Morgana Lefay - Past, Present, Future (1995)

You will probably notice I have a lot of 1995/96 albums. This was because I now had my own disposible income. Not much, for sure, but since I was still living at home and not paying board - it allowed me to expand my collection. It is also about the time when I started buying mainly cds instead of cassette tapes.

Morgana Lefay began in Sweden as "Damage" but renamed themselves after the sorceress from King Arthur. Their sound is thrash style music - heavy, slowish rifts, but the guitars and vocals are more power with Charles Rytkönen have quite a higher pitched voice, with a somewhat sinister edge. He screams rather well. After self producing their first album, they released four with Black Mark, before dumping Black Mark and the "Morgana" and switching to Noise under Lefay. Presumerably this change was to enable them to break the contract.

This is a very attractive album, and comes with a poster. Due to a rather significant design flaw - the poster will not fit inside the CD cover and has to be stored separately. It contains the cover illustration on one side - an hourglass crackling with electric energy and covered in either spiderwebs or a finely woven silk. This is actually a "zoomed in" image from the cover of "Secret Doctrine", plus the lyrics to two of the "brandnew" tracks, and on the reverse is a bunch of band photographs, and their previous CD covers. I have three of their previous albums, but these were acquired much, much later.

One of the brandnew tracks, "Sculptures of Pain" is a powerful piece with desperation in the vocals and heavy rhythms.

I love the opening to "Lost Reflections" which is eerie and sinister.

"Locked in the attic, been here so many years, Shanna won't set me free..."

I still wonder who Shanna is. The music playing counterpoint to the snarled vocals is thin, spooky. Until... BOOM, it roars into a dramatic explosion of a guitar solo almost 3/4s of the way into the piece. It appears, being trapped in the attic, has driven the narrator quite insane...
Shanna had better watch out!
This is a cover of a Crimson Glory song.

Another haunting number, "Rumours of Rain" starts slow and sinister. It is taken from the album "Knowing Just As I", becoming increasingly frantic as the song progresses, before fading out to melancholy.

Then we walk the "Alley of the Oaks", take from "The Secret Doctrine". It is a menacing place to meander, filled with dark shadows and sharp teeth hidden in the gloom:

"Was there something behind me? What did move over there?"

"Battle of Evermore" is a melancholic number, starting with aching guitar chords and solemn vocals. It is from "Knowing Just as I". Not to be confused with the Led Zep song by the same name. The angels are at war.

"Angels fighting angels, Heaven is painted red. Crimson rain is falling..."

Another brandnew track, is a fantastic cover of "Voulez Vous" as Morgana Lefay pay tribute to Sweden's most famous band, ABBA. It's a fast-paced number, filled with energy and also rather amusing. I love heavy metal covers of pop songs.

"The Mirror" holds darkness and fear, hidden in ominous lyrics and solid beats. Taken from "The Secret Doctrine".

Aniother slow. melancholic and achingly sorrow-filled song is "Last Rites" - a song about being sent to the gallows. Also from "The Secret Doctrine". Dying alone, his fate is to feed the crows. We never find out his crime, not on this album, anyhow.

A fitting follow up - "Sorrow Calls" or rather, screams. This one is from "Sanctified". It starts slowly - as many of these tracks do, then builds and swells in frenzied desperation.

"Why?" Asks Rytkönen  in this slow, bittersweet number. The vocals are achingly mournful, almost lost. I think this is a song about the dissolving of a relationship. His voice is a little softer here, less raw around the edges, melodic and melancholic. From "Sanctified".

We conclude with another brandnew track - "Symphony of the Damned" an extravagant almost 10-minute track tinted with a range of bitterness, anger, desperation and despair - all of which Rytkönen's voice does very well. I cannot imagine him ever sounding truly happy.

This was the first Morgana Lefay album I owned, and in all honesty, probably the only one I really needed. The songs follow a similar structure - slow beginnings, bitter but sweet vocals, building into a heavier eruption of sound and with a strong atmosphere of the slightly sinister, slightly macabre. The lyics are also really interesting and, for the most part, completely audible. It contains two or three tracks from each of their previous albums and four that have not been on anything else, and is a rather nice "snapshot" of their career up to (and including) 1995.

I rate it 7.5/10.

Lake of Tears - Headstones (1995)

I remember the first time I heard this album - I found it a glorious experience. Black Mark were a relatively new label on the scene and suddenly our local stores were carrying four different titles - this and Tad Morose were the two that caught my eye (the others being of a rather less melodious nature). I was going through my goth phase at the time - you know the sort - black clothes, morbid music, gloomy music, writing bad poetry. Actually, the poetry was not too bad at all, but that's beside the point. I was also a poor student, so it was some time before I actually could afford to buy them, but luckily the library had a copy for me to hire and thrash.And thrash it I did!

Lake of Tears are a Swedish band, formed around 1990. In the early days, they had a very heavy, slow doom-gloom-goth sound but this later caught an edge of psychadelia and took some surprising, but wonderful, transformations. I shall share those albums with you later. Around 2000, after four albums, they broke up, then got back together again in 2003 releasing a further two albums. Somewhere in the middle there was "Neonai", recorded to fulfil their contract with Black Mark (and I am grateful that they did). They have just released an album entiteld "Illwill" which is apparently death metal, but I'm listening to House of the Setting Sun on YouTube and it is definitely NOT death metal. Ooooh, it's giving me shivers - in a good way.

If you wish to try Lake of Tears for yourself - they have TWO "Greatest hits" compilations. So, well worth it. Of course, I own all but two of their cds (the first and the last) so I think I'll be okay.

I WILL NOT buy Illwill, I MUST stop buying more cds! I haven't even listened to "Moonlight and Mushrooms" properly yet.

Anyhow, back on track.

This is their second album, and it introduces melody to the hardcore ragged sound of their debut album, "Greater Art". "Headstones" is a brilliant, gloom laden album.  Daniel Brennare's voice is capable of so much more than grunts and growls. It has a melancholic cover - a figure pinned to a tree with ivy, a cemetary in behind. How very gothic. Not much inside but the lyrics.

A shrill guitar squeal leads us into the burgeoning bass and the powerful force that brings us into "A Foreign Road". Brennare's vocals are rich and deep, the sort that brings a shiver to your spine (as has already been noted).

Acoustic guitar brings sweet, sweet melody with the flight of the ravens into "Raven Land". The vocals are rich, haunting, slightly sinister. The overdubbing is used to splendid effect and the music creates stirrings of great monolithic rocks, abandoned towers and black birds, fluttering hither and tither, quarreling or

"... bringing tales of the dead, dead in times before..."

"Dreamdemons" starts with a roar. Heavy chords, whispy keyboards adding an atmosphere of phantasmic mist, twining between the rifts. As usual, Brennare's voice is wonderful.

Slow and deep, "Sweetwater" flows, the liquid vocals gliding between the delicate guitar and in line with the thrumming bass.

The mysterious "Life's but a Dream" is quite probably backmasking. (it is - and here it is). Hrm, looks like there was some truth in the claims of satanic hidden messages.

The tolling of bells and gentle acoustic guitar brings a sense of mourning to "Headstones". What a magnificant, beautiful song. The guitar, Brennare's lovely voice... so gothic and so wonderful. Makes you think of a lonely hill, clad in low trees, a path weaving through them. Birds in the trees (a few ravens, perhaps?). Ah....*

"Twilight" is another moody, atmospheric piece.The keyborad solo is a nice touch.

The fury of "Burn Fire Burn" erupts with power. It is one of my least favourite pieces from this album.

Oh, but the glory that is "The Path of the Gods (Upon the Highest Mountain, part 2)"! It begins with flute, and Brennare speaking in his oh-so-wonderful Swedish accent. After this introduction, it slides into the heavy bass that characterises this album. I've never heard part 1, which I assume is on "Greater Art". I also really, really love the line:

"Seek the openings in sanguine painted clouds..."

"Sanguine" is such a wonderful world - and one of my favourite colours too. No, not blood! In colouring pencils, you sicko-phant! Evocative language, the shadowing of female vocals, the chug-chug-chug of the bass... It all combines for a wonderful aural experience. The keyboards accentuate it. I love the "stars" bit. I can almost imagine Brennare snatching them from the sky, and handing them to me, having them flicker away like tiny fireflies or luminscent hummingbirds.

A magnificant album - one of the finest and most evocative and emotional Gothic Doom albums I have ever been privileged to hear and own. It is masterfully crafted and truly touches my spirit. I have to say, whilst their later albums have lost a little of the charm - the first four LoT albums are amongst the finest in my collection.

My rating = 8/10 (and that's only because some of the others are EVEN BETTER, believe it or not).

I urge you, if you haven't heard Lake of Tears and you love atmospheric metal with sexy, baritone vocals you should buy these two albums NOW:

Greatest Tears vol I: This one seems to contain the heavier, more doomy songs
Greatest Tears vol II: This one has more of the psychadelic, progressive stuff

Or, just do what I did and BUY THEM ALL! (well, except the first and the last).

I am going to focus on Black Mark and, whilst still staying with the alphabet, give their CDs priority, where I own them.

* If you think this music is evocative, you should try "Forever Autumn" which is superlative - but I'm going to listen to my LoT CDs in chronological order, I'm afraid - not that you need worry, because they're all brilliant.
 

Johnny Cash - The Best of (1991)

I have had to backtrack to J, remembering that I have this CD - which may seem a bit out of place in my collection - for although Johnny Cash did some awesome stuff - like a cover of  Nine Inch Nails (that was better than the original) - this one is very much old school and very much country. It is one of two country CDs in my collection (regretfully, I do not have any Handsome Family).

This was a spur-of-the-moment, impulse purchase of a bargain CD, acquired entirely because of the first track. The album may have been released in 1991, but most of the songs are from the 60s, marking this as the oldest music in my collection. The recordings are the original ones, which means the sound quality is not great (it actually contains a warning fro the CD store that the disc surface isn't perfect but it should play fine).

"Ring of Fire" which is an awesome track and best played loud - from the distinct opening horns and into the chorus. Cash's baritone voice is magnificant, and portrays emotion very well. This is a song about falling in love, despite the ominous title.

"A Boy Named Sue" follows it up, with its ridiculous (funny) lyrics and as it is performed live - you can hear the laughter in his voice and the cheers of the crowd. The lyrics are rather violent though. Vocals and guitar, rollicking rhythm.

And then we have a song about drinking too much - "Sunday Morning Coming Down". He had such a wonderful voice, so deep that it is like a force of nature and laden with emotion. The music helps here too.Quite a melancholic song. Also live, but the audience are well behaved.

In fact, much of this album seems to be live. I guess that was the way things were recorded in those days?

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a goodly paced country song, one of those rockabilly numbers that isn't too depressing - although it does have some rather violent lyrics too:

"I shot a man in Reno, just to see him die..."

Another one that is familar - "I Walk the Line". Great vocals, supporting by a chug-chug-chug of guitar.

"I admit that I'm a fool for you, because you're mine - I walk the line"

Another love song, I'm guessing, and of course, the song the movie was named after. I have not seen the movie - maybe I should? The lyrics are actually quite romantic.

Back into the rock-inspired country "Ballad of a Teenage Queen". This is a true "Ballad" - that is to say - an actual story - about a girl who falls in love with the boy next door then leaves him to become famous. But don't worry, she comes back to the boy next door.

Ah, the old songs had lyrics that were actual narratives and that you could hear the words to.

"Guess Things Happen That Way" contains some elements of  acapella, although it also has guitar.

"The Way of a Woman in Love" is another country-ish number, as is "Get Rhythm". Both have a hint of rock n roll to them, however.

"That Old Wheel" is another rollicking song,

A more heart-felt number - "The Long Black Veil" has harmonica, and encompases the feel of the wild open spaces, the great plains of the US of A. Had I made a soundtrack for our US adventure, this would have been a perfect addition.

This is something of an anamoly in my CD collection, and I'm pretty sure this isn't the true Best of Johnny Cash - or at least, it doesn't include anything created in like the last 30 or so years, It certainly would not be my choice of Johnny Cash CD had I set out to actually buy one - the songs are decent, and display his fine vocals, but aside from "Ring of Fire" and "Walk the Line" (and maybe "Boy named Sue") none of the songs have lasted through to the modern day. If I was to actually say "I am going to buy a Johnny Cash CD" it would definitely have had "Hurt" on it. God, that's a beautiful rendtion - better than the original (which is saying a lot - because I really love the original too).

Please understand that I respect Johnny Cash, and admire his wonderful voice, his creativity and originality, but that for the quality (which is poor), the relative obscurity of most of these songs (at least to someone who was not born when they were released) this particular album by Johnny Cash is only going to get a 5/10 from me.

Michael Kiske - Instant Clarity (1996)

Michael Kiske departed ways with Helloween on not-so-pleasant terms in 1993. Also given his marching orders was Ingo Schwichtenberg. Kiske fared rather better than poor Ingo (who died shortly afterwards) and has gone on to have an extremely involved solo career - both producing his own solo albums, performing in Tobias Sammet's Avantasia project, guest staring on Gamma Ray cds and now joining up with Kai Hansen again in a band called Unisonic (I just bought that album, my third purchase this year - this CD buying must. end. now.)

This was his first solo album and I pounced on it and ripped into it. And yes, I admit, I was disappointed. Whilst Kiske's voice is as splendid as ever, the music stylings are not as heavy nor as sophisticated as those of Helloween - even the Chameleon years. It does have some really good tracks on it, but it's all a bit hoo-hum, middle of the road. I'd love to have seen more experimentation - like what happened in "Chameleon" and Helloween did later with "Unarmed".

Kiske is an accomplished singer - he possesses an almost 4-octave vocal range - according to wikipedia, and I gather this is note-worthy - it means he can do the higher pitched notes (and hold them for some time) and also the low baritone. Not to mention his clean, polished edge, like golden honey - rich, sweet and highly enticing. He also plays piano and guitar. Other guest stars on this album are Kai Hansen and Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden).

Packaging - a very green eye gazes out of the cover, long lashes - probably female. Lightning crackles around a sunset reflection-in-lake scene. Inside - lyrics, pictures of Kiske, looking faintly like he is daydreaming. There's a little comment at the back too, rather snidely directed at the "Remaining rest of Helloween..." This is one case where I am sure there shall not be a reunion tour.

Opening track - "Be True to Yourself" is something definitely worth being - and probably something Kiske feels he is finally doing, now that he is free from Helloween. It's a nice track, with great vocals and simple music stylings. More pop-rock than his earlier stuff. Still pretty catchy, especially in the chorus.

"Don't wanna look back, gotta to start to see the future..."

 "The Calling" starts a bit harder, faster. Again, catchy choruses, nice soaring vocals over those.

A plane soars in for "Somebody Somewhere" which is a gentler number, filled with longing and wondering. Vocals are very emotive.

Another slower number, "Burned Out" is the sort of song you might need to listen to, were you burned out without love. The vocals are, as always, amazing but the music is just that - music to support the vocalist. There is a hint of despair, or perhaps desperation, here. Not a lot, but enough to make you feel as though he were walking alone, along beside a river.

 We pick up the pace in "New Horizons", again the verses climax into the soaring choruses. This is probably one of the heaviest of the songs, with a  full on guitar solo - and it is noted that Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) did play a part in this track.

"Hunted" has a different pace and vibe, a little more anger.

"Always" is a beautiful number. It begins with piano and is probably the most memorable song on the album. This is one that will linger with you. It is dedicated to the memory of Ingo. The emotive vocals will bring a tear to your eye. Play it loud.

Alas, it is followed up by the rather bland "Thanx a Lot". Fast verse, more melodic chorus - this is beginning to get a bit of a similar structure. Some nice chug-chug guitars though. It does slow down a bit towards the end.

Acoustic guitar and vocals characterise "Time's Passing By" which is rather a rock number.

Another angry song, "So Sick" has slightly murky-sounding vocals and abrupt bass. Until, of course, he "sees the light" and Kiske's magical voice takes over.

The final track, "Do I Remember a Life?" is one of my favourites (along with "Always") and is an acoustic and classically rendered masterpiece. Gentle, soothing music that seems to speak along with the vocals. The song rises and climaxes, surging with power and force before descending again into a melody that will linger with you after the disc has finished its spinning.

It is plain to see, that with this album, Kiske wanted to take on a different direction and leave the past - and pain - of Helloween behind him. It is a very nice rock album, with some very good guitar soloing and powerful pieces, but ultimately, one that requires several listenings to to truly appreciate. I do like this album, and I like it rather a lot, but I could never quite pick up the energy to purchase his other solo ones - even the one in which he sings Helloween songs. The follow-up to this one, "Readiness to Sacrifice" has its charms, but I found "Kiske" to be a little bland. Maybe I should have listened to it again, in more depth.

I'm giving this one 7/10.

Tomorrow I'm up to L, and Swedish band Lake of Tears.

Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark (1992)

After selecting randomly the Second Worst Maiden cd that I own (the worst being the one with Blaze Bayley) on the first time through the alphabet, I decided not to rely on chance this time and selected instead one of the first I owned. Since I was 14 when it was released, and had no disposible income, I borrowed this from a friend at school. Well, maybe not quite a friend, but a person that shared my taste in music. Also, it should be noted that when I was in school the internet did not exist and I grew up in a small country town where the one store that rented videos and occasionally sold music always looked at my requests with a raised brow. Incidentally, there was one music store over the hill and not-so-far away from where we lived that we frequented, and even some fifteen years later the proprieter still recognised me (the other store, Everymans, had a higher staff turnover). I guess you could say that my brother and I thrived on music. It was our soul food. To him, it still is, but to me it had lapsed, until this blog has revitalised it.

Anyhow, I since acquired my own, legitimate, copy. It is the 1998 enhanced version, and thus has the videos on it as well. I have also seen Maiden live in concert and that was an AMAZING experience. Better than Nightwish - but only because it was far more theatrical and a much larger venue.

The cover of this album depicts good ol' Eddie (new illustrator, however). Here he is either emerging from a tree or turning into a tree. It's pretty jolly creepy with his gnarled fingers and root-hair and bristly-branch-chin. The booklet is really thick, with lyrics and photographs.

The first two tracks on the album are probably the most commercial. It opens with "Be Quick or Be Dead", a furious rollercoaster ride of a song. The second, "From Here to Eternity" is funnier, and makes you wonder "who's Charlotte?"* It's entertaining, but not exactly deep and meaningful.

"Afraid to Shoot Strangers" is a somewhat mellow number, with melodic chords and a beautiful, haunting beginning.  The vocals dominate, with the music more to create and enhance the atmosphere of wondering. It is another song linked to the Gulf War - from the point of view of a soldier.

The drama continues in "Fear is the Key", one cannot help but feel a certain tension in the brisk chords and chug of the guitars. The lyrics are not exactly positive:

"I remember a time when we used and abused..."

 And Bruce's voice is slightly tortured, and discordancy in the music adds to the mood.

"Childhood's End" is another political song -  the lyrics indicate it is about the children affected by war - starvation,

"... no hope, no life, just pain and fear. No food, no love, just greed is here..."

Their sole power ballad "Wasting Love" is beautiful. I could actually play a few chords of this on the piano (Along with Testament's "Return to Serenity"). I believe it is more about wasting life than love.

A heavier number, "The Fugitive" follows an innocent, caught in the wrong place, wrong time, being hunted down like game. The lyrics are very evocative, and the music matches this. Spectral guitars for mist, faster pace for the running.

"Chains of Misery" has a decidedly sinister edge to it.

With its staccato beat, "The Apparition" is filled with lots of helpful little aphroisms, such as:

"...In a world of delusions, never turn your back on a friend..."

 It's probably one of the most quoteable songs, even if it feels a little contrived.

A bit heavier is "Judas be my Guide". Good bridge, and catchy chorus, but not overly outstanding or memorable.

A lighter-weight piece, "Weekend Warrior" is about the sort of person that becomes someone else on the weekend. I kinda imagine this as being about the sort of person that undertakes pseudo-battles in their freetime. Of course, is a weekend warrior a weakened warrior?

Final track, "Fear of the Dark" is a beautiful, haunting piece which will send genuine shivers down your spine. It is the only song from this album that they perform live (and it is WICKED).

This is probably the most emotive of Maiden's albums. It gets the energetic numbers out of the way in the first two tracks, and then concentrates on making the mood. It has a combination of really good songs - mostly the emotive ballads, and a few blander, rockier numbers. It did not receive particularly good reviews and was the last album with Bruce, but I feel the lower points are far outweighed by the high points.

Rating = 7/10.



* Until you remember "Charlotte the Harlot". There are four songs that make mention to this fictional prostitute - I'm not sure what the other two are - but I'm guessing one is "22 Acacia Avenue".

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys (part one) (1987)

Helloween are my favourite band. And this is one of their best albums.

Of course, to my one loyal reader, you already know of my love for this German band - or at least the way they were back in the late 80s, when they were at their finest. So, you don't really need me to tell you this twice. But it's worth repeating anyway.

It is not, alas, a long album - having only six entire songs and a couple of short bits. But do not let that deter you - for one of the songs IS 13 minutes long. The cover speaks volumes - it shows a hooded, faceless figure, levitating a ball of glowing keys (seven of course) whilst behind him - through an open window, you can see a serene lake, surrounded by mountains. Evocative - it makes you wonder - who is he? What do the keys open? Unforunately, for the answers about the keys, you have to wait for the next album.

This is the first album with the adorable Michael Kiske on vocals, and with Kai Hansen taking most of the guitaring roles, as Michael Weikath had injured his wrist and was unable to perform.

It is a simple single-fold sleeve, but does manage to fit all the lyrics in - although the font is rather small.

Let us begin with our "Initiation" into the glory that is Helloween. Tolling bells; triumphant, swelling guitars. Ahhh, it makes your heart soar to listen to it.

"I'm Alive" is a joyous celebration of being, well, ALIVE! The lyrics are not earth shattering, but the energy, the sheer intoxication of this song cannot help but fill your soul with hope and joy.

This feeling continues into "A Little Time", although it has its gloomier moments. So much metal is so angry and aggressive - Helloween chose instead to play the sort of music that thrills and excites you, making your spirit soar. Clever interplay, quirky little guitar gimmicks and the playfulness of the vocals and music add to this impression.

The energy and pace of "Twilight of the Gods" makes it a masterpiece. No need for fancy synthesizers or orchaestras (although those would be wicked) - Helloween achieve a climax of sound with just guitars, drums, vocals and choirs. Masterful, beautiful. It brings a tear to my eye and I've pretty much cranked my speaker volume up as high as it can feasibly go.

Hell, my neighbours deserve to learn the power of Helloween. They play their music all the time, anyhow (at least they have reasonable taste and it's rock, not rap or dubstep).

A softer, heart-breaking number - "A Tale that Wasn't Right" allows Kiske to truly shine, the emotion and power in his young voice - he's only 18/19 here. Wow. Damn, those tears are back...

When I was a teenager, most of my peers had crushes on movie stars or boy bands (yup, we had them in my day too) - but me, I was "in love" with Michael Kiske. I'd still love to meet him (although I no longer fantasize about marrying him).

And now "Future World" - the first Helloween song I ever heard. It was on the "Thrash the Wall" compilation cassette*. From its celebratory opening chords, to its highly sing-a-long-able chorus, to its positive, positive message

"... cos we all live in future world, a world that's full of love..."

 Even the band admit that the lyrics are fluffy and over-idealistic (I believe Weikath dissed them in an interview I once read - I read a lot of Helloween interviews - claiming they'd never write that sorta nonsense again) but to a teenage girl, facing (albeit pretty mild) bullying, peer pressure, teen angst and a lack of friends - it is a message that sticks - and it was right - my "future life would be glorious" - or at least pretty damned good.**

The jarring beginning and crashing beats of "Halloween" are powerfully evocative. Like being steamrolled with music. The vocals are magnificant, the music stupendous, little quirks like the tinkling of magic in the air, the whispering voices... all combines to create a wonderful, dramatic, evocative, melodramatic and overall wonderful aural experience. Masterfully clever, and even at 13 minutes long (the video is much abridged), it changes pace and style enough to keep you entertained.  Oooh, that sounded like a flurry of bats!
 (Btw, if you watch the video, make sure you check out Kiske's expresion when the demonic voice tries to corrupt him. It's priceless. If he didn't decide to follow the path of using his glorious voice, he would have made a decent actor, I reckon - he's definitely charismatic and expressive enough.)

The haunting little instrumental, with whispering voice, bids us to "Follow the Sign" and probably subtly encourages us to buy the next album. Which, if you've heard this one (and if your music mood sensors are wired like mine) - you will anyway, since one is NOT enough.

 THIS is the essential album for every speed metal, power metal fan's collection. If you like this genre of music and you do not have this album - BUY IT NOW. And, while you're at it, you might as well get the second one too, because together they are EPIC.

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you my rating - but I will anyway - a triumphant 10/10.

 * Oddly enough, I don't think I liked it that much on the first listening (my brother can probably recall my comments). I believe at that point I was in my "Sepultura phase" which lasted about one week and then I turned up the volume on "Future World" and it hit the pleasure synapses in my brain and I fell instantly, irrevocably, in love. Back in those days (remember, I was around 13), I used to watch RTR countdown, which was the NZ music chart show, counting down the top selling cassingles for that week (nowadays, that would be itunes downloads, for all you modern-day teens) - and every week I would make my own list. This song stayed at #1 for an awfully long time, until finally getting shunted off by the Escape Club's haunting "I'll Be There".

** Although I am sure my 13-year old self would have considered it more glorious had Michael Kiske come and whisked her away!

Gamma Ray - Sign No More (1991)

January 17th, 1991 was a significant one for Kai Hansen. It was his birthday. It was also the day the Gulf War officially began (Codename - Operation Desert Storm). I was 13 at the time, attending a music course whilst my parents and brother were off in Nelson. Although we were far from the conflict and it never had any direct effect on us, the declaration of war - any war - is not something you wish to be apart from your nearest and dearest for.

This album, released in 1991, is clearly inspired somewhat by the Gulf War.

After the power and the might of the symphonic power metal of Fairyland, Gamma Ray are actually refreshing. There is something overly flamboyant and pompous about Symphonic Power Metal, and although Kai Hansen may be somewhat responsible for the creation of the genre itself, his own projects are traditional, honest hard rockin' heavy metal. Catchy, great guitar, Scheepers' vocals are excellent and the lyrics are intelligent and interesting.

The cover is kinda tacky though. Given it was released in the early 90s, and the 80s had still not finished their influence - we have skeletons in suit, tails and tophat, with a rather psychadelic sky. Meanwhile the band name looks like something from a video game. Ah, but we'll forgive them, cos they're awesome. No printed lyrics, sadly, just a one-fold affair with a grainy photography showing two of the band members - leather jackets, long hair, a third being neatly bissected in half so that you can only see his clothes and not his head! And the other members are entirely absent (I think  they were five, at that point?). The rest of the photograph is moody sky and what might be fields. It loks cheap and almost like a poor copy - except that I'm fairly certain I got it through a reliable source - ie: a music store.

Gamma Ray have chosen to go in a different direction from Helloween, their style is more influenced by rock and politics, less speed and more rhythm.  The album opens with "Changes" - a song that is both catchy and beautiful, with Scheepers voice smooth and haunting. Not quite a ballad, but definitely an inspirational piece.

"... Don't wanna cry no more, wanna sigh no more... Changes... all around me now..."

In contrast, "Rich and Famous" is a bit of social sattire.  Rocking rhythms; catchy, repetitive choruses, a hearty dose of irony and humour. Fun stuff.

We get back into more serious issues with "As Time Goes By" which opens with speed metal beats. More tongue-in-cheek political lyrics here. It also has the finest guitar solo on the album - with the soaring, rising, inspiration riffs not disimilar to Helloween's "Eagle Fly Free".

Slower with a steadier beat,and a slight melancholic edge, "We Won't Stop the War" is about the obvious. Puncuated with horns.

As a change "Father And Son" is a softer ballad with a harsher center, about the relationship between father and son. A relationship fractured and efforts made to mend the broken bridges.

"One with the World" is about attempts at salvaging the mess that the world is in:

"Do you think there's a chance for this world to live in unity as one?"

Like most Gamma Ray songs, it displays truly that rockstars could be both intelligent and have strong political views - in the wake of the whole glam rock explosion. The video is cheesy as hell though!

"Start Running" has a frantic, hurried pace that befits the lyrics. It sounds angry, even when it is making delcarations of a more positive nature:

"No single person can change the truth We have to move forward and do it side by side"

It is not one of my favourite songs.

Back into the beats as we "Countdown". More political lyrics, somewhat nihilistic worldviews. Good beats and great guitar rifts.

"Dream Healer" opens with chugging base and rhythmic guitar. The vocals are otherworldly, slightly new-age-esque. Brilliant.

Finally, we end with "The Spirit", a magnificant, beautiful song with rising powerful guitars and soaring vocals. It asks all sorts of important questions and comments:

"If I could ask the maker about the masterplan, would He give an answer and would I understand?"

I think you will get the opinion that I am rather fond of Gamma Ray. And you would be 100% correct. There is an honest purity to their music: it is rock, with a touch of speed and a lot of melody. The lyrics are easy to hear, even without being printed, and they are both intelligent and thought-provoking. Kai Hansen is a guitar god and Ralf Scheepers has a damned fine voice.

I shall give it 8/10.