“Skyfall” by Helloween
Helloween’s “Skyfall”, according to the official YouTube description of its music video, is about “an alien landing on earth and a dramatic chase”.
And at times, such as in the chorus, the vocalist takes on the role of said alien, i.e. speaking from the first-person perspective of the character. The same may go for the third verse, where they are apparently being chased, trying to find a spaceship so that it can get back home.
Indeed the narrative of “Skyfall” reads a lot of E.T. (1982) and likeminded movies. Verily the song is quite unorthodox, or rather let’s say that it is not common to hear a metal group drop a seemingly serious song about a visitor from outer space.
I
So how it all breaks down is that the first verse centers on the narrator, a human, “watching the stars falling down from the sky”, “crashing from out of the heavens”. And the implication is that one or more of these objects is actually a spacecraft.
II
So in the second he is speaking to an alien found within, trying to find out where he came from for instance. Additionally the singer is obviously concerned for the creature’s wellbeing, as it is apparently being pursued.
III
Thus in the third verse they are “twisting… turning… running [and] burning” “through Hangar 18”. This “Hangar 18” is apparently where the alien’s spaceship is located.
Moreover the implication is that it’s guarded by some type of governmental figures. Thus the singer and the alien are basically trying to elude said figures and get to the spaceship, so that the alien can fly back home. Truthfully in the case of this passage, it is not made very clear if the singer is portraying the role of the alien or a human who is trying to assist in said cause. But all lyrics considered, the latter is more plausible.
IV
Meanwhile the fourth verse is relatively ambiguous. On the surface it would appear that the vocalist is speaking from the perspective of the alien, who is now on his way home.
But the character for some unspecified reason is relatedly filled with dread. Or going a bit out on a limb, the vocalist can still be narrating from the viewpoint of the human who is now unsettled after learning that aliens do in fact exist, and on top of that they’re being persecuted.
Choruses
But the former idea, of him taking on the role of an alien in the verse, is more reasonable. That is because the choruses imply that it actually crash landed on Earth, i.e. was just passing through but in the process was “attacked, show down and wrecked”.
And those who shot the spacecraft down are likely the same authority figures, i.e. the government if you will, who is now trying to capture the alien. And it seems to be that the title of the song, as used in the outro, points to the alien’s related anguish.
In Conclusion…
So conclusively, we can assert that popular rock bands from Germany are afforded a lot more artistic freedom than, say, their American counterparts.
And we make this assertion based on the fact that you aren’t likely to come across a power-metal band stateside that drops a track that reads like the theme song to a cinematic extraterrestrial thriller, unless maybe the tune is in fact serving such a purpose.
Helloween
Helloween is what is referred to as a power-metal band, that traces their origins back to the days of West Germany. As alluded to they’ve been in the game for a minute, dropping their first EP, “Helloween”, back in 1985. And in between then and the release of this track, they’ve released 15 full-length studio albums, so Skyfall is featured on their 16th. And that project is also entitled Helloween (2021).
The band has proven quite successful, specifically in regards to their homeland and surrounding countries. In fact their most-celebrated album to date, as far as chart showing goes, is the project that preceded this one, 2015’s “My God-Given Right”.
But their best-received album as far as Anglo-America goes was 1988’s “Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part II”. It peaked at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart and barely missed appearing on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at number 108).
Release of “Skyfall”
“Skyfall” is the second single from the aforementioned Helloween. A label called Nuclear Blast issued the song on 2 April 2021, with the album slated to be released in mid-June of the same year. And at the time, Helloween is seven-musicians’ deep.
One of the reasons the group is so large is because it actually features three lead vocalists – Andi Denis, Kai Hansen (who also plays guitar) and Michael Kiske. Then there’s guitarists Sascha Gerstner and Michael Weikath. Then finally the drummer’s name is Daniel Löble and the bassist, Markus Grosskopf.
And just note, Kai Hansen is one of the original members of the group who left back in 1989 but got back down in 2016. And similarly for Michael Kiske who joined Helloween in 1986, left in 1993 and rejoined in 2016.
So Helloween is actually the first album the band has dropped since Hansen and Kiske rejoined.
Recording of “Skyfall”
This project was recorded in Helloween’s home city of Hamburg, at a venue called H.O.M.E. Studios. And it was produced by an American musician, Dennis Ward, alongside a German one, Charlie Bauerfeind.
The album version of “Skyfall” is officially listed at 12 minutes and 11 seconds in length. And the single edition runs at about seven and-a-half minutes.
I can find at least 3 references to 1980s metal bands in this song.
1. Hangar 18 (Megadeth)
2. That guitar riff in the beginning (“Fade to Black” Metallica)
3. “The Dark, the Fear of the Night” (Iron Maiden)
there’s probably more