(Rated this album with 6 out of 10) Reviewed by
chris
from Brockton, Massachusetts United States
Kai Hansen is no doubt a phenomonal guitarist, and one has to admire his technical skill and energy. That being said, I think he did his best work with Helloween and has broken very little new ground since. I came to Gamma Ray through Helloween and I love the Keeper albums, as well as Walls of Jericho. However, I like the Keeper albums more because, as I have realized, The trio ofKiske/Weitach(sp?/Hansen created a sound that was simultaneously aggressive (Hansen), melodic (Weitach), and fun (Kiske). When Hansen left they lost thier aggressive edge and almost became a pop band with the Pink Bubbles & Chamellion albums. Hansen, in turn, went off to write pounding metal ridden with teenage angst (what is this guy, pushing 40 by now?) and he hasn't changed a bit. Gamma ray is O.K. if you are a thrash fanatic and are looking for some full-out metal. If you are a fan of melodic metal, This is not the album. New World Order is better, but Powerplant will not satisfy the discerning metal fan.
