Gamma Ray was formed in 1989 after founding member Kai Hansen (guitars/vocals) left Helloween at the height of their success. He said “the beast was too big to control” and he wanted to have a fresh start and the freedom to write more of his own material.  After the release of their debut Heading For Tomorrow which garnered much critical praise, Kai felt reborn and vowed to make his new project rival the success Helloween was having. Gamma Ray released three more albums (Sigh No More in 1992, Insanity & Genius in 1993 and the cult classic Land Of The Free in 1995) and earned more accolades, but Kai had the problem of constant line-up changes. Original drummer Mathias Burchardt left after the recording of Heading For Tomorrow, his replacement Uli Kusch lasted only one album and left to join Helloween. Kusch’s replacement Thomas Nack lasted from 1993 to 1996, then he too flew the coop. Hansen had more problems with bassists as well, using Uwe Wessel and then Jan Rubach to occupy the 4-string slot, but they eventually departed. Wessel left in 1992 and Rubach (who replaced Wessel) left in 1995 (taking drummer Nack with him to re-form their band Anesthesia. Kai continued to soldier on even after the departure of good friend Ralf Scheepers as lead vocalist (who now fronts Primal Fear) in 1994. Taking over vocal chores on the now historic Land Of The Free, Hansen proved he could deliver the goods on the mic as well as the guitar. After the loss of Rubach and Nack, co-guitarist Dirk Schlachter took over the bass duties, and Hansen also hired Rampage guitarist Henjo Richter and drummer Dan Zimmermann. This new lineup would result in three more classic albums: 1997’s Somewhere Out In Space, 1999’s Powerplant, and 2001’s No World Order. Now that Gamma Ray had a stable lineup, Kai desperately wanted to document the live sound of the lineup which many fans consider to be the definitive Gamma Ray. On their double live extravaganza Skeletons In The Closet, the live sound of 1997-present Gamma Ray is fittingly captured, much to the delight of their many fans! This album is the next best thing to seeing the Rays live!

Recorded live during the “Skeletons In The Closet” tour in 2002, this live album is jam packed full of classic Gamma Ray tunes, many which have been performed little or never on stage, which makes this album even more of a treat! Every Rays album is represented on this bad boy, so you are also getting a great live document of the band’s entire career from Heading For Tomorrow to No World Order! Get ready because it is SHOWTIME!

The crowd energy on this disc is fantastic! The fans in Europe go absolutely mad for metal, and Gamma Ray gives them what they want! From the introduction of “Welcome” the band kicks into the stirring “Gardens Of The Sinner” followed by a personal favorite of mine, “Rich And Famous”. The crowds sing along to every word during the choruses and chant HEY! HEY! HEY! like a raucous group of soccer fans during almost every track. And there are so many tracks to love on here! “All Of The Damned”, “No Return”, “Armageddon”, the awesome crowd participation during the timeless anthem “Heavy Metal Universe” (Barcelona! We know that you are f*cking crazy!!!) and the hope-filled rocker “One With The World”…and this is only the first disc! But first, a little drum solo by Mr. Dan Zimmermann to give the boys a break! WOW!! Zimmermann is one of the best and most intense drummers in metal, and he is even great at getting the crowd going! (Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy!) Awesome drum solo! Now to buy a t-shirt….oh damn! This is just a live album! I lost myself there for a minute! To the second disc…ahh!! More kick ass classic Gamma Ray tunes to the delight of my ears (and yours!) like the stomper “Razorblade Sigh”, the skull crushing “Heart Of The Unicorn”, the attack of “Last Before The Storm” and “Victim Of Fate”…? WHAT? A Helloween song? HELL YEAH! Kai leads his boys into a memorable version of a Helloween lost classic, and then it is time for a song that always makes me tear up, “Rising Star/Shine On”… a song for the ages! Who has a tissue? Thanks! Now on to another tear jerker (two in a row!), “The Silence” before it’s back to ass-kicking-first-and-taking-names-later brain melters like “Heaven Or Hell”, “Guardians Of Mankind” and “New World Order”.  Show’s over? Damn! Time to leave and I could not buy a shirt! Oh yeah, I keep forgetting I am just REVIEWING a LIVE ALBUM! Somebody slap me!

The production on this live album is UNBELIEVABLE!!! You can literally feel the intensity coming out of your speakers as if you were really there! You wanna shatter your windows? Then crank it…but remember broken glass is sharp! The guitar godliness and unique and amazing vocal talents of Kai Hansen sound crisp and clear, as well as the melodic solos and riffs of Henjo Richter, the thumping pulse of Dirk Schlachter’s bass and the thunder of the gods which is Dan Zimmermann’s monster drumming! In fact, this may be the BEST production I have ever heard on a live record! So real, you can almost taste the beer, see the t-shirt vendors, smell the smoke and feel the sweat roll off of your brow like you were there.

I know only Gamma Ray fans may buy this album, but the performances on this record are so tight and so good that it would be a great album to recommend to someone who hasn’t heard them yet! They are deprived people not to have heard one of the gods of power metal in action. So if you want the full experience of Gamma Ray live without being there, and if you are a Ray-niac who eats, sleeps and breathes Gamma Ray, or if you just enjoy a great live metal record, go out and get your grubby hands on this masterpiece! One of the greatest live metal records of our time! So get it and ENJOY THE SHOW!

(Now if I could just find my car….)

Reviewer:  Matt "Snowy Owl" Bankes

   (5 out of 5)
 

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