Land of the Free (album)

Infobox Album
Name = Land of the Free
Type = studio
Artist = Gamma Ray


Released = May 29, 1995
March 18, 2003 (Re-release)
Recorded = R.A.S.H. Studio Gelsenkirchen (Drums),
Hansen Studio Hamburg
Genre = Power metal
Length = 56:43
Label = Noise Records
Producer =
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:7z5tk65xwkrd]
Last album = "Insanity and Genius"
(1993)
This album = "Land of the Free"
(1995)
Next album = "Somewhere Out in Space"
(1997)

"Land of the Free" is the fourth studio album by German power metal band Gamma Ray, released in 1995. "Land of the Free" was the first Gamma Ray album to be released since the departure of Ralf Scheepers, leaving former Helloween lead vocalist and Gamma Ray guitarist, Kai Hansen to take up lead vocals. This is his first recording as a lead vocalist since Helloween's release of their album "Walls of Jericho in 1985.

This was the last album featuring the then current line-up of the band. Originally, bassist Jan Rubach was to swap positions with guitarist Dirk Schlächter, but decided to leave the band instead. Drummer Thomas Nack also left after this album.

The track "Afterlife" was written as a tribute to Ingo Schwichtenberg, Kai Hansen's former bandmate in Helloween, who committed suicide prior to the album's release.

Part of the solo of track 4, "All of the Damned", is taken from the Eagles song Hotel California.

Along with most of the band's past catalogue, the album was re-released in 2003 with a different cover and expanded tracklist which featured three tracks that had either appeared as bonuses on various different editions of the album (namely "Heavy Metal Mania", which was a Japanese bonus track on the original release) or were unreleased tracks.

Land of the Free was ranked #1 highest-reviewed album of 1995 in all genres by listeners on Sputnikmusic.com with a 4.5/5.0 average rating. This also puts it at #2 all-time in metal and #32 in all genres. [http://www.sputnikmusic.com/charts.php?type=1&genreid=0&year=1995]

Track listing

# "Rebellion in Dreamland" (Hansen) – 8:44
# "Man on a Mission" (Hansen) – 5:49
# "Fairytale" (Hansen) – 0:50
# "All of the Damned" (Hansen) – 5:00
# "Rising of the Damned" (Hansen) – 0:43
# "Gods of Deliverance" (L:Hansen M:Rubach) – 5:01
# "Farewell" (Schlächter) – 5:11
# "Salvation's Calling" (Rubach) – 4:36
# "Land of the Free" (Hansen) – 4:38
# "The Saviour" (Hansen) – 0:40
# "Abyss of the Void" (Hansen) – 6:04
# "Time to Break Free" (Hansen) – 4:40
# "Afterlife" (L:Hansen M:Rubach) – 4:46

2003 Bonus Tracks

#

"Heavy Metal Mania" (Mortimer) - 4:49 "(Holocaust cover)
# "As Time Goes By (pre-Production version)" (Hansen/Sielck) - 4:53
# "The Silence '95" (Hansen) - 6:29

*"Heavy Metal Mania" also appears on the REBELLION IN DREAMLAND EP.
*"As Time Goes By (pre-Production version)" also appears on the REBELLION IN DREAMLAND EP.
*"The Silence '95" also appears on the Silent Miracles EP.

Credits

*Lead Vocals & Guitars: Kai Hansen
*Guitars: Dirk Schlächter
*Bass Guitars: Jan Rubach
*Drums: Thomas Nack

Guest musicians

*Keyboards: Sascha Paeth
*Guest Vocals: Hansi Kürsch (additional lead vocals on "Farewell", backing vocals on "Land of the free" and "Abyss of the void")
*Guest Vocals: Michael Kiske (all lead vocals on "Time to Break Free", backing and additional lead vocals on "Land Of The Free")