┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Gamma Ray - Land Of The Free (Anniversary Ed.)-(GQCS-90377/8 + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.nov-04-2018 Encoder......L3.98.4 -V0 --lowpas ║ │ │║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2017 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........cd1: 13 cd2: 7 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.gammaray.org ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Gamma Ray Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Land Of The Free (Anniversary Label : Ward ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ LetÆs not mess about with some big intro or ║ │ │║ history lesson or attempt at scene setting. Cut ║ │ │║ straight to the chase: this is simply the best ║ │ │║ straight-up power metal album ever made. Sure, ║ │ │║ other albums rule in their class (Iced Earth own ║ │ │║ the more aggressive, thrashy kind, Iron Savior ║ │ │║ at the more raw kind, etc), and there are other ║ │ │║ albums that are exceptional in the same type ║ │ │║ (PersuaderÆs debut, anyone?). But Land of the ║ │ │║ Free is simply the definitive power metal album. ║ │ │║ If ever anyone wants to know what the genre is ║ │ │║ all about, this album is it. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ What makes it such a success? Mainly the way ║ │ │║ that it blends simplicity with skill, melody ║ │ │║ with power. The album goes right to the very ║ │ │║ edge of awesome metal, the point some bands ║ │ │║ never reach and others shoot way past, ending up ║ │ │║ sounding like theyÆre trying too hard ║ │ │║ (DragonForceÆs later albums for example, though ║ │ │║ their first remains a classic). Gamma Ray get as ║ │ │║ fucking awesome as you can get, and leave it ║ │ │║ there. Common flaws of the genre: each tracks ║ │ │║ sounds the same, all of them sounding like ║ │ │║ theyÆre trying to outdo one another. None of ║ │ │║ that here, every song is pure power metal yes, ║ │ │║ but the catchy choruses and changes in pacing ║ │ │║ break the album up and keep it from stagnating, ║ │ │║ while never feeling like any of the songs are ║ │ │║ just fillers put there to pad things out. ItÆs ║ │ │║ just beautifully crafted. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Another potential pitfall: Going too over-the- ║ │ │║ top. For some bands, like Rhapsody, the over- ║ │ │║ the-top nature of power metal works just fine, ║ │ │║ but with others it comes across as trying too ║ │ │║ much to fit into a stereotype. Kai exemplifies ║ │ │║ this. His vocal performance honestly couldnÆt be ║ │ │║ better, heÆs total power and energy, but never ║ │ │║ feels like heÆs straining to pull it off, or ║ │ │║ desperately and constantly hitting high notes. ║ │ │║ And I say this as someone who didnÆt even much ║ │ │║ take to his time in Helloween: these are not the ║ │ │║ words of a Hansen fanboy. His voice fills you ║ │ │║ with power like few others can manage, and yet ║ │ │║ always sounds perfectly convicted, just adding ║ │ │║ the right edge of aggression when itÆs ║ │ │║ appropriate to the song, or going for the ║ │ │║ occasional Halford-esque falsetto. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Every track is pure gold, filled with great ║ │ │║ riffs of mid and fast pace, powerful solos that ║ │ │║ will make anyone air-guitar along, and as I say, ║ │ │║ KaiÆs top-notch vocals. When they want to go ║ │ │║ fast, as in "Man on a Mission" or "Salvation's ║ │ │║ Calling", they blast off into the fucking ║ │ │║ stratosphere in that speed metal way, and when ║ │ │║ they turn things down for a more reserved pace ║ │ │║ (see: rebellion in Dreamland) they maintain a ║ │ │║ steady rocking beat. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ As for a few specifics, "Man on a Mission", as ║ │ │║ other reviews will attest to, is an absolute ║ │ │║ power metal anthem, ripping along with a fast- ║ │ │║ paced strength that wouldnÆt sound out of place ║ │ │║ in a thrash album, and all backed up by an ║ │ │║ irresistible chorus. A great sing-along track ║ │ │║ all in all, and that break at the third minute ║ │ │║ is perfectly timed to drag you in and prepare ║ │ │║ you for the full-blown explosion of soloing that ║ │ │║ follows (warning: faces will melt). "Gods of ║ │ │║ Deliverance" is another with an amazingly ║ │ │║ infectious chorus, with the verses melding a ║ │ │║ rapid riff with a steady beat, and then taking ║ │ │║ off in the chorus. "All of the Damned" has that ║ │ │║ guitar tone that suggests Eastern influence, as ║ │ │║ well as plenty of great lead work. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ All told, the single solitary criticism to be ║ │ │║ levelled is a couple of those interlude tracks ║ │ │║ that plague so many power albums these days. The ║ │ │║ Saviour in particular adds nothing, and feels ║ │ │║ out of place, too sudden after the abrupt end of ║ │ │║ "All of the Damned". But in truth, these are ║ │ │║ small and basically can be ignored. The rest of ║ │ │║ the album is just so gorgeous I couldnÆt bring ║ │ │║ myself to take any marks off. Well, okay, so the ║ │ │║ chorus of "Time to Break Free" always reminds me ║ │ │║ of the closing section of Devin TownsendÆs Punky ║ │ │║ Bruster album, preventing me from really taking ║ │ │║ it seriously, but thatÆs my problem. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is power metal. It ║ │ │║ never tries too hard, it just works, ║ │ │║ representing both the core and pinnacle of the ║ │ │║ genre in one glorious album. Flawless and ║ │ │║ utterly definitive. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Review written by Tymell for www.metal- ║ │ │║ archives.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Kai Hansen - Guitars, Vocals ║ │ │║ Thomas Nack - Drums ║ │ │║ Dirk SchlΣchter - Guitars, Keyboards ║ │ │║ Jan Rubach - Bass ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ - CD1 [ ] │ │ - [ ] │ │ 01 - Rebellion In Dreamland [08:45] │ │ 02 - Man On A Mission [05:49] │ │ 03 - Fairytale [00:49] │ │ 04 - All Of The Damned [05:01] │ │ 05 - Rising Of The Damned [00:43] │ │ 06 - Gods Of Deliverance [05:01] │ │ 07 - Farewell [05:11] │ │ 08 - Salvation's Calling [04:36] │ │ 09 - Land Of The Free [04:38] │ │ 10 - The Saviour [00:39] │ │ 11 - Abyss Of The Void [06:02] │ │ 12 - Time To Break Free [04:40] │ │ 13 - Afterlife [04:46] │ │ - [ ] │ │ - CD2 [ ] │ │ - [ ] │ │ 01 - Heavy Metal Mania (2017 Remastered) [04:49] │ │ 02 - As Time Goes By (Pre-Production Version) ( [04:53] │ │ 03 - The Silence '95 (2017 Remastered) [06:29] │ │ 04 - Dream Healer (Instrumental) (Live 2017 at [08:23] │ │ 05 - Tribute To The Past (Instrumental) (Live 2 [04:57] │ │ 06 - Heaven Can Wait (Instrumental) (Live 2016 [04:48] │ │ 07 - Valley Of The Kings (Instrumental) (Live 2 [03:45] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [94:44 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘