Edel Records
2010
1. Empathy
2. All You Need To Know
3. Time To Live
4. To The Metal
5. Rise
6. Mother Angel
7. Shine Forever
8. Deadlands
9. Chasing Shadows
10. No Need To Cry
I can't say I went into a new Gamma Ray album expecting much. I've liked some of Gamma Ray albums in the past, but the past couple haven't done a lot for me and it has seemed as though the band has been stuck in a massive rut. Gamma Ray albums have just kinda started to blend together as the band covers zero new ground and most songs sound like rehashes of others.
Well I can't say this is anything new either. However, I find myself liking this album more than the last two. Call it that X factor of good songwriting hooks. This isn't a blow me out of the water sort of album, but I did get more out of it than I expected to. Some of these songs do have good energy behind them and tracks like All You Need To Know and Shine Forever are pretty solid happy power metal tunes. Certainly, nothing I haven't heard before but the execution is good. Songs like Deadlands and Empathy also have some pounding rhythms that work for them. This is still typical Gamma Ray, but at the end of the day it comes down to songs and the band manages to muster better ones than in recent memory. That's gotta be worth something and I find myself thinking this is a good album.
In summary, I think this one is worth it for Gamma Ray fans. I don't think anyone will be calling this the next Land of the Free or Somewhere Out In Space, but if you like the style, it's done pretty well here. Worth seeking for big fans of the band or the style.
Highlights: All You Need To Know, Deadlands, Shine Forever
Rating - 3.5/5
2. All You Need To Know
3. Time To Live
4. To The Metal
5. Rise
6. Mother Angel
7. Shine Forever
8. Deadlands
9. Chasing Shadows
10. No Need To Cry
I can't say I went into a new Gamma Ray album expecting much. I've liked some of Gamma Ray albums in the past, but the past couple haven't done a lot for me and it has seemed as though the band has been stuck in a massive rut. Gamma Ray albums have just kinda started to blend together as the band covers zero new ground and most songs sound like rehashes of others.
Well I can't say this is anything new either. However, I find myself liking this album more than the last two. Call it that X factor of good songwriting hooks. This isn't a blow me out of the water sort of album, but I did get more out of it than I expected to. Some of these songs do have good energy behind them and tracks like All You Need To Know and Shine Forever are pretty solid happy power metal tunes. Certainly, nothing I haven't heard before but the execution is good. Songs like Deadlands and Empathy also have some pounding rhythms that work for them. This is still typical Gamma Ray, but at the end of the day it comes down to songs and the band manages to muster better ones than in recent memory. That's gotta be worth something and I find myself thinking this is a good album.
In summary, I think this one is worth it for Gamma Ray fans. I don't think anyone will be calling this the next Land of the Free or Somewhere Out In Space, but if you like the style, it's done pretty well here. Worth seeking for big fans of the band or the style.
Highlights: All You Need To Know, Deadlands, Shine Forever
Rating - 3.5/5
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