Gamma Ray Discography

yeah, 'Land of the Free' is absolutely indispensible, no question about that one at all, this is one of those favorites which is NOT in the overrated/sacred cow status. There are some colossal songs on this that demand that either you understand heavy metal or you don't, no in between. One thing that I think people overlook is how great Dirk was on lead guitar especially on this record. I love the albums with Henjo on second guitar too, but most of the leads here are immortal. Totally dig the production on this record as well, I wonder how the right kind of remastering would make this sound.

Don't forget the 'A While in Dreamland' EP!

Somewhere Out In Space - Noise Records, 1997



1. Beyond the Black Hole - 06:00
2. Men, Martians and Machines - 03:52
3. No Stranger (Another Day in Life) - 03:36
4. Somewhere Out in Space - 05:27
5. The Guardians of Mankind - 05:02
6. The Landing - 01:17
7. Valley of the Kings - 03:51
8. Pray - 04:45
9. The Winged Horse - 07:02
10. Cosmic Chaos - 00:49
11. Lost in the Future - 03:40
12. Watcher in the Sky - 05:19
13. Rising Star - 00:52
14. Shine On - 06:52

Somewhere Out In Space marks the last major lineup change for the band until 2012. Dan Zimmerman (who would later start Freedom Call) joins on drums, while Dirk Schlachter moves over to bass. Joining Kai Hansen on guitars is Henjo Richter, who, in my opinion, has been the best fit as Gamma Ray's second guitarist. He's unbelievably talented (check out his performance with Avantasia on their new DVD, as well as the Gamma Ray DVD released about 6 years ago) and a great songwriter.

I have to admit that this was another album missing from my collection for a long time. In fact, I only got it a few weeks ago, but it has completely blown me away. This is on par with Land of the Free, and I even think it is better sometimes. Every single song on here is unique, and I usually hate albums that are this long. Obvious favourites include "Beyond the Black Hole", "Somewhere Out In Space", and "Valley of the Kings"; however, I've also grown attached to "Watcher In The Sky" and "No Stranger (Another Day In Life)".

One track I have to bring up is "The Winged Horse". As soon as I heard it, I knew it was written by Henjo. It is a technical, melodic masterpiece. There is some cool bluesy riffing, a unique keyboard/guitar harmony, and just an unbelievable performance by everyone. I'm not sure if it isn't played live because it's too difficult, or because people don't like it (no one ever seems to talk about it).

Much like Land of the Free, this album is completely essential. I almost feel stupid for having waited so long, but then again, it's not easy to find in North America. Either way, buy this album!!

yep, another good one. The title track is just ridiculous, that just works on so many levels. Yeah, 'The Winged Horse' is totally underrated. I think Henjo lacks identity as a guitar player, but he does contribute some notable writing. In that one I'm hearing all kinds of Blackmore and Roth worship too. 'Men, Martians and Machines' is the other overlooked song from here I think, that one plows along nicely.


The bonus track is 'Return to Fantasy', a very very good Uriah Heep cover.

Somewhere Out In Space is another killer release by the band. I have the 2002 re-release which adds Return To Fantasy,Miracle, and the Priest cover Victim Of Changes. There's not a weak track on this one. Great stuff !

For some odd reason, I skipped "Land of the Free" (just never got around to picking it up, for whatever reason) so "Somewhere Out In Space" was the album that got me back "into" Gamma Ray. I picked it up used years ago on a whim, thinking "Damn, I haven't heard these guys in a while" and was blown away by what I heard. I was very glad to hear Kai Hansen on vocals after so many years.

I can't really pick a favorite track cuz they're all great!!

IMHO this is the last must have by GR. Still firing on all cylinders here.

this album was their epic!

Power Plant - Noise Records, 1999



1. Anywhere in the Galaxy - 06:37
2. Razorblade Sigh - 05:01
3. Send Me a Sign - 04:07
4. Strangers in the Night - 06:04
5. Gardens of the Sinner - 05:57
6. Short as Hell - 03:57
7. It's a Sin (Pet Shop Boys cover) - 04:58
8. Heavy Metal Universe - 05:25
9. Wings of Destiny - 06:26
10. Hand of Fate - 06:12
11. Armageddon - 08:48

Power Plant marks a very small, but important change in sound for Gamma Ray. It is on this album that they would put a bit less emphasis on speed in their songs. Even though it doesn't sound too different from what preceded it, there are more songs that aren't quite as fast. Also, the fact that this album is quite long makes it more difficult to remember everything that happens. I still really like it, but compared to Land of the Free and Somewhere Out In Space, it is quite a bit worse.

This is also the album where the typical Gamma Ray sound really develops. Of course the previous two (or even 5) albums sound like Gamma Ray, but they're so unique that it doesn't seem like you could really say they had a set sound yet. On this album, they find their sound and (in my opinion) become a bit more complacent with the songwriting. There's nothing bad, but it's not impossible to notice similarities to other bands' songs.

My favourite track is definitely "Send Me A Sign". Even though I didn't realize it was written by Henjo for a long time, I've always thought it was meant to be an updated version of "I Want Out". Other standouts include the epic "Gardens of the Sinner", "It's A Sin" and "Heavy Metal Universe". I didn't even realize "It's a Sin" was a cover for a long time, because it fit into the album pretty flawlessly.

Overall this is a very strong addition to the Gamma Ray catalogue, and is quite important to their development as a band. This is where they lost some people, but those people probably were not huge Gamma Ray fans in the first place!

I loved Powerplant and played the crap out of it when it was first released. The cover of "It's A Sin" cracks me up, it's amazing how they were able to take a limp-wristed pop song and turn it into a killer metal tune. (Legend has it that the Pet Shop Boys hated the Gamma Ray version, too...haha!)

The only songs I remember from here are "Anywhere...", "Send...", "It's a Sin" and "HM Universe". Good, but nothing grabs me like their first 4 did.

Powerplant is a good strong release. As stated,some longer tunes on it but it's not a deterrent for me (as I tend to find long songs/albums get tiresome). The opener is great (actually,I'm not sure if Gamma Ray has a weak opening track on anything), along with Gardens Of The Sinner,Short As Hell, It's A Sin and Armageddon.

I have the re-release of this one too and it includes the tracks A While In Dreamland, a new version of Rich & Famous and the Rainbow cover Long Live Rock n Roll.

let's see, well, this one has some of the most underrated and overlooked songs in the GR catalog... 'Strangers in the Night', beyond killer, 'Razorblade Sigh', amazing, 'Hand of Fate' despite the 'Dissident Aggressor' rip at the beginning........ The fan favorites of this one are mostly the ones I dislike, like 'Send Me A Sign', 'Short as Hell', and the Pet Shop Boys cover. Oh, that Rainbow cover on some versions is one of the best Rainbow covers I've heard, easily.

Not as strong as the past two, that's a given but in '99 there wasn't a lot of music like this, at least not in the stores. About half is very strong.

Sorry for the lateness!

No World Order! - Metal-Is Records, 2001



With No World Order! Gamma Ray continues their foray into a more straightforward version of heavy metal. They still have some old school sounding classics like "The Heart of the Unicorn" and "Heaven Or Hell", but there's quite a bit of heavy stuff like the title track. One cool "track" is the intro, "Induction". Even though it's a rip off of Edguy's "Overture", which I think is a rip-off a classical song, it is beyond epic and a great way to open their shows, as well as this album.

This is another record (like Power Plant) that I would consider in the second tier of Gamma Ray albums. It isn't consistently great (the middle drags a little bit), but there are still live staples and even a few deeper cuts that are very interesting.

Also of note on this album is that Kai Hansen really takes of the songwriting here. He is the sole writer of 7 out of 11 tracks, compared to having 5 out of 11 on Power Plant. This isn't actually too different from the early albums, so in that sense, it was really Power Plant that was different. Also, this is the first Gamma Ray record since the debut with no collaboration between any of the musicians in the songwriting process.

A music video was made for "Eagle":

A good album that the guitar parts really grab you on some songs. Solid could be Tipton/Downing on the guitar and your right, this is more of a traditional sounding metal album. There are a few songs that are filler here though.

No World Order is another good release but maybe a little weaker that n what came before (but only slightly). I really like Heart Of The Unicorn,the highlight of the album for me.

Spiner202 wrote:

Sorry for the lateness!

No need to apologize. I am actually three albums behind already!

Somewhere Out in Space to me felt a little goofy, even by Gamma Ray standards. A couple of songs I really don't like, but the highlights are still there. Especially the title track, excellent work! But that Iron Savior track for instance I could have lived without. And the Winged Horse.... and Lost in the Future has to be the biggest offender here. It's just cringe worthy. But overall, there's a lot of nice melodies, and you can always skip the lame tracks (I know I do).



Cool album cover, too. Better than the Derek Riggs one on the next record.

Power Plant was actually my first Gamma Ray album. I have to say I love it, and my favourite track is Razorblade Sigh. Just a good, rocking heavy metal track. The album itself is maybe more deliberate than the previous two releases. More musical in that there's maybe not that many super fast scorchers and that there's more groove. It's still speed metal with melodies a-plenty, so maybe not really that much of a departure. Still vintage Gamma Ray. I really like Kai's singing on the album. The band pictures in the booklet are absolutely nuts. They all have blue body paint and look like some skinny, weirdly homoerotic smurfs. What were they thinking?


Kai Hansen

No World Order has a bit of a heavier sound, but still not quite as heavy as the follow-up (but more on that later). I had trouble getting into this album at first, but now I think it's just great. By the way, I always found it annoying how the album is called No World Order! (as per album cover), but on the cd case spine it says No World Order without the exclamation point. And how the song is called "New World Order" (as per back cover) and "No World Order" (as per lyrics sheet). Just be consistent, dammit! There are no bad tracks here and it's all top grade quality if you ask me, but if I really had to pick a favourite track, it'd probably be Fire Below. I don't know why exactly, but it's a great track that I ended up liking lots. Damn the Machine is cool, too.

A lot of stolen riffs and melodies, as usual. Henjo is even copying (or recycling?) Weikath's intro to "Keeper of the Seven Keys" (the song) on "Lake of Tears". If there is such a thing as a German Recycling Foundation (GeRFo?), I'm pretty sure everyone in the band is a member, but they all misunderstood what it stands for.


But they are awesome. So awesome they can make anything seem cool. Originality is overrated anyway. I'm gonna go sort my trash now.

Powerplant is my favorite, and in my opinion, one of the best power metal albums out there.
Catchy, not too fast, not too slow, perfect!

Majestic - Metal-is Records, 2005



1. My Temple - 04:57
2. Fight - 03:24
3. Strange World - 05:03
4. Hell Is Thy Home - 04:46
5. Blood Religion - 06:53
6. Condemned to Hell - 04:56
7. Spiritual Dictator - 05:38
8. Majesty - 06:23
9. How Long - 04:06
10. Revelation - 08:30

Four years after the enjoyable, yet fairly standard "No World Order!", Gamma Ray returns with their most predictable album yet. Personally, I have no problem with this. Bands like Motorhead and Tankard are consistently awesome and similar on each album, so why can't Gamma Ray be?

Much like on "Power Plant", Henjo has written by far the best song on this album, "Fight". This is a hyper-speed power metal classic that is exceptionally catchy. Another great song is the opener, "My Temple". Once again, it is fairly standard, but the melodies are just so memorable that you can't help but sing along. In fact, I'd say this applies to the entire first half of the album. Tracks 1-5 are all some of Gamma Ray's stronger work and are right up there with some of the classics from the previous two albums.

By contrast, I felt that the second half was a little bit weaker. It's not that the music is bad, but it is understandably quite difficult to make so many songs that are in the same vein that all create such a high level of enjoyment. If I had to pick a favourite from the second half, it would probably be the title track, but I don't feel particularly strongly about any of them.

Once again, Dirk is noticeably absent from the songwriting; most of this album was written by Kai, but Henjo and Dan each contributed a couple of tracks. Also, on the Majestic North American tour, Gamma Ray recorded the awesome and hilariously titled live album: "Hell Yeah !!! The Awesome Foursome and the Finnish Keyboarder who didn't want to wear his Donald Duck Costume - Live In Montreal"

By the way, if anyone is interested in doing the writeup for Land of the Free Part II, please go ahead. It is the only Gamma Ray full-length that I don't own. If nobody takes it, I still do have a few words to say, but I'm very open to someone else doing the writeup for that album.

I can't make up my mind on this album. It starts so great with the first song making me hopeful then it just gradually lets me down. I don't hate it but I don't pull it out much.

I like Majestic. Really solid album (coincidentally I heard Hell Is Thy Home on the way to work this morning) as far as I'm concerned. The aforementioned Hell Is Thy Home, Blood Religion and Revelation are my favorite tunes on this one.

No World Order is a good'un but I prefer Majestic by a long shot. "Blood Religion" is monstrous!

Majestic is Gamma Ray at their best. A thundering, heavy record. Great classic metal influences (and ripped off riffs like Sabbat Bloody Sabbath). Majestic would make for a great introductory album for a new Gamma Ray fan. Obviously it might be lacking in classic Gamma Ray tracks, but the whole album just sounds so awesome I cannot get past that. They nailed the sound of the rhythm section.

The first five tracks are all amazing, with My Temple and Strange World being my favourites. The record kind of tapers off in quality a little towards the end, and since it ain't all that long, this is a slight minus.

I could do a writeup for the next album, Land of the Free 2 is one of my favourites. I just need to give it another spin, so give me a day or two.

I have to dig out Majestic again and give it a solid listen. I like it at first then by the end almost forget it's still on.

Land of the Free II - SPV, 2007



No lineup changes.

Track list (according to my CD, though for some reason Wikipedia seems to disagree on the order. I know which one I trust more):

1. Into the Storm
2. From the Ashes
3. Rising
4. To Mother Earth
5. Rain
6. Leaving Hell
7. Empress
8. When the World
9. Opportunity
10. Real World
11. Hear Me Calling
12. Insurrection

No bonus tracks on this one. I have the "limited first edition", and absolutely no bonuses there, but even the Japanese version only has a live track tacked on, or in other words, no real exclusive new music.

Now, considering there's no lineup changes and knowing how Gamma Ray is a band that doesn't mind repeating themselves or borrowing ideas from older, classic metal bands, you know what you are in store for. Add in the fact it's an album that has a roman numeral attached to its title and you cannot expect a big departure in style.

I preordered this album. I absolutely love the band, I really loved Majestic and my favourite album was Land of the Free, the original one. So you can imagine my expectations were high when I heard they were doing Land of the Free, pt II. The weird part is, I was not disappointed. In fact, I loved it more than I thought I could have. It's not their best album, but I really could just as well call it my favourite, because of my inexcplicable love of it. It just resonates with me so well. I played it so much even my wife, after the initial "don't you get tired of buying the same album over and over again?" routine started recognising the songs, and then inexclibably, started LIKING it. Which is unheard of when it comes to Gamma Ray. We even went together to see them live.

It's such a feelgood ride. You can call it escapism or just a trip around memory lane. But you won't deny the power of the music. Easily my favourite Gamma Ray listening experience, because it just builds up the right way. Yes, the first half is mostly your generic Gamma Ray/Helloween style speed metal by the books (BUT GOOD!), but there's so much energy I love it. From the Ashes and To Mother Earth rule! I think they did a video for Into the Storm. I'll link it to the end of the post, if I find it on Youtube. The fast tracks don't take you back to just Land of the Free, but all the way to Walls of Jericho. Especially To Mother Earth. A killer song.

But where the album really starts to live and breathe is Leaving Hell and Empress. That's when you get to the zany, German power metal that made Helloween a worldwide success. Empress is written by the drummer Dan Zimmermann and it sounds like an 80's Survivor song Gamma Ray'ed. It also has the best Kai Hansen vocal performance since... well... ever?



RALF WHO?!

When the World is a rip-off of Iron Maiden's Flash of the Blade. But even in his non-inspired song-writing mode, Kai Hansen at least has good taste in music! Flash of the Blade is in my top ten Maiden songs of all time, so I'm a bit partial. I totally get if someone doesn't like this song. Also, the chorus is very A Matter of Life and Death-y.

Opportunity is one of the greatest heavy metal tracks I know. Enough said right there really, but to elaborate: it's something that could maybe be on Somewhere Out in Space. A weird, oddball, Dirk Schlächter song. It's a pounding, epic song with multiple hooks and catchy verses. You could compare it to Rebellion in a Dreamland, but it's even more quirky. Blew my mind when I first heard it. Especially those weird Iron Maiden references in the middle part. Is that the Clairvoyant I hear there? It's like a metal music orgasm with random Maiden riffs sprinkled on top.

Speaking of Hansen borrowing material, the closing epic Insurrection breaks into something eerily similar to Tom Sawyer about halfway through.

I focused mainly on the highlights, but that's because that's what I love about the record. Some of the tracks like Hear Me Calling don't really do much for me, but unlike some of the previous records this one is over an hour long and there's room for skipping tracks and still have your 45 minutes of grade A material.

Possibly the track with the biggest commercial potential is for some reason hidden towards the end of the record: Real World! This is an instant pleaser, a track that will grab the attention of casual listeners. The lyrics follow the well-established heavy metal tradition of ridiculing the concept of God, but in the end you know it's just a tongue-in-cheek Gamma Ray track. It has an "I Want Out" vibe to it. I instantly thought it'd be a great live track, and yes they did play it when we saw them on the tour. A great lineup, by the way: Helloween, Gamma Ray and Axxis! That's right, f'n AXXIS! The awesome just tagged with the awesomest!

I've seen the band four times and that had to have been my favourite time right there.

Back to the album: the overall sound and production is again real good. I don't know what happened after this record because Into the Metal seems almost overproduced with all the background synths and layered vocals. Probably just a matter of taste. From what I know, the band self-produced both records.

What Spiner didn't mention was that the Live in Montreal DVD also contains a later addition in the form of a third disc that features songs from this album. Only four songs, but it's a good selection: Into the Storm, Empress, From the Ashes and Real World! A nice addition to an already great DVD set.

Gamma Ray - Into the Storm
OFFICIAL VIDEO