After their somewhat uneven second album

, German power metal gods Gamma Ray came roaring back with their 1993 album Insanity & Genius.

Insanity & Genius is an extremely solid album full of melodic power metal anthems. Soon to be departing vocalist Ralf Scheepers gives an energetic performance, and founder Kai Hansen's guitar work and songwriting are every bit as good as they were on the band's debut. No Return, Future Madhouse, and Heal Me are some of the album's better songs, as is the excellent title track. The band's cover of Birth Control's "Gamma Ray" is the album's highlight. Kai & company make it seem as though the song was written just for them. This is top notch power metal all the way, and it only gets better from here!

I suppose it goes without saying that Gamma Ray would appeal to Helloween fans. Fans of the more recent power metal bands like Sonata Arctica, Freedom Call, Edguy and Hammerfall also owe it to themselves to check out Gamma Ray, and Insanity & Genius is a good album to start with.

Edition Notes: The 2003 reissue of Insanity & Genius features digitally remastered sound and three bonus tracks an extended version of "Gamma Ray," a cover of Judas Priest's classic "Exciter" and a live version of Helloween's "Save Us"). I have to say the Helloween "cover" seems like an odd choice. I know Kai Hansen wrote the song, but if you're adding a live track to a Gamma Ray album, why not make it an actual Gamma Ray song? The reissue comes in a pretty cheap-looking digipack, but aside from that it's a nice upgrade of an already excellent album.

PS - If you can find one, there is a very cool (but very limited) box set that collects all six of the remastered Gamma Ray albums.

I have to say that i am not into poer metal bands. I have heard some in the past but with the exception of Helloween i didnt like any other. Well here is another exception. Gamma Ray. This is a very good album as some other albums that they have and i recommend this album to anyone who would like to hear melodic and agrressive power metal. They sound cooland happy in their metal tone. I liked all the tracks.

I'm A new GAMMA RAY fan,but of all the Ralf Scheepers cd's this one is the best.With that being said this one with exception of the song Brothers you can listen to this cd all the way through.The bonus tracks are good too .They do a very good cover of Judas Priests Exciter with Scheepers Halford like vocals you could think your listening to Priest!The fisrt track Tribute to the Past starts off the cd well and pretty much doesn't stop till the track Heal Me which starts off with Ralf singing and piano playing ,but don;t stop listening cause this song rocks!To me the songs The Cave Priciple, Gamma Ray, 18 Years,&Insanity & Genius are the best along with the opening track.I give it a 5 stars if you don't own it buy it soon and try to buy the remaster edition with the bonus tracks.