Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out In Space (1997)

"Land of the Free" is, undeniably, Gamma Ray's finest album and as such was a very difficult act to follow. However, they did a admirable job with this album. Leaving the fantasy theme behind, they have now switched to a space and Egyptian theme, with the cover depicting an Anubis and an Horus bust above a row of pointy rocks, behind which is some sort of swirly time portal in which pyramids are either coming or going away or from space. In the front, Ol' Fangface is looking a little hungry, robed and toothy, and completely blindless today. It's all purples and golds and either acrylic or oil paint, looking very nicely Space Opera-ish.

It begins with the dramatic drum-rolling "Into the Black Hole". It is a fast paced, dramatic song, vocals filled with excitement and expectation as the narrator prepares to "fly beyond the gates of space and time...." and dive into the unknown. Dramatic guitar and drums for the instrumental passage. Captures the feel of the small craft charging into the roiling, writhing, churning black hole.

"Men, Martians and Machines" starts with the five notes from The Twilight Zone (but played on guitar) making a nicely ominous start into a dramatic song about an alien race seeking sanctuary from their destroyed planet and finding planet Earth.  Some nicely spacey/oriental chords there, before we surge into the faster paced and more typical GR skillmanship.

A bit slower, with nicely choral symphonies, "No Stranger (Another Day in Life)" displays a continuing theme of musical competence.

"Somewhere Out in Space" is a whirlwind of a track. It rips on it, swirling in majesty and power; the vocals racing, guitars and drums thrashing against one another, then it calms, the vocals smooth and swell, then its off again into the maelstrom.
(According to Wikipedia - this is inspired by Star Trek)

The "Guardians of  Mankind" is a powerful metal piece, moving at a rapid pace with pounding drums and anthemic chorus.

"The Landing" of aliens almost seems to continue on from "Men, Martians and Machines",  with the aliens arriving and being elevated to gods. It merges into "Valley of the Kings" and, judging from the cover, I would say that it marks the arrival of the Egyptian Gods. Nicely epic feel, great harmonies and more anthemic choruses, combined with some latin choral singing as well.

Dramatic and rousing, filled with passion, it is time for us to "Pray" - for a better tomorrow. This is the closest we're going to get to a ballad on this album. Hansen's voice is suprisingly sweet.

Drumbeats thunder as "The Winged Horse" gallops through the sky. Another powerful piece, this is more fantasy in theme than the rest of the album. It has a nicely dramatic narrative:

"It white horse rears and spreads its wings to reach the sky and search the king. the one will lead to win at last - oh, rulers of the past!"

"Cosmic Chaos" is a drum instrumental, creating a vibe of asteroids rushing through the air. Fast, dramatic.

It crashes into "Lost in the Future" which does indeed have a futuristic feel and makes an interesting contrast to the fantasy of "The Winged Horse". It is deliciously ominous:

"Tomorrow there'll be no sun, hanging high up in the sky..."

It's all dramatic and drastic until suddenly, inexplicably, the guitars break into "Oh Susanna" for a couple of lines and then churn back into the fast, frantic and desperate.

There's a bit of a Judas Priest influence to "Watcher in the Sky" which is fast, frenetic and furious. It's easy to imagine a lone spacecraft endlessly circuiting the planet; watching, always watching, but unable to do anything else.

 Piano and tinkly sounds sparkle as we see a "Rising Star" illuminate the heavens, exploding in a firecracker of light then erupting into "Shine On".  The song explodes with dramatic and explosive power. Very stirring, very inspirational. The ending melodies are lingering and powerful. A grandiose way to include a damned fine album.

Gamma Ray have created their own epic sound, merging the heavy guitar and drums of Iron Maiden with the intricities and anthemic feel of Queen. Combined with Hansen's skillful guitar playing and harsh, yet somehow vocals, a general positive edge to the music and fine musical structures, they have again created an album of epic scale and beauty. It might fall a bit short of "Land of the Free" and is not quite as quirky as some of their earlier albums, but it is a damned fine production and deserves 9/10.

Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (1995)

After their previous album, Gamma Ray lost vocalist Ralf Scheepers to Primal Fear, a decent band on all accounts, and Kai Hansen took over vocalising duties. This album is very much like a follow-up to his last Helloween album (Keeper part two) with a strong fantasy flavour. It also marks the return of "Fangface", the deformed pumpkin-like creature from the Walls of Jericho album. From here on, Fangface become unofficial mascot to Gamma Ray and featured on many of their albums. Musically it is a lot more metal than the previous GR stuff, with the lyrics being somewhat more imaginative and fantastical. It is their first genuine Power Metal album.

This is one album that I was extremely excited by when it was released. Helloween had just dumped Kiske and Ingo; releasing the pretty good "Master of the Rings" album, but I was mourning the departure of my favourite vocalist. Not to mention that their previous album ("Chameleon", see next review) marked a dramatic musical shift for Helloween. I ordered it and eagerly awaited its arrival, opening the package with trembling fingers and stroking my fingers over the plastic box. You might say music was my life, when I was a teenager. I did not have too many friends and books and music were my escape from the trials and tribulations of a teenage reality.

The cover depicts Fangface like a cloaked comet, rising from a dreary, moonlit desert (looks a bit like the US SW) and encircling a more scenic, majestic land through which a river cuts. Two hands hold a crackling yingyang and an eagle soars beneath them. The cover unfolds with lyrics on one side and photographs on the other, including snapshots of all of the band members.

There is a Very Special Guest star on this album too, but we'll get to that when we get to his song. Actually, there's two, because Hansi Kusch of Blind Guardian is here too, singing the choirs.

The album starts with a gentle guitar and haunting vocals:

"Voices are calling from somewhere below..."

As we surge into the dramatic "Rebellion in Dreamland". This is epic power metal at its least pretentious - the lyrics are pretty cheesy (of course) but the music is complex whilst still feeling fresh and thrilling. Hansen switches from screaming to snarling and concludes with chanting.

"Have no fear.... rebellion is here!"

"Man on a Mission" rips right on in, energy and passion and pounding drums and raging guitars. Towards the end we fall into a nifty little sing-a-long bit, before roaring into the guitar duels of the pretty epic solo. Hansen is a good vocalist, but he's also an awesome guitarist. This song combines the quirk and fun of GR with the majesty and power of Helloween*. It merges seemlessly with the short and swift "Fairytale" before fading out.

The lower, epic rhythms bring on "All of the Damned" before we rampage into the guitar and Hansen's voices rasp out. The chorus is proud and loud. There are nicely changeable melodies and rhythms to keep it interesting, and a suitably rip-roaring guitar solo.

"I never thought I'd catch the rainbow, but in the end I had a dream..."

 This is followed by the stirring instrumental, "Rising of the Damned".

"Gods of Deliverance" is another epic power metal piece with suitably rousing spirit and jolly good rifts.

"Farewell" provides us with a slower moment. Kai's voice is a little raw and raspy for the ballads, but it does add an emotional edge of loss and longing. As the warrior sets off on his quest, it is with a certain amount of hope but also trepidation:

"Don't you try to stop me, all I know is I have to try. They'd be no sense in my life at all, if I stay."

Returning to the roots of speed metal, "Salvation's Calling" is like a blast from the past. Fast verses, catchy, sing-a-long bridges, a chorus that just makes you want to mosh.

Dramatic, racing; we gallop into "Land of the Free", before settling into a slower, haunting, spectral feel and rising in pace and spirit. The changeable nature of this song transports you to another time and place. The chorus is pure anthemic power, stirring and triumphant.

Light, haunting guitar turns to hymnal rifts as "The Saviour" makes his triumphant return. This blends into "Abyss of the Void". Hansen's voice does well in the slow bits now, as it drops an octave and loses the rasping edge.  It rises again for the chorus, celebrating the Saviour's victory:

"We fall to the ground and pray, cos he's the One. No demons left in this world, since he has won."

Now for the song that excited me most as a teenager, "Time to Break Free". Whilst Hansen's voice suits the music well - the savage, slightly snarling edge; this features the beautiful, clear voice of... you guessed it, Michael Kiske. Okay, so I was a little obsessed with him at the time. As pure and powerful as ever, I must have listened to this track a LOT. I can still remember all the words. The lyrics are great too - inspirational, making the spirit rise and soar - a great remedy for Teen Angst.

We conclude with the absolutely beautiful "Afterlife" a tribute to Ingo Schwinchtenberg. Here Hansen proves that he can do ballads. His voice, so raw and emotional, sends a shiver down the spine, complemented by the instrumentation structures. Haunting. A fitting finale to a damned fine album.

"Life's a dream that you will forget in the endless space. And the scars you got on planet Earth will be erased."

This is probably Gamma Ray's finest album, and one of the best true Power Metal albums. Forget about layers of complex symphonics, overbloated keyboards and the overly complicated structures that this genre is now famed for - this is pure, enthusiastic energy; raw and powerful and with some damned fast, fine guitars. True to the Heavy Metal sound, but with the passion and the intricities of Power Metal. It should be in every Power Metal fan's collection.

A highly deserved 10/10.

* Who, tbh, also had the "quirk"

Gamma Ray - Insanity and Genius (1993)

This is the third Gamma Ray album and the last with Ralf Scheepers on vocals (he went off to join Primal Fear). It also follows the departure of Uli Kusch who later went on to replace Ingo in Helloween. Interestingly enough, in 2001 he and Roland Grapow were both fired from Helloween via an email from Weikath - which means Weikath may not be the nicest person to work with. I had not known that, but my interest in Helloween had lapsed significantly by the turn of the century. He and Grapow are now in Masterplan.

Anyhow, back to Gamma Ray - this is another rockin' album, harking more to the fun of "Heading for Tomorrow", rather than the more serious "Sigh No More". The music displays a fair amount of playfulness and creativity.

Originally published in 1993, this is the 2005 re-release - which comes with bonus tracks.

The cover is a ying and yang atom, with water and fire, electrons zapping around them. On the back of the booklet, the band are all pulling funny faces, although Dirk Schlater looks more like a zombie than a goofball. The only two I can immediately recognise are Ralf and Kai. Kai actually bears a resemblance to Fangface - maybe it's the grin. Inside they look far more mature and serious - and so young.

Ralf Scheepers also has nearly a four octave range* - varying from high-pitched tenor, to shrieks and a deeper baritone.

The album starts hard and fast with the kick-arse "Tribute to the Past". Gamma Ray are starting to show more Power Metal influences now, although the whole PM genre was only just gaining momentum. The vocals race forward, soaring forth into the chorus, whilst beneath them the drums pound away in speed rhythms.

The rocking "No Return" brings with it catchiness and a good, solid rhythm. Also, Ralf doing his baritone-thing.

"Last Before the Storm" is a somewhat less inspiring number. It's a solid metal song, but not nearly as catchy and more aggressive.

Then into something a little slower, "The Cave Principle" which quickly surges into a rather thrashier number. I've never been sure of the meaning of this song.

Frantic guitar and frenzied drumming leads us into "Future Madhouse" which is as compelling as it is speed metal. The verses are a bit blah, but the bridge and chorus are good and catchy.

"Our future is a madhouse and we all are moving in!"

 The quirkiest track on the album - "Gamma Ray" starts with an odd popping-stretching noise before going into a kinda pop rhythm and rockin' out. This is the editted version - as an added bonus we also get an extended version. It's more rock and has a rather more modern, popular twist to the melodies and rhythms. I always fancied it took a little bit - a mere fragment - of techno into its structure. There's a few explody noises too.

Just found out, this is a cover song. Originally done by a band called Birth Control, whom I've not heard of.

Another lively and inventive number, "Insanity and Genius" has rhythms you could dance to - were you so inclined; good melodies, strong vocals and bizarre lyrics:

"Sometimes my womb bears an actor."

 Slow, melodious and melancholic with shadows of Dire Straits, "18 Years" begins as a ballad. It comes in rather rockier, and Ralf shows that he is capable of holding a note for some time. By the end, it is frantic and urgent.

The next track, "Your Turn is Over" is fast-paced and my least favourite track on this album. Vocalist on this one is Dirk Schlachter. I wondered why the vocals were rather more gutural and aggressive. Guitars and backing instruments are also uninspiring.

In the next track, "Heal Me", Kai takes over the vocal duties. A slower, powerful number. For all his raspy-edge, Kai can do the low and melodic quite well. I wonder what his octave range is (I'm guessing he'll be another almost-four). The song twists and turns - one minute slow and mellow, the next screaming and angry. It's great. My favourite is the fairy-tale/masquerade ending, when the piano/keyboard comes in and brings with it a strangely carnival feeling slightly reminscent of Queen:

"Come on my friend and join the ball and everything is beautiful. Even the band ... is magic. Imagine you're a superstar - you're gonna fly, you're gonna go far... so far!"

"Brothers" is another rockin' number, with the catchy rhythms and deeper vocals courtesy of Ralf. The lyrics are fun and relatively shallow, but there's a general mood of friendship and happiness.

The extended version of "Gamma Ray" follows, bringing more technical noises and a few samples.

This is followed up by a cover of Judas Priest's "Exciter" - which proves Ralf Scheepers might have been a better choice than Ripper Owens. Fast paced and furious, pure thrash and a track that immediately evokes memories in me - as Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengence" was one of the first cassettes I ever owned. I'm not even sure I still have it...

Finally we conclude with another cover - this time of the awesome Helloween track, being performed live (to great celebration from the fans) - "Save Us". Funnily enough, the album the original of this is from is next on my list to play. Ralf does a  commendable job - he was asked to be vocalist of Helloween before they grabbed Kiske (he declined because he thought Tyran Pace were gonna be big. They weren't).

This is an album of highs and lows - there are some spectacular tracks - especially "Heal Me", but also some rather less inspiring numbers. On average though, it's still probably worth an 8/10.

Don't worry, I'll be giving the next GR album a higher ranking. It's "Land of the Free".

* As I have previously noted, does Michael Kiske. However, Kiske's voice is more angelic and powerful, whereas Scheepers has a raw edge.

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.

Gamma Ray - Heading for Tomorrow (1990)

When Kai Hansen parted ways with Helloween in 1988, he went on to form the band Gamma Ray with his friend Ralf Scheepers (ex-Tyran Pace). This is their first studio album.

Hansen is a fine guitarist, and his majesty is writ all over this album, with its soaring guitar solos and twiddly chords. Scheepers has a decent voice, high, but with a rough edge. I have heard Tyran Pace, and their music was unextraordianry, but they were hilarious - since Scheeepers was parading around in a leopard-print leotard at the time. You've got to remember, that was 1985. Not a good year for fashion. Needless to say, Ralf Scheeper's is now burned in my brain looking like that!

We begin with a intro/instro called "Welcome", I'm not sure why most power metal bands of the late 80s/90s chose to make the first track only a minute or so long and not a real song - is it just to boost the track listing? I always feel a little cheated when of the 10 tracks on the regular release (mine has 3 bonuses), one is short - why can't they just connect it onto the first song? The two are joined anyway, one flowing into another.

"Lust for Life" carries the melody and power, along with the relatively positive message that I've come to connect with power metal. Catchy choruses, intricate guitar solos, a strong message -

"Loud and proud, we're going to say it now - live -life - easy, live - life - easy..."

 Enjoy your life, it's all you've got, after all.

This is followed up by the catchy beginning of "Heaven Can Wait" (not to be confused with the Iron Maiden song by the same name*), it has a slightly more negative bend to the lyrics and a somewhat sinister edge. The morals are good, however, and the message strong -

"The load upon my shoulder, makes me stronger, even bolder..."

This song has elements of true Metal Anthem - play it loud and proud! (As I shall when my husband leaves for work).


One cannot help but feel that the song "Space Eater" is about drugs. The semi-surreal and rather creepy video seems to match this theory too. It's a pretty cool song, regardless, with slammin' guitars (and the occasional twiddly bits) and the occasional low, slightly menacing vocals.

"Money" is a funny song, quite heavy, and exceedingly catchy. It also allows Scheepers to explore more scope with his vocals. Overall, Gamma Ray have used him with more versatility than Tyran Pace ever did. He has Kai Hansen for back-up, of course, and I'm not sure who exactly is singing which bit, as their styles are relatively similar.

Then we mellow up a bit with the stirring song, "The Silence". This is the most epic, the most powerful track on the album and less rock n' roll than the other pieces. The vocals are rousing, the music running perfect counterpoint to it.

"Hold Your Ground" gets back into the good solid rock song with pounding bassline, as does "Free Time" which is something of an anthem on its own. And one most of us cannot help but identify with:

"Free time is one of the things that I love... free time is one of the things I enjoy... "

'Tis a song about letting your hair down (easy for these guys, who all have curly 80s mops) and letting loose for the weekend. Yeah, "Free Time" is one of the things that I enjoy too.

And then we conclude with the epic title track "Heading for Tomorrow". With complex twiddly guitar bits, rousing choruses, mellower moments and a decent message.

"Look at Yourself" invites the listening to have some faith in themselves. It's a pretty basic song, basic message. Not a stand out piece by any means.

But this isn't the end, is it? No, despite the complete lack of any mention of it on the track listing, my CD has three extra songs:

"Mr Outlaw" is a rockin' number. The following "Lonesome Stranger" is most entertaining, as two men (who make me think of cowboys) argue over which metal bands they support. It has a somewhat Western vibe going for it, making me think of gun stand-offs and deserts, and an instrumental.

The final song, "Sail On" has a gentler, harmonic vibe, with repeated choruses and strongly evocative of a ship disappearing over the waves.

Gamma Ray are an awesome blend of the powerful and the fun - they hark from an era where music was about having a jolly good time (or at least, appearing to) and making the occasional point but in a manner that is neither preachy nor persistent, but more like saying "life can be great, just step out and grab it, go for it with all you've got." The vocals may not be quite as operatic and rich as some of the other bands, but the raw edge leads them a unique sound of their own, and the bridges and choruses are catchy enough to have them running through your head for hours, or for the listener to pick up on the second or third listen.

Play it loud!

A fine debut = 8/10

* or the Michael Jackson, Meat Loaf or Charlotte Gainsbury songs, a popular name, it seems.