

Chart (1996)	Peak position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[5]	33
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[6]	14
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[7]	31
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[8]	6
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9]	26
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[10]	30
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[11]	28

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[12]	Gold	100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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.
5. "Austriancharts.at – Helloween – The Time of the Oath" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
6. "Helloween: The Time of the Oath" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
7. "Offiziellecharts.de – Helloween – The Time of the Oath" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
8. Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
9. "Swedishcharts.com – Helloween – The Time of the Oath". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
10. "Swisscharts.com – Helloween – The Time of the Oath". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
11. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
12. "Japanese album certifications – Heloween – The Time of the Oath" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved December 27, 2020. Select 1996年3月 on the drop-down menu