Artist: GAMMA RAY
Album: MAJESTIC (CD)

Year: 2005
Media type: CD

GAMMA RAY 's roots lay in the surprising decision by guitarist Kai Hansen to split from HELLOWEEN just as the German group had begun to reach the peak of their success, Hansen citing disillusionment with constant touring as the main reason for his departure. Teaming himself up with former TYRAN PACE vocalist Ralph Scheepers, Hansen quickly found almost instantaneous success again in a group that boasted bassist Uwe Wessels and drummer Matthias Burchardt in the the initial line-up.

Having swiftly added ex-HOLY MOSES drummer Uli Kusch in place of Burchardt, GAMMA RAY's 1989 debut album, 'Heading For Tomorrow', reached number 2 in the Japanese charts and sold in excess of 180'000 copies throughout Europe. The following year Hansen would find time to produce the 'This Is The News' demo session for MEGACE.

1991's 'Sigh No More', which was produced by VICTORY's Tommy Newton and continued the success, selling over 150'000 copies worldwide. However, in mid 1992 Kusch and Wessel had quit. The drummer would eventually wind up in HELLOWEEN.

By early 1993 the band had recruited new members bassist Jan Rubach and drummer Thomas Nack joining the fold. GAMMA RAY's third album, 'Insanity And Genius', appeared the same year and, interestingly, the 1993 single 'Future Madhouse' features on the B side a version of the BIRTH CONTROL track aptly titled 'Gamma Ray'.

Stunningly, Ralf Scheepers departed the group in 1994 after the rest of the band discovered he had applied for the job as vocalist for JUDAS PRIEST. This left Hansen to handle lead vocal duties in addition to supplying guitar and Kai made his frontman debut on 1995's 'Land Of The Free' album, which also featured guest vocal parts from Hansen's ex-HELLOWEEN colleague MICHAEL KISKE. Scheepers turned up fronting PRIMAL FEAR, a band including SINNER mainman Mat Sinner and with more than a few similarities to Birmingham's finest! Meantime, Thomas Nack was operating a side project band oddly billed as TWORK in allegience with former KINGDOM COME guitarist Heiko Radke.

GAMMA RAY played Germany in June 1995 on a touring festival billed the 'Summer Metal Meetings' including ICED EARTH, GRAVE DIGGER, GLENMORE, RUNNING WILD and RAGE, with the aptly titled 'Alive '95' record appearing the following year and featuring a cover version of NWoBHM act HOLOCAUST's 'Heavy Metal Mania'. The group would later record further cover songs, both JUDAS PRIEST numbers ('Victim Of Changes' and a Ralf Scheepers fronted version of 'Exciter') to two JUDAS PRIEST tribute albums.

In the Fall of 96 GAMMA RAY split with both Rubach and Nack, the duo joined ANESTHESIA, and brought in new blood in the form of bassist Dirk Schlachter and drummer Dan Zimmermann.

GAMMA RAY hit back in 1997 with a brand new studio album, the highly rated 'Somewhere Out In Space', also featuring Henjo Richter on guitars and keyboards, and exitedly toured in support of the 'meisterwerk'. The album included a cover version of URIAH HEEP's 'Return To Fantasy'. German dates included a headlining appearance at 'Heavy Oder Was?' magazine's 'Bang Your Head' festival in Tubingen, southern Germany before the group headed over to Japan during October for a particularly lengthy tour, certainly by Japanese standards. The 'Valley Of The Kings' EP, released the same year, included a cover version of JUDAS PRIEST's 'Victim Of Changes'.

Hansen also preoccupied himself outside of his main act by resurrecting one of his earliest bands IRON SAVIOR enlisting Zimmermann. As well as issuing an album IRON SAVIOR also hit the road in Europe. Zimmermann joined FREEDOM CALL. Despite being recognised as a 'fun' project IRON SAVIOR's career rocketed and a succession of albums and tours ensued. Coincidentlly IRON SAVIOR would later enroll erstwhile GAMMA RAY drummer Thomas Nack into the fold for the 'Interlude' album.

The 'Powerplant' album saw cover artwork from Derek Riggs, renowned for his IRON MAIDEN album cover. More surprising was the cover of 'Its A Sin', originally by THE PET SHOP BOYS.

GAMMA RAY then released a 'best of' album with a twist. All the songs, voted for inclusion by the band's fans, were re-recorded. Both Hansen and Richter contributed to EDGUY's Tobias Sammet's mammoth AVANTASIA project album of 2000. In keeping with the EDGUY connection both Hansen and Schlacter would be on hand in the studio to mix TARAXACUM's conceptual 'Spirit Of Freedom's opus, conceived by EDGUY man Tobias Exxel.

GAMMA RAY returned in 2001 touting an album of freshly recorded material entitled 'No World Order'. Hansen had earlier in the year relinquished his post in side act IRON SAVIOR due to constantly conflicting timings between the two bands. Touring would see Mexican dates with MEGACE's Jorg Schror filling in temporarily for an injured Dirk Schlacter.

Ardent fans would be enticed by Japanese versions of the 'Heaven Or Hell' single which featured an exclusive cover version of THIN LIZZY's 'Angel Of Death'. Headline dates in Germany during October, topping a billing featuring SONATA ARTICA and VANISHING POINT, saw HELLOWEEN's Martin Grosskopf assisting his erstwhile band mate Kai Hansen by filling in for an injured Dirk Schlachter.

GAMMA RAY would announce their first ever American show, billed as special guests to countrymen BLIND GUARDIAN, at the annual Atlanta 'ProgPower' festival. In the meantime Sanctuary Records would weigh in with a heavyweight re-release schedule of the first six GAMMA RAY albums all including extra tracks. 1989's debut 'Heading For Tomorrow' added 'Mr. Outlaw', 'Lonesome Stranger' and 'Sail On', sophomore effort 'Sigh No More''s bonus tracks would be 'Heroes', a pre-production version of 'Dream Healer' and 'Who Do You Think You Are? Whilst 1993's 'Insanity And Genius' came complete with an extended take on 'Gamma Ray' a cover of JUDAS PRIEST's 'Exciter' and a liver version of 'Save Us'. As for more recent outings 1995's 'Land Of The Free' boasted the inclusion of HOLOCAUST's 'Heavy Metal Mania', a pre-production rendition of 'As Time Goes By' and 'The Silence', the 1997 album 'Somewhere Out In Space' added 'Return To Fantasy', 'Miracle' and another JUDAS PRIEST cover in 'Victim Of Changes' and lastly 1999's 'Powerplant's bonuses comprised of 'A While In Dreamland', 'Rich And Famous" (2000 version) and RAINBOW's 'Long Live Rock n' Roll'.

GAMMA RAY would schedule tour dates in June as support to MOTORHEAD, the Moscow 'Long Live Rock n' Roll' festival upfront of headline shows across Eastern Europe. August found the band at the 'Soyorock 2002' festival in Kyung Gi Do, Korea, the 'Bloodfest' UK festival, the 'Spodek Mystic' event in Katowice, Poland. GAMMA RAY's headline European dates, commencing in October, would be dubbed the 'Skeletons In The Closet' tour with a set list compiled from fan requests. A live album of the same title, recorded at shows in Barcelona's Razzmatazz and Strasbourg's La Laiterie, then ensued. Support act for these dates would be PARAGON. Whilst in North America for the Atlanta, Georgia 'ProgPower' festival the band announced a solitary Canadian show at Montreal, Quebec's Le Medley in mid November with strong support from EIDOLON and FORGOTTEN TALES.

GAMMA RAY acted as guests to IRON MAIDEN for European gigs in October of 2003. Kai Hansen guested on the 2004 album from high profile Brazilian Prog-Metal band ANGRA. That December GAMMA RAY commenced work on a new album entitled 'Majestic'. Finalised in May of 2005, 'Majestic' would be the last recording made at Hamburg's Hansen Studios. September and October European touring saw support from countrymen POWERWOLF and Swedes NOCTURNAL RITES.

TRACKLIST:

01. My Temple
02. Fight
03. Strange World
04. Hell Is Thy Home
05. Blood Religion
06. Condemned To Hell
07. Spiritual Dictator
08. Majesty
09. How Long
10. Revelation

LINE-UP:

Kai Hansen (vocal, guitar)
Dirk Schlachter (bass)
Henjo Richter (guitar, keyboards)
Daniel Zimmermann (drums)