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.

Unisonic (2012)

Michael Kiske reunited with Kai Hansen to produce an ENTIRE ROCK CD. How could I resist? How could I refuse? Two of my favourite metal idols back together. Sure, this isn't power metal, this isn't even completely metal, but that doesn't mean it won't be an excellent album, does it just?

First, let's look it over. I purchased the digipak because it had a bonus cd (containing a whole 3 tracks, but never mind). I don't know why, but I like digipaks. Sure, they're a bitch to store (since they won't fit in CD racks) and they collect dust (ok, so all my cds collect dust, cos I rip 'em and shelf 'em). It is attractively coloured in shades of blue, with a distinctly futuristic look, rather than the fantasy-esque of old. In the band photo, they all look very serious, except for goateed Kai Hansen, who is giving a little smirk.

"Unisonic" opens with a dramatic flourish, vocals racing up into a smooth and soaring chorus. Slammin' rockin' guitars and lots of energy. The lyrics are simple and repetitive - a great opening piece for both album and live performances with a rather complex and fast paced gutiar solo. Cleaner, polished and more mature than Helloween. Kiske's voice is clea, sweet and powerful.

A slower, but still dramatic opening to "Souls Alive" with twiddly guitar bits. Vocals are also slower, and rick with a good blend of guitars and vocals. This is pure rock with a touch of metal. It drops to a slower pace where Kiske's voice drops into his rich, lower notes, ending with a scream that proves he can still hold those notes!

"Never Too Late" starts with a bit of a quirk to it and good rock rhythms. Soaring into a great chorus. There is something so splendid about Kiske's voice, it fills me with joy and positivity, thrilling me to the core even to this day!


A modern, mainstream rock sound characterises "I've Tried".  The vocals are on a slightly lower register, rising up into a catchy chorus:

"I've never said I'm sorry, but god only knows I've tried..."

Ominous beats bring us into "Star Rider" with the litling vocals soaring up and down the octaves. Kiske still does a fine falsetto!

"Never Change Me" gives us a bouncy rock n roll rhythm with catchy beats.

There's a hint of glam in "Renegade" With its rich, thick vocals and higher pitched chorus. Nice flourishes of the guitars and a good solid guitar solo.

Another solid rock number, "My Sanctuary" has fast-paced vocals with sturdy guitar accompaniment. Soaring chorus and a nicely chanted conclusion.

There's a bit of an 80's rock vibe to the opening bars of "King for a Day". As powerful as ever, Kiske's voice soars and rises gloriously into an anthemic chorus, in which Hansen's distinctive vocals shadow his.

And for those that love the smooth, anthemic, feel-good pieces, "We Rise" certainly fits the bill. Kiske's voice is like a purr - smooth and sleek and the accompanying guitar rhythms reach deep down into the soul and fill the listener with, well, positivity.

We conclude with a haunting ballad, "No One Ever Sees Me", reminscent of some from Kiske's solo days: the sweet melodies, the bittersweet lyrics, the melancholic vocals. Accompanied by acoustic gutiars and somewhat soul-wrenching. Beautiful.

Now, for the three bonus tracks:

"Over the Rainbow" is another ballad; haunting and melancholic. The guitars a gentle accompaniment to the heart-breaking vocals.

Followed by "Souls Alive". I'm not sure how this differs from the previous version, except that it is two seconds shorter.

"The Morning After" is another haunting piece, the opening somewhat reminding me of Sting's ballads, for some reason. Maybe it's the guitar. It quickly surges into a rather rockier chorus, before slowing down  again.

This is not Helloween, this is not Gamma Ray. It is heavier than Kiske's solo work, although probably closer to that than any of the former. And you know what? If you want to hear Kiske doing power/symphonic metal, you just need to pick up an Avantasia album or any of his other side projects. This is more polished than the 80s stuff, with a clarity of sound and complexity of rhythm that is pure rock (with a touch of metal).

It's good stuff - 9/10.

Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988)

As promised, now it is time for the glory that is Keeper of the Seven Keys, part two, the follow up to tbe wonderful Keeper of the Seven Keys, part one and one of the definitive metal albums of all time. Here is where Power Metal began. That's not to say that Helloween are technically Power Metal, nor that they are the only band that can claim the honour of being the root of all that is awesome, but merely that this is one of the major contributing albums to the slightly pompous, extravagant genre of Power Metal. Helloween are more straightforward, but no less epic and this album is AMAZING.

When I was younger, relying on a fairly small allowance to afford the extravagances of cassettes, my brother and I bought a fair amount of music. I bought part one, he bought part two. This was a pity, because it meant that I could not really listen to this album. Since he preferred to sit in his room, door closed, music loud, burying himself within the immensity and engulfing himself fully in its richness, I could not easily join him. It is actually rather an awkward feeling sitting in your siblings's room, trying to sink into a sort of meditative, music induced state. Thus, I didn't really get to hear this album as much as I would have liked. I distinctly recall sitting outside his bedroom window one evening, whilst the power of the music poured through the window, listening. At this time, I also had a number of penpals and we exchanged cassette recordings around the world, sharing each others mix tapes. This, my friend, was how you learned about new bands before the interweb - before you could touch a button and hear samples from every single cd you can think of. Via snail mail... and mix tapes.... anyhow, I had a lovely penfriend in Sweden and he recorded this album for me so that I could listen to it too.

Of course, eventually, I purchased the CD. Along with Helloween's entire backlist, half of which I have on cassette tape as well as CD. Hey, you cannot have too much of a good thing - and at least I can listen to them in my car!

The cover is beautiful, moody and somewhat fantasy-esque. In the foreground, a hand inserts a key into a lake (from which faces stare out), whilst gnarled green hands grasp at it. The robes indicate that this may be the seer of visions - the cloaked figured from part one. The background is split in two by dark and brooding clouds - on one side, a monolithic rock formation glows in the mid day sun, in the other fires burn over a desolate and forboding, spiky black landscape. The cover is bordered in a chain of autumnal leaves. Inside it is all plain black text on white paper - very straightforward and simplistic, but pratical and easy to read.

This was Helloween's last album with Noise - a company that basically screwed them over. This cd went Gold in Germany, made it to #108 on the USA charts but despite being a highly successful album, they did not see much in the way of profits from it. Shortly after this they broke their contract, got into terrible legal battles (with Noise), weren't able to tour or release in the States for some years and not only that, but Kai Hansen left, not wishing to deal with the pressures of being in such a big band. Funnily enough, his band, Gamma Ray sort of took over the power and glory of this album with their "Land of the Free" release in 1995.

An eagle soars over forlorn, windswept cliffs in "Invitation" as the instruments rise in power and might, beckoning us onwards.

It swoops and strikes, charging in to the speed metal anthem of "Eagle Fly Free". The guitars are a wild and reckless beast, the vocals untamed and melodious. The drums... well the drums are slamming, beating a rapid and, at times, slightly monotonous, slightly tinny beat. Kiske displays his immensely powerful vocal talents, holding the note, unwavering for a good 15 seconds.

Then it is in to "You Always Walk Alone". I love the rhythms and structure of this song, it's so lively and inspirational, it fills my heart and soul with such empowerment.

"... the strength we have inside yourself is so more than you will know."

The highly entertaining "Rise and Fall" follows it up. It starts with rockin' beats and wooden laughter. You also get to hear Kiske say "bullshit" which is worth it in itself. The shifting rhythms and quirks of the backing music add to the somewhat comedic, fairy tale feel - as do the lyrics:

"A little dragon could spit fire, but never sought for something bad. He didn't know the knight's desire to throw a lance into his head."

It does make you ask two questions, however: How is luck like a ball? And what exactly did the queen of Los Angeles do with a chair? Sometimes I wonder if Weikath is on something when he writes his quirkier tracks. I mean, sheep?

Another quirky number is "Dr Stein" - a song about Frankenstein. For anyone who has heard Helloween as much as I, the opening chords are unmistakeable. This is probably one of their most famous songs - but there was no video made until it was re-released as part of the "Unarmed" album. Also written by Weikath, the lyrics are somewhat silly and rather fun. The guitars rise and fall in a complicated duet, with the keyboards arcing around them.

The anthemic "We Got the Right" follows. Kiske's voice is in fine form, a powerful tool with less support from the instruments in this piece.

Then it is time to get back into the speed metal with the raging "Save Us".  It is followed up by the equally powerful "March of Time". Two very fine examples of the speed metal genre, back to back. The racing guitars, the clanging drums, and above all, Kiske's voice soaring like the voice of a god, filled with power and glory. I have heard the chords and the rhythms of Helloween's music described as "happy sounding" and it is. I'm not knowledgeable enough about the technical terms to be able to tell you WHY their melodies sound positive whereas others do not, but the lyrics certainly help:

"Life's too short to cry, long enough to try..."

The final normal-length track is "I Want Out" which has an entertaining video. With its enthusiastic rhythms, catchy choruses and charismatic frontman, this track became a hit. Once again, the drums seem a little too high pitched on this piece, not sure if that is intentional or a result of not such great production. Once you start noticing it, however, it becomes a little annoying - and I don't want to be annoyed by this album. It's Helloween - it should be awesome! Everything should be absolutely perfect.

The final track is the epic "Keeper of the Seven Keys" and is a piece so majestic that it inspired me, in my teenage years, to write a highly derivative and pretty cliched fantasy novel. But not one that will ever see the light of day, I promise*.
And just to prove that nothing is ever original and that Helloween inspired other people to do the same thing - here's a D&D comic inspired by the same thing. Seriously, my characters even had similar names!
Anyhow, clocking in at over thirteen minutes long, it almost deserves an entire blog post of its own - but "The Seven Angels" didn't get one, so it isn't going to either.

It starts with light guitar, and Kiske's beautiful low vocals, soaring behind it are classical instruments, rising with power and might. This might be where the roots of Symphonic Metal began.
Our hero ("you") prepares for his coming Quest.
And off he sets, with the drums and guitars keeping pace.
The chorus rises, filled with power and ambition.

 "You're the keeper of the seven keys, to lock up the seven seas. And the seer of visions said before he went blind 'hide them from demons and rescue mankind'."

The first key belongs in the sea of hate, the second the sea of fear.

"Throw the third key into the sea of senselessness and make the people hold each other's hands..."

Fourth goes into the sea of greed.
The fifth into the sea of anger.

Meanwhile, something wicked is stirring, the guitars thrash and race and below it you can hear something growling.

Kiske becomes more urgent and insistent - urging you to "throw the key or you may die...". After the frenzy, the music dies down, mellowing into a haunting echo. Has the key been thrown? Is this the calm before the storm?

And where do the sixth and seventh keys belong? Who knows, it's never defined.

The devil is waiting on the shores of the last lake.
It might have been better to have Kai sing the voice of the devil - Kiske has the voice of an angel.
(Then again, Kai's a dwarf, right).

The guitar heralds the throwing of the key and the ensuring battle between the devil and the hero.
Don't worry, the hero wins and an earthquake swallows the devil down again.
Now it is time to celebrate.

I have noticed that there is a rough edge to this album - it has a slightly raw, untamed feel to it - not the overly polished and produced feel of later albums - such as "Pink Bubbles". I think that is part of the appeal, as it makes you feel closer to the band, making them seem more visceral. Although the higher pitch to the drums gets a little irritating. Also, the quality is not great - I have it at full volume to listen to it and when I put in my new Unisonic CD instead, it almost blew my speakers - it was that much louder. I guess that shows what effect 20+ years has had on sound quality.

Overall, however, this is an awesome album and should be in the collection of anybody who considers themselves a true metal fan.

I'm going to give it a 9.5/10 thanks to those drums.
I'm sorry Ingo...

If anyone does want to buy these two albums - they are now available as a set. Which includes some bonus tracks. These tracks I shall be reviewing in a later post.

* Michael Weikath would totally sue my tail. And as much as I'd like to meet him, in a courtroom over copyright violation is not the time and place for that!

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.

Avantasia - the Metal Opera pt II (2002)

The story of Gabriel Laymann, the Druid Vandruiy and all the others continues in "part two".
The cast is also much the same, except this one also involves Bob Catley of Magnum as the "voice of the tree".

This one has a much more amusing cover - as it features the cast. Although I do rather wish that they had chosen to base the characters off their vocalists, because seeing Michael Kiske as the bearded, helmetted druid would have been hilarious. Maybe I shall have to do that myself. The figure at the back - Gabriel - could look a little like Tobias - from behind. The dwarf could be Kai I suppose. The others are all pointy-eared and therefore probably not part of the main cast (although I'm guessing the fellow at the front is Elderane).

Here's a picture someone did of Vandroiy.

"Seven Angels" opens with the haunting choirs of the Believers (not the band). The three "bad guys" are disbelieving of their failure, whilst the hero - Gabriel Laymann, is whisked away to the beautiful city of Sesidhbana. This song is epic, as we have come to know and love with Avantasia - some slow and mellow bits, monumental builds, great guitaring and sophisticated drumming.
And very long (fourteen minutes).
But you hardly notice, cos it changes styling and vocalist so many times you start wondering if its changed tracks and you've not noticed.

In "No Return" Vandroiy and Gabriel sing in harmony again, celebrating the beauty of the city in which Gabriel now finds himself. To add to the awesome male vocals, we have Matos adding his touch as well. Three of my favourite vocalists in one song... oooh, it's enough to give me chills! Anyhow, Gabriel decides he wishes to laern more about this spiritual world in which he has found himself.

Elderane is prepared to help and sends Gabriel to find the Tree of Knowledge. So, in "The Looking Glass" Gabriel makes the journey to the tree that speaks with Bob Catley's voice, and gets somewhat more confused, because the tree is rather cryptic... (and has somewhat broken grammar too)

"As long as you long for the whole, you can't get a part of at all
How proud would the buildings of Rome look without all single stones"

This is a faster paced, catchy song - rather reminscent of Edguy, actually.

Piano leads us "In Quest For". Here the Tree of Knowledge sings. He still has broken grammar "you're accused for heresy"? Hehe, you're singing a duet with a tree, Gabriel. Anyhow, he looks into the tumultuous waters of a lake and sees someone that resembles his aged mentor, Jakob. no wait, it is Jakob - but as a young man. It's a nicely mellow piece, and a good bit of a calm before the storm that is "The Final Sacrifice", in which we learn more about Jakob's past.Having heard this song an hour ago on the other album, I don't feel I need to say much mroe about it here.

Meanwhile, a bishop, a monk and a priest are lost in "Neverland".

Contains such awesome lines as:

"I know less than all but more than many who know less..."

It sounds a little like Gabriel is taunting them...

More piano leads us into the gentle "Anywhere" in which Gabriel finds himself thinking about Anna again, and also about how he wishes to free the part of Jakob's soul that was caught in the lake.Sammet is pretty good with the ballads, his voice isn't quite as sweet and pure as Kiske's, but it is definitely powerful and emotive. He doesn't share this song with anyone.

Taking his new goals to Elderane, he learns how to free Jakob's soul from being rtapped under Rome - where it is kept captive in "The Chalice of Agony" and guarded by a fearsome beast. Gabriel and Regrin set about this mission using the seals to open the gate. They release the souls and usher them in to Avantasia. The beast comes awake and ravages at them, Gabriel escapes but Regrin perishes.
(Poor Kai - why is it always the dwarf that is considered less important to the plot?).
As far as songs go, it's pretty catchy - nicely melodic and fast paced.

At this point, Gabriel is sent back to the real world. He's been away a while - I hope Vandroiy has been watching his body well. In "Memory", Vandroiy convinces Gabriel to head to safety, whilst he will rescue Anna. He hires some men and goes there to find that Jakob (soul restored) is waiting there to help him. Together they rescue Anna, but in the process Vandroiy is killed.
(And now Kiske - why are you killing your metal idols? Or their characters, anyway).
It's heavy and fast, and kinda dramatic in parts.

And Anna mourns Vandroiy in the next song - "Into the Unknown". She finally gets to sing again!
Now we get a lovely duet/ballad between Gabriel and Anna and a melodious conclusion to a magnificiant project and an epic album.

Brilliantly conceived and well organised. Sure, the plot is a bit crazy, but it's many steps better than Skylark's confusing concept album, and so masterfully cast that who cares if its a little bit cheesy.

I'm gonna give this 10/10 too, and then maybe listen to the first track again.

I think I feel some fanart coming on...

Avantasia - The Metal Opera (2001)

Tobias Sammet's Avantasia would have to be one of the most awesome projects this century. His idea - to get together a group of guest musicians - with many superstars of  the European Metal scene and produce an album. And oh, what an album it is!

I remember when I first heard about it. I don't think I have ever ordered a CD so fast, nor been so impatient waiting for it to arrive. Oh, the ripping off of the plastic, the laying it in the cd player (I'm not sure I even had a computer then), hearing it for the first time...

This album is, in one word, EPIC.

Here's the Cast:
Tobias Sammet (from Edguy) as Gabriel Laymann
"Ernie" as druid Lugaid Vandroiy*
Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray) as Regrin the Dwarf (a dwarf! Ha, go Kai!)
David DeFeis (Virgin Steele) as Jakob the Monk
Andre Matos (Angra) as Elderane the Elf (perfect, he does have the voice I would associate with the elven-kind)
Oliver Hartmann (At Vance) as Pop Clemes IIX
Sharon Del Adel (Within Temtpation) as Anna Held
Bob Rock as bishop Johann Adam von Bicken
Ralf Zdiarstek as bailiff Falk von Kronberg
Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius) as the Voice in the Tower
And playing the instruments:
Henjo Richter - rhythm and lead guitars
Markus Grosskopf (Helloween) - bass guitar
Alex Holzworth - drums
Frank Tischer - piano on one track
Norman Meiritz - acoustic guitars on one track
Tobias Sammet - piano, keyboards and orchaestration - because he's THAT awesome
Jens Ludwif - lead guitars on a couple of tracks

Wow, quite a star-studded line-up! From what I understand, Markus and Kiske got on okay, despite Kiske's earlier "divorce" from Helloween. And he and Kai still get on well, and have banded together once more.

The cover is pretty awesome. There's witches and jesters and spooky woods and a very cool emblem in the centre. Very High Fantasy. Inside are the lyrics and a rather lengthy synopsis of the album's plot, which I should really read some day. Like Right Now would be good.

Okay - before the Metal Opera begins, Gabriel is working as an inquisitor with Friar Jakob. He has been commended for getting confessions and so forth, and has been summoned to see the latest suspect - which turns out to be his stepsister, Anna, who was more like a real sister to him.

Could she really be a witch?

He seeks advice from his mentor, Jakob, and finds Jakob in the library. Jakob is acting a bit suspiciously, and has acquired a new book. A sinister book. Troubled by this, Gabriel later sneaks in and sneaks a peek at it. It is Old. And potentially Evil. And has a message at the back from a druid called Lugaid, addressed to the witch, Else, whom has recently been condemed. Also, a cryptic message about Rome that he doesn't understand. However, after reading the book, Gabriel finds his fingers permanently marked - and it turns out that the Friar had booby-trapped the book. Thus has Gabriel broken his trust and thus is to be arrested.

When they come to take him away, the old Friar says nothing just stares at the floor in silence.
And that is where the story begins:

Like all good Euro metal albums, we have an atmopsheric instrumental "Prelude" to welcome us in.

Then it rips into the inspiring "Reach Out for the Light".  Imprisoned in his dreary cell, Gabriel watches as his cell-mate paces, and together they share their stories. It turns out, his companion is one of the last Celt druids, no less than Lugaid Vandroiy. This is a duet between the two, aka Kiske and Sammet. Together their voices combined are a powerful force - especially with a chorus behind them. Noone has a voice like Kiske - it is quite unmistakable.

In the next track, "Serpents in Paradise", Gabriel begs forgiveness - from Else for her death  and worries about Anna. He pleads Vandroiy for help. This intersects with Jakob taking the stage, himself awash with  guilt over his betrayal of the novice, whom he loved like a son. This is a rather more aggressive song, filled with tortured anxieties.

In "Malleus Maleficarium" things take a turn for the sinister as Gabriel remembers Else's trial - of how she was threatened and killed. The music swells ominous and poisonous around the hiss/snarled vocals.

It splinters and unleashes "Breaking Away", which also brings Lugaid back on stage. Another epic and inspiring song. Realising that the only way to help Anna, and themselves, is to escape, Vandroiy and Gabriel stage a daring escape, the old druid knocking out the guard and the two of them fleeing the castle. However, Vandroiy urges him that they cannot rush straight to Anna's aid, and he must, for the time, bid her "Farewell" in a beautiful, and haunting, combining the three finest vocalists on the album -  Sammet's slightly raw edge lends itself well versus Den Adel's sweet tones, and Lugaid provides back-up vocals, softening Sammet's edges. Sadly, Den Adel is under-used and this is her only track on the album.

Meanwhile, in Rome.

Another heavier and nastier sounding number, "The Glory of Rome" brings the bailiff and the bishop together as they welcome the addition of Jakob and his book. Secret documents have been located - secrets revealed. By bringing seven seals together - the seals of Holy books, then ultimate wisdom, illumination and truth shall be revealed. The racing drums and snarled edge to the vocals suggest that it is not a kindly conversation.

The seals are brought together, and a new door opens, into the creepy and haunting little passage of "In Nomine Patris", over before it really begins.

For, Avantasia is, as you may have guessed, a spiritual world - not really Heaven, because it's a bit more fantasy-esque than that (although I suspect itmay be a kind of Heaven for Tobias) and it can be entered in two ways - spiriutally, by having your spirit transcend through a special place (and probably a ritual too) or physically - which is what happens should all seven seals be put together.

Therefore, many miles away from Rome, Gabriel and Vandroiy are in the forest. They have just been attacked by bandits and left for dead. The only way they can help Anna, Vandroiy declares, is if he sends Gabriel's spirit to Avantasia (a dangerous enough endeavour) and he'll stay behind and make sure nothing happens to Gabriel's body, which will be left in the forest glade.

And thus we enter into the most valiant song on the album - "Avantasia". Combining the master vocals of Kiske and Sammet once more. Yeh, I'm biased. I love Kiske. So what.

A short and haunting passage heralds Gabriel's journey into "A New Dimension".

Now that he's "Inside" we have elves. And dwarves. Regrin the dwarf finds Gabriel and takes him to visit with Elderane, prince of the elves and head of Avantasia. Matos has a beautiful clear voice, that rivals Kiske's for clarity and perfection.

Anyhow, something dark is brewing in the beautiful, once-peaceful kingdom of Aina** Avantasia - Ancient Evil forces have mobilised a large army and they are reaping Terror and Destruction. In "The Sign of the Cross", Gabriel is required to join the humans and take back the seal to prevent all the nice creatures from being forgotten and vanishing***. No word on rescuing Anna. I hope she's just been forgotten and isn't being tortured for witchery as we speak. No, wait, all the bad guys are already in Avantasia, so I guess she's safe for now. This is a song with FIVE vocalists - on one hand we have the three "good guys" - Regrin, Elderane and Gabriel, on the other side we have the bishop and the pope. It's a pretty epic song.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, Vandroiy is pondering the purpose of "The Tower". If all the seals are taken to the tower, then Avantasia will be forever locked. He also has a mental connection with Gabriel and pushes the young man to follow the path as the Avantasians suggest and not run off after Anna. Gabriel is a bit perplexed about how helping Avantasia can help Anna. So, I think the bad guys (the pope and the bishop) are trying to seal Avantasia forever and the others are fighting to keep it "open".

This is another complicated song, where a great deal is made about "the voice" in the Tower. Is it the voice of God? No, it's Timmo Tolkki but as the main guitarist of Stratvarius, maybe Sammet considers him a god. No wait, it appears the voice in the tower is "their father, they had broken with, because he had wanted to bring chaos to earth." So he's a devil?

Multiple vocalists, epic scale song, complicated structures and ever changing rhythms weave a damned fine symphonic power metal song.

Anyhow, it appears that Gabriel steals the seals off the Pope and runs away, dodging and weaving until he gets snatched up in an elven flying machine and thus Avantasia is saved.

Jakob bemoans:

"How could the stranger steal the seal away? Was it my fault? OR was it noone's fault?"****

...but Anna is still captive, so I guess we'll have to buy part two as well...
Actually, sod it, I'm not going to go straight on to B, I'm going to listen and review it now, because I want to know if they rescue Anna and I can't wait another 20 or so cds to do so. Plus I wanna do Aina next time round. Or Ayreon. Why are all the metal operas starting with "A"?

Then we have "Avantasia" again because it's so awesome that you shouldn't even need to flip tracks to hear it again. It's the edit version - so it's one minute shorter, not sure if there are any other differences. They should have got every vocalist to do a verse.

It is followed up by "The Final Sacrifice". This is an angry duet between Gabriel and Jakob. From the lyrics, it sounds like Gabriel has cast Jakob into Hell. I'm not overly fond of it.

Get ready for the Brimstone, getting blisters on the eyes.
The power of the spirit was their final sacrifice.

Anyhow - a damned fine album, very complex and masterfully composed and arranged by young Tobias. It's kind of funny to psycho-analyse this actually - he has portrayed Kiske and Defeis as sort of "father figures" to his young novice, and Kiske in particular is probably one of the most admired voices of metal - even if he wants to break the ties with metal and become a Rock God instead. So, one cannot help but think that perhaps this was why he created the character of Vandroiy. It was a grandiose project, and one that came to valiant fruition - and he has gone on to create further Avantasia metal operas - not just the sequel to this one but many others. They even toured! I would dearly, dearly love to see Avantasia live (with Kiske, please with Kiske).

I couldn't possibly give this epic masterpiece anything less than 10/10.

* For reasons of his own, Michael Kiske did not wish for his name to appear on this album. Possibly because he did not want to be considered to be getting back into metal. Not that his voice isn't instantly recognisable anywhere.

** Whoops, wrong metal opera, we'll do that one next time.

*** Directly quoted from the booklet. I wish someone could have done that on Earth so that we could still have some of our lost "nice creatures".

**** "...Stranger steal the seal..." wonder how many times he tripped over those words. And how come he didn't recognise his own novice?

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.

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.