Backed by the impetus of their successful "Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy" world tour which saw the band perform 93 shows in 34 countries around the globe — impressively documented on the double live DVD "Live On 3 Continents" — German metallers Helloween are about to release their twelfth studio album, "Gambling With The Devil". The new offering is scheduled to arrive at the stores on October 23, 2007 (USA), October 26, 2007 (Germany) and October 29, 2007 (rest of Europe) and will see the five musicians — Andi Deris (vocals), Michael Weikath (guitar), Sascha Gerstner (guitar), Markus Großkopf (bass) and Dani Löble (drums) — unleash their full zest and experience. "Some of the numbers were written during the tour. The fans' positive reactions and the great responses to 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy' really inspired us. We were rearing to go," Andi Deris describes the extremely positive atmosphere among the band members, adding: "It's been years since I had so much fun composing."

Under the direction of producer Charlie Bauerfeind, Helloween recorded a total of 16 songs at the Mi Sueno studios in Tenerife. Except for two or three tracks, these new compositions are all included on "Gambling With The Devil", among them the impressive intro, featuring "Crack The Riddle", with Biff Byford (Saxon) as a guest speaker. The focal point of this diverse album is a three-part epos consisting of the chapters "The Bells Of The Seven Hells", "Falling To Pieces" and "I.M.E.", which represent the ambiguous album title that thematically covers all the songs. "At the end of the day, life is a gamble with the devil," Deris explains. The first single release (download only) will be "As Long As I Fall", supported by a video clip which will be shot in Munich at the end of August. The cover artwork was designed by Martin Häusler ("Keeper Of The Seven Keys – The Legacy" and "Live On 3 Continents") again, and the booklet will include a scratch card puzzle, giving fans a chance to win a lucrative prize: a concert ticket for a show during the band's upcoming tour of South America, including flight and accommodation. The album will also be released as a limited-edition digipak in a slipcase with a bonus disc, including two unreleased songs, a video and lots of enhanced material.

The "Hellish Rock" tour of Europe is scheduled to start in mid-November 2007, supported by top act Gamma Ray. Apart from a few festival appearances, this will be the first joint tour by Helloween and Gamma Ray. So here's hoping that Gamma Ray mastermind Kai Hansen, a former Helloween member himself, will join his ex-colleagues in a jam session featuring Helloween classics.