To start my review, I'll state that Gamma Ray is to me the only power metal band having the right to sounding like early Helloween if they want to. Of course we all know why; but if you didn't then I'm telling you that late eighties European power metal mainly was Kai Hansen's brainchild -- as Kai Hansen was in fact the founder of Helloween and still *is* the leader of Gamma Ray (well, you did know 'that', didn't you? :-)). It's all a matter of authorship and authenticity.

So, in spite of still being the same (good old) power metal band; with "Majestic" I think Gamma Ray has outdone themselves. Firstly, its production is sharp as a razor blade. I don't remember Hansen's vocals sounding so amazing previously, nor having a so thick wall of voices on the choirs. Secondly, many songs here sound less "predictable" than before. Several new influences can be noticed. Take for example the dark mood and almost nu-metallish riffing on "Condemned to hell"; or the "Judas-Priest-ish" chorus of "Strange World"; or the pretentious "Blood Religion"; or the Arabic and progressive touches of "Majesty" (Dio or Sabbath or Halford come to mind); or the right-to-the-point opener "My Temple", which spares us this time the usual instrumental intros. Man, every single song on this album is a killer, believe me!

Ok, ok... let's face it, the guys are not braking any ground anymore. Nevertheless, they do know how to write good songs by borrowing from several great sources. And certainly this release is less catchy than previous efforts, but no less good -- I even dare to say that this is their best album so far, how'bout that? :-) At least, in my opinion this is indeed Gamma Ray's "dark ride" -- a very true and powerful one. Ballads are lacking, but this is power metal at its best. You'll still get quite a shot of the genre's best clichés -- including "bombastic" choirs, high-pitched vocals, double-bass drumming, anthem-like melodies and frantic guitar soloing and riffing. But most importantly, you'll also get a very enjoyable and varied set of pieces, authored with pride and good taste.

Finally, I would like to warn power metal detractors (myself included the most of the time) not taking Gamma Ray too seriously -- but rather openly and joyfully. This is a band that is playing this stuff only because they're having a blast, and that's all they want from you: making you to have a power metal blast with their music. They're 100% able to mock at themselves, and it is in this self-awareness and humor sense that Gamma Ray scores high as "thinking-man" metallers -- not brainy or nerdy, but tasty and spontaneous. Remember: even the smartest guys around need having some fun from time to time, and Hansen's army does know how to do it. In few words, this is a power metal attack just for having some good time and therefore should be consumed "as-is". That's why I welcome and thank this music with a big set of five brilliant stars, dedicated to the contemporary living metal icon Kai Hansen is, as well as to his partners in crime. :-)

Gammaray has made another great album. Despite of the lack of the "traditional" intro for the first song, most songs have a great intro and go through smart progressions which make this a versatile album. I have to admit that I didn't like a couple of songs in this album, but the rest of the songs are excellent.

Here is my view on the content of this album:

My Temple - Has no intro - but its fast and well written.

Fight - probably the best song of this album - if you didn't like it at first listen to it again. It has very nice riffs and fast drumming. It also carries a great message of hope and motivation. This is pure Gammaray.

Strange World - this song is another one of my favorites, and is very reminiscent of early Helloween due to the various changes and the dual lead guitars parts. The lyrics are very good and change in style throughout the song.

Hell is Thy Home - as someone else mentioned its lyrics are too hellish, but the guitar riffs make up for it.

Blood Religion - Has a great intro and it's written to tell a great story. This song should be included in a Horror Film Compilation Album - along with Sonata Artica's song "Wolf and Raven"!

Condemned to Hell - It has a jazzy intro - which I don't like much. The Chorus is hellishly excellent.

Spiritual Dictator - Another best for this album - similar to Fight, it includes the typical Gammaray arsenal of sound and speed.

Majesty - Also a jazzy intro - but it changes after 30 seconds - However I think Condemned to Hell ended up a little better than this one, particularly because the chorus is slow.

How Long - This is the slow song of this album, so it definitely stands out.

Revelation - Very nice intro and follow up. This song makes it worthwhile to listen to this album all the way to then end. Furthermore, it contains some of the best lyrics of this album.

Overall, if it wasn't for songs #4 and #8, this would be an instant classic. The other 8 songs on this album still merit excellent recommendation to buy, hence the 5 stars.

Please give me some feedback if you disagree with my rating.

The German power metal band return with their eleventh album (and I have every single one). Majestic is loaded with all of the high speed guitar runs, machine-gun double kick drums, chugga-chugga riffage, and operatic/melodic vocal tones that you expect from the group.

Thematically, some of the songs are a little darker ("Hell is Thy Home", "Blood Religion" and "Condemned to Hell") than previous efforts, but they still pack a thunderous metal punch. Kai Hansen (ex-Helloween) still manages to capture the power and energy that the group displayed from album one (16 years ago)

For me this is their best album, in metal-rules.com it is ranked in #3 in their "TOP OF 2005" list...., the only song I don't like is Majesty...it seems out of place...breaks the armony of the album.

I'd like to mirror the comments of others as this release does take a few listens to catch on. I think everybody was expecting to be floored like they were after listening to Power plant. This isn't a revolution like Power plant but a continuation of a little New world Order and Power Plant. I did have to re-listen to some older stuff by gamma Ray after one week of Majestic as I "didn't get it". Even on my second attempt it was still eh? But I kept it in my cd player and then it just clicked and now "I get it". This is what Gamma Ray is all about. powerful European power metal at it's best. I've had it in for a month straight and every spin is still a joy. Of course I had Insanity and Genius in for 4 months straight and never go tired of it. I highly recommend getting this release and keep it in your player, you'll "get it" and be pleased. The same for all you New world Order bashers, put it back in your car's CD player and force feed yourself. No pun intended but it's a solid release, very powerful.