#daniel zimmermann

[metalsongoftheday]

Monday, January 24: Gamma Ray, “Eagle”

No World Order! was originally marketed as Gamma Ray’s homage to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in general and Judas Priest in particular, and to the extent that the production and the riffing were a bit more direct, it was a bit more streamlined than usual for the band.  But the album also felt like a natural continuation of its two predecessors, solidifying the Hansen/Schlächter/Richter/Zimmermann incarnation as the band’s definitive lineup and showcasing an ease and confidence that wasn’t always immediately apparent even on their best records.  As a result, although “Eagle” wouldn’t have sounded out of place on either Somewhere Out in Space or Powerplant, it had the benefit of experience, that feeling that the guys were fully locked in and in sync with each other, so Zimmermann’s double-kicks were naturally embedded with Hansen’s trad metal riffing. It was an effortless anthem that was intrinsically Gamma Ray, so although it wasn’t the necessarily the heaviest or fastest thing they ever recorded, “Eagle” was a surging power metal charger that was fully ensconced in their legacy.

[agentzukunft]

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[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, July 10: Gamma Ray, “Deadlands”

After reasserting their power metal bonafides on Land of the Free II, Gamma Ray delivered a meat and potatoes trad metal record with To the Metal!, with its title track openly ripping off “Metal Gods”.  But Kai Hansen was also well aware of who he was, so tracks like “Deadlands” retained all of his trademarks and were unquestionably power metal as a result.  The melodies were there, as was the driving but not overly frantic pace of Dan Zimmermann’s drumming, and of course, Hansen’s high-pitched whine.  On a record like Majestic or Land of the Free II this might’ve come off as a bit rote, but by 2010 Gamma Ray had settled into their role as elder statesman, so “Deadlands” felt more like the work of a band that knew what they were and didn’t feel like they had anything to prove. And on that level, the track worked its magic and felt like a worthy latter-day effort from the group.

[metalsongoftheday]

Friday, January 17: Gamma Ray, “Shine On”

“Shine On” was an appropriately grand and glorious conclusion to the grand and glorious Somewhere Out in Space, delivering the proper culmination of Gamma Ray’s rebirth.  Even though the band’s fifth record featured yet another new lineup, it was plainly apparent that the addition of Henjo Richter and Daniel Zimmermann brought Kai Hansen a new kind of focus, to the extent that the new guitarist and drummer were fundamental in shaping the sound and feel of the record, and “Shine On” drove all of that home.  The song was very much a power metal banger, and felt like a logical next step for both Hansen and Gamma Ray, but at the same time didn’t immediately recall any of the band’s past works aside from the Land of the Free-ish final moments.  This was something new for the band, and both the chemistry of this iteration and sense of hard-won stability were clear to anyone listening, and it was fitting that Somewhere Out in Space ultimately established the blueprint Gamma Ray would follow for pretty much the rest of their discography.

[metalsongoftheday]

Tuesday, July 24: Gamma Ray, “Razorblade Sigh”

Powerplant was not only the first time Gamma Ray maintained the same lineup as its predecessor, it also marked the first time Kai Hansen stuck with a consistent sound and feel over two records.  As such, “Razorblade Sigh” would’ve fit comfortably on Somewhere Out in Space, and epitomized Gamma Ray’s overall sound in the late ‘90s: it checked all the requisite power metal boxes, but also sounded a bit smoother and classier thanks to the focus and precision that Henjo Richter and Daniel Zimmermann brought to the band when they joined in 1997.  The only thing that didn’t feel buffed to a perfect sheen was Hansen’s vocals, which alternately shrieked and mewled like an ornery feline in an increasingly futile attempt at staying in tune.  Of course, that was a big part in not only making Gamma Ray among power metal acts, but also added to their charm, and Hansen was a charismatic frontman whose enthusiasm was clear and infectious.  “Razorblade Sigh” was a high-minded banger that charged forward in gleeful defiance of late ‘90s metal conventions, and capped off Gamma Ray’s finest decade as band with panache.

[michaelparque]

DANIEL ZIMMERMANN QUARTET @ Scène Sully, Nantes 02/09/2017

Les Rendez-vous de l’Erdre

Daniel Zimmermann (tb)

Pierre Durand (g)

Jérome Regard (b)

Julien Charlet (dms)

Copyright Michael Parque 2017 All rights reserved

[gripoix]

[musiculture-fr]

ZiMMERMANN le montagnard

Venez lire l'article sur Musiculture  Il est de ces albums qui deviennent des references incontournables. Il est de ces albums auquels vous pensez inévitablement à l'écoute de nouvelles oeuvres. Avec "Montagnes Russes", opus du tromboniste Daniel Zimmerman, les comparaisons sont inévitables. Sortie le 21 octobre 2016 http://www.musiculture.fr/zimmermann-le-montagnard/