Gamma Ray (band)

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Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray at the end of a show in Barcelona.
Gamma Ray at the end of a show in Barcelona.
Background information
Origin Flag of Germany Hamburg, Germany
Genre(s) Power metal, Speed Metal
Years active 1988 to present
Label(s) RCA Records
FAD Records
Noise Records
Sanctuary Records
Website http://www.gamma-ray.com/
Members
Kai Hansen
Henjo Richter
Dirk Schlächter
Dan Zimmermann
Former members
Ralf Scheepers
Uwe Wessel
Jan Rubach
Mathias Burchard
Uli Kusch
Thomas Nack

Gamma Ray is a power metal band from north of Germany, founded by former Helloween guitarist, singer and songwriter Kai Hansen.

Contents

[edit] Biography

In 1988, after four years with Helloween, guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen decided, for reasons that are still the subject of much debate, to leave the band. Hansen claimed that Helloween had become too big for him to handle, although the group's troubles with financial issues and the record company most likely played a part as well. He proceeded to do some studio work with Blind Guardian. Eventually, Hansen decided to form his own project with long-time friend Ralf Scheepers from Tyran Pace. This two-man project grew into a four-man band with the addition of Uwe Wessel (bass) and Mathias Burchard (drums). Thus was Gamma Ray born, bearing a sound understandably close to that of Hansen's former band, Helloween.

The original line-up released the album Heading for Tomorrow in February of 1990, and later that year the Heaven Can Wait EP with new guitarist Dirk Schlächter and new drummer Uli Kusch.

In February 1991 the band is rehearsing for the recordings of the second album in a small remoted house in Denmark. With some brand new songs in their bags GammaRay enter the studio under the control of producer Tommy Newton who did a fantastic job on the album called Sigh No More which has been released in September 1991. The style vastly differs from Heading’s one, and the lyrics are completely depressive as a result of the Gulf War raging that time. A 50-date worlwide tour followed.

After the japanese tour in the beginning of 1992, Gamma Ray were in the media again. But this time with no good news for the fans: the rhythm section (Uli & Uwe) left because of personal disagreement and was replaced by a pretty young rhythm section of one of Hamburg’s demobands called Anesthesia, Jan Rubach (bass) and Thomas Nack (drums). Besides, the band began to build their own studio which took quite a while so that the band didn’t start the recordings for their new album before 1993. The album called Insanity and Genius finally was released in June 1993. The album’s style comes closer to Heading’s one again as Kai seemed to realize that the best music he is able to compose is that bombastic speed metal. I&G was presented to the fans live on the socalled Melodic Metal strikes back festivals, all in all four shows presenting Helicon, Conception and Rage and Gamma Ray as co-headliners. A second live video titled Lust for Live was shot during the show in Hamburg which also has been released as a live CD called The Power of Metal in December.

In September, Gamma Ray, along with Rage, Helicon and Conception embarked on the Melodic Metal Strikes Back tour. The tour contributed to the release of the double CD Power of Metal, and the videos Power of Metal and Lust for Live, in December.

More changes in the lineup were to follow. As plans developed for the band's fourth album, Hansen and Schlächter were annoyed by the fact that Scheepers lived such a far way away from Hamburg. This meant that they could only do band rehearsals and such on weekends, and this put a major stopper on things. Since Scheepers had auditioned for the job as vocalist for Judas Priest, and his chances at getting the spot were considered pretty good, Hansen asked him if he really felt that staying with Gamma Ray was the right thing to do. The two decided that it would be for the best if Scheepers left the band, and so, with no hard feelings on either side, Scheepers left Gamma Ray. Hansen then began to search for a new vocalist, but due to demand from friends and fans took on the guitar-vocal duties as he had for the first Helloween EP and album.

In 1995 the fourth album, Land of the Free, the first one featuring Hansen on vocals, was released. Critics around the globe were ecstatic. The following tour, Men on a Tour, brought the recording and release of the live album Alive '95 in 1996.

Dan Zimmermann
Dan Zimmermann

Soon, both Hansen and Schlächter decided that yet another change was needed. Out went Jan Rubach and Thomas Nack (both leaving for the band they left earlier, Anesthesia), and in came new drummer Dan Zimmerman, also the drummer of the band Freedom Call. Schlächter wanted to drop the guitar and pick up the bass duties as that was his original instrument, as can be seen on the earlier Heading for the East video when he and Wessel switch instruments for a few songs, and Schlächter performs a bass solo at one point. Henjo Richter came in to fill the second guitar spot. The ultimate Gamma Ray, and still current, line-up was formed.

Work started on the next full-length album, and 1997 saw the release of Somewhere Out In Space, which marked the beginning of the band's thematic concentration on space. After two years of touring came the album Powerplant, which was a continuity to Somewhere Out In Space's lyrical approach, but a new direction musically. The album was highly acclaimed throughout the world.

The time came for a "Best Of..." album, and Hansen decided to do things differently: he let the fans decide by voting on their website for their three favorite songs on each album, then the band went back to the studio to re-record the old classics on the first three albums and made remixed versions for the songs on the later ones. Blast from the Past was the name chosen for this double album.

After a break of one year, where Hansen concentrated on his side project Iron Savior, the band was ready for the recording and release of the album No World Order!, with a lot of heavy riffs like classic 80's bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, just as rumored. Yet again the album was highly praised. The No Order World Tour saw the band visiting dozens of countries throughout Europe, and a few gigs in Japan. After resting from the tour, the band went on with the Skeletons in the Closet tour. The Skeletons tour saw the band performing songs that they never or rarely played live before. Once again, the setlist was voted by the fans on the band's website. Only a few shows were played but two of those were recorded for the live album Skeletons in the Closet, their finest live album to date.

Gamma Ray's latest studio album, "Majestic", was released on September 23, 2005.

Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter also had a participation in the Opera Metal Avantasia, led by Tobias Sammet, lead vocalist of Edguy.

A live DVD, called "Hell Yeah - The Awesome Foursome (And The Finnish Keyboarder Who Didn't Want To Wear His Donald Duck Costume) Live in Montreal" was recorded on May 6th, 2006 in Montreal, Quebec. Also the title for the next album is revealed, it will be titled Land Of The Free Part II and is planned to be released in late 2007.

In recent years Gamma Ray have made use of touring keyboard players to fully augment their sound in a live environment. Axel Mackenrott of Masterplan has fulfilled these duties in the past, and the role is currently occupied by Eero Kaukomies, a Finn who plays in a Gamma Ray tribute band. His bandmate, guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen, also played on part of the Majestic tour in 2006 following an injury to Henjo Richter.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current Members

[edit] Former Members

[edit] Vocals

[edit] Bass

  • Uwe Wessel - Bass (1988-1993)
  • Jan Rubach - Bass (1993-1997)

[edit] Drums

  • Mathias Burchard - Drums (1989-1990)
  • Uli Kusch - Drums (1990-1993)
  • Thomas Nack - Drums (1993-1997)

[edit] Guest Musicians

  • Tommy Newton - Guitars (1990)
  • Tammo Vollmers - Drums (1990)
  • Mischa Gerlach - Keyboards (1990)
  • Hansi Kürsch - Vocals (1995)
  • Michael Kiske - Vocals (1995)
  • Sascha Paeth - Keyboards (1995)
  • Mike Terrana - Drums (1998, live)
  • Jörg Schrör - Bass (2000, live)
  • Axel Mackenrott - Keyboards (2004, live)
  • Kasperi Heikkinen - Guitars (2006, live)
  • Eero Kaukomies - Keyboards (2006, live)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

[edit] Extended Plays (EPs)

[edit] Compilation Albums

  • The Karaoke Album (1998)
  • Blast from the Past (2000)

[edit] Live Albums

[edit] Videos and DVDs

  • Heading for the East (1990)
  • Lust for Live (1993)
  • Hell Yeah - The Awesome Foursome (And The Finnish Keyboarder Who Didn't Want To Wear His Donald Duck Costume) Live in Montreal (2006)

[edit] Singles

  • Heaven Can Wait/Mr. Outlaw (1989)
  • Space Eater (1989)
  • Who Do You Think You Are? (1990)
  • The Spirit (1991)
  • Werbegeschenk (1991)
  • Future Madhouse (1993)
  • Rebellion in Dreamland (1995)
  • Valley of the Kings (1997)
  • It's a Sin (1999)
  • Heaven or Hell (2001)

[edit] Trivia

  • The characters Dizzy and Justice from the video game Guilty Gear share an Overdrive Attack called Gamma Ray, named after the band. Ky Kiske's name is a reference to Kai Hansen, as well as Michael Kiske.
  • The name Gamma Ray was also used briefly by the band Queens of the Stone Age before changing it after learning that the name was taken.

[edit] External links


[edit] Gamma Ray at online databases

Gamma Ray
Kai Hansen | Henjo Richter | Dirk Schlächter | Dan Zimmermann
Ralf Scheepers | Uwe Wessel | Jan Rubach | Mathias Burchard | Uli Kusch | Thomas Nack
Discography
Studio albums: Heading for Tomorrow | Sigh No More | Insanity and Genius | Land of the Free | Somewhere Out in Space | Powerplant | No World Order | Majestic
EPs: Heaven Can Wait | Silent Miracles | Valley of the Kings
Live albums: Alive '95 | Skeletons in the Closet
Compilations: Blast from the Past
Related articles
Helloween | Iron Savior | Blind Guardian | Avantasia | Masterplan | Angra | Freedom Call
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