Helloween Teases Future Project: Is 'Keeper IV' on the Horizon?

In a thunderous revelation during a recent interview with Brazil's Ibagenscast, Michael Weikath, the axe-slinger for German power metal titans Helloween, confirmed that the band is already casting shadows over their next musical endeavor. The latest offering, "Giants & Monsters," unleashed in August 2025 under the Reigning Phoenix Music banner, has ignited the creative furnace once more. "Yeah, yeah," Weikath affirmed, with a glint of mischief in his eye. "We are thinking about it, even though I won't say anything. There’s going to be a bit of more work going into it, surely. It’s not going to be finished just so. I mean, there's lots of additional handy work necessary, yeah, absolutely. But that's true — there's lots of material, yeah."

As the conversation shifted, Weikath was drawn into the speculation swirling around a potential new chapter in the legendary "Keeper Of The Seven Keys" saga. This epic tale has graced the metal world with two original albums back in the late '80s, followed by a sequel in 2005. When prompted about a rumored "Keeper IV," Weikath chuckled, revealing it stemmed from a light-hearted exchange with frontman Andi Deris. "That would be possible, but even though I don't really think so," he remarked, dismissing the notion with a wave of his hand, as if to clear away the cobwebs of nostalgia.

Digging deeper, Weikath articulated his hesitations about revisiting such a revered narrative: "That would be very repetitive, and I can also imagine it wouldn't do much good on one part of the critical fanhood or whatever. There would be many people going, like, 'Ah, they're out of ideas.'" He made it clear that the weight of expectations could overshadow the band's current creative direction, remarking that a new chapter could lead to accusations of recycling creativity. "The 'Keeper IV' was already the 'United' album," he mused, hinting that their latest works could already be seen as spiritual successors.

In Weikath's eyes, the future of Helloween should embrace fresh titles rather than rehashed classics. "I'd rather come up with new album titles. Otherwise, then you end up with, like, 'Keeper VI', 'Keeper VII', and whatever," he stated, emphasizing the need for originality. "But we can make a poll, and if everybody says, 'Hey, we want a number four,' then that's a different thing. I just don't imagine that that way." Helloween's legacy is rich, but Weikath's vision steers toward uncharted territory.

With "Giants & Monsters" having been mixed at the esteemed Wisseloord Studios, and the band's recent live album, "Live At Budokan," capturing the electric atmosphere of their Tokyo show, Helloween remains a formidable force in the metal landscape. As they prepare to forge ahead, fans are left to ponder: will it be new realms or a return to old ones?