Stardate 11/28/2024 06:56 

Gamma Ray lost their long-time drummer Daniel Zimmermann two years after 2010 album 'To the Metal!'. That album is one of my least favourite from this legendary band, which was created by guitar wizard Kai Hansen after leaving Helloween in 1989. With this berserker of an album, GR feels, at least somewhat, rejuvenated. Let me explain...

As much as I enjoy Mr. Zimmermann's powerful drumming, Michael Ehré (probably best know as Metalium drummer for over a decade) is doing well here. It's similarly powerful; one can picture him hitting them skins like a caveman in heat! No, that does not mean he is a bad player, no, but he is fast and still going through the whole drum kit. It's nothing overtly technical, it's heavy metal after all, and not some music school graduate wankery. He even composed one song here, titled 'Pale Rider', which is a sturdy fist-pumping piece. It's more Accept than Helloween. It actually has a lot of similar vibes to it as the 1991 album 'Sign no more'. Thinking about 'Sign no more' album, the first single 'Master of Confusion' is a similarly happy headbanger like 'Rich & Famous' from the platter. This takes us to 'Seven' which has pretty similar first riff with 'Master of Confusion'! I've noticed GR tributing other bands during their career, but this is something else... Anyway, 'Seven' is a tougher song mood-wise and otherwise different, so it really does not push scales negative way. Plus, 'Seven' is one of the highlights on the album with one of those catchy-as-clap choruses.

The opener 'Avalon' is the album's biggie. It has a feel of modern Iron Maiden, but as a composition of close to 9½ minutes in length, it's much tighter than many a Maiden song on two of their last albums (or rather like many of 21st century Maiden epics; it's way more fluidy and with more happening composition, and it simply does not stall). From calm opening, it grows into a massive song showing some respect to Rainbow (a bit in vein of songs such as 'Stargazer' and 'Gates of Babylon').

'Hellbent' is the band's heaviest song to date,together with the title track and 'Demonseed', and it starts more rocking streak of the album. These more ball-busting, driving 'n' rocking songs happen often, till the end. If you're a fan of 'Majestic' album (2005), it should be a treat for your appetite for kicking, playful power/heavy metal. This side is strong on this album with ripping riffs and carpet bombing double kick drumming. Kai Hansen did two Unisonic albums, after all, which are more hard rocking style. But they didn't forget about catchy choruses (check out that "eagle flying in the sky" type gem on 'Born to Fly' in vein of 'No World Order!' era [2001])! This kind of reminds me about "returning to the roots" thing their countrymen Grave Digger did with 'Return of the Reaper' in the same year.

And no German power metal album without a ballad, right?!?! Hell no! 'Time for Deliverance' with its piano, vocal melodies and aaah-ooh backing choir sounds like a tribute to mighty Queen. This is not the first time I heard influences of them English legends in Gamma Ray's music, no. It has happened on most of their albums, and on more balladish songs. When thinking generally, maybe it is the closer 'I Will Return', that gets the stamp of sounding most familiar song here, when thinking of the band's discography. The majority of songs are rather straight, non-sprouting. This might well be the most straight of all GR albums. It offers good and great headbang moments. But then again, it's nothing too deep. Like its cover art, where the band's mascot Fangface is shown. The music isn't colourless like that, though! And this beats those lame 3D covers hand down anyway!

Kai Hansen makes one of his most powerful and vicious vocal performances on this album. To tell the truth; it's no wonder if he has done proper damage to his vocal chords, as was evident on the tour for this album, where there was second vocalist in the band. Mr. Hansen's and Henjo Richter's guitars are rather ripping this time. Surely they play cool and memorable solos. Dirk Schlächter's bass guitar is as always: polymorphous and he's not following guitars or drums too slavishly. It's all simply forceful. The sound production is perfect for this kind of rocking and ripping power metal assault.

In all, 'Empire of the Undead' is a strong album with. It might not show all the sides of the band that much, so it feels a tad unvaried some days. But when giving it a spin after some time, it feels very much unified. I hope the guys return with GR soon again, after all kinds of solo and band project they've been messing with... We want more!!!

European / Russian / Ukrainian / Argentinian bonus track 'Built a World' is a killer song! It beats many of the album tracks, to tell the truth. It's a bit melancholic, mid-paced piece with a hugely catchy chorus, that is one of the most "pop" from the band, ever. Gladly they didn't let it fall into obscurity!!! Cannot comment on Asian bonus track 'Someday', sadly. European digipak / box set live bonus tracks are goodies for fans. The DVD is much more special also for anyoccasional listener with cool and very intimate rehearsal place live session recordings done with some fan attendance. It also includes interview stuff, concentrating on the destruction of the band's studio. It's all in one chunk, but gladly there's no more slow forward or rewind waits... The DVD also includes, as bonuses, 'To the Metal!' music video, and three cuts off of 'Skeletons & Majesties Live' DVD released in 2012.

Rating: 8+ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/17/2017 18:57

Related websites:
The official Gamma Ray website :: www.gammaray.org
earMUSIC website :: www.ear-music.net

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Gamma Ray
(Germany)

album cover
Empire of the Undead
1. Avalon (09:22)
2. Hellbent (05:22)
3. Pale Rider (04:24)
4. Born to Fly (04:32)
5. Master of Confusion (04:55)
6. Empire of the Undead (04:26)
7. Time for Deliverance (05:11)
8. Demonseed (06:39)
9. Seven (05:08)
10. I Will Return (06:56)
11. Built a World * (04:24)
12. Someday ** (03:59)
13. Avalon (live from the final studio session I) *** (09:51)
14. The Spirit (live from the final studio session I) *** (04:19)
15. Empire of the Undead (live from the final studio session I) *** (04:26)
= 01:23:54