Gamma Ray
Land Of The Free

THE REVIEW

If there were a camera, it would look like a scene from a movie. The slow direction would pass over me as I press the keys on the pc while my eyes look up to the right in a desperate search for inspiration. I'm in the good living room of my parents' house; there's no one around and I allow myself to soil their immense audio system with the notes of my favorite album. The volume is loud, but for 200 meters, there are only vineyards. I enjoy the situation and write.

PROTAGONISTS

Gamma Ray is one of the most famous bands in the power metal scene, and I am a fan of theirs. I believe, unlike most, that they offered their best in the early part of their career with original albums like "Insanity & Genius," "Sigh No More," and "Heading For Tomorrow." I also greatly respect the later "Somewhere Out In Space" and "Powerplant," but there you can already see more skill, great skill, in presenting a consolidated sound that's unfortunately increasingly stereotypical. "Land Of The Free" is in the midst of their evolutionary journey: it's a case apart. A wonderful case apart that deserves to be analyzed.

APEX

Gamma Ray means Kai Hansen. The former founder of Helloween, when he left the pumpkins in '88, wanted to create a band with him, only him, at the center. "Land Of The Free" is Kai Hansen at his very best, and for those who know the early Helloween even minimally, know that this means dizzying levels. I believe without a shadow of a doubt that with this album, he outdid himself.

It's not just a matter of individual songs. "Land Of the Free" is a utopia that Gamma Ray makes us live with a colorful product to savor in a continuum, without breaks or distractions. It starts with an elegant arpeggio in the epic and surprising mid-tempo titled "Rebellion In Dreamland" and continues with the sum of speed metal "Man On A Mission." Complex songs without any lapse that do not repeat themselves but grow and divert in original breakdowns capable of making the return to the verses and choruses even more delicious. That the inspiration is at its peak is evident from the instrumental interludes of the ephemeral duration of one minute: now pure adrenaline, now perfect glue between the tracks. Uncompromising heavy metal ("Gods Of Deliverance," "Salvation's Calling") and melodic and changeable metal ("All Of The Damned") follow one after the other between heartfelt solos by the twin guitar pair and an extraordinary rhythm section for how it tames the continuous restarts. The slow "Farewell" is enriched by the presence of Hansi Kursch, capable of putting a bit of grit and dirt into so much melodic goodness. It's a setlist free of dips, and at the end, there are still many shots in the barrel. The hypnotic intro of the title track is pure genius, making the bridge/chorus devastatingly impactful on the listener. With "Abyss Of The Void," launched by an epic intro, unimaginable heights are reached. Hansen/Schlachter show us what amalgam means during the solo phase, and throughout the song, we're surrounded by backing vocals, syncopations, pompous choirs, pauses, and crescendos highlighted by passionate and heartfelt virtuosity. The CD, after a return to the past with Kiske in "Time To Break Free," concludes with "Afterlife." In 1993, Ingo Schwichtenberg, drummer and founder of Helloween along with his friend Hansen, committed suicide by throwing himself under a moving train. Only knowing this can you feel something different while singing the almost shouted and full of suffering verses in which Kai bids farewell to his friend and sets an appointment after death.

From a technical point of view, unless you want to judge without listening, and just for the sake of it, I believe there's little to say. I'd like to underline Jan Rubach's performance. An almost forgotten bassist of undisputed talent who puts his signature on this CD with constant precision and forms, with Thomas Nack, an applause-worthy rhythm section. Hansen returns to the microphone after Walls Of Jericho and sings with incredible passion. He's not a talent, but compared to '86, his pronunciation has improved, and he doesn't only attempt high notes but interprets the songs showing various tones and wisely relies on the backing vocals, which were meticulously prepared for this album. I've already spoken about the guitars: a twin pair that shares more or less fast solos with ease and total sound clarity. The songs are very varied and are alternated perfectly through the use of interludes that break monotony. All that's left is to praise the sober and distinctive cover (the only shirt I've bought) in symbiosis with lyrics full of hope/fear and without any reference to Satanism/fantasy stories: the extremes that many ignorant people believe are the only themes used in metal.

FUNERAL

In 1995, power metal was already a well-known genre but still niche. "Land Of the Free" unveiled (alongside "Visions" and "Imaginations From the Other Side") this branch of metal to the general public. The result was devastating: pure exaltation for many young people who formed countless clone bands without having the technical and compositional abilities of the masters. Yes, based on my over 250 original CDs of the agonizingly bought genre, I can say that "Land Of The Free" was both the apex and the funeral of this musical genre. A simply indispensable CD for every rocker. An extraordinary example of power metal that never was and never will be in the future. I thank the user "mista" who recommended purchasing the CD.