1021. Hansen & Friends / Thank You Wacken: Live. 2017. 5/5

When Kai Hansen announced he was doing this project, obsequiously to memorialise over thirty years in the metal music business, as a fan I was as always interested in what it would produce. The album XXX: Three Decades in Metal I felt was excellent, and allowed him to explore other avenues that he couldn’t do in his other bands. With so much going on in his music life it was not surprising that he wanted to play this new material live, even if it could not be in a long form tour. Performing at Wacken in 2016, this album is the result of recording that gig.

Now, the one major problem this gig faced was this. The album was not released until September of 2016. The Wacken festival took place, as always, in early August, which meant that all of the material off the new album that was played at this gig had never been heard by the fans. In retrospect, as an Australian fan, it hasn’t been a problem for me, as I have had that album since its release, and I have had this recording since its release just a few weeks ago. But is there anything worse than turning up at a concert and not knowing half the songs? As a fan, it is the most difficult thing imaginable. You can’t throw yourself full belt into the gig, because you don’t know half the material. It could be rubbish, and you are left there with your arms folded. Waiting for the good stuff to come on. As I said, that didn’t affect my enjoyment of this album because I know all the songs, but I wonder just how the reaction really went over on the day (it looked positive on the DVD of the gig, don’t get me wrong).
It all sounds fantastic. Kai’s band that recorded the studio album is all here, except for drummer Dan Wilding who was off touring with Carcass, and so Gamma Ray’s custodian Michael Ehre fills in here with aplomb. Eike Freese on guitar and Alex Deitz on bass and backing vocals both show off their excellent skills and confirm why Kai was happy to collaborate with them in the first place. While all of the special guests who were a part of the original recording do not make an appearance here, there are a few who return to make their contributions to the “Hansen & Friends” concept.
If you haven’t listened to the album, then you will no doubt be just as confused as I imagine the crowd at Wacken were with all of the new material, but those who do know it will be happy and impressed with the live versions presented here. As on that album, the starring roles go to “Born Free”, “Contract Song” and “Follow the Sun”, where the rage that they have in the studio is replicated and enhanced here in the live setting. ”Burning Bridges” also sounds great live here. “All or Nothing” and “Fire and Ice” both sound terrific as well, with Clémentine Delauney enjoying her chance to sing these duets with Kai on stage. She has quite the presence.
Of the older Helloween material here, none of it can be faulted. It is kick started by what is still one of the greatest songs ever in “Ride the Sky”, through both the vocals and the duelling guitar solos in the middle. I still get chills listening to the song. Frank Beck, supporting vocalist here and now a member of Gamma Ray, produces a stunning version of “Victim of Fate”. It is always a pleasure to hear this song with full power and aggression. Michael Kiske comes out for his starring role in the Helloween staples “I Want Out” and “Future World”, while the set closer is the very underrated “Save Us”, where the ensemble gives the gig the finish it deserves, with both Frank and Clémentine lending serious support to this terrific song.

As live albums go, you won’t be disappointed with this offering. Even if you don’t know the newer material, the Helloween songs alone are worth the price of the album. Give the newer material a chance and you might be surprised as well. Once again, Kai Hansen seals his destiny as one of the finest and most influential musicians in the history of heavy metal.

Rating:  “In permanent madness we live, no time for life and for love”.   5/5

1006. Hansen & Friends / XXX: Three Decades in Metal. 2016. 4.5/5

Over the years Kai Hansen has been an inspiration and a leader of the European heavy metal community. Not only has he been a foundation member of several bands, all of which have made their sizable contribution to the metal universe, but he has guested on several other band’s albums with either vocals or guitar or both, or even acted as a producer. His contribution to the cause has been enormous and almost unparalleled. So when he announced that he would be doing this album, which is sort of a solo project and sort of a concept project, one could only wonder just what it would produce that would be different from everything else he had done over 30-plus years.

In moving aside from his other musical commitments in order to put this album out, it had to be a conscious decision that he wanted to be free to make something that couldn’t be held within the framework of the other band’s he has been associated with. He obviously wanted to be free to make decisions with the direction of songs without being held accountable to a band or the fans of that band and judged in that court. So apart from bringing on board musicians from other band’s to lay down the album, he has also invited some special guests and friends to help him out along the way.
I listened to this album a lot in the weeks after its release, and for me there was one glaring difference between it and Gamma Ray. I like this album a lot and listen to it with ease. But, how many songs here jumped out at me so much that I knew them from their opening riff, and knew the lyrics and actually sing along with them every time they come on? The answer is, about half, and that was significantly less than every Gamma Ray album ever, even than last couple which have probably not been quite up to the extremely high standard of the others. Therein lies the rub. It isn’t a Gamma Ray album, it is an obvious attempt by Kai to get out there and do something a bit different from what he has done with his number one band.
The band members here are excellent and perform their jobs accordingly. Eike Freese, the vocalist and guitarist from Dark Age, Alexander Dietz, the bass guitarist and backing vocals from Heaven Shall Burn and Dan Wilding, the current drummer of Carcass all play terrifically and sound fantastic, especially in songs like “Born Free”, “Contract Song” and “Follow the Sun”. Despite this being a Kai Hansen driven album, their contributions should not be overlooked.
All of the songs apart from the opening track feature friends participating, contributing either vocal parts or guitar solos to the mix, which makes it a fun romp throughout. “Born Free” acts as the single and opening track from the album, setting the scene for what is to come. “Enemies of Fun” combines the appearance of original Gamma Ray and current Primal Fear vocalist Ralf Scheepers and lifelong friend and Iron Savior frontman Piet Sielck for vocals. This is followed by “Contract Song” which has quite a bit of anger and angst behind it, and Dee Snider from Twisted Sister along for the ride. Yes, you can happily spit out the lyrics in this song, the venom behind them is obvious and somewhat joyous to sing along to. “Making Headlines” enables Tobi Sammet to return the favour Kai offered him on the first two Avantasia albums by combining his great vocal strength alongside Kai’s. This is followed by “Stranger in Time” which has another great combination of talent, with Tobi joined by current Gamma Ray part-time vocalist Frank Beck and also Michael Kiske, with some great harmonies and melody lines.
Into the middle of the album, and there is a change in tack and direction. “Fire and Ice” starts the process – and has anyone else picked up the similarity towards the end of this song to the end of Halford’s “Silent Screams” from his Resurrection album? That had to be deliberate, surely! “Left Behind” is the best example of a change in style for Kai and his music, with the writing feeling as though it was very much driven for the vocals of Clémentine Delauney initially before the introduction of the growl/scream vocal combination from Marcus Bischoff and album bass guitarist Alexander Dietz from Heaven Shall Burn. This is exacerbated by the very power ballad stylings of “All or Nothing” where Kai and Clémentine combine their vocal talents again. The changes in style here for me are the most difficult to get used to. It’s not that they are bad. In fact, they are performed fantastically. What I like most is that Kai has taken the opportunity of doing this on his own album rather than within the framework of his main band. I only wish other bands would do the same thing rather than mixing their song styles.
“Burning Bridges” helps to pick up the slackening tempo, but it is still very much in a straight forward hard rock song, with a simplified rhythm and drum basis and Kai not extending his vocal range in any way, keeping to a mid-range almost all the way through the song. The vocal talents of Eike Freese are also utilised here. The album finishes on a highlight though, with “Follow the Sun” rifling along with a great riff and drum pattern, and the awesome vocals of Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kürsch leading the charge with further help from Marcus Bischoff. This is almost the most energetic song on the album, and it is an excellent way to bring it to a close. Those vocals from Hansi and Kai here are awesome.

Since the first moment I heard him sing and play on a Helloween album, and when I first held in my hands the vinyl release of Gamma Ray’s Heading for Tomorrow album, Kai Hansen has been one of my music heroes, a man who seems to make magic flow from his fingers and vocal chords. Every other project and guest appearance he has made has always improved and lifted because of his involvement. This album did take a while to grow on me, but it has become one of my favourites in recent times. In the long run, that is no surprise whatsoever.

Rating:  “The key to your own heaven and the hell of your demise”.   4.5/5