Helloween Celebrate 40 Years of Power Metal Glory with Two Sold-Out Nights at Sentrum Scene
- Desh Kapur
- 1 minute ago
- 5 min read
Sentrum Scene, Oslo – 5th November 2025
IMAGES KENNETH SPORSHEIM / WORDS THOMAS KIRKEBY
It was a double sell-out for Helloween at Sentrum Scene in Oslo. The German metal legends are currently touring to celebrate their 40th anniversary. When tickets went on sale earlier this year, the first show sold out almost immediately, prompting the addition of a second night — which also sold out in no time. A double dose of German power metal in Oslo, just days after Halloween. Not that the date really matters; every night with Helloween feels like Halloween anyway.
Joining them as special guests were Finnish outfit Beast in Black, a band that perfectly matches both the power and charm of Helloween. I was fairly confident that their disco-metal sound would appeal even to die-hard Helloween fans.
Right on the dot at 7:30 PM, the Finns took the stage with frontman Yannis Papadopoulos leading the charge, launching straight into Power of the Beast. I had never seen them live before, but I’ve been following their music since the debut album in 2017, and their sound grabbed me instantly — probably thanks to my long-standing love for ’80s Italo music, because there’s a definite kinship in their electronic musical backdrops.
Yannis’ voice was simply stunning, effortlessly shifting from gritty metal tones to a soaring falsetto whenever he pleased. One of the first things I noticed was drummer Atte Palokangas, who was clearly having the time of his life behind the kit — all smiles, stick tricks, and boundless energy. For a moment I wondered whether some of the percussion was coming from the backing tracks, but no — it was all him. And judging by the crowd’s reaction, I wasn’t the only one charmed by this joyful, energetic Finnish party of power. The audience was instantly on board, jumping and dancing to their catchy, uplifting disco metal.
Highlights included Die by the Blade, Blood of a Lion and Enter the Behelit. Toward the end of the set, Yannis told us they had spent the previous evening at the arcade bar Tilt, where he’d rediscovered his favourite arcade game — Dance Dance Revolution. Cue an impromptu dance routine to One Night in Tokyo. My personal highlight followed soon after: Blind and Frozen, before they wrapped things up with No Surrender.
I’ve always been a fan of their sound and songwriting, and while the tempo can get a bit samey over a full set, I can’t imagine them leaving any room full of people without new fans. A great start to the evening.
After half an hour of stage changes, it was finally time for the main act. I’ll admit, I was curious — this was my first time seeing Helloween live. Though I followed them briefly in the ’90s, around Master of the Rings (the album where Andi Deris made his debut in 1994), I’ve never been a truly devoted fan. Still, I knew there were plenty of songs I loved, and I was especially eager to see how the band would balance having Kai Hansen, Michael Kiske, and Andi Deris sharing vocal duties.
Any doubts vanished the moment they hit the stage. And while the energy had been strong during Beast in Black’s set, there was no mistaking who the crowd had really come to see. The band entered to Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You — and entertain us they did, right from the first second.
They opened with March of Time, where Deris and Kiske almost seemed to sing more to each other than to the audience. The singalong on the chorus was massive — one of the loudest I’ve heard at Sentrum Scene in years. Then came the epic The King for a 1000 Years, before Deris and Kiske introduced the man who started it all: Kai Hansen.
Kai teased a bit of In the Hall of the Mountain King (fittingly, when in Norway) before tearing into the blistering Future World. The atmosphere was electric. The crowd was ecstatic, the band was clearly loving it, and the mutual energy just kept building.
Hits kept rolling in: This Is Tokyo, We Burn, Twilight of the Gods. Deris, Kiske and Hansen rotated seamlessly — sometimes all three together, sometimes taking the spotlight one by one — and it worked beautifully.
The visuals also deserve a mention. The high-resolution backdrop added a real cinematic dimension to the performance. It’s becoming increasingly common to see big productions use LED screens and animated backdrops, but here it genuinely elevated the experience. The mysterious, cloaked Keeper of the Seven Keys even appeared from time to time, speaking to the audience like a cosmic narrator.
The energy peaked again during Ride the Sky, naturally sung by Hansen, before the band took us Into the Sun from their most recent album, released earlier this autumn.
After that, though, the audience seemed to lose a bit of steam — perhaps they’d burned through too much energy early on. The band never faltered, but songs like Hey Lord, Universe (Gravity for Hearts) and Hell Was Made in Heaven didn’t quite hit the same euphoric heights. A lengthy drum solo from the ferocious Daniel Löble gave everyone a breather — and while drum solos tend to get kind of boring, his speed and precision were genuinely impressive.
Then came I Want Out, always a crowd favourite, before Kiske and Deris returned alone for an acoustic interlude. “The others are having a smoke break,” they joked (or did they?), before delivering a heartfelt In the Middle of a Heartbeat, followed by A Tale That Wasn’t Right, which built beautifully once the full band rejoined.
After A Little Is a Little Too Much, Kai Hansen led a fierce Heavy Metal (Is the Law) before the band closed the main set with Helloween.
Of course, everyone knew that wasn’t quite the end. They returned for a triumphant encore of Eagle Fly Free and Power, with Dr. Stein bringing the crowd exactly the ending they wanted — capped off with a final chorus of The Keeper of the Seven Keys.
And just like that, Oslo’s part of Helloween’s 40th Anniversary Tour came to an end. Two sold-out nights of power, joy, and nostalgia. I doubt anyone left disappointed. Personally, I only wish I’d been a lifelong fan, because those who’ve followed this band for forty years must have felt an even deeper reward. Still, it was inspiring to see a group four decades into their career performing with such fire, chemistry and vocal strength. If you still have a chance to catch them on this anniversary tour — don’t miss it. This is simply too good to skip.
SETLIST:
1/ March of Time
2/ The King for a 1000 Years
3/ Future World
4/ We Burn
5/ This is Tokyo
6/ We Burn
7/ Twilight of the Gods
8/ Ride the Sky
9/ Into the Sun
10/ Hey Lord!
11/ Universe (Gravity for Hearts)
12/ Hell Was Made in Heaven
13/ I Want Out
14/ In the Middle of a Heartbeat
15/ A Tale That Wasn’t Right
16/ A Little Is A Little Too Much
17/ Heavy Metal (Is the Law)
18/ Helloween
Encore:
19/ Eagle Fly Free
20/ Power
21/ Dr. Stein
22/ Keeper of the Seven Keys
FOLLOW HELLOWEEN
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