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Artist: Gamma Ray |
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When Kai Hansen decided to leave Helloween as the band were breaking new ground and heading the German metal advance, some thought this wasn’t the wisest of moves, but then when he put together Gamma Ray and released the bands first album ‘Heading For Tomorrow’, he showed the world he knew what he was doing. The album was subsequently seen riding to the number 2 slot in the Japanese charts and sold well in excess of 180,000 copies. Not bad at all for a debut release! Ever since then the band have continued to produce monster album after monster album, and now in 2010 with a new label in e-a-r Music, Hansen and Gamma Ray are again showing they still can produce the goods as they proclaim they did it all 'For The Metal'. This album is a titanic Metal opus with Hansen at the top of his game as always. As the album gets us underway with 'Rise', a track that instantly showcases perfectly that Gamma Ray are a force to be reckoned with once more. Screaming guitar licks and a powerhouse rhythm section have always been at the forefront of the Gamma Ray sound and this album is no different. Coupled with Hansen steering this ship forever forward, the band just continue to go from strength to strength. The album is a true metal force to be reckoned with and probably one of the finest Gamma Ray albums to date as the likes of ‘Chasing Shadows’ and ‘Deadlands’ prove perfectly. These two fiery metal monsters stand alongside the likes of ‘Empathy’, which is a more sedate slice of metal, and the traditional ‘Mother Angel’ with it’s power metal stylings. This is one album that binds the genres under a united flag of Heavy Metal. But any Gamma Ray album wouldn’t be complete without an anthem and this album is no different. The album features a real old school Metal anthem in the shape of ‘To The Metal’, which takes me back to the likes of Priest’s ‘Metal Gods’ and Manowar’s ‘All Men Play On Ten’. This song demands you raise those Metal horns and don your denim and leather and “hail Heavy Metal!”. This song leaves us running on a high this song wraps up what is as true a metal album as you'll ever hear. Although the band haven’t brought anything new to the table with this album, I’m sure the bands army of devoted fans will just love what is in all truth a true a metal. You can almost feel the riffs running through your veins as the might of Gamma Ray is once more unleashed upon the unsuspecting world. |
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Tracklisting:
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