Gamma Ray-Land of the Free II
(Steamhammer/SPV, 2007)

With little hesitation I would say that Gamma Ray is my favorite power metal band of all time. Their latest album only reinforces this. The album is overflowing with soaring choruses, ridiculously catchy riffs and an energetic approach that is pretty much unmatched in the power metal genre.

While the band has altered its sound on some albums, this album shows a return to the classic Gamma Ray sound. The songs charge forward with boundless energy and the band seems to have an unlimited amount of incredibly melodic guitar riffs at their disposal. If you havent heard Gamma Ray, the best way I could describe them is a cross between Helloween and Iron Maiden. Of course I would say that the band has an original sound, but that is a good idea of what to expect if you havent heard the band.

If you enjoy Gamma Ray at their speediest, this album will not disappoint. The entire album is quite fast with jaw dropping guitar acrobatics and a pounding drum assault. Speaking of guitar acrobatics, the album is littered with a ridiculous amount of guitar solos. Even the riffs are quite note intensive at times giving the album a slight progressive feel during these moments.

Gamma Ray have crafted an album that lives up to what they have done in the past, adding another stellar album to their discography. If you enjoy your power metal fast, melodic and filled with guitar solos, this one is for you.

Annihilator-Metal
(Steamhammer/SPV, 2007)

While a band naming an album Metal might be laughable by a lesser band, Annihilator has been playing for years and does the genre proud. This is indeed a band and album that can easily wear the name Metal.

Musically the album is classic Annihilator although the overall approach is varied from song to song showing the band exploring different styles of metal. The main style is a thrashy yet melodic take on the metal genre. It is in line with previous Annihilator albums but each song definitely brings new surprises.

One unique aspect of the album is that each song has a guest musician. Jeff Loomis of Nevermore, Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom, Anders Bjorler of The Haunted and many more contribute guitar solos to the album. One track that certainly stands out is Couple Suicide which has Danko Jones and Angela Gassow of Arch Enemy on vocals. The song is quite different than the rest of the album and is ridiculously catchy. If you want an example of the band trying new things with the album, this song would definitely be it.

While the guest musicians do help make the album a bit more interesting, the songs themselves are more than enough to make the album worthwhile in their own right. If you are an Annihilator fan, you will love this album, end of story.

Kiss-Kissology Vol.2
(VH1 Classic Records, 2007)

While people always debate which ear of Kiss is indeed the best, this second volume takes you through the 80's and early 90's of the band. Is this the best era of the band? Not to my ears, but the set does indeed offer a huge selection of rare, interviews, music videos and a ton of live performances.

The main selling point of this set for me is the inclusion of Kiss in Attack of the Phantoms. You might know it as Kiss meets the Phantom of the Park, but this is the European theatrical version which is possibly a bit different than you remember with different music and a few different scenes thrown in. While it would have been nice to see the version of the film I have seen countless times, it is cool to see a version I have never seen. Not to mention this version is widescreen so you cant go wrong.

One thing Kiss is known for is being a great live band and when you count the bonus disc you have five live sets to digest on here. It is a lot but diehard Kiss fans will love every minute of it. 1980 through 1990 is covered, from Australia in 1980 to Detroit in 1990 on the Hot in the Shade tour. The sound quality varies for each performance but for the most part is sounds quite good. Three songs from The Elder that the band played of Fridays do sound terrible but then again the songs themselves are quite bad to begin with.

With over three hours of footage on 3 DVDs, there is enough Kiss on here to please even the most diehard fan. If you in particular enjoy the Kiss of the 80s, this set is definitely for you.

Voodoo Shock-Maries Sisters Garden
(Exile on Mainstream Records, 2007)

Voodoo Shock are a band that play a very classic form of doom metal, which basically translates to me saying that they sound a hell of a lot like Black Sabbath. Hints of Saint Vitus and The Obsessed are easily picked out as well giving the band as accessible albeit slightly by the numbers style of doom.

A vocal performance can honestly make or break an album and Im still on the fence with the vocals here. The vocals definitely have character though the performance seems a bit pitchy at times. While I can enjoy the vocal performance it is a bit weaker than the music the band produces.

The album is chock full of doom dirges and bluesy rock riffage. The songs are quite varied and even explore some surprising melodic elements. There are indeed many moments that bring to mind Black Sabbath, but calling the band a clone would be way off. The band might not reinvent the genre but they certainly arent boring either.

If you enjoy the likes of Cathedral, Saint Vitus and of course Black Sabbath, this is an album you will want to check out. I'm still undecided if I like the vocal approach, but there is no denying the songs are powerful and feature excellent riffs.