I went in to this album expecting a lot more than I did of the first, mainly because they had now been on the road and come together as a band for twelve months, and now for their sophomore effort I wanted to hear the growth that would have come from that time together. There was always going to be the anticipation of something close to what Gamma Ray has always produced, but more than anything else I wanted something hard and fast and catchy. I got some of that, but maybe not as much as I was hoping for.
The opening tracks do come across as the best on the album, which sets it up to drag the listener in hard at the start. The opening instrumental “Revenge” leads in to the fast and flailing opening track “Last Betrayal”, full of great guitars and high pitched vocals that illuminate the best of the power metal sound. This cascades into the harder edge of “You Got Me Wrong”, full of excellent riffs and layered vocals that hit the right chords. “The Storm” follows this, but it is a fairly average hard rock song that doesn’t provide any real excitement beyond the standard lyrics/chorus/guitar signature. “Road to Nowhere” has a much better sound to it, with the harder edged drums and guitar riff thumping through the song.
The middle of the album keeps the album on an even keel, perhaps promising more than it delivers depending on your own point of view. I enjoy “Welcome Home” which is upbeat and vibrant, with a join-in-chanting chorus that just begs for a live audience to sing along. “All That Is Real” is a change up in style that actually works better than I would have expected. It utilises the emotional value of the spectrum without pulling it into the dark depths of a power ballad, and for me this track is perfectly executed, especially with the keys around the vocals. This is followed by “No Hero” which like “Welcome Home” is another sing-along song - though it probably feels more like that as they released a lyric video for it – and though it doesn’t procreate the genre it is still one of those songs that is catchy and gets in your head.
“The Willow Tree” slows down the pace again, bringing in the emotive vocals without completely digressing into the power ballad area. Though it sounds great, and Henjo’s guitar work is just terrific, the song is not one I can get on board with. “Above Everything” is designed as another crowd involvement number and again is performed well but sits a bit right of centre for me. For my taste these songs are missing something that would make them worth listening to time and again, and it is just the style more than anything else.
“Children of the Light” is much more in my musical frame with a much more enjoyable tempo led by the sterling double kick drumming from Michael Ehre and brilliant soloing from Henjo once again. “Better Day” and “L.I.F.E.” not the closing songs I was looking for, as again like a few songs in the middle they are missing that ingredient that appeals to my taste. Everything just seems a bit flat and lifeless compared to the better tracks on the album.
There can be no argument about the ability of the members of the band and their musicianship. Everything sounds great and is performed perfectly. The songs here cover a broad range of the genre, with the faster and more lively songs such as “Last Betrayal” for me being the star attractions, while the songs that settle in the middle range don’t quite have the kick necessary to drive any enthusiasm.
When I first heard the album I was immediately won over. After thirty or so listens I find that the good songs still resonate with me, but the ones that are not up to that high standard tend to pull the album back as a whole. Jan Manenti has a great set of vocal chords and gives another great performance here, showing similarities to Jorn Lande along the way. Henjo Richter is superb once again on guitar and is well supported by guitar partner Stefan Ellerhorst and Jogi Sweers on bass. Michael Ehre’s drumming is as solid as always.
This is a better-than-average album for those who enjoy this branch of the heavy metal tree. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the table, and it won’t be an outstanding addition to your collection. Despite this, there is more than enough here to enjoy, and in a year where there was not a great deal of outstanding albums released this is one that will be better than most.
Best songs: “Last Betrayal”, “You Got Me Wrong”, “Welcome Home”, “All That is Real”, “Children of the Light”
Rating: “You think you're strong, but I won't give up anymore”. 3.5/5
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