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Primal Fear and Gamma Ray



Posts: 45   Visited by: 56 users

Original post

Posted by Baz Anderson, 31.07.2006 - 17:43
Now then. This is such a hard question for me to answer and probably will be for some others out there as well.

Lets just go through the history first though.
Kai Hansen leaves Helloween and starts Gamma Ray with Ralf Scheepers
The first three Gamma Ray albums are with Ralf on lead vocals, but then they decided Ralf should leave because he lived the other side of the country and so wasnt easy for the band to practise, etc.
Gamma Ray then goes on with Kai taking lead vocals and has made five more albums now like that.

Ralf out of Gamma Ray auditions for the position of new vocalist for Judas Priest - but doesnt quite get it losing out to Tim Owens - he did end up in the final three though so he did a good job.
So then Primal Fear is formed and have currently released six albums now.

Now to answering the question.
I have known and been into Gamma Ray much much longer then i have been Primal Fear
I cannot pick one best Gamma Ray album or say any area is better because i love 'Heading For Tomorrow' like i do 'No World Order'
Primal Fear have two albums less then Gamma Ray - but six is still quite a meaty number
its really hard to say which Primal Fear album is my favorite as well, but it is probably either 'Primal Fear' 'Nuclear Fire' or 'Seven Seals'

Primal Fear sound a lot like Judas Priest, especially the 'Painkiller' and 'Jugulator' albums and so have a lot of people going around just saying they are 'ripping Judas Priest off' and such - but their last two albums have been quite different and shows clearly they can make good music without sounding like another band

This is so hard though, I have known Gamma Ray longer then most other power metal bands I know, but I just havent listened to them much latley at all (apart from now, I have 'No World Order' on)
But I have been listening to Primal Fear a lot, and have been for a while now.
I spent so much money on my Gamma Ray albums as well - I got them at such an expensive price at £18 each - thats like 37 US dollars each for people who dont use pound sterling

I suppose I am going to have to plump for one though arent I - I cant really make a poll and not answer it myself.
When I started making this I think I was going to vote for Primal Fear, but I actually feel like voting for Gamma Ray now, so I will. purely because I have known them longer I guess.

But oh well - I am going to be very interested in what everyone else thinks!

Poll

Which do you prefer?

Gamma Ray
52
Primal Fear
26

Total votes: 78
08.03.2007 - 02:48
Doc G.
Full Grown Hoser
Staff
Primal Fear, the lyrics to the song 'Metal Is Forever' just sums up metal really well in one song
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"I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck."
- George Carlin
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08.03.2007 - 02:52
Bitch Boy
Gamma Ray, for me, has more great albums like "No World Order", "Powerplant", "Land of Free" and many more. Also, the have much more history, with this I don't mean that everything older is better, but in this case I think that Gamma Ray have consolidated themselves as one of the greatest power metal bands.
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13.10.2007 - 02:48
Mustis
Account deleted
i just cant decide, gamma ray is awesome but primal fear has songs like nuclear fire, both bands are of my favorites son i cant decide
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14.10.2007 - 10:17
Dreamwar_86
To Arms!
Gamma Ray kai hansesn is the best german dude
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Stay Metal !!!
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14.10.2007 - 13:57
Stalker
Lone wanderer
I voted for Gamma Ray. I also know them much longer than Primal Fear, so thats one of the reasons, although I cant say I like all their stuff. But 'No World Order', 'Land Of The Free', 'Somewhere Out In Space', and 'Powerplant', are a must-have for every power or heavy metaller, I guess. Still, one is sure - Kai fuckin rocks!
He left Helloween, and somehow continued with the same energy as on first Helloween albums , which are without any doubt the best, Helloween after Hansen, isnt Helloween at all....
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15.10.2007 - 14:19
In Chaos
gamma ray, so many fucking good songs, especially on the album "No World Order".
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15.10.2007 - 14:44
Opium
Account deleted
I'm voting for Primal Fear, even though their latest 2 albums are far removed from their original sound, I still play their older albums occasionally, mainly "Jaws of Death" and "Nuclear Fire", while Gamma Ray just lack overall, although I am a fan of when Ralf was in the band, he shines more in Primal Fear.
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17.11.2008 - 11:55
Metalbound7
Primal Fear all the way, one of my favorites bands ever. I just can't stand Kai Hansen voice, He is a God playing guitar, i love early Helloween and early Gamma Ray (with ralf as Lead Singer) but IMO Hansen singing is so bad and annoying. Beside Primal Fear is Heavier, faster, got more energy and have that amazing Priest style, Ralf is one of my fav singers ever and songs like Red Rain, Nuclear Fire, Metal is forever and rollercoaster give me that rush of adrenaline or the chorus of songs like All for One (One of my fav songs ever) give me the chills and make me feel that Pride for being a Metalhead.

Commited: You became a fan forever
Metal is Forever!
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09.12.2009 - 02:17
DoomGuard
This isn't too good of a match-up, Primal Fear is a very good band but Gamma Ray just has too much greatness behind them, not only a great reputation behind them but also some classics that Primal Fear songs cannot contend with
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09.12.2009 - 14:21
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
I have to say i dont know Primal Fear that good...but the thing is i really really enjoy Gamma Ray, so i voted for them
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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09.12.2009 - 22:13
Holy Man
STEEL DEFENDER
I'd say Primal Fear, because it just sounds more aggressive, where Gamma Ray is more powery, the riffing in Primal Fear is unmatched.
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LIGHT THE FUSE ON THAT VAGINAMITE!!!
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17.12.2009 - 00:27
Baz Anderson
Staff
I've drifted away from both these bands in recent years. Shame really. I wish they'd go back to doing good stuff.
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21.12.2009 - 17:09
Angelic Storm
Melodious
I am a massive fan of Kai Hansen, his time in Helloween, and the Gamma Ray stuff up until ''Land Of The Free II", have all been amazing. I also love Primal Fear, Ralf has an amazing voice, and he didn't deserve to fall by the wayside when he left Gamma Ray. Thankfully, Primal Fear gave him a great platform to show off his awesome vocal skills!

Based on the output of both bands, it's pretty hard to decide. Both bands have so far only released one sub-par album. ("Land Of The Free II" for Gamma Ray, and "New Religion" for Primal Fear) I think I will go for Gamma Ray though, simply because songs like ''Rebellion In Dreamland'', "The Silence", and "Somewhere Out In Space" are way more epic than anything Primal Fear have yet released. I love how PF jumped back though with a great new album after tha disappointment of "New Religion". I'm hoping Gamma Ray can do the same with their upcoming new album, but I have my doubts. So it is Gamma Ray for me, although I love Primal Fear very much as well! <3
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11.05.2011 - 19:16
avigruss
Gamma Ray! They have som many masterpieces!
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12.05.2011 - 00:33
Yasmine
Gamma has several stinker albums, Primal Fear has one, the guitar duo in PF has changed so many times and is still one of the best and Ralf's voice is WAY better than Kai's who really does little more than change his pitch a half octave.
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"Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute." G B Stern
"Society is like a stew. If you don't stir it up every once in a while then a layer of scum float u
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