Gamma Ray - Empire Of The Undead

Empire Of The Undead album cover
7.8 | 292 votes |
Band
Gamma Ray
Style
Power metal
Release date
28 March 2014
Owners
236 have it
32 want it
Tracklist
Disc I
01. Avalon
02. Hellbent
03. Pale Rider
04. Born To Fly
05. Master Of Confusion
06. Empire Of The Undead
07. Time For Deliverance
08. Demonseed
09. Seven
10. I Will Return
11. Built A World [European bonus]
12. Someday [Japanese bonus]
13. Avalon [live] [Digipack bonus]
14. The Spirit [live] [Digipack bonus]
15. Empire Of The Undead [live] [Digipack bonus]

Disc II [DVD Digipack version] [live]
01. The Spirit
02. Empire Of The Undead
03. Demonseed
04. Empathy
+ Tour Of Hamburg with Gamma Ray
+ Interview with Kai Hansen & Gamma Ray
+ To The Metal Promo Video
+ Live Videos From Skeletons & Majesties
    1 - Gamma Ray
    2 - Wings Of Destiny
    3 - Send Me A Sign [acoustic version]
Line-up
Kai Hansen - vocals, guitars
Henjo Richter - guitars, keyboards
Michael Ehré - drums
Dirk Schlächter - bass

Session musicians
Corvin Bahn - keyboards
Additional info
Producer: Kai Hansen.
Co-producer: Dirk Schlächter.
Recording: Kai Hansen & Dirk Schlächter.
Mixing & mastering: Eike Freese & Alexander Dietz.
Cover art & photography: Antje Schröder & Alexander Mertsch.
Staff review by
R Lewis
Rating:
8.0
Rating:
8.0
The more 2014 goes on, the more it confirms that, this year, power metal is clinging to its heavyweights. After Iron Savior, Freedom Call, Sonata Arctica, Primal Fear and Edguy, now it's the time for Gamma Ray to unleash their opus.

Read more ››
published 10.05.2014 | Comments ( 5 )
Staff pick by
Daniell

Power metal, what else.
Apr 02, 2014
I lost faith in power metal many years ago. An exhausted genre that is going nowhere. But at least some veterans still know how to play it
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: wormdrink414, D.T. Metal
Found in 23 lists
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Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 44 Visited by 971 users
Warman
Erotic Stains

Posts: 7695


Permalink
07.04.2014 - 14:27
Rating: 8
Warman
Erotic Stains

Posts: 7695


Written by Mountain King on 04.04.2014 at 19:54

The song "Avalon" is the best thing I've heard in months...Good album

Yeah, my favourite song from 2014 so far.
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Posts: 1116


Permalink
10.04.2014 - 18:10
Rating: 5

Posts: 1116


Also noticed that the opening riff of "Empire of the Undead" is almost the same as "Hit the Lights".
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K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth

Posts: 2574


Permalink
15.04.2014 - 16:41
Rating: 5
K✞ulu
Seeker of Truth

Posts: 2574


Completely run-of-the-mill power/heavy metal. I keep thinking of Rhapsody, Iron Maiden and Dio (well, and Metallica ) when listening to this. Absolutely nothing special here, except for, maybe, "I Will Return."
----
Savor what you feel and what you see
Things that may not seem important now
But may be tomorrow

R.I.P. Chuck Schuldiner

Satan was a Backstreet Boy
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Posts: 435


Permalink
17.04.2014 - 09:47
Rating: 8

Posts: 435


First half seems better than the second half to me. But still all around a better album than their last few. Power metal is still alive and well.
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M C Vice
ex-polydactyl

Posts: 3469


Permalink
29.05.2014 - 11:45
Rating: 6
M C Vice
ex-polydactyl

Posts: 3469


What's that Gamma Ray song "There's no need to cry, and there's no need to die, cause all you need is love"?
Time For Deliverance really reminds me of that one.
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"I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets."
"I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples."
" 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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Posts: 60


Permalink
26.06.2014 - 01:34
Rating: 10

Posts: 60


Best album since Majestic!!
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Posts: 1506
Permalink
01.06.2015 - 01:32
Rating: 7

Posts: 1506
Certainly their best since Majestic.
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Posts: 515


Permalink
02.11.2015 - 08:37
Rating: 4

Posts: 515


Another incredibly unoriginal album by Gamma Ray. And I used to be a huge fan of this band.
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Posts: 75


Permalink
+1
28.02.2022 - 21:17
Rating: 9

Posts: 75


I miss gamma ray... i want gamma ray to come back
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Redel
Moderator

Posts: 2780


Permalink
+1
20.04.2023 - 15:23
Rating: 6
Redel
Moderator

Posts: 2780


Avalon -- such a great, epic song. Clearly the highlight of the album. Also the longest song of the album, with almost ten minutes.
What I dont understand is why you would decide to open the album with its longest song, more so if it is the epic highlight. These songs need to be placed at the album's end, or somewhere in the middle, I would say.
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Azarath
Free as a.. Fish

Posts: 971


Permalink
22.04.2023 - 00:37
Rating: 7
Azarath
Free as a.. Fish

Posts: 971


Written by Redel on 20.04.2023 at 15:23

What I dont understand is why you would decide to open the album with its longest song, more so if it is the epic highlight.

Rebellion in Dreamland?
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Redel
Moderator

Posts: 2780


Permalink
+1
22.04.2023 - 07:04
Rating: 6
Redel
Moderator

Posts: 2780


Written by Azarath on 22.04.2023 at 00:37

Written by Redel on 20.04.2023 at 15:23

What I dont understand is why you would decide to open the album with its longest song, more so if it is the epic highlight.

Rebellion in Dreamland?

Yes, you are right, it is a similar case. But on RID it is not that big of a problem, if you ask me, because the album has several excellent songs to wait for after the excellent opener is over.
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Azarath
Free as a.. Fish

Posts: 971


Permalink
+2
24.04.2023 - 02:43
Rating: 7
Azarath
Free as a.. Fish

Posts: 971


Written by Redel on 22.04.2023 at 07:04

Yes, you are right, it is a similar case. But on RID it is not that big of a problem, if you ask me, because the album has several excellent songs to wait for after the excellent opener is over.

Yes, fair enough. I haven't listened to Empire of the Undead in years - I recall it being pretty solid - but Avalon definitely stood out as the highlight, so the album peaked early. Land of the Free is excellent throughout, down to the tracks released on EPs.
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Posts: 767


Permalink
30.06.2025 - 10:05
Rating: 8

Posts: 767


IMHO their best output since Power Plant.
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