Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Gamma Ray
Label: Noise Records
Release: 1998
Rating: 5/5
A real sequel to “Land Of The Free”. We’re witnessing new, drastic but obviously very well thought-out lineup changes. Dirk Schlächter, by now a legendary member of Gamma Ray, has returned to his first love, the bass guitar. Kai has brought in an equal partner on guitar, practically a jack of all trades, Henjo Richter. He took a good number of solos off Kai’s plate and spiced up the thing Gamma Ray are among the greatest masters of: triple-voice harmonies. On top of that, the guy knows computers inside out, which Gamma Ray put to use by sampling all kinds of effects into the songs. And from behind the production desk they’ve launched a new upgrade of their sound, which stays recognizable but leveled up. Henjo also stood out with an incredible feel for the added keyboards, which are even more polished compared to the previous album. They never overpower the riffing, but they perfectly enrich the band’s entire sound. They create a gorgeous bed that covers the riffs and lift the mood, especially in the calmer parts of the songs. And one more thing. Henjo took care of the booklet design, and he’s still in charge of that at Gamma Ray today. Behind the drums sat Dan Zimmerman, and that’s exactly what Gamma Ray needed. A perfect rhythm machine who has the double bass pedal down to the last detail (just listen to how Dan hammers the drums in the title track). No, seriously. The rhythm line has become the most aggressive since the band began.
The standout, and my personal favorite, is “No Stranger (Another Day In Life)”. Pure melancholy. Getting to know yourself. Nobody (the crowd) understands you, but you’re by no means alone, because you’ve come to know yourself (found your mission and your freedom). An exceptional mid-tempo creation, and one of the few on the record whose open riffing, reinforced by a rattling bass line, was deliberately left almost entirely unembellished.
Kai has finally found the magic formula. The formula for a stable lineup, which has stayed the same to this day. A perfect blend of air, fire, water and earth. The four horsemen of the apocalypse show incredible chemistry throughout the whole record, once again delivering the perfection of heavy metal melody. Even where the line goes a bit “cheerful,” or in other words through major scales, Kai keeps it grounded with that recognizable voice. The songs have that cool touch that is once again convincing and alive. First and foremost, that’s down to Hansen’s unique, deeply felt vocals, yet again.
The ripping bass in the opening bars of the first song already announces a pure intergalactic race. The songs are once again fast cutters, adorned with superior picking in the riffs and a one-of-a-kind balance in how rhythms and motifs flow into each other. “Beyond The Black Hole”, “Somewhere Out In The Space”, “The Guardians Of The Mankind”, “Man, Martians And Machines”, not to mention “Valley Of The Kings”, which was also released as a single.
The tactic is basically the same. Complicate things, but not too much. Just enough that it doesn’t come off as labored. The songs are fluid, meaning the motifs slip into one another unobtrusively all the way through, and the same goes for the rhythm changes. The perfect cover of Uriah Heep’s “Return To Fantasy”, added as a bonus track on the 2002 remastered edition, puts a hypothesis in front of us. If Uriah Heep are one of the influences on Gamma Ray, then the Gordian knot of the band’s outstanding compositions has been untied.
Lineup
Kai Hansen – vocals, guitar
Henjo Richter – guitar, keyboards
Dirk Schlächter – bass guitar
Dan Zimmermann – drums
Guest musicians:
Piet Sielck – backing vocals, vocals, guitar on “Watcher In The Sky”
Thomen Stauch – drums on “Watcher In The Sky”
Production
Kai Hansen & Dirk Schlächter
Track List
01. Beyond The Black Hole (5:59)
02. Men, Martians And Machines (3:50)
03. No Stranger (Another Day In Life) (3:33)
04. Somewhere Out In Space (5:26)
05. The Guardians Of Mankind (5:01)
06. The Landing (1:17)
07. Valley Of the Kings (3:49)
08. Pray (4:43)
09. The Winged Horse (7:02)
10. Cosmic Chaos (0:48)
11. Lost In The Future (3:38)
12. Watcher In The Sky (5:17)
13. Rising Star (0:52)
14. Shine On (6:48)
BONUS TRACKS ON THE 2002 REMASTERED EDITION:
16. Return To Fantasy
17. Miracle
18. Victim Of Changes
