Gamma Ray
- Skeletons in the Closet


 

Note: 9/10, because there is no perfection in this world.

First of all, let me remind you that: It' s about Gamma Ray: any kind of objectivity is excluded.

Second, I warn you: this album was "re-recorded" in studio, but hey that's normal, unless you want to have an album with an awful sound! And, at least, they have the honesty to admit it when interviewed: if you want a detailed list of what was particularly "corrected" and why you can read through their last interviews! All in all, the most important is that you have this "live-feeling", because of the sound (good but not perfect, an excellent sound for a live album if you prefer), and because of the audience, who you feel/hear when you want/need to! Set-list is made of the songs fans asked for their last tour, in late 2002, through their official website: they had to be only songs Gamma Ray hadn't played live for a long time/at all/ barely plays live: there is no "hit" of Gamma Ray, only songs a fan likes to listen to live, but can't enjoy very often. For this reason, I think this live is a good "complement" [can we say it in English? I mean "it completes well"] their best-of, that was released 2 years ago I believe: all songs on this live aren't "must-have"-songs, but you can find here most of the songs the best-of was "missing" [lacking?]... making a best-of Gamma Ray isn't that easy after all, even in 2cds... even 3 is "just enough"! And it' s nice they placed the drums' solo at the end of the first cd: if you don't feel like listening to it (and I rarely feel like listening to a drums'solo, even live, so when I'm quietly home... HUM!), you only have to stop the cd and directly go to cd 2: most simple!
(aaaah Heavy Metal Universe live! ...sorry that is the song I'm listening to right now...)

My little personal game: you may know this album was recorded in Barcelona and Strasbourg, Strasbourg being planned as a "safety wheel, in case there would be any problem in Barcelona" (and there were some). And I was in Strasbourg, so I like trying to find out what parts were recorded there! Honestly, I don't believe a lot were... but sometimes you hear it, listening to "the accent" of the crowd, or its "sound" (French have a different scream/yell than Spanish, don't ask me why!), or any other little detail... Yes I know this is stupid, but hey, I'm most stupid after all! Oh and, about Heavy Metal Universe: I'm CERTAIN they lowered the sound for the first "yelling", even in Strasbourg we were louder! BETRAYERS! The chorus-part most probably comes from Barcelone too: I still remember, with a lot of emotion, of the, litteraly, blank Kai had to face on the second part of this chorus in Strasbourg... we were barely 10 to know the whole chorus... MWAHA! ...poor Kai...
(regret: beh, where is I want Out? Well we have Victim of Fate, which is great!, after all I believe I want out is on their previous live album, although I didn't check: may be wrong)
(and of course Kai Hansen's "we love you, and you, and you,..." at the end of the album makes me think A LOT of Paul McCartney at the end of his concerts, at the end of Hey Jude... there is probably no common point at all, but hey you won't reinvent me! And since Kai Hansen made me this autograph thinking / making a reference to a song of the Beatles (he confirmed it)... I expect everything!)

About the "re-recorded" sond: at the end of the very last song, New world order, sound progressively becomes awful... then comes back to a good quality sound... some volontary way to show us how a "real live 100% not re-recorded" would sound like crap? A mistake, which I doubt from them? Some other reason I don't guess? Me-don't-now...

The two videos, made of live bits / live photos, aren't excellent or "must-have", but they're here as a bonus only after all: they're not supposed to be of a perfect quality. Still, they allow us to understand why the project of a dvd was finaly cancelled.
Talking about the "visual" of this album: I'm not sure, but I believe we quite see the guy from Sweden who saw most of their concerts on this tour on the "main photo" (=the one on the booklet and cds): I believe I remember the fanzine-or-I-can't-remember-what for which he was going to "review" all of these shows payed him concert tickets and shipping fees (to leave and come back to Sweden I mean), but he had to pay everything else: it cost him a lot of money, although it meant quite a lot of pelasure in the end!

To sum you'll have understood my point: VERY GOOD LIVE! If you don't know Gamma Ray I can give you only one advice: buy their best-of released 2 years ago and this live, on which you'll also find 3-4 songs of their last album (no song of which is on the best-of, as it wasn't released yet!). If you know and like the band, this live-album quite simply is a MUST-HAVE, yes sir! If you know and don't like them, well a live album being made of songs already released, not songs completely different from the usual style of the band, there's no way this live album will give you a better opinion of Gamma Ray... too bad for you!

 

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