Gamma Ray
Sigh No More

The few Debaser members who know Gamma Ray will probably associate their name with works like "Land Of The Free", "Somewhere Out In Space" and will be eagerly anticipating the imminent release of the second part of "Land Of The Free". However, I want to briefly talk to you about the early Gamma Ray and "Sigh No More" in particular: the second product of one of the most beloved and famous Teutonic bands in European power metal. "Sigh No More" was released back in 1991; at the time, Kai Hansen was only playing guitar, Ralph Scheepers (now Primal Fear) was singing, and Dirk Schlachter was busy with his six strings rather than the bass (as happens from "Somewhere Out In Space" onwards).

When I bought the following CD I was 15 years old: back then, I had no musical culture, I couldn't appreciate a change in rhythm, a pause, a break, a nice bass line, or an arpeggio. At that time, good music for me was only the immediate, powerful kind with catchy choruses: in short, the easiest and most predictable power. "Sigh No More" did not go in that direction and only over the years have I been able to fully reevaluate it.

Let's start by saying that this CD has almost nothing that can be related to power music, as it is experimental rock. The songs refuse to be confined into linear and predictable structures. It's a sonic swing, between tempo changes, crescendos, accelerations, and sudden slowdowns without desperately chasing the catchy chorus. "Father And Son" is a memorable example of moving rock and compositional creativity. It starts with an elegant arpeggio, followed by the piano's sound carpet and passionate vocals. A few moments later, we are tossed from one side to the other in a powerful, evolving, irresistible, and seemingly chaotic sound. Chapeau!!! The same goes for the opening track: this one is usually catchy, very simple, and designed to stick in your mind. Nothing to do with the paced "Changes". It moves slowly, in no hurry to reveal itself and bring us to the chorus. The verses, during which the backing vocals become sublime, parade with class through a calculated situation of waiting that builds up to the articulated and passionate solo followed by a tempo change (relentless crescendo) underscored by the bass line.

"Countdown" is genuine, minimal, and impactful rock with repetitive hypnotic melodic lines in which it's pleasant to get lost: a track that has practically nothing to do with the future production of Gamma Ray. Uwe Wensel rallies with the bass for a track with a committed lyric like "(We Won't) Stop The War" which screams against people's hypocrisy. Memorable and highly appealing chorus for an unconventional track in the break that completely deviates from the rest of the piece and sets the stage for the final push. "Dream Healer"... vertiginous. A wild ride is evoked by the riff, the rhythm section, and the solo. It's a wonderful push and pull, full of pauses, accelerations, atmospheres of anticipation, and restarts. Unlistenable for a teenager unwilling to reason and digest the sound, astounding for those who can appreciate music and aren't afraid of listening to the same song repeatedly. "As Time Goes By", "Rich And Famous", and "Spirit" are three excellent examples of changeable melodic metal without double bass drum. However, they deviate from the rest of the proposal and the sense of the review focused on the fact that "Sigh No More" is a breakthrough CD and different from the usual post-"Land Of the Free" Gamma Ray.

In 1991, Kai Hansen, after decisively contributing to the success of Helloween by giving birth to melodic power metal and after breaking into the record market with the debut of Gamma Ray, lost his way. He lost his way in the sense that he managed to find the courage to explore more original, creative, and less easy-to-listen-to musical shores with the release of this CD, in perfect dichotomy with the ugliness of the cover. A path that was never reopened for a gem that hardly anyone knows and appreciates. A pity.