5 out of 5 Stars!

This is a fantastic album from Gamma, the band ace guitarist Ronnie Montrose (RIP) formed after leaving the Edgar Winter Group and Montrose.

Although the first three albums by the band are all commendable (and although Gamma altered its style a tad, the fourth one that came many years later isn’t too shabby either, despite various counter-opinions), this second album is nothing short of a masterpiece in my eyes, Hard Rock touched with the perfect amount of AOR.

On Gamma 2, every single song is a winner, from the sizzling opener “Mean Streak” through to the manic closer “Mayday.” But the tracks “Four Horsemen” and, especially, “Voyager” (two songs I had to perform when one of my previous bands—at my suggestion—happily covered them in its set list) are quite exceptional, with the latter being breathtaking, especially when it comes to the dramatic and raging guitar solo, Davey Pattison’s emotional vocals, and the “windy atmosphere.”

Moreover, not only did bassist Glenn Letsch and drummer Denny Carmassi lay down a solid foundation to each of the eight tracks, but Ronnie Montrose and keyboardist Jim Alcivar (and his synthesized “voices”) injected their unique instrumental flair to the entire proceedings, over which impressive vocalist Davey Pattison delivered his robust and memorable melodies. Indeed, the band had a unique sound/style that made it instantly recognizable, and that sound/style remained thoroughly consistent over the course of the first three albums, with Gamma 2 (thanks to the songwriting) showing the band and producer Gary Lyons capturing that proverbial lightning in a bottle.

Anyway, Gamma was a terrific band, and this album is a “must own” for all fans of Hard Rock. Nuff said! 🙂

Get The Album Now!