Raging out of Berlin a couple of decades ago was the band Helloween, a Germanic-thrash cum prog-metal band whose album-titles had many music-critics running for the hills, such was the state of things in the mid-80s. "Walls of Jericho", "Keeper of the Seven Keys" and "Pink Bubbles Go Ape" might cause a few coronaries but the music was normally superior when compared to other similar acts such as Rage and Accept (good though they were). Former members such as guitarist Kai Hansen have all but gone, although Michael Weikath and Markus Grosskopf are very much in effect today.

Recent albums have included a revisit to the "..Seven Keys" subtitled "The Legacy" and a collection of rerecorded classics in 2009 entitled "Unharmed", an album that saw the band employ strings and acoustics to celebrate 25 years of Helloween. Admirably, the band has announced a new 2010 set that promises to "hit you right in the face", according to bassist Grosskopf. The title has yet to be confirmed but the release date has been set at October 31st, Halloween. Of course.

The band will play just one UK date (so far) to support the new material - Sunday 5th December at the Kentish Town HMV Forum. Tickets are now on sale, priced at £20 plus fees. There is a likely chance these will shift pretty quickly since Helloween don't often play the UK.