Gamma Ray is a German power metal band from Hamburg, founded in 1989 by Kai Hansen following his departure from Helloween. Hansen serves as the band's lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter. Between 1990 and 2014, Gamma Ray recorded eleven studio albums.
In 1988, after four years with Helloween, Hansen… Read moreShow less
Gamma Ray is a German power metal band from Hamburg, founded in 1989 by Kai Hansen following his departure from Helloween. Hansen serves as the band's lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter. Between 1990 and 2014, Gamma Ray recorded eleven studio albums.
In 1988, after four years with Helloween, Hansen decided to leave the band. He undertook some studio work with Blind Guardian and, in 1989, formed Gamma Ray with Ralf Scheepers, former vocalist of Tyran Pace. The initial lineup was completed with Uwe Wessel on bass and Mathias Burchardt on drums. The band's first album, "Heading for Tomorrow," was released in February 1990, followed by the "Heaven Can Wait" EP later that year, with new members Dirk Schlächter on guitar and Uli Kusch on drums.
In 1991, Gamma Ray recorded their second album, "Sigh No More," produced by Tommy Newton and featuring darker lyrics inspired by the Persian Gulf War. Following the Japanese tour in 1991, Wessel and Kusch left and were replaced by Jan Rubach on bass and Thomas Nack on drums. The album "Insanity and Genius" was released in June 1993, with a style closer to "Heading for Tomorrow." In September 1993, the band joined the Melodic Metal Strikes Back tour with Rage, Helicon, and Conception, which coincided with the release of the double CD "Power of Metal" and the videos "Power of Metal" and "Lust for Live."
In 1995, Scheepers left the band, and Hansen took over vocal duties in addition to guitar. The fourth album, "Land of the Free," was released that year and was followed by the Men on a Tour tour and the live album "Alive '95" in 1996. Later that year, Rubach and Nack departed and were replaced by Dan Zimmermann on drums and Henjo Richter on guitar, with Schlächter returning to bass. "Somewhere Out in Space" was released in 1997, followed by "Power Plant," continuing the band's thematic focus on space. The double album "Blast from the Past" featured re-recorded and remixed tracks selected by fan voting.
The band released "No World Order," with a style influenced by NWOBHM bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and followed it with the Skeletons in the Closet tour, which included rarely performed tracks. Hansen and Richter also participated in Tobias Sammet's project Avantasia on "The Metal Opera" and "The Metal Opera Part II." A live DVD, "Hell Yeah!!! The Awesome Foursome (And the Finnish keyboarder who didn't want to wear his Donald Duck costume: Live in Montreal)," was recorded in 2006 and released in 2008.
From 2007, Gamma Ray utilised touring keyboard players, including Axel Mackenrott of Masterplan and Eero Kaukomies. "Land of the Free II" was released in 2007, and the band toured as special guests with Helloween on the Hellish Rock 2007/2008 World Tour. The tenth studio album, "To the Metal!," was released in 2010, followed by the EP "Skeletons and Majesties" in 2011. Michael Ehré replaced Zimmermann on drums in 2012. The eleventh album, "Empire of the Undead," was released in March 2014, featuring a heavier sound.
In October 2015, Frank Beck joined as an additional lead vocalist. Hansen released his solo album "XXX – Three Decades in Metal" in 2016. A 25th-anniversary edition of "Land of the Free" was announced in 2017. In 2021, Hansen stated that he was preparing new Gamma Ray material despite reuniting with Helloween. In 2023, a remastered version of "Blast from the Past" was released in a 3-CD digipak and on vinyl LP.
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)
