GAMMA RAY

The year is 2007. It has been 18 years since Kai Hansen left HELLOWEEN and 12 years since the release of "Land Of The Free," the album that definitively established GAMMA RAY as one of the leaders of power metal. In those 12 years, four albums were released, and while the albums of the late '90s radiated endless optimism and a positive attitude, the two albums of the new century differ strikingly from them. The 2001 release was crafted in the spirit of Judas Priest's "Painkiller" — something many bands were doing at the time: PRIMAL FEAR, SILENT FORCE, and others. Two years ago another record came out; the sound had changed, but tension and a certain darkness were still palpable. The current album, by its very title, inspired hope that we would once again hear something reminiscent of GAMMA RAY's "golden" period. And indeed, the very first riffs tell us about the emotional direction of the album — it is full of epic heroism and good-natured energy. In this whirlwind it is quite difficult to single out individual tracks; there are standout songs, yet overall the album is fairly even. It is good in every respect, and at the same time one sincerely wishes the album were not merely well-executed but truly touching, the kind that makes you fall in love with it — especially since Kai is brilliantly capable of writing such songs. Wait, a small caveat: all members of the band participated in the songwriting. Guitarist Henjo Richter wrote "Rain" and "Hear Me Calling," drummer Dan Zimmermann penned "Empress," and bassist Dirk Schlachter is the author of "Opportunity"; all remaining tracks were written by the band's leader, guitarist and vocalist Kai Hansen. "To Mother Earth" can probably be considered a surefire hit — swift and light, it lodges in your memory almost instantly. "Rain" and "Empress" are also very strong compositions, and let us be objective: the album opener "Into the Storm" is equally up to par, with "When The World" not far behind. Perhaps the one subjective drawback is the overly large proportion of fast-paced tracks on the disc. However, mid-tempo compositions are also present — the already mentioned "Empress" and "Real World," the latter somewhat reminiscent of "I Want Out" in certain moments. Listening to the final track, one thinks about how many good albums have been ruined by completely unnecessary closing epics that amount to nothing and demonstrate their authors' inability to work with large-scale form. But let us not forget: Kai Hansen is the author of "Halloween" — he is equally talented at writing compositions of any kind. In this particular case, let us assume he chose not to deploy his talent to its fullest. Everything in this composition seems harmonious, yet you keep wanting to skip ahead. Overall, even though the album does not contain any truly dazzling hits, it is more than worthy of a place in the collection of any power metal fan.