Gamma Ray never sticked to plain power metal. If previous 'Sigh no More' (1991) was a mixed bag, this goes even further. Maybe Kai Hansen didn't get his musical vision together after his departure from Helloween, another band who have broadened their limits out from power metal and failed, at least partly.

Cover art gives some warnings, that there might be something different here. Funny band photo on booklet and the band's logo written in chrome text like on old American cars. There's no rockabilly here, but some lunatic songs and I mean, not in a good way. Well, German sense of humour has always been "somewhat" weird...

The album begins nicely with very German sounding metal. You like it or you loathe it. I like it, if it's not too funny, which happens too usually with many bands. This time, the three first songs are okay, 'No Return' is the best track on the album. 'The Cave Principle' is the first heavy metal/rock song and after it, the "funny" bits begin. Uh, I can't say any positive about them! I haven't heard any listenable "joke" songs anyway, expect Primus' material. 'Gamma Ray's awful disco parts and computer game sounds are far over the line for me, but it's a cover of Birth Control song anyway. The title track returns to more solid things, being a better one on this album. '18 Years' is absolutely wonderful, from the song writing point of view, beginnning quite slow and getting into majestic heights. Some prog elements are appearing on this album here and there, but this song is prog metal in my opinion. Tracks 9 and 11 have more of that party attitude again, but 'Heal Me' must be the most proggy song; it has parts reminding me of Queen and newer Pink Floyd. Some excellent melodies and riffs in the song.

Vocalist Ralf Scheepers certainly has individuality. But I don't like his voice too much, it is so... Different is all I can come up with. Very clean, high-pitched yet very different from usual metal vocalists. All choruses are typical German power metal; two three guys singing them. It's also one thing I really do not like too much, not in this case at least. Hansen handles main vocals on 'Heal Me' and Scheepers is needed as yet on this album (Hansen sings on later GR albums). Bassist Dirk Schlächter does the vocals on 'Your Tørn Is over', and to tell the truth, they do not work very well. There's some falsetto singing on a couple of more prog songs, bringing Queen into my mind. Lyrics vary between good and "funny", too... Sound-wise the album is balanced and powerful enough, after all, it was recorded in 1993.

In my ears, later records are much more powerful and into the point, especially two last ones. This raises mixed feelings in me. This would make excellent mini-CD, so there's too much songs that I do not like. If one half of the songs are better and the other half I want to skip, this equals as a very average record then, doesn't it? And my least favourite from the band.

Rating: 6- (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
12/20/2002 21:46