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Thank you Kai for another awesome Gamma Ray.

Kai tells how much copying mp3s is very wrong and hurting the industry, but he sees nothing wrong in copying riffs from other bands and call them his own and even earn a lot of cash at the same run? Even though there are tons of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween and even some Accept ripoff songs it does not save the album! Assuming that I would not mind the ripoffs I could no way give it higher score than 70. It is very evident that Kai run out of influence and good ideas and therefore the ripoffs and this is really evident in the songs. The songs are boring and the last epic track is the only one which actually could have been a major kickass track. However, Kai's voice is worse than ever and he can not deliver the power that the great chorus actually would have demanded and it fall more or less short. Kai is holding the band back and I think they really should find a new singer to the band. Gamma Ray was my favorite band a year ago, but after ripping off all big metal bands and releasing this uninspired record makes me loose respect for them.

Kai is Gamma Ray no Kai no Gamma Ray simple as that . It's not as good as Land of the free but still a very good release and his vocals are fine.

Great album, one of the best Power Metal releases from last year.

I think there's a fine line between ripping off and being inspired. Sure some songs on LotFII sound similar to the aforementioned bands' own material, but they aren't direct lifts.

In my opinion, a direct lift would be Stratovarius' '30366' song. Listen to Queensryche's 'Screaming In Digital', and you'll see.

Anyway, LofFII is an alright album. It's probably one of those grower albums, which I usually store away until I really want to listen to it again.

I haven't heard this album yet, but from what I've read, this album sounds bad - as in "why did they have to do it like that?".

Coz for me the fine line between being inspired and ripping off is when u can't listen to a song without thinking (ie.) "oh, this sounds just like that Maiden song" or "this riff is so from Eagle fly free". Note that there is a difference in something being "just like" and "a bit like".

NO ONE should ever knowingly rip off another song - it totally spoils the song for me! So, why do it?

I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose. He was just in an old school mind set and then pooped out some awesome old school riffs. This album kicks asses guys. All different kinds of asses.

Well Ralf Scheepers sang on the three first gamma ray albums ;)

You know, I've been thinking, how much does it really matter if Kai ripped those songs knowingly or not? How much does it change the whole thing? And I discover after listening to this more and more that it doesn't matter at all. Sure, I was one of those that jumped on the rip-off wagon, pointed the similarities and insisted on how similar the notes sound. But at the end of the day, it really matters little and definitely not in a negative way.

I mean let's see, the new GR album sounds like.... uuhm.. new Iron Maiden, old Iron Maiden, old Helloween, new Helloween, Judas Priest.... uh wait a second I actually LIKE and LOVE all those bands! And I realize with every spin that I really enjoy this new GR album, hell, I caught myself headbanging while listening to it lately and I had not headbanged for months...

For me, I don't care anymore if they ripped shit or not. Call it influence, tribute, copying, whatever. The music is pure blasting rocking metal and I like it. Technically, I got the impression that all band members are still at the top of their game. With a package like that I can not find any reason to be disappointed. On the contrary I really enjoy what I'm listening and that's what matters to me.

I wish more people would give it a chance like you have. You've had the EXACT same reaction as I have. After putting aside any "copying/borrowing" etc. that may or many not have gone on with this album, I started to enjoy it for what it is....a really great power metal album and an even better Gamma Ray album.

If Kai would have happened to mess with Metallica I am sure those bastards would not agree with you and sue him on millions. Of course it matters, since plagarism is even considered often a rather harsh crime. It is the same as if some guys copying the recipe of Viagra and just changing the color of the pill, adding some flavor and call it Biagra. Kai makes money out of riffs and music other people have written and is not giving them any credits to them. I don't think either that you would appreciate if somebody would steal your ideas and present them as their own without giving you any credits?

Well, I tryed to listened with open mind... It's a great album, full of excelent songs, but the blatant ripoffs ruined (in my opinion) part of the greatness.
Without these ripoffs noticeable by any metal fan, we're speaking of an album of the year candidate. With the ripoffs, we're speaking of one of the great albums of the year.