Gamma Ray (band)

Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray after a show in Barcelona, Spain.
Background information
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Power metal, speed metal, heavy metal
Years active	1989–present
Labels	RCA, FAD, Noise, Sanctuary, SPV/Steamhammer
Associated acts	Helloween, Unisonic. Primal Fear, Iron Savior, Freedom Call
Website	www.gammaray.org
Members	Kai Hansen Dirk Schlächter Henjo Richter Michael Ehré Frank Beck
Past members	Ralf Scheepers Uwe Wessel Mathias Burchard Uli Kusch Jan Rubach Thomas Nack Dan Zimmermann

Gamma Ray is a power metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal band Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent bands of the German heavy metal scene.

In 1988, after four years with the German power metal band Helloween, guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen decided, for reasons that are still the subject of much debate, to leave the group. Hansen claimed that Helloween had become too big for him to handle, although the group's troubles with financial issues and their record company, Noise Records, most likely played a part as well. He proceeded to do some studio work with German power metal band Blind Guardian and in 1989 decided to form his own project with long-time friend Ralf Scheepers, former vocalist of the band Tyran Pace. This two-man project grew into a four-man band with the addition of Uwe Wessel on bass and Mathias Burchardt on drums. This was the first line-up of Gamma Ray, bearing a sound understandably close to that of Helloween of that period.

The original line-up released the album Heading for Tomorrow in February 1990 and later that year the Heaven Can Wait EP, with new guitarist Dirk Schlächter and new drummer Uli Kusch.

In February 1991, the band began rehearsing for the recording of their second album in a small, remote house in Denmark. With some brand new songs written, Gamma Ray entered the studio under the supervision of producer Tommy Newton and recorded their second album Sigh No More, which was released in September 1991. The style differed vastly from that of Heading for Tomorrow, featuring darker lyrics inspired by the Persian Gulf War that was raging at the time. A 50-date worldwide tour followed.