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With the rise of power metal in recent times, there have been a ton of bands who have come and staked their claim as top players in the genre. Undeniably Gamma Ray is one of the few bands who can be truly recognized as a genre leader. Their pedigree and discography really speaks for itself as they have put together a highly impressive string of albums from their early 90's material right up into the 2000's. With that being the case, both fans and critics will probably tell you the quintessential Gamma Ray album is their 1998 classic Land of The Free. So it is certainly with a steamful of ambition that Gamma Ray release a sequel to a highly acclaimed classic.
Releasing a sequel is never an easy thing to do especially when the original is held in such high regard. This is most certainly the case for movies, and while not as common in music, is also true in the form of albums. Recently metal has seen such big name bands like Queensryche and Helloween make attempts at following up landmark albums. And while those albums were decently received, to say they failed to live up to the originals would be pretty accurate.
On LOTF2, Gamma Ray have fine-tuned their vintage sound a bit as there are some small but noticeable differences from their recent output. Gone are any excessive keyboard parts for example, but enter some more orchestral arrangements. The guys also seem to be a bit more cheerful here, with the whole vibe of the record a little more lighthearted than some recent works. Of course there are not too many drastic changes as this is still vintage Gamma Ray power metal. You are still going to find the glorious choruses (hear "From The Ashes") along with some hyper speed tracks ("When The World"). In fact the track "To Mother Earth" sounds like Helloween circa 1988 and should really excite some long time fans. Other tracks, such as the slower "Empress," remain quite listenable due to their catchy nature and this is a common theme for Land Of The Free II as the songwriting is some of the band's best in years. Of course this couldn't be a true power metal album if it didn't have at least one cheesy lyric, and trust me when I tell you that you will find yourself smirking a few times if you listen closely enough.
The album closes out with the text book 11 minute epic "Insurrection" and historians will note that Gamma Ray has come full circle as it is with a major epic that the original Land Of The Free begins ("Rebellion In Dreamland"). The final consensus (here at least) is that Gamma Ray have turned the trick and put together their most solid album since No World Order. They sound like the band that is on a mission to bring you the best European power metal possible. Everything from the opening note to the cool album cover reek of professionalism, but most importantly the guys do the sequel justice as this part II can stand up to the original. Land Of the Free II was released in '07 in Europe and '08 in the USA. Whatever year you choose, it is a clear contender for power metal album of the year.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Into The Storm |
| 2. From The Ashes |
| 3. Rising Again |
| 4. To Mother Earth |
| 5. Rain |
| 6. Leaving Hell |
| 7. Empress |
| 8. When The World |
| 9. Opportunity |
| 10. Real World |
| 11. Hear Me Calling |
| 12. Insurrection |
: 65:18
| Buy other Gamma Ray albums |
