Artist: GAMMA RAY
Album: "POWERPLANT RE-RELEASE (CD)"

Year: 1999
Media type: CD

In the Fall of 96 GAMMA RAY split with both Rubach and Nack, the duo reformulating their previous act ANESTHESIA. GAMMA RAY switched Dirk Schlachter from guitar to bass and in February 1997 recruited guitarist Henjo Richter and drummer Dan Zimmermann.

An EP, 'Valley Of The Kings', was released in May, this boasting the JUDAS PRIEST cover version ‘Victim Of Changes’. GAMMA RAY hit back in August 1997 with a brand new studio album, the highly rated 'Somewhere Out In Space', also featuring Henjo Richter on guitars and keyboards, and excitedly 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 Tьbingen, southern Germany before the group put in a bout of Euro touring bolstered by HAMMERFALL and JAG PANZER then headed over to Japan during October for a particularly lengthy tour, certainly by Japanese standards. These shows were promoted by a metal first, a full-blown collection of vocal-less tracks 'The Karaoke Album'. Competitions in the Japanese Rock media allowed winning contestants to sing with the band, karaoke style, during soundchecks.

Hansen also preoccupied himself outside of his main act by renewing ties with Piet Sielck from some of his earliest bands, GENTRY and SECOND HELL to forge IRON SAVIOR alongside 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. Coincidently, IRON SAVIOR would later enroll erstwhile GAMMA RAY drummer Thomas Nack into the fold for the 'Interlude' album.

The 'Powerplant' album, issued in 1999, saw cover artwork from Derek Riggs, renowned for his IRON MAIDEN album sleeves. More surprising was the cover of 'Its A Sin', originally by THE PET SHOP BOYS. 'Powerplant' scored an impressive number 25 on the national German charts.

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'. With this set the group attained a number 23 placing in Germany, their highest chart position to date. 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 Jцrg Schrцr filling in temporarily for an injured Dirk Schlдchter.

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 GroЯkopf assisting his erstwhile band mate Kai Hansen by filling in for a still out of commission Dirk Schlдchter.

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 August 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. On keyboards would be Eero Kaukomies of Finnish GAMMA RAY tribute band GUARDIANS OF MANKIND. Interestingly, Kai Hansen made it clear in interviews during this period that he would be keen to pursue a full-blown HELLOWEEN reunion.

During a run of South American gigs Kai Hansen celebrated leading Brazilian band ANGRA's 14th anniversary by appearing with them onstage in Sгo Paulo. Bad luck hit the band when performing on a Baltic Sea cruise boat concert between Stockholm and Helsinki in mid January when guitarist Henjo Richter fell down a stairwell, badly injuring his arm. The tour continued, with Kasperi Heikkinen, also of GUARDIANS OF MANKIND, acting as substitute. A live DVD, the novelly titled 'Hell Yeah! The Awesome Foursome (And The Finnish Keyboarder Who Didn't Want To Wear His Donald Duck Costume) Live in Montreal', was filmed at the band's May 6th concert at the Medley venue in Montreal, Quebec.

GAMMA RAY announced Australian dates, supported by LORD, for December. In a bold move, HELLOWEEN frontman Andi Deris hinted at a full-blown European tour alongside GAMMA RAY for the summer months of 2007.

TRACKLIST:

1. Anywhere In The Galaxy
2. Razorblade Sigh
3. Send Me A Sign
4. Strangers In The Night
5. Gardens Of The Sinner
6. Short As Hell
7. It's A Sin
8. Heavy Metal Universe
9. Wings Of Destiny
10. Hand Of Fate
11. Armageddon

12. A While In Dreamland - Bonus
13. Rich Is Famous - Bonus
14. Long Live Rock’N Roll - Bonus

LINE-UP:

Kai Hansen (guitar, vocals)
Dirk Schlachter (bass)
Henjo Richter (guitar)
Thomas Nack (drums)

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