I initially bought Gamma Ray's Powerplant and Heading for Tomorrow albums and found them to be awesome thrashy power metal albums. I've gotten a few others recently (Sigh No More, Insanity and Genius, etc.) and have really noticed they, "went prog." Does anyone think so too?
Gamma Ray
- Thread starter Thraxz
- Start date
Yngvai X
Dark Emperor
Well, you definitely bought them out of order. Out of those that you have, the latest one is Powerplant, which is their 3rd to last album (they have a new one coming out this month called Majestic). their discography is:
Heading for Tomorrow
Sigh No More
Insanity and Genius
Land of the Free (you must own this if you like GR)
Somewhere Out in Space (you must also own this one)
Powerplant
No World Order
Majestic
As for the prog comment...they sound about as straight up powermetal as it comes to me.
Heading for Tomorrow
Sigh No More
Insanity and Genius
Land of the Free (you must own this if you like GR)
Somewhere Out in Space (you must also own this one)
Powerplant
No World Order
Majestic
As for the prog comment...they sound about as straight up powermetal as it comes to me.
How can you say the the song "We Wont Stop the War" from Sign No More is straight up power metal?
http://www.cduniverse.com/soundsamp...=R&ram=us/usrm/428/104428_1_04.ram?obj=v10212
http://www.cduniverse.com/soundsamp...=R&ram=us/usrm/428/104428_1_09.ram?obj=v10212
EDIT: By the way, I knew they wern't in order. I was saying that they started full on power metal and have trended prog. Especially, I&G and Sigh No More.
http://www.cduniverse.com/soundsamp...=R&ram=us/usrm/428/104428_1_04.ram?obj=v10212
http://www.cduniverse.com/soundsamp...=R&ram=us/usrm/428/104428_1_09.ram?obj=v10212
EDIT: By the way, I knew they wern't in order. I was saying that they started full on power metal and have trended prog. Especially, I&G and Sigh No More.
The Yngster
Member
I think it's just about the worst GR album... far too many doublebase-driven highspeed numbers for my likings, and the sound is subpar in my opinion.The Yngster said:
"Heading For Tomorrow" still is their best album, the titletrack being an absolut masterpiece and very much in the range of Prog Metal.
Yngvai X
Dark Emperor
Thraxz said:
yeah but their newer albums are extremely straight up powermetal. If anything, they were more "prog" and got more "power".
SyXified
Member
Somewhere Out in Space is undeniably the greatest power metal album of all time. I consider that album to power metal as V is to prog metal and I hold those two albums in equally high esteem. Gamma Ray has a rare ability as a power metal band to command a true emotional strength in their vocal melodies and lyrics which for many power metal bands comes off as banal and typical. Also the way Gamma Ray writes songs on that album is SO strong, they are so cohesive yet don't conform to prescribed formulas. If anything I would consider that their most progressive element. Plus, even though it may not sound like it because their solos are written as part of the songs as opposed to solo breaks within a song Henjo is nasty. When I saw him live I was extraordinarily impressed, and that was a ProgPower III so he had a lot of competition. Delve into Somewhere Out in Space immediatly.
Yngvai X
Dark Emperor
SyXified said:
I agree except that I hold anything blind Guardian or Rage does to be the best of whatever powermetal has to offer...then again neither BG or Rage are of the typical helloween variety...for for that kind of sound I agree, gamma Ray is the best.
Hansen kept appearing on Blind Guardian albums until 1992 ("Somewhere Far Beyond")... Gamma Ray already was around for three years then. Besides, every Blind Guardian album since then didn't have the slightest thing in common with typical European Power Metal or even typical Power Metal in general.
So would Somewhere Out in Space be a good album to start off with? I'd been meaning to listen to Gamma Ray forever, and a friend showed me some of their stuff the other day... I love it!
SyXified
Member
Sorry for the doubel post, but it saved me from another thread.
So, Gamma Ray's new CD is out.
I got today and on my way home, holy shit. At first, the cd is good but nothing to make you nut your pants.
Then track number 7, "Spiritual Dictator," hits and holy shit. Kai Hansen comes back in all of his guitaring glory from then on.
"Majesty" the (arguably) title track come up next and simply knocks my socks off with light Blind Guardian-esque atmospherics backed up with some great Hansen rythym that drives you to headbanging.
"How Long" sticks to it's name with some classic Gamma Ray goodness.
Last but not least, coming in at a nearly epic 8:30 is "Revelation." What a way to end a great CD. The song's riffs dance around from power to thrashy power to nearly prog. Well balanced and pleasing to anyone who likes Hansen's work.
Bottom line, if you don't like this album, you don't like metal.
9 out of 10
So, Gamma Ray's new CD is out.
I got today and on my way home, holy shit. At first, the cd is good but nothing to make you nut your pants.
Then track number 7, "Spiritual Dictator," hits and holy shit. Kai Hansen comes back in all of his guitaring glory from then on.
"Majesty" the (arguably) title track come up next and simply knocks my socks off with light Blind Guardian-esque atmospherics backed up with some great Hansen rythym that drives you to headbanging.
"How Long" sticks to it's name with some classic Gamma Ray goodness.
Last but not least, coming in at a nearly epic 8:30 is "Revelation." What a way to end a great CD. The song's riffs dance around from power to thrashy power to nearly prog. Well balanced and pleasing to anyone who likes Hansen's work.
Bottom line, if you don't like this album, you don't like metal.
9 out of 10
Similar threads
