Band:	Gamma Ray
Album:	Skeletons In The Closet
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	August 25, 2003
Guest review by:	Justin

Disc I
01. Welcome
02. Gardens Of The Sinner
03. Rich And Famous
04. All Of The Damned
05. No Return
06. Armageddom
07. Heavy Metal Universe
08. One With The World
09. Dan's Solo
+ Gardens Of The Sinner [video]
+ Razorblade Sigh [video]

Disc II
01. Razorblade Sigh
02. The Heart Of The Unicorn
03. Last Before The Storm
04. Victim Of Fate [Helloween cover]
05. Rising Star / Shine On
06. The Silence
07. Heaven Or Hell
08. Guardians Of Mankind
09. New World Order
10. I Want Out [Helloween cover] [Japanese bonus]
11. Hidden Track

When Kai Hansen departed from Helloween in 1999, many thought he would have been forever labelled under ?The former guitar player of Helloween? tag. Instead, Hansen has carved out a niche for himself with Gamma Ray that has endured long after the comparisons have been forsaken.

After numerous studio albums and live releases, Gamma Ray [who currently consist of lead vocalist/guitarist Kai Hansen, guitarist/keyboardist Henjo Richter, bassist Dirk Schlachter and drummer Dan Zimmermann] have celebrated their longevity by allowing fans to select a best of track listing for a double live album recorded in Barcelona and Strasbourg over two nights in October/November 2002.

As you would expect, the sixteen tracks [including an introduction and a drum solo] spans evenly over their seven studio albums to date, including selections from their last album, 2001's ?No World Order?.

Although it would be pointless to point out the entire track listing here, some notable highlights include ?Heart Of The Unicorn? [again lifted from ?No World Order?], the crowd participation throughout the sing along strains of ?The Silence? [from their debut album ?Heading For Tomorrow?], the ridiculous [yet enjoyable] ?Heavy Metal Universe? [from ?Powerplant?] and ?One With The World? [from ?Sigh No More?].

Overall the recordings sound great, with the mixing levels producing a clarity that Hansen has perfected over his years as the bands producer.

In the world of power metal, Gamma Ray can hold their own against a flood of imitators, and a fact they have consistently proven over their many years together. Fans will no doubt lap this collection up [well it has been seven long years since their last live release!], while newcomers will either find this curious and check it out, or move on after one glance of the rather cheesy artwork.