Land of the Free (Gamma Ray album)

Land of the Free is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 1995. Continuing a trend that would conclude with the band's fifth studio release, the lineup for the album was different from the previous one, as Land of the Free was the first Gamma Ray album to be released since the departure of Ralf Scheepers, leaving Kai Hansen to take up lead vocals. While not his first stint as a vocalist (Hansen had sung lead for Helloween until 1987 and had also recorded lead vocals on "Heal Me" from Insanity and Genius), it would be the first time he had performed lead vocals exclusively in 8 years.

Land of the Free
Studio album by
Released29 May 1995
18 March 2003 (Re-release)
Recorded1994-1995, R.A.S.H. Studio Gelsenkirchen (Drums),
Hansen Studio, Hamburg, Germany
GenrePower metal
Length56:43
LabelNoise
ProducerCharlie Bauerfeind, Kai Hansen, Dirk Schlächter
Gamma Ray chronology
Insanity and Genius
(1993)
Land of the Free
(1995)
Somewhere Out in Space
(1997)

Additionally, bassist Jan Rubach was to swap positions with guitarist Dirk Schlächter. Rubach initially agreed, but then resisted making the move. Rubach and drummer Thomas Nack instead decided to leave Gamma Ray. Rubach left towards the tail end of Men on a Tour; Schlächter took over the bass duties and Henjo Richter took over as the second guitarist. Nack would complete the tour and then leave, with both Rubach and Nack rejoining their former band Anesthesia.

Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) and Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) were featured on the album as guest vocalists.

The track "Afterlife" was written as a tribute to Ingo Schwichtenberg, Kai Hansen's former bandmate in Helloween, who committed suicide prior to the album's release.

Along with most of the band's past catalogue, the album was re-released in 2003 with a different cover and expanded track list which featured three tracks that had either appeared as bonuses on various editions of the album (namely "Heavy Metal Mania", which was a Japanese bonus track on the original release) or were unreleased tracks.

The face of the figure in the cover is the same of the Helloween album Walls of Jericho.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Metal Storm9/10[2]
Sputnikmusic5/5[3]

Critics praised the album, with Antti J. Ravelin of AllMusic stating that it served "the definition of power metal well and is indeed one of the most metal albums of the late '90s".[1]

The album was ranked by Loudwire at fourth in their list "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time."[4] ThoughtCo also named it in their list "Essential Power Metal Albums."[5]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Rebellion in Dreamland"Kai HansenHansen8:44
2."Man on a Mission"HansenHansen5:49
3."Fairytale"HansenHansen0:50
4."All of the Damned"HansenHansen5:00
5."Rising of the Damned"HansenHansen0:43
6."Gods of Deliverance"HansenJan Rubach5:01
7."Farewell" (feat. Hansi Kürsch)Dirk SchlächterSchlächter5:11
8."Salvation's Calling"RubachRubach4:36
9."Land of the Free" (feat. Michael Kiske)HansenHansen4:38
10."The Saviour"HansenHansen0:40
11."Abyss of the Void"HansenHansen6:04
12."Time to Break Free" (feat. Michael Kiske)HansenHansen4:40
13."Afterlife"HansenRubach4:46

2003 bonus tracks

No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
14."Heavy Metal Mania" (Holocaust cover)John MortimerMortimer4:49
15."As Time Goes By" (pre-production version)Hansen, Piet SielckHansen, Sielck4:53
16."The Silence '95"HansenHansen6:29

Anniversary Edition Bonus Disc

No.TitleLength
1."Heavy Metal Mania" 
2."As Time Goes By (Pre-production Version)" 
3."The Silence '95" 
4."Dream Healer (Instrumental)" 
5."Tribute to the Past (Instrumental)" 
6."Heaven Can Wait (Instrumental)" 
7."Valley of the Kings (Instrumental)" 

Personnel

Gamma Ray

  • Kai Hansen – lead vocals (all but 12), guitars
  • Dirk Schlächter – guitars, keyboards
  • Jan Rubach – bass
  • Thomas Nack – drums, backing vocals

Guest musicians

References

  1. Ravelin, Antti J. "Land of the Free - Gamma Ray | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  2. Deity, Fierce (June 20, 2005). "Gamma Ray - Land Of The Free review". Metal Storm. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  3. Stagno, Mike (September 22, 2006). "Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  4. DiVita, Joe (July 5, 2017). "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  5. Marsicano, Dan. "Essential Power Metal Albums". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
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