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5 Excellent - Masterpiece. A classic.
4.5-4 Great - Almost perfect records but there's probably a lacking.
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3 Average - Some good songs, some bad ones at about a half/half ratio.
2.5-2 Fair - Worth a listen, but best obtained by collectors.
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0 Terrible - Waste of your life and time.

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Band
Gamma Ray
Title
Land Of The Free II
Type
LP/EP
Company
SPV/Steamhammer
YOR
2007
Style
Power
Popular Reviews
11/30/2007 - Review by: Frank Hill
Gamma Ray - Land Of The Free II - 2007 - SPV

Track Listing:
1. Into The Storm
2. From The Ashes
3. Rising Again
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
Us fans of the older power/speed style that dominated the mid-80s are having a great second half of 2007! Progenitor Helloween released the rallying effort "Gambling with the Devil" and now, Gamma Ray has responded with an effort that is equally as good, if not a little better.

GR has been giving us decent CDs for over a decade, along the same path as Helloween, but the racetrack we've wanted to see them back on has only been rarely ridden with earlier songs like "Lust for Life" and "Fight" from 2005's well-received Majestic. Sometimes their live shows gave us "I Want Out" and "Future World" to relive the early days.

Where the new Helloween opus went a little darker, "Land Of The Free II" is a throttle-open burner full of positive power metal. "To Mother Earth" is as rapid a ride as anything from the pre-Kiske era, "From the Ashes" is Maidenesque and "Insurrection" is an epic majesty on the scale of GR's own "Heading for Tomorrow". Their vocals and lyrics have always been on the 'adequate' level for me, but I can't deny the fast-frets and gang chats on this one.

Kai Hansen has replicated his early days so closely, I'm tempted to accuse him of going through a mid-life crisis. There's no need to reminisce about the glory of the old days when it's with us now as well. With both bands under the Steamhammer/SPV Records banner and a tour in rumor, fans should get their keys ready!

Bottom Line: The new Gamma Ray smokes!


Rating: 4



--Nailer
  • 1 :REVIEW COUNT
    4 :AVE RATING

ALL REVIEWS FOR: GAMMA RAY
TITLE
DOR
COMPANY
 REVIEWER DATE MADE RATING
Empire of the Undead
2014
EarMusic
Vinaya Saksena5/13/2014
4
Heading For The East
2003
Sanctuary Records
Ken Pierce6/22/2004
-
Land Of The Free II
2007
SPV/Steamhammer
Frank Hill11/30/2007
4
Majestic
2005
Sanctuary Records
Eric Compton11/30/2005
-
To The Metal
2010
EarMusic
Chris Kincaid5/14/2010
3.5

ALL INTERVIEWS FOR: GAMMA RAY
INTERVIEW INTERVIEWER DATE TAGLINE


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