Somewhere Out in Space

It's a well-known fact (though some would argue not known widely enough) that Gamma Ray had what in sports terms is called an "unbeaten run" between 'Land of the Free' in 1995 and 'Majestic' in 2005, which is actually one of the most exciting and bizarre in metal, since that run came about after firing the singer. All 4 albums in that 10 year period are quite simply top-drawer efforts from a band inspired and buoyed up by the resulting energy. What remains impressive is that all of those albums bear rather different marks, none trying to imitate the last. 'Somewhere Out in Space' followed yet more line-up changes and purports to be a concept album about extraterrestrial stuff (I admit I haven't been enticed to go much deeper), the artwork and title of which strongly reference the golden period of Iron Maiden's history - in their own unbeaten run of the 80s - that produced 'Powerslave' and 'Somewhere in Time'. And, in the first place, that's quite an ambitious target, but Gamma Ray didn't miss.

Despite the name of power metal being ever-present, the first thing to hit the listener about an album like this or the following ones is the sheer bruising weight of it. There are melodies, fun rhythms, and group vocals, but Gamma Ray also know how to connect with the fans like a boxer connects with his opponent. Dan Zimmerman must have been hitting the gym a lot, since his performance on drums is all about power and pace, smacking the skins like naughty children for at least 50% of the songs. He is bolstered by an up-front production that favours impact to subtlety or emotion, while his bandmates tend to play with strong resolve and boldness, rather than sheepishly hiding behind one-note speed riffs and neo-classical fills. There is one moment particularly, when 'Beyond the Black Hole' completes its second chorus and arrives at its solo section: the ragged machinery of Dirk Schlächter's bass drags across a short interlude before the vocals build up with operatic fury; then, at 4:05, a sound of guitars and percussion erupting with a vehemence that would terrify Japanese city-dwellers of a certain age, which is the start of a fiery lead break that leaves no choice but submission. There are a fair few of these tooth-damaging parts and several songs that follow this precedent, namely 'Lost in the Future', 'Men, Martians and Machines', the title track, and the aforementioned 'Beyond the Black Hole'.

If you aren't a big fan of having your hair ripped out, there is plenty of more melodic fare on offer. 'Valley of the Kings' - for whatever reason - plunges out of space and into the pyramids, though leaves one of the most instantly memorable and catchiest impressions, while 'Men, Martians and Machines' has a distinctive stop-start rhythm powering the chorus. Though surprisingly long at 7 minutes, 'The Winged Horse' is probably the definitive exercise in power metal melody both for Gamma Ray and for others: it has a dazzlingly light guitar tone that twinkles and plays wonderfully with speed and restraint, surging forward in a (predictably) galloping rush that will make anyone with legs paw the ground in desire for the chase. As usual with these guys, a few songs go into lighter territory, with 'No Stranger (Another Day in Life)' settling for catchy mid-tempo rock and 'Watcher in the Sky' displaying some brooding verses, as well as one and a half ballads, which sounds confusing but isn't when you hear it, because 'Shine On' has a great transition from cooking speed metal into end-of-album sentimentality. The full ballad 'Pray' is somewhat of a disappointment, sounding a little bare and cold amongst the strong playing and emotion elsewhere.

The failure of 'Pray' highlights the success of the rest of the album. Where that song strives too earnestly for emotional enlightenment and "huge ballad" conventionality, the other performances actually manage to provide an emotional impact from their intensity, particularly the faster tracks when Kai Hansen's vocals achieve exceptionally ball-aching heights without resorting to cheese. Sometimes, his white-knuckle sincerity makes those high-pitched vocals sound incensed or impassioned, whereas there are contrasting moments of operatic whimsy and even pure silliness, such as the bizarre bridge of 'Lost in the Future', which sees Hansen whooping and ululating like an insane boy Scout. The moments that take a bit of that intensity and a bit of the madness make the otherwise overbearing experience much more unpredictable and enjoyable. Hansen screams and Henjo Richter screams back with his guitar, so the shrillness of the leads are well balanced by the starker riffs and percussion.

'Somewhere Out in Space' isn't the best album from Gamma Ray's unbeaten run, but it is a great listen, even if I'm sometimes a little tired at the end of an hour. The intensity is all there, yet the band would put some finishing touches to the formula on 'No World Order', uniting the catchy, melodic, and vicious elements of their sound for an overall more satisfactory package. A lot of great stuff here, and a storming bonus track in 'Return to Fantasy' if you get the chance to pick it up.