Ultimate Collection

DISCLAIMER: This review is only based on the bonus tracks and packaging of this boxset. The actual album reviews will come in due time as classics or archives. Also since the bonus tracks are a major factor in purchasing this boxset I am obligated to do a track by track review so be prepared for a long, in-depth reading. If you have pressing matters to attend to then come back later. First off lets list the pros and cons of this six cd boxset. This Ultimate Collection comes in a cube that houses six Gamma Ray cds which are Heading for Tomorrow, Sigh No More, Insanity and Genius, Land of the Free, Somewhere Out In Space, and Powerplant. Each cd comes in a digipak with new artwork and three bonus tracks each. The original booklets for each cd are housed inside the digipak sleeves. Also included is a small foldout poster that has all six of the album covers arranged so they form one single pic and on the flipside is all the lyrics to the bonus tracks. Thats about it on the packaging. I was expecting a bit more like maybe liner notes from Kai, unearthed pics from each album era special stuff like that. The time put into this boxset seems just average. It doesn't seem rushed but at the sime time it doesn't deliver everything that might be expected for such a limited release. Let's get to what really matters shall we? THE MUSIC, or actually the bonus tracks. Are they really good enough for longtime fans to rush out and purchase this boxset for 18 songs? It all depends on what you have. If you are lucky enough to own all the extremely rare and hard to find Gamma Ray EPS then NO this boxset is not for you. If you are like me and are not fortunate to own every single and EP then yes this is a worthy purchase. Heading For Tomorrow contains the songs Mr. Outlaw, Lonesome Stranger, and Sail On taken from the Heaven Can Wait EP. Mr. Outlaw is the only traditional Gamma Ray song here. It is fast, punchy, and in your face. It doesnt sound like it could hold up to Heaven Can Wait but it definitely is not a throwaway track. Lonesome Stranger is an odd tune, with a quirky spoken intro followed by a very good guitar solo instrumental with Old Western themes to it. Quite nice. Sail On rounds out the extras and is well its not that great. Its a spacey type of song, different from what the Rays usually does but it is obvious why it wasn't released on a major cd. Sigh No More might not be the best Gamma Ray album but it contains the best bonus tracks. Heroes is basically Changes with different lyrics and rearranged music. Its cool to see how its the blueprint to a great song. Dream Healer (pre-production version) is next and sounds more raw and rough than the final version. Stripped down the song pleases the listener quite nicely. I have one thing to say to Mr. Hansen about Who Do You Think You Are? Why in the name of all that is holy did you not include this song on one of your studio albums???? Releasing it as a single/EP is a great injustice to what could have been one of Gamma Ray's best known songs, a song that would forever be the encore that would get the crowd riled up and excited and in a metal thrashing mad frenzy. Yes it really is that good. Who Do You Think You Are? starts off with a bluesey type intro before kicking into an assault on my senses. A high speed asskicker with a chorus that has hooks which stick to your brain forever Who Do You Think You Are? truly deserves to be brought out of obscurity. Maybe the reason why it was shelved is because of the lyrics? Some might find them silly or stupid but c'mon they go along with the feel of the song perfectly. Go check em out at Gamma Ray's website to see what I mean. The bonus tracks on Insanity and Genius are sort of lackluster. Gamma Ray (long version) is just an extended somewhat industrialized version of the same track found earlier on the album and Exciter (Judas Priest song) is a dead on straight cover with the godly Ralf Scheepers giving Halford a run for his money. A live rendition of Save Us (Helloween song) is another spot on cover but instead of the narrator guy theres some keyboards played in his place. Another cover starts off the Land of the Free bonuses this time by Holocaust H.M. Mania (Heavy Metal Mania). It has a very classic 80's metal feel to it and I haven't heard the orignal so I cant compare it. As Time Goes By (pre-production version) is next and much like the pre-production version of Dream Healer it is more raw sounding than the final product although this particular version has Kai doing th vocals. The Silence ('95 version) is last and is similar to the orignal but once again Kai is on vocals. Somewhere Out In Space has two more covers, Return To Fantasy (Uriah Heep) and another Priest cover Victim of Changes. Victim of Changes is a gutsy choice but the Rays pull it off extremely well with Kai hitting all the difficult high notes that Halford does. The other bonus track Miracle comes from the Silent Miracles EP and is a somewhat softer version of Man On a Mission. Finally we come to Powerplant with another cover this time Long Live Rock 'N Roll by Dio. This was aoriginally a Japanese extra on Powerplant and its nice to have it included here. There is also a re-recorded version of Rich and Famous which is slightly different than the version found on Sigh No More as this time around the chorus doesn't come in till after the second verse. I like the revamped production but you cant beat Ralf Scheepers in my opinion. A While In Dreamland (which can also be found on Silent Miracles) is a piano driven ballad that is a total departure from anything Gamma Ray has ever done but it works perfectly. Still with me? We've finally come to the end of this mammoth review only a little bit more to go so hang in there. If after reading this review and seeing the various extras this boxset has to offer you aren't too excited well then you probably wont be after you buy it. If seeing the above mentioned extras has you salivating at the mouth then by all means help yourself you'll be quite pleased.