The Scheepers era (1989–1995)
The original line-up released the album Heading for Tomorrow in February 1990 and, later that year, the Heaven Can Wait EP, with new guitarist Dirk Schlächter and new drummer Uli Kusch.
In February 1991, the band began rehearsing for the recording of their second album in a small, remote house in Denmark. With some brand new songs written, Gamma Ray entered the studio under the supervision of producer Tommy Newton and recorded their second album Sigh No More, which was released in September 1991. The style differed vastly from that of Heading for Tomorrow, featuring darker lyrics inspired by the Persian Gulf War that was raging at the time. A 50-date worldwide tour followed.
After the Japanese tour at the beginning of 1991, Gamma Ray underwent another personnel change: the rhythm section (Wessel and Kusch) left due to a personal disagreement and were replaced by Jan Rubach (bass) and Thomas Nack (drums), both from the Hamburg band Anesthesia. The band also began to build their own studio, so work on their new album did not start until 1993. The album Insanity and Genius was released in June 1993, with a style which was closer to that of Heading for Tomorrow than Sigh No More. In September 1993 Gamma Ray, along with Rage, Helicon and Conception, embarked on the Melodic Metal Strikes Back tour. The tour contributed to the release of the double CD Power of Metal, and the videos Power of Metal and Lust for Live, in December.
Land of the Free to Majestic (1995–2006)
More changes in the line-up were to follow for Gamma Ray. Vocalist Ralf Scheepers, who lived far away from the other band members hometown of Hamburg, was attempting to become the new Judas Priest singer after Rob Halford left. He felt that his position in the band had been strained due to the distance between him and the other members. Hansen and Scheepers agreed to an amicable departure. After failing to be recruited for Judas Priest, Scheepers started his own band, Primal Fear.
Hansen said in an interview 1999 about why Scheepers left: There were two main reasons. One was after the first three Gamma Ray albums we said - now we want to do a really, really good album, something really killer. But Ralf was not living in Hamburg, he was living 700km away from here. For that reason he only came up for a while for rehearsal or for the recordings. But to do an album which was really good we needed him there constantly. In years before we had been talking about him moving to Hamburg but at that time he still had a job going on...he still does and he's never going to leave it somehow. He could not really make up his mind to move to Hamburg and there was one problem with that because when we wrote the songs I was always trying to think of his voice but on the other hand it would have been a lot better if he write his own vocal lines, melodies and lyrics. When he came to Hamburg most of the times I was singing in the rehearsal room when he was not there and I was singing on my demos so it was like everything was more or less fixed and he could not really change it. We wanted that to change, therefore we wanted him to move to Hamburg, he could not make up his mind. Then we said either you do it or you die somehow you know...like putting the pistol to his chest. Well....on the other hand he had this Judas Priest thing going on. He wanted to be given a chance. I was the idiot who told him maybe for fun just try it out when it was clear they were searching for a singer because Judas Priest was always his favorite band. We were thinking about him doing the Gamma Ray album and then going to Judas Priest. All in all it led to the point where we said we'd rather split our ways at that point because it doesn't make sense to go on like that.
Hansen then began to search for a new vocalist but, due to demand from friends and fans, took on the guitar-vocal duties himself as he had done for Helloween's first EP and album.
In a 2008 interview, Hansen spoke about the importance of the Land of the Free album and what it represented: We made it exactly at a time point when this kind of metal was proclaimed to be dead as can be. Where it was almost like if a drummer came up with a double bass drum people would say 'ya dooga daga yourself out of here man.' Everything was ruled by Kurt Cobain and the alternative to the alternative and all that kind of stuff. So at that point we made an album like this and it went down very successful. That was cool, that was something special. I think it was the album that gave Gamma Ray the acceptance as being a band not only a Kai Hansen project.
In 1995 the fourth album, Land of the Free, the first to feature Hansen on vocals, was released. The album was praised by critics and fans alike. The tour following the album, Men on a Tour, brought the recording and release of the live album Alive '95 in 1996.
Soon after, there was yet another major lineup change. Jan Rubach and Thomas Nack both left in order to return to Anesthesia and in came new drummer Dan Zimmermann. Zimmerman is also known for being a founding member of the German power metal band Freedom Call. Schlächter, who was originally a bass player, as can be seen on the 1990 video Heading for the East, left the second guitar spot and took back his original instrument, being replaced on guitar by Henjo Richter.
Work started on the next album, and 1997 saw the release of Somewhere Out in Space, which marked the beginning of the band's thematic concentration on space. The album featured the hit "Valley of the Kings" and entered in the charts of many European countries. After two years of touring came the album Power Plant, which was a continuation of Somewhere Out in Space's lyrical approach, but a new direction musically. The album was highly acclaimed throughout the world and gained even more chart success than its predecessor.
For Gamma Ray's next work, Hansen decided to do things differently from the usual compilation of songs. He let the fans decide by voting on their website for their three favorite songs on each album, then the band went back to the studio to re-record the old tracks from the first three albums and made remixed versions for the songs on the later ones. Blast from the Past was the name chosen for this double album.
After a break of one year, when Hansen concentrated on his side project Iron Savior, the band was ready for the recording and release of the album No World Order!, which was stylistically similar to NWOBHM bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Again, the album was highly praised and the No Order World Tour saw the band visiting dozens of European countries and Japan. After resting from the tour, the band went on with the Skeletons in the Closet tour, which saw the band performing songs that they never or rarely played live before. Once again, the setlist was voted by the fans on the band's website. Only a few shows were played on this tour but two of those were recorded for the live album Skeletons in the Closet.
Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter also participated in Tobias Sammet's project Avantasia, on both The Metal Opera and The Metal Opera Pt. II, along with various other musicians including Hansen's former bandmates from Helloween, Markus Grosskopf and Michael Kiske.
A live DVD, Hell Yeah The Awesome Foursome Live in Montreal was recorded on 6 May 2006 at Le Medley in Montreal, Quebec. The setlist contained songs drawn from all of their albums up to Majestic (excluding Insanity and Genius) and also a cover of the Helloween hit "I Want Out". The DVD finally saw release on 4 November 2008. It entered the German media control charts at No. 9 and the Swedish charts at No. 1, according to the band's official website.
Land of the Free II to Empire of the Undead (2007–2014)
In recent years, Gamma Ray have made use of touring keyboard players to fully augment their sound in a live environment. Axel Mackenrott of Masterplan fulfilled these duties in the past and was followed by Eero Kaukomies, a Finn who also plays in a Gamma Ray tribute band named Guardians of Mankind. His bandmate Kasperi Heikkinen also played on part of the Majestic tour in 2006 following an injury to Henjo Richter. On their most recent "To The Metal" tour, Kasperi Heikkinen replaced Henjo Richter once again for shows scheduled in Germany and Czech Republic in March 2010. Richter was hospitalized on 16 March 2010 due to retinal detachment. Heikkinen also shared stage with fellow axemen Hansen and Richter making "a three guitar special" for the encore numbers at the Nosturi club in Helsinki, Finland on 29 March 2010.
Land of the Free II was released in late 2007 as a sequel to the hugely successful Land of the Free album. To promote the album, Gamma Ray were the "very special guest" on Helloween's Hellish Rock 2007/2008 World Tour, on some shows along with the band Axxis. For the final encores of the evening, Hansen and members of Gamma Ray joined Helloween to play a couple of songs from when he was in the latter band. Hansen would also regularly join Helloween co-founder Michael Weikath at center stage to the delight of fans of both bands.
To the Metal! was released as the tenth studio album by the band. It was released on 29 January 2010 to modest critical praise, but disappointed some fans, who felt that it was uninspired and a weaker effort than Land of the Free II. On 31 May 2011, Gamma Ray released an EP entitled Skeletons and Majesties. It contains newly recorded, rarely played material (Skeletons) and acoustic versions of other older songs (Majesties). Hansen stated in an interview in February 2012 that he expected the next Gamma Ray album to be released in January 2013. On 1 September 2012, the band announced Michael Ehré as their new drummer, replacing Daniel Zimmermann who chose to retire after 15 years of band activity.
Kai Hansen revealed, in an interview with Metal Blast in April 2013 that their eleventh album, Empire of the Undead would have a "more thrashy" sound. In the same interview, Dirk Schlächter announced that the band would do a headlining tour following its release. Empire of the Undead was released in March 2014, despite Gamma Ray's studio being completely destroyed by a fire.
Additional vocalist and new album (2015–present)
In October 2015, it was announced that Frank Beck would be a new lead vocalist of Gamma Ray, in addition to Hansen. This was due to Hansen's degrading vocals due to lengthy tour schedules, as well as Hansen's desire to have more freedom onstage. On 10 August 2017, the band announced that they would be releasing a 25th anniversary edition of Land of the Free. In June 2021, on the Scars and Guitars podcast, Kai Hansen stated that despite his reunion with Helloween, he is not letting Gamma Ray die, and that he is preparing material for a new album to be tentatively released in 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_Ray_(band)
Studio albums
Heading for Tomorrow (1990)
Sigh No More (1991)
Insanity and Genius (1993)
Land of the Free (1995)
Somewhere Out in Space (1997)
Power Plant (1999)
No World Order! (2001)
Majestic (2005)
Land of the Free II (2007)
To the Metal! (2010)
Empire of the Undead (2014)
Razorblade Sigh
Gamma Ray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the man turns his back
Stares up to the hills, his eyes burning red
He licks his palm, with brown dried blood
Turns, grinning teeth, up to his lord
The darkness of the night
turns bright at his cry,
So quiet but deadly
He cries out to his lord forevermore
It's the razorblade sigh,
shooting up to the sky
Blood on the wings, one of the kings
There's a burning within,
when the storm closes in
He is one of a kind, in the hands of time
Razorblade
His raging fire burns you with desire
As you're taken down into his gravity
He wants you now, into his masterplan
And he'll be taking you into his dignity
Tires are burning on the way through hell
Fallen angel set me free
Wheels are turning, take me far below
Holding out my hands in victory
It's the razorblade sigh,
shooting up to the sky
Blood on the wings, one of the kings
There's a burning within,
as the storm closes in
He is one of a kind, in the hands of time
Razorblade, Razorblade
Death angel is coming ,
you see him ride across the land
Time in his hands
The darkness of the night
turns bright at his cry
It's burning deep within
He cries for more
As I awake,
at the end of the road there's a rainbow
Slowly he'll fade , the dawning of time
On the wings of the razor ...
As I awake,
at the end of the road there's a rainbow
Slowly he'll fade away , the dawning of time
On the wings of the razorblade
The lyrics to Gamma Ray's song Razorblade Sigh depict a man who has emerged from a perilous situation and is now in a state of heightened emotion. He turns his back on the valley of death and looks up to the hills with burning red eyes. There is evidence of his recent encounter with death as he licks his palm with brown dried blood. He grins with his teeth displayed and cries out to his lord with a razor-blade sigh that shoots up to the sky. The darkness of the night turns bright at his cry, and he's ready to begin his next chapter.
The man is unique and one of a kind in the hands of time. His raging fire burns with desire and pulls you into his gravity, wanting to take you into his masterplan and his dignity. Tires are burning on the way through hell as the fallen angel sets him free; he's ready to take on the world with his victory. The death angel is approaching, and he sees him ride across the land with time in his hands. The man cries for more as he awakens at the end of the road to the dawning of time, slowly fading away on the wings of the razor-blade.
Line by Line Meaning
Out of the valley of death,
Leaving behind a dark, difficult time in his past,
the man turns his back
He is moving forward and leaving his hardships behind,
Stares up to the hills, his eyes burning red
He is determined to conquer whatever challenges lay ahead,
He licks his palm, with brown dried blood
A ritualistic gesture symbolizing his readiness to face danger and violence,
Turns, grinning teeth, up to his lord
He is confident in his abilities and eager to prove himself to a higher power,
The darkness of the night
An oppressive and intimidating atmosphere,
turns bright at his cry,
His determination and courage shine through the darkness,
So quiet but deadly
His calm demeanor belies his fierce strength and potential for destruction,
Burning deep within, and now he will begin
His intense passion drives him forward to take on any challenge,
He cries out to his lord forevermore
He is determined to succeed and show his worth to a higher power,
It's the razorblade sigh,
A symbol of his fierce determination and potential for violence,
shooting up to the sky
His determination is unmatched and reaches great heights,
Blood on the wings, one of the kings
He is a powerful and dominant force, leaving signs of his power everywhere he goes,
There's a burning within,
His passion and determination are intense and unwavering,
when the storm closes in
Even in the face of adversity and danger, he rises to the challenge,
He is one of a kind, in the hands of time
His unique qualities and abilities make him a force to be reckoned with throughout history,
Razorblade
A symbol of his sharp and dangerous strength,
His raging fire burns you with desire
The intensity of his passion and power can be both alluring and dangerous,
As you're taken down into his gravity
His influence and power are so strong that they pull others towards him,
He wants you now, into his masterplan
He is a strategic and calculating force, always looking for new allies to help him achieve his goals,
And he'll be taking you into his dignity
Those who align themselves with him gain status and honor in his eyes,
Tires are burning on the way through hell
He is willing to face any danger or obstacle in pursuit of his goals,
Fallen angel set me free
He sees himself as rejected or misunderstood by society, but he embraces his uniqueness and independence,
Wheels are turning, take me far below
He is constantly moving towards new challenges and unexplored territory,
Holding out my hands in victory
He is a triumphant and confident force, always ready to claim what he desires,
Death angel is coming ,
He embraces the image of death and darkness, seeing it as a powerful and almost divine force,
you see him ride across the land
His influence and power are felt everywhere,
Time in his hands
He sees himself as in control of time itself, able to manipulate it to suit his needs and desires,
On the wings of the razor ...
He is a powerful and unstoppable force, moving forward with determination and passion,
As I awake,
He sees himself as a liberator, breaking free from societal norms and expectations,
at the end of the road there's a rainbow
He is a hopeful and optimistic force, always looking for new and better opportunities,
Slowly he'll fade , the dawning of time
His power and influence may diminish over time, but he sees this as a natural and inevitable process,
On the wings of the razorblade
His strength and determination will carry him forward indefinitely,
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KAI HANSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind