Metal Storm logo
Gamma Ray - Heading For Tomorrow review



Reviewer:
8.2

382 users:
8.09
Band: Gamma Ray
Album: Heading For Tomorrow
Style: Power metal
Release date: February 1990


Disc I
01. Welcome
02. Lust For Life
03. Heaven Can Wait
04. Space Eater
05. Money
06. The Silence
07. Hold Your Ground
08. Free Time
09. Heading For Tomorrow
10. Look At Yourself [Uriah Heep cover]
11. Mr. Outlaw [Japanese / 2002 digipack bonus]
12. Lonesome Stranger [2002 digipack bonus]
13. Sail On [2002 digipack bonus]

Disc II [extended anniversary edition bonus]
01. Who Do You Think You Are?
02. Heaven Can Wait [EP version]
03. Money [demo]
04. Sail On [demo]
05. Heading For Tomorrow [live]
06. Space Eater [live]
07. The Silence [demo]
08. Mr. Outlaw [instrumental version]
09. Heaven Can Wait [demo]
10. Heading For Tomorrow [karaoke version]
11. Space Eater [karaoke version]
12. Lonesome Stranger [demo]

Heading for Tomorrow - The real Keeper of the Seven Keys Part III

As we all know Kai Hansen left Helloween after the Keeper II because of different reasons. One of them was that the other members wanted to play music with less metal influences, which resulted in Pink Bubbles and Chameleon. Kai wanted to keep on with the metal, and therefore left Helloween to found his own band.

My opinion has always been that this is the real follow up to the Keeper albums, it is not way too close but it's much more the same style than Helloween's "The Legacy" which is much more modern while this album from 1990 still has the 80's touch. Especially with Ralf Scheepers on vocals, he really sounds like Rob Halford. The mixture of songs is really good, the intro and the first song is very epic, and very, very power metal. Heaven Can Wait is a typical single that could have been on the Keeper II (though the chorus reminds me a bit to much of the Iron Maiden song with the same name). Space Eater, Free Time and Money are all a bit funny in their approaches, but Money is the only one wich is really good, especially because Kai is singing as well, and he sound really Walls of Jericho. The lyrics are also great, and all this makes this song of my favourites of the album. Hold your Ground is a more anonymous and usual but very good song and The Silence is a marvelous epic ballad wich doesn't sound much like a metal ballad. The album ends with the epic and also marvelous title track, which contains many acoustic parts, and would probably be the progressive track of the album. The bonus track is a great cover of Uriah Heep's Look at Yourself.

Gamma Ray is a band that has evolved their sound a lot, it's more and more modern for every album and still every album has exactly the same touch. This probably has to do a lot with many lineup changes, for example when Ralf Scheepers left after Insanity and Genious. Therefore, some people maybe would consider this to be one of their worst albums, and so do I but since it's is Gamma Ray and Gamma Ray always sound more or less the same (and because it is still good), I'll give it 8.

Highlights: since the songs are very different, all songs except Space Eater and Free Time is worth a lot of credits.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 8
Production: 7

Written by Spyroid | 06.08.2006




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 7   Visited by: 121 users
24.08.2006 - 16:53
Baz Anderson

well, you make it sounds like all the rest of them in Helloween wanted to play more rock stuff, but it was just Mickael Kiske that lead them in that direction

now. i love Gamma Ray, and i really really love this album!!
i think it is such a shame how this album doesnt get mentioned much now either because of other bands out there, or Gamma Ray's later albums - but i think this one of one of their best

you have said highlights all but 'Space Eater' and 'Free Time'
i agree with 'Free Time' it is probably the worst track on the album which isnt good for Ralf because its the only one he wrote. hahaha
but i really like 'Space Eater' like all the other tracks
Loading...
24.06.2007 - 22:31
Rating: 8
Grey_Dandelion

its a good album but far far away from being keeper 3!all songs except the awful free time-what were they thinking adding that junk?-are good especially lust for life,heaven can wait,silence and heading for tomorrow!overall i think gamma ray have little resemblance with helloween old or new!i prefer helloween 100%-weikath is the best
----
Don't turn away just take my hand and when you make your final stand i ll be right there i ll never leave all i ask of you is believe...
Loading...
25.08.2010 - 18:33
Rating: 8
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
Hmm... Kai Hansen didn't leave Helloween after Keeper II....
Loading...
25.08.2010 - 18:38
Rating: 9
Angelic Storm
Melodious
^^ What? Yes he did leave during the tour for Keeper II.

I love Free Time! Its a fun track. The lyrics are a bit silly, but what the hell? lol

My faves from this album are "The Silence", which is just a stunning track all round, and "Heaven Can Wait", which sounds like a classic Helloween "happy" song.

I agree with Baz that its a shame that this album (and the others with Ralf on vocals) is often overlooked in favour of the later Gamma Ray albums. This is a really great one.
Loading...
30.05.2013 - 00:44
Rating: 9
thunderchild

Ahh yes one of my all time favourite albums. Gamma Ray fans usually claim that Rebellion In Dreamland or Armageddon are the band's best songs, but i would say that Heading For Tomorrow is their best song. Anyway great album, Kai was very creative with this album. Lust For Life and Heaven Can Wait are power metal classics
Loading...
09.04.2016 - 15:20
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Somehow Kai's leaving and playing metal influence has failed, in big picture boat bands are equal , GR did not walk far away anyway
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
20.06.2017 - 19:00
Rating: 9
frequenzangriff

I love this album. I was 9 years old when it came out and i liked it a lot back then, and i like it a lot more now that i can comprehend the lyrics. "The Silence" , "Heaven Can Wait" and "Hold Your Ground" are my favorite, but surely all song are great!
Loading...

Hits total: 8820 | This month: 7