History Music / GammaRay

* NewSoundAlbum: "Empire of the Undead", which has far more of a thrash metal -feel than the previous albums.

** CoveredUp: [[UriahHeep "Look At Yourself", "Return To Fantasy"]], [[BirthControl "Gamma Ray"]] (from where the band got its name) and [[Music/{{Holocaust}} "Heavy Metal Mania"]].

* Kai Hansen - Guitar (1989-), Vocals (1994-)

* Kai Hansen - Vocals & Guitar (1989-)

* Dirk Schlächter - Bass (1990-)

** "Space Eater", from ''Heading For Tomorrow'', may be foreshadowing the above. It seems inspired by {{Galactus}}.

** Ralf Scheepers went to form Music/PrimalFear with several members of {{Sinner}} after failing for an audition to be Music/JudasPriest's singer.
* {{Workaholic}}: Kai Hansen. At some point, he was in THREE bands at the same time (working with {{Avantasia}}, Gamma Ray and ''Music/IronSavior'') and spent as much work on Music/GammaRay as he did in other bands!

* ThePeteBest: Although it would be difficult for many fans to recognize every other member aside of Kai Hansen, (and Ralf Scheepers, to some extent, because he went to form Music/PrimalFear) some members are more notorious than others, especially those who played before ''Land Of The Free'' was released:
** Former drummer Matthias Burchardt is the best example of this trope in the band. He only played in ''Heading For Tomorrow'' and the ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' EP.
** Former drummer Uli Kusch subverts this. Even if he only recorded an album with the band, (''Sigh No More'') he went later to join Helloween and record the first four studio albums with Andi Deris, (''Master Of The Rings'', ''The Time Of The Oath'', ''Better Than Raw'' and ''The Dark Ride'') before co-founding ''Music/{{Masterplan}}'' with Roland Grapow. He's also notorious in that he's the only member of Gamma Ray, aside of Kai himself, who played with both Gamma Ray and Helloween.
** Another example of the trope is former bassist Uwe Wessel, who played bass in the first two albums (''Heading For Tomorrow'' and ''Sigh No More'') before leaving and fading into the shadows.

** CoveredUp: [[UriahHeep "Look At Yourself", "Return To Fantasy"]], [[BirthControl "Gamma Ray"]] (from where the band got its name) and [[{{Holocaust}} "Heavy Metal Mania"]].

* ShoutOut: The booklet designer for ''To The Metal'' must be a {{Warcraft}}[=/=]WorldOfWarcraft player, given the use of the same font as the menus and even the yellow and white scheme of such.

* Dan Zimmermann - Drums (1997-)

[[caption-width-right:350:Your reaction is probably; "Ghosts with laser swords, flying pyramids, [=UFOs=] and the very [[EarthShatteringPoster Earth at stake]]! HOLY SHIT!" [[ButForMeItWasTuesday But for 'Ray, it's just tuesday]].]]

** "Fight" contains the following lines, both of which come from the songs "The Wall" and "Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas.[[hottip:*:It also doesn't help that the song is sometimes referred to as "[[RefrainFromAssuming Carry On]]".]]

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
** Some of Gamma Ray's songs have been accused of being [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0IKQOga42U slightly familiar]]. Music/JudasPriest and Music/IronMaiden appear to be Gamma Ray's favorite sources of inspiration.
** The main riff of "To the Metal" will certainly remind a Music/JudasPriest fan of "Metal Gods".
** Rise's intro will remind some people of "[[Music/IronMaiden Fear of the Dark]]", or some [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxNbSAyOlsI more remote]] prototypes.
** The [[NoExportForYou Japan exclusive]] "One Life" has a very similar part to "[[Music/{{Metallica}} Cyanide]]".
* TakeThat:
** The [[NoExportForYou Japan exclusive]] "Wannabees" (one of the bonus tracks for ''To the Metal'') parodies elitist attitudes.
** The RockstarSong "Rich and Famous", from ''Sigh No More'', is one against {{Money Song}}s and similar aspects of the rock star lifestyle.

* TheWorkaholic: Kai Hansen. At some point, he was in THREE bands at the same time (working with {{Avantasia}}, Gamma Ray and ''Music/IronSavior'') and spent as much work on Music/GammaRay as he did in other bands!

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong:
** Some of Gamma Ray's songs have been accused of being [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0IKQOga42U slightly familiar]]. Music/JudasPriest and Music/IronMaiden appear to be Gamma Ray's favorite sources of inspiration.
** The main riff of "To the Metal" will certainly remind a Music/JudasPriest fan of "Metal Gods".
** Rise's intro will remind some people of "[[Music/IronMaiden Fear of the Dark]]", or some [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxNbSAyOlsI more remote]] prototypes.
** The [[NoExportForYou Japan exclusive]] "One Life" has a very similar part to "[[Music/{{Metallica}} Cyanide]]".

* TheNounAndTheNoun: ''Insanity & Genius''

--> Cause you are motherf**king liar , uuuh

--> And I don't give a sh*t on what you say

[[caption-width-right:350:Your reaction is probably; "Ghosts with laser swords, flying pyramids, [=UFOs=] and the very [[EarthShatteringPoster Earth at stake]]! Holy s@&%!" [[ButForMeItWasTuesday But for 'Ray, it's just tuesday]].]]

** "Space Eater", from ''Heading For Tomorrow'', may be foreshadowing the above. It seems inspired by [[FantasticFour Galactus]].

* TheJimmyHartVersion:

** Some of Gamma Ray's songs have been accused of being [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0IKQOga42U slightly familiar]]. Music/JudasPriest and Music/IronMaiden appear to be Gamma Ray's favorite sources of inspiration. Whether these fall into musical {{Shout Out}}s, {{Homage}}s or {{Plagiarism}} is [[YourMileageMayVary up for a]] [[InternetBackdraft messy debate]].

In 1988, after four years with his former band, guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen decided, for reasons that are still the subject of much debate, to leave the band. Hansen claimed that Helloween had [[CreativeDifferences become too big for him to handle]], although the group's troubles with financial issues and the record company most likely played a part as well. He proceeded to do some studio work with BlindGuardian. Eventually, Hansen decided to form his own project with long-time friend Ralf Scheepers from Tyran Pace. This two-man project grew into a four-man band with the addition of Uwe Wessel (bass) and Mathias Burchard (drums). Thus was Gamma Ray born, bearing a sound understandably close to that of Hansen's former band, Helloween.

** This is how Music/GammaRay started. After quitting from Helloween, Kai Hansen went to work on some other thing (such as producing BlindGuardian's first album) before forming the band.

* CoverVersion: [[Music/JudasPriest "Exciter", "Victim of Changes"]], [[Music/{{Rainbow}} "Long Live Rock 'n Roll"]], [[PetShopBoys "It's A Sin"]] and [[ThinLizzy "Angel of Death"]]. ([[IThoughtItMeant No, not THAT]] [[Music/{{Slayer}} Angel of Death]]) Also the various Helloween covers they've done live, such as "Save Us", "Victim of Fate", "Future World" and, of course, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome "I Want Out"]].

* CoverVersion: [[Music/JudasPriest "Exciter", "Victim of Changes"]], [[Music/{{Rainbow}} "Long Live Rock 'n Roll"]], [[PetShopBoys "It's A Sin"]] and [[ThinLizzy "Angel of Death"]]. ([[IThoughtItMeant No, not THAT]] [[{{Slayer}} Angel of Death]]) Also the various Helloween covers they've done live, such as "Save Us", "Victim of Fate", "Future World" and, of course, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome "I Want Out"]].

** Rise's intro will remind some people of "[[IronMaiden Fear of the Dark]]", or some [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxNbSAyOlsI more remote]] prototypes.

** The [[NoExportForYou Japan exclusive]] "One Life" has a very similar part to "[[{{Metallica}} Cyanide]]".

** Ralf Scheepers went to form Music/PrimalFear with several members of {{Sinner}} after failing for an audition to be JudasPriest's singer.

* CoverVersion: [[JudasPriest "Exciter", "Victim of Changes"]], [[Music/{{Rainbow}} "Long Live Rock 'n Roll"]], [[PetShopBoys "It's A Sin"]] and [[ThinLizzy "Angel of Death"]]. ([[IThoughtItMeant No, not THAT]] [[{{Slayer}} Angel of Death]]) Also the various Helloween covers they've done live, such as "Save Us", "Victim of Fate", "Future World" and, of course, [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome "I Want Out"]].

** Some of Gamma Ray's songs have been accused of being [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0IKQOga42U slightly familiar]]. JudasPriest and IronMaiden appear to be Gamma Ray's favorite sources of inspiration. Whether these fall into musical {{Shout Out}}s, {{Homage}}s or {{Plagiarism}} is [[YourMileageMayVary up for a]] [[InternetBackdraft messy debate]].
** The main riff of "To the Metal" will certainly remind a JudasPriest fan of "Metal Gods".

** "Wings of Destiny", from ''Powerplant'', as in "''[[JudasPriest Sad]]'' [[JudasPriest Wings of Destiny]]"