Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Gamma Ray
Label: Noise Records
Released: 1993
Rating: 1.5/5
The keyboards were getting more and more active. Gamma Ray worked hard on their sound, and the production was fuller than ever. Even though we can only wish Gamma Ray still wrote compositions like the opener “Tribute To The Past”, “No Return” or “Last Before The Storm”, “Insanity And Genius” was a real shipwreck for the band in 1993. The lineup got shuffled yet again, especially the rhythm section. Uli Kusch (today in Masterplan) was replaced on drums by Thomas Nack (today in Iron Savior), and Uwe Wessel on bass was replaced by Jan Rubach. Does anybody happen to know what those two are up to these days? Meanwhile, Schlächter kept diligently chugging away on rhythm guitar next to Hansen.
So what happened? Too much experimenting? Yes, and badly put together on top of that. If “Sigh No More” still managed to scrape by on imitating clichés, this time Gamma Ray couldn’t even pull that off anymore. In fact, the cover of “Gamma Ray” sums up the whole record. Like a headless chicken. Whenever they finally get going, Gamma Ray veer off in search of something different, something new, and fail miserably at it. The songs just don’t take off, and they never take off, so they don’t grab you, because they can’t get under your skin. Which means the guys were once again forcing it, with no soul. And the title track is a real horror show, with next to nothing in common with heavy metal apart from a forced, half-baked solo section. Likewise, the trendy, poppy “Your Turn Is Over” and “Brothers” are pure train wrecks. Why didn’t they hire Ice T like Black Sabbath did for their fiasco “Forbidden” (1995)? What the hell was going through Hansen’s head back then?
Funnily enough, though, the layered backing vocal lines were already slowly pointing toward today’s Gamma Ray, where they’re a recognizable trademark. “Heal Me” rescues the overall impression. A gorgeous song with a lovely intro on classical piano, an expressive chorus, and lead vocals sung by Kai. Here you can find a clear parallel with today’s Gamma Ray. A varied, polished song full of twists, graced by calm motifs and sudden explosions that fit together fantastically and flow painlessly through your ears. A song you devour with pleasure!
With “Insanity And Genius,” Gamma Ray hit the very bottom of their musical career, no question. Something in the band wasn’t working the way it should. The music had no emotional charge. Could a clash of egos in the band have had something to do with it, with the friction over musical direction growing all the time?
Lineup
Ralf Scheppers – vocals
Kai Hansen – guitar
Dirk Schlächter – rhythm guitar
Jan Rubach – bass
Thomas Nack – drums
Production
Kai Hansen & Dirk Schlächter
Track list
1.Tribute To The Past
2.No Return
3.Last Before The Storm
4.The Cave Principle
5.Future Madhouse
6.Birth Control
7.Insanity & Genius
8.18 Years
9.Your Turn Is Over
10.Heal Me
11.Brothers
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 2002 REMASTERED EDITION:
12. Gamma Ray (Long Version)
13. Exciter
14. Save Us (Live)
