Land of the Free [Bonus Tracks]

• Artist: Gamma Ray
• Rating:
• Release Date: March 18, 2003
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

The stigma of Helloween is a hard one to get rid off, as illustrated on Gamma Ray's first three LPs. Kai Hansen succeeded in creating a band of his own, but he couldn't come up with an idiosyncratic style or even implement it well. Land of the Free is, however, a complete success considering Hansen's progression, and intriguingly breaks the basic concept that Gamma Ray's contemporaries have used so much. The opener, "Rebellion in Dreamland," for example, doesn't have a decent structure. The seven-minute piece is constructed in many different parts, instead of the verse-chorus-verse pattern that is so typical of other metal bands. Also, and most importantly, their large sound is achieved by using synths and sound effects, so Land of the Free offers a lot more than just distorted guitars and high-pitched singing. The songs themselves have their downsides, but mostly -- because of their structure -- the riffs are very inventive and succeed in being both catchy and diverse. The actual songs (there are many short pieces between songs) each taken as a whole, are flawless, so Land of the Free is an almost-perfect album. It really serves the definition of power metal well and is indeed one of the most metal of metal albums of the late '90s. [This version of the album includes bonus material.] ~ Antti J. Ravelin, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Rebellion in Dreamland	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(8:44)
Man on a Mission	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(5:48)
Fairytale	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(0:49)
All of the Damned	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(5:00)
Rising of the Damned	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(0:43)
Gods of Deliverance	Kai Hansen, Jan Rubach	Gamma Ray	(5:01)
Farewell		Gamma Ray	(5:10)
Salvation's Calling	Jan Rubach	Gamma Ray	(4:35)
Land of the Free	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(4:38)
The Saviour	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(0:39)
Abyss of the Void	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(6:01)
Time to Break Free	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(4:40)
Afterlife	Kai Hansen, Jan Rubach	Gamma Ray	(4:45)
H. -M. Mania [*]	John Mortimer	Gamma Ray	(4:49)
As Time Goes By [*]	Kai Hansen, Piet Sielck	Gamma Ray	(4:53)
The Silence ['95 Version][*]	Kai Hansen	Gamma Ray	(6:29)

Credits

Gamma Ray (Main Performer), Kai Hansen (Guitar), Kai Hansen (Vocals), Kai Hansen (Producer), Kai Hansen (Engineer), Kai Hansen (Mixing), Michael Kiske (Vocals), Dirk Schlachter (Guitar), Dirk Schlachter (Keyboards), Dirk Schlachter (Producer), Dirk Schlachter (Engineer), Dirk Schlachter (Mixing), Sascha Paeth (Design), Sascha Paeth (Keyboard Programming), Thomas Nack (Drums), Thomas Nack (Vocals), Thomas Nack (Vocals (Background)), Hansi Kürsch (Vocals), Hacky Hackmann (Vocals), Jan Rubach (Bass), Axel Naschke (Vocals), Catharina Boutari (Vocals)