Gamma Ray

Former Helloween guitarist Kai Hansen and his band are back with another high-class offering. Once again the quartet puts an emphasis on all its strong points, namely a strong mix of accessible melodies with tremendous high-speed power metal. Standout songs here include "Solid," a driving metal anthem with a nod to the "new wave of British heavy metal" boom of the early '80s, "Heart of the Unicorn," an almost thrashy headbanger, and "On Eagle," a sure fire riff monster featuring a sing-along chorus and extensive twin guitar harmonies. They even pull out a nugget by including a cover of Black Sabbath's "Heaven or Hell." Basically you know what you get with Gamma Ray: pure anthemic German power metal.