Album Reviews : Gamma Ray – Hell Yeah!!! The Awesome Foursome DVD

If you were lucky enough to see Gamma Ray live on their last tour down under, then you already know exactly what to expect from the video portion of their new live release. It’s a simple stage set with no overly complicated lighting effects, but the huge grin that each band member wears for the entire two hour show more than makes up for it. They are just a genuinely fun band, that’s all there is to it. Henjo and Dirk are constantly at the front of the stage giving the audience all they can, and while the guitarist/vocalist combination obviously restricts Kai’s movement, he still manages to bring the crowd to life with ease through sing-along’s and a generally happy demeanour.

Unfortunately, the video quality isn’t exactly up there with the best. I have no problem with the lack of fancy camera shots at all, it’s a nice change from the seizure-inducing style that bands like Iron Maiden seem to be obsessed with, but the quality is just downright average. It’s never overly clear, and the drum camera in particular almost looks like a YouTube video at times. On top of that, I swear some of the screen transitions were taken out of Microsoft Powerpoint. Maybe it’s because it was filmed back in 2006, and maybe they had a low budget, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. If this was a band that focused on flashy special effects to create entertainment then it would be much worse, so I couldn’t be more thankful that the focus is their performance in this case.

As is becoming the norm with DVD releases, there is also a bonus disc of assorted items. The main feature is a ‘Road movie’, following the band on their 2006 North American tour. It’s nothing overly special, but is enough to keep you entertained for a bit longer. More interesting is the ‘Historay’ feature; a collection of back stage footage, rare videos and other bits and pieces. It’s certainly something I recommend long time fans have a look at. To top it off, the DVD also includes all of the bands video clips as well as some extra footage from two Wacken appearances, bringing the total extras running time to just over two and half hours.

As I said when I reviewed the CD that accompanies this, if you are a fan of Gamma Ray or just power metal in general, then get this live package. Just do it. You can also read my review of the CD version of the concert here.

Band: Gamma Ray
DVD title: Hell Yeah!!! The Awesome Foursome
Year: 2008
Genre: Power metal
Label: SPV
Origin: Germany
www.myspace.com/gmmaray

Features:
Concert
1. Welcome
2. Gardens of the Sinner
3. New World Order
4. Man on a Mission
5. Fight
6. Blood Religion
7. Heavy Metal Universe
8. Dream Healer
9. The Heart of the Unicorn
10. Fairytale
11. The Silence
12. Beyond the Black Hole
13. Valley of the Kings
14. Somewhere out in Space
15. Land of the Free
16. Rebellion in Dreamland
17. I Want Out
18. Send Me A Sign

Bonus DVD:
2006 North American tour documentary
‘Historay’ footage collection
Video clips: Space Eater, One with the World, Gamma Ray, Rebellion in Dreamland, Send me a Sign, Heavy Metal Universe, Eagle, Into the Storm.
Live @ Wacken 2003/2006: One with the World, Last Before the Storm, Rebellion in Dreamland, Heavy Metal Universe, Somewhere out in Space.