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Squadra che vince non si cambia: questa sembra essere la nuova regola di casa Hansen; i Gamma Ray ritornano infatti nel 1999 con questo Power Plant, mantenendo la stessa formazione del precedente Somewhere Out In Space.
Stavolta il suono si fa più pesante e meno melodico rispetto al predecessore senza però dimenticare i tipici cori che tanto caratterizzano il power del buon Hansen, che sempre di più si dimostra un bravo cantante, molto maturato dai tempi degli Helloween dove come voce non era proprio il massimo (ascoltare per credere Walls Of Jericho).
L'album ha dei punti alti ma anche diverse tracce dimenticabili che sanno, ahimè, di riempitivi: Short As Hell esplora lidi abbastanza estranei alla band, e si avvicina ai Metallica pre Black Album: il risultato non è dei migliori. La cover di It's A Sin è ben riuscita ma forse un pò fuori contesto, Heavy Metal Universe, omaggio (o scimmiottamento) dei tipici inni metal dei Manowar più recenti era sicuramente evitabile, nella sua inutile pacchianità.
Come già detto non mancano punti ben più alti o comunque buoni: Anywhere In The Galaxy riprende il concept di Somewhere Out In Space, ed è un'ottima opener. Razorblade Sigh è caratterizzata da riffs molto violenti, come Garden Of The Sinners, con delle schitarrate ai limiti del thrash. Tra le due relativamente più pesanti e acide tracce di cui ho appena parlato,si collocano l'allegra e melodica Send Me A Sign, che sembra uscita da uno dei primi album degli Helloween e Strangers In The Night, che con un ottimo coro si colloca tra le vette più alte del lotto. Wings Of Destiny è un'ottima cavalcata che risolleva l'ascoltatore dopo un possibile smarrimento per la pacchiana Heavy Metal Universe, mentre Hand Of Fate, introdotta da alcune note di piano è una riuscitissima marcia epicheggiante.
Dopo dieci tracce che si dividono tra alti e bassi, arriva il vero capolavoro: Armageddon. Per circa 8 minuti Hansen e co. ci deliziano con continui cambi di ritmo, da un metal velocissimo in tipico stile power a parti più lente e maestose mentre le chitarre di Hansen e Richter omaggiano i Queen... il brano in continua evoluzione ha un deciso stop verso i sette minuti e 15... tutto tace con l'eccezione di una chitarra che ripercorre per pochi secondi la melodia del ritornello, che subito dopo esplode e si ripete subito con intensità crescente che sfocia in un urlo corale finale (simile a quello di Man On A Mission) dove si raggiunge il massimo dell'intensità... dopo l'Armageddon, Hansen ripete, piano la profezia che apriva il brano:
" Now all you sinners/ this is a prophecy/a revelation of your own destiny/ you had a dream once/ a dream that you have sold/and now my brothers/this world is slowing getting cold...", e dopo un tocco rapidissimo (un paio di secondi) alla batteria di Zimmermann, è silenzio e l'album, ottimo ma comunque inferiore (nonostante Armageddon) a Somewhere Out In Space ha termine, confermando, semmai ce ne fosse stato bisogno, i Gamma Ray come una delle migliori power metal band in circolazione.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Anywhere in the Galaxy (06:37)
Staring out the window
at places in the starlit horizon
I'm waiting in the darkness
for arrival
but the sands of my time are running low
Lost and stranded far away from home
Peeping through window in the darkness
- parted our hearts
glowing turning circles where we go
- no, they won't let go, let go
blindour souls with raging burning madness
Out in the heavens we're ready to fight
the final conclusion is roaring inside
Gaze at the stars, the glowing god of mars
is shinning for us, anywhere in the galaxy
time is right for us to see
the world will long for liberty
the fallen heroes calling me
anywhere in the galaxy
Anywhere... in the galaxy
Anywhere... in the galaxy
And now our blood is boiling
on the edge of life
where is the place for our survivor
Up to the stars, we have come from the night
the final conclusion is roaning inside
Gaze at the stars, the glowing god of mars
is shinning for us, anywhere in the galaxy
time is right for us to see
the world will long for liberty
the fallen heroes calling me
anywhere in the galaxy
Anywhere in the galaxy
we will fight for our destiny
anywhere in the galaxy
we will always run free
Anywhere in the galaxy
anywhere in the galaxy
02 Razorblade Sigh (05:01)
Out of the valley of death
the man turns his back
stares up to the hills, his eyes burning red
he licks his palm, with brown dried blood
turns, graining teeth, up to his lord
The darkness of the night
turns bright at his cry
so quiet but deadly
Burning deep within, and now he will begin
he cries out to his lord forevermore
It's the razorblade sigh
shooting up to the sky
blood on the wings, one of the kings
there's a burning within
when the storm closes in
he is one of a kind, in the hands of time
razorblade
His raging fire burns you with desire
as you're taken down into his gravity
he wants you now, into his masterplan
and he'll be taking you into his dignity
Tires are burning on the way through hell
fallen angel set me free
wheels are turning, take me far beyond
Holding out my hands in victory
It's the razorblade sigh
shooting up to the sky
blood on the wings, one of the kings
there's a burning within
when the storm closes in
he is one of a kind, in the hands of time
razorblade, razorblade
Death angel is coming
You see him ride across the land
time in his hands
The darkness of the night
turns bright at his cry
it's burning deep within
he cries for more
As I awake
at the end of the road there's a rainbow
slowly he'll fade, the drawning of time
on the wings of the razor
As I awake
at the end of the road there's a rainbow
slowly he'll fade away the drawning of time
on the wings of the razorblade
03 Send Me a Sign (04:06)
Out of the dark
he came without a warning
the guarding light
I didn't see...
on a story tellers night
he spoke his words of wisdom
the tales he told from far beyond
that no one understood
He had the gift of prophecy
he wove a web of mystery
a thousend lifes shone gracious in his eyes
Send me a sign
for too long you kept me waiting
send me a sign
from the eternal skies
send me a sign
send me a sign
He disappeared
in the early haze of morning
and with him left his prophecies
they didn't care...
All the years that passed away
he'slocked inside my head
his tales became reality
the prophecies he said
He was the choosen one to see
his words will burn eternally
it hurts, that no one understands
Send me a sign
for too long you kept me waiting
send me a sign
from the eternal skies
send me a sign
send me a sign
He had the gift of prophecy
he gave a guarding light to me
I know, he set my spirit free
Send me a sign
send me a sign
send me a sign
for too long you kept me waiting
send me a sign
to open their eyes
send me a sign
send me a sign
send me a sign
send me a sign
05 Gardens of the Sinner (05:56)
As the heat is rising, out there in the past
Fallen angels calling, they have come to last
they are coming out of the dark
Then the horsemen ride out
every thing groes cold
now their armies march in
Out there from the underworld
I do not want my eyes to see
I never wanted to believe
Take me to the gardens of the sinner
Bury me and let me rest in peace
now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory
The final seal was broken
it opened up the gates
for the dark avengers
their anger kills the light and then...
I do not want my eyes to see
I never wanted to believe
Take me to the gardens of the sinner
Bury me and let me rest in peace
now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory
As the seventh angel opened up the seal
his curse brought endless desease
and as the wind carried the deadly seed
to the minds of the doomed
they were gone for the stages of hell
Take me to the gardens of the sinner
take me down and let me rest in peace
now the time for truth has come for everyone
the fallen angel laughs and grins now...
Take me to the gardens of the sinner
Bury me and let me rest in peace
now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory
06 Short as Hell (03:57)
So now we talk about destruction
a human race that's left to die
nobody ever will believe it
until we face it eye to eye
Let us talk about hell
Our future shines in darkest colours
you'll never change it, never will
ain't nothing left now to believe in
and so we face the overkill
Hey mother mercy leave me be
do you expect me now to cry
Time will wait for noone
Time is short as hell
time, time, time is short as hell
All is lost, into the underworld we fade
until our live is gone
count the cost
then from the darkness whiped away
into the underworld we fade
Where the darkness awaits
Time will wait for noone
Time is short as hell, hell, hell
Time...
07 It's a Sin (04:58)
When I look back upon my life
It's always with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter where or when or who
Has one thing in common, too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I'll ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed
Oh no
For everything I long to do
No matter where or when or who
Has one thing in common, too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I'll ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
Father forgive me, I tried not to do it
Turned over a new leaf, then tore right through it
Whatever you taught me, I didn't believe it
Father, you fought me, 'cause I didn't care
And I still not understand
So I look back upon my life
Forever with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter where or when or who
Has one thing in common, too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I'll ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to - it's a sin
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
08 Heavy Metal Universe (05:24)
We're the masters of the wind
We're demons left in howl
we're the undefeated warriors
we have heard the call
We're the keepers and the leaders
of the only thing we love
we're the saviours
and protectors from above
In our sky there is no limits
and masters we have none
heavy metal is the only one
'cause its heavy metal universe
with a heavy metal sound
masters of the thunder
shake you to the ground
It's a heavy metal bomber
an it's never going down
flying 'cross the universe
we're heavy metal bound
we're heavy metal bound
With a burning hot desire
like a supersonic blast
we have come to show the world
that we have come to last
There ain't no way to stop us
and you'll never kill our pride
'cause it's not only music
it's a chosen way of life
And our world has got no borders
and in union we all stand
'cause heavy metal is our promissed land
'cause it's a heavy metal universe
with a heavy metal sound
masters of the thunder
shake you to the ground
It's a heavy metal bomber
and it's never going down
flying 'cross the universe
we're heavy metal bound
we're heavy metal bound
See my hands held to the sky
let me rock you 'till forever
raise your voice we're soaring high
swear allegance now or never
burning up we build a flame
as we speak the oath togheter
metal is our way forever...
... way forevermore
And our world has got no borders
and in union we all stand
'cause heavy metal is our promissed land
'cause it's a heavy metal universe
with a heavy metal sound
masters of the thunder
shake you to the ground
it's a heavy metal bomber
and it's never going down
flying 'cross the universe
we're heavy metal bound
we're heavy metal bound
11 Armageddon (08:49)
Now all you sinners this is the prophecy
the revelation of your own destiny
you had a dream once
A dream that you have sold
and now my brother
annihilation is foretold
Will you remember ancient times
when we rode across the air
when the day of judgement comes
and when your world is gonna blow
through your heart and take your soul
in th twilight of the sun
I believe there's no tomorrow
when we all will sink in sorrow
when the day of judgement finally comes
It's the end of the world as we know it
and it's only just begun
the eyes of the world are closin' forever
when the day of the judgement will come
won't you help me now
Now tell me mother earth
oh, we went wrong
in the heart of everyone
do you remember how it had begun
in the desert in the twilight of the sun
all dead and gone
can you heal me, I am not the only one
can you feel me, I don't want to be undone
I'm everyone
Save me from this living hell
I don't wanna know another tale
someone help me through this on the way
hear me now
It's the end of the world as we know it
and it's only just begun
the eyes of the world are closin' forever
when the day of the judgement will come
won't you help me now
All gods creation is finally dead and gone
our revelation, the day of the judgement comes
forevermore I stand alone
the final fury has begun
when the day has come
Guardians of the monsters of the earth
take our lives away
and you forever will be crushed
keepers of the darkness in this world
we will not surrender to the evil of your birth
Hope will never die
and the clear blue sunny sky
will ease the pain
guardians of the monsters of the earth
Lead us not into the temptation
save us from the revelations
I stand alone, I stand alone
I stand alone, inside my head
Noone can hear, noone can hear
noone can hear, my little word
holy father take me on your wings of love
the eyes of the world are closin' forever
when the day of the judgement has...
It's the end of the world as we know it
the eyes of the world are closin' forever
when the day of the judgement has come
won't you help me now
now all your sinners
this is the prophecy
the revelation of your own destiny
sleep well and dream on
the dream that you have sold
and now my brothers
this world is slowly getting cold
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