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Gamma Ray
Gamma Ray after a show in Barcelona, Spain.
Background information
Origin	Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Heavy metal, power metal, speed metal
Years active	1989–present
Labels	RCA, FAD, Noise, Sanctuary, SPV/Steamhammer
Associated acts	Helloween, Primal Fear, Iron Savior, Freedom Call
Website	www.gammaray.org
Members
Kai Hansen Dirk Schlächter Dan Zimmermann Henjo Richter
Past members
Ralf Scheepers Uwe Wessel Mathias Burchard Uli Kusch Jan Rubach Thomas Nack

Gamma Ray is a heavy metal band from Hamburg, northern Germany, founded and fronted by Kai Hansen after his departure from the German power metal band Helloween. Hansen is the current lead vocalist, guitarist as well as the chief songwriter of Gamma Ray. The band is known as one of the most prominent bands of the German heavy metal scene. Despite having many lineup changes in their early career, the band's lineup has remained stable since 1997.

Biography[link]

Formation[link]

In 1988, after four years with the German power metal band Helloween, guitarist and songwriter Kai Hansen decided, for reasons that are still the subject of much debate, to leave the group. Hansen claimed that Helloween had become too big for him to handle, although the group's troubles with financial issues and their record company, Noise Records, most likely played a part as well. He proceeded to do some studio work with German speed metal band Blind Guardian and in 1989 decided to form his own project with long-time friend Ralf Scheepers, former vocalist of the band Tyran Pace. This two-man project grew into a four-man band with the addition of Uwe Wessel on bass and Mathias Burchardt on drums. This was the first line-up of Gamma Ray, bearing a sound understandably close to that of Helloween of that period.

The Scheepers era (1989 - 1995)[link]

The original line-up released the album Heading for Tomorrow in February 1990 and later that year the Heaven Can Wait EP, with new guitarist Dirk Schlächter and new drummer Uli Kusch.

In February 1991, the band began rehearsing for the recording of their second album in a small, remote house in Denmark. With some brand new songs written, Gamma Ray entered the studio under the supervision of producer Tommy Newton and recorded their second album Sigh No More, which was released in September 1991. The style differed vastly from that of Heading for Tomorrow, featuring darker lyrics inspired by the Persian Gulf War that was raging at the time. A 50-date worldwide tour followed.

After the Japanese tour at the beginning of 1991, Gamma Ray underwent another personnel change: the rhythm section (Wessel and Kusch) left due to a personal disagreement and were replaced by Jan Rubach (bass) and Thomas Nack (drums), both from the Hamburg band Anesthesia. The band also began to build their own studio, so work on their new album didn't start until 1993. The album Insanity and Genius was released in June 1993, with a style which was closer to that of Heading for Tomorrow than Sigh No More. In September 1993 Gamma Ray, along with Rage, Helicon and Conception, embarked on the Melodic Metal Strikes Back tour. The tour contributed to the release of the double CD The Power of Metal, and the videos Power of Metal and Lust for Live, in December.

[edit] Land of the Free and commercial success (1995 - 2006)

More changes in the lineup were to follow for Gamma Ray. Vocalist Ralf Scheepers, who lived far away from the other band members hometown Hamburg and was attempting to become the new Judas Priest singer after Rob Halford, felt his position in the band strained by the writing collaboration of Hansen and Schlächter in the composition of new songs. Hansen and Scheepers agreed for an amicable departure of the vocalist. After failing to be recruited for Judas Priest, Scheepers started his own band, Primal Fear. Hansen then began to search for a new vocalist but, due to demand from friends and fans, took on the guitar-vocal duties himself as he had done for Helloween's first EP and album.

In 1995 the fourth album, Land of the Free, the first to feature Hansen on vocals, was released. The album was universally praised by critics. The tour following the album, Men on a Tour, brought the recording and release of the live album Alive '95 in 1996.

Drummer Dan Zimmermann live in Barcelona in 2005

Soon after, there was yet another major lineup change. Jan Rubach and Thomas Nack both left in order to return to Anesthesia and in came new drummer Dan Zimmermann. He is also known for being a founding member of the German power metal band Freedom Call. Schlächter, who was originally a bass player as can be seen on the 1990 video Heading for the East when he and Wessel switch instruments for a few songs, and Schlächter performs a bass solo, left the second guitar spot and took back his original instrument, being replaced on guitar by Henjo Richter. This lineup survives to this day.

Work started on the next full-length album, and 1997 saw the release of Somewhere Out in Space, which marked the beginning of the band's thematic concentration on space. The album featured the hit "Valley of the Kings" and entered in the charts of many European countries. After two years of touring came the album Power Plant, which was a continuation of Somewhere Out in Space's lyrical approach, but a new direction musically. The album was highly acclaimed throughout the world and gained even more chart success than its predecessor.

For Gamma Ray greatest hits album, Hansen decided to do things differently from the usual compilation of songs. He let the fans decide by voting on their website for their three favorite songs on each album, then the band went back to the studio to re-record the old tracks from the first three albums and made remixed versions for the songs on the later ones. Blast from the Past was the name chosen for this double album.

After a break of one year, when Hansen concentrated on his side project Iron Savior, the band was ready for the recording and release of the album No World Order, which was stylistically similar to NWOBHM bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Again the album was highly praised and the No Order World Tour saw the band visiting dozens of European countries and Japan. After resting from the tour, the band went on with the Skeletons in the Closet tour, which saw the band performing songs that they never or rarely played live before. Once again, the setlist was voted by the fans on the band's website. Only a few shows were played on this tour but two of those were recorded for the live album Skeletons in the Closet.

Gamma Ray in concert in 2007

Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter also participated in Tobias Sammet's project Avantasia, on both The Metal Opera and The Metal Opera Part II, along with various other musicians including Hansen's former bandmates from Helloween, Markus Grosskopf and Michael Kiske.

A live DVD, Hell Yeah - The Awesome Foursome (And The Finnish Keyboarder Who Didn't Want To Wear His Donald Duck Costume) Live in Montreal was recorded on May 6, 2006 at Le Medley in Montreal, Quebec. The setlist contained songs drawn from all of their albums up to Majestic (excluding Insanity and Genius) and also a cover of the Helloween hit "I Want Out". The DVD finally saw release on November 4, 2008. It entered the German media control charts at No. 9 and the Swedish charts at No. 1, according to the band's official website.

Recent activities[link]

In recent years Gamma Ray have made use of touring keyboard players to fully augment their sound in a live environment. Axel Mackenrott of Masterplan fulfilled these duties in the past and was followed by Eero Kaukomies, a Finn who also plays in a Gamma Ray tribute band named Guardians of Mankind.^[1] His bandmate Kasperi Heikkinen (currently of Amberian Dawn) also played on part of the Majestic tour in 2006 following an injury to Henjo Richter. On their most recent "To The Metal" tour,^[2] Kasperi Heikkinen replaced Henjo Richter once again for shows scheduled in Germany and Czech Republic in March 2010. Richter was hospitalized on March 16, 2010 due to retinal detachment.^[3] Heikkinen also shared stage with fellow axemen Hansen and Richter making "a three guitar special" for the encore numbers at the Nosturi club in Helsinki, Finland on March 29, 2010.

Land of the Free II was released in late 2007 as a sequel to the hugely successful Land of the Free album. To promote the album, Gamma Ray were the "very special guest" on Helloween's Hellish Rock 2007/2008 World Tour, on some shows along with the band Axxis. For the final encores of the evening, Kai and members of Gamma Ray joined Helloween to play a couple of songs from when Kai was in the latter band. Kai would also regularly join Helloween co-founder Michael Weikath at center stage to the delight of fans of both bands.

To the Metal! is the tenth full length studio album by Gamma Ray. It was released on January 29, 2010.

On May 31, 2011 Gamma Ray released an EP called Skeletons and Majesties. It contains newly recorded, rarely played old songs (Skeletons) and acoustic versions of other older songs (Majesties).^[4]

The next Gamma Ray album is expected to be released in January 2013, as Hansen confirmed on a recent interview with Unisonic.^[5]

Timeline[link]

 id:Vocals              value:red        legend:Lead-Vocals
 id:Guitars             value:green      legend:Guitars
 id:Bass                value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:Drums               value:gray(0.45) legend:Drums
 id:Lines               value:black      legend:Releases

 at:02/26/1990 color:black layer:back
 at:06/01/1991 color:black layer:back
 at:09/26/1991 color:black layer:back
 at:06/26/1993 color:black layer:back
 at:06/01/1994 color:black layer:back
 at:05/29/1995 color:black layer:back 
 at:08/25/1997 color:black layer:back
 at:03/29/1999 color:black layer:back
 at:06/26/2000 color:black layer:back
 at:09/10/2001 color:black layer:back
 at:08/25/2003 color:black layer:back
 at:09/23/2005 color:black layer:back 
 at:11/19/2007 color:black layer:back
 at:06/01/2008 color:black layer:back
 at:01/29/2010 color:black layer:back  
 at:04/08/2011 color:black layer:back  

 bar:Ralf text:"Ralf Scheepers"
 bar:Kai1 text:"Kai Hansen"
 bar:Kai2 text:"Kai Hansen"
 bar:Henjo text:"Henjo Richter"
 bar:Dirk text:"Dirk Schlächter"
 bar:Jan text:"Jan Rubach"
 bar:Uwe text:"Uwe Wessel"
 bar:Dan text:"Dan Zimmerman"
 bar:Thomas text:"Thomas Nack" 
 bar:Uli text:"Uli Kusch"
 bar:Matthias text:"Matthias Burchard"

 width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:Ralf from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1995 color:Vocals
 bar:Kai1 from:01/01/1995 till:end color:Vocals
 bar:Kai2 from:01/01/1989 till:end color:Guitars
 bar:Henjo from:01/01/1997 till:end color:Guitars
 bar:Dirk from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1997 color:Guitars
 bar:Dirk from:01/01/1997 till:end color:Bass
 bar:Jan from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1996 color:Bass
 bar:Uwe from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1992 color:Bass
 bar:Dan from:01/01/1996 till:end color:Drums
 bar:Thomas from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/1996 color:Drums
 bar:Uli from:06/01/1990 till:01/01/1992 color:Drums
 bar:Matthias from:01/01/1989 till:06/01/1990 color:Drums

Members[link]

Current members[link]

Band

• Kai Hansen - rhythm & lead guitar (1989–present), lead vocals (1994–present)
• Henjo Richter - lead & rhythm guitar, keyboards (1997–present)
• Dirk Schlächter - bass (1997–present), guitars (1990–1997)
• Dan Zimmerman - drums (1997–present)

Live musician

• Alessio Gori - keyboards (2007–present)

Former members[link]

Vocals[link]

• Ralf Scheepers - vocals (1989–1994)

Bass[link]

• Uwe Wessel - bass (1989–1993)
• Jan Rubach - bass (1993–1997)

Drums[link]

• Mathias Burchard - drums (1989–1990)
• Uli Kusch - drums (1990–1992)
• Thomas Nack - drums (1993–1997)

Guest studio musicians[link]

• Michael Kiske - vocals on "Time to Break Free" and "Land of the Free" (1995), in "All You Need to Know" (2010).
• Hansi Kürsch - vocals on "Farewell" and "Land of the Free" (1995).
• Tommy Newton - guitars (1989, 1990, 1991)
• Tommy Hansen - keyboards (1991)
• Piet Sielck - vocals, keyboards, guitars (1989, 1990, 1991, 1997)
• Tammo Vollmers - drums (1989)
• Mischa Gerlach - keyboards (1989)
• Sascha Paeth - keyboards (1993, 1995)
• Thomas Stauch - drums (1997)
• Axel Mackenrott - keyboards (2005)

Guest live musicians[link]

• Henning Basse - vocals (2008)
• Jorn Ellerbrock - keyboards (1990)
• Mike Terrana - drums (1998)
• Dan Olding - keyboards (2001)
• Axel Mackenrott - keyboards (2004)
• Kasperi Heikkinen - guitars (2006, 2010)
• Eero Kaukomies - keyboards (2006, 2007)
• Michael Kiske - vocals (2011)

Discography[link]

• Heading for Tomorrow (1990)
• Sigh No More (1991)
• Insanity and Genius (1993)
• Land of the Free (1995)
• Somewhere Out in Space (1997)
• Power Plant (1999)
• No World Order (2001)
• Majestic (2005)
• Land of the Free II (2007)
• To the Metal! (2010)

Cover songs[link]

Gamma Ray have covered numerous bands and musicians during their career, including, but not limited to:

• Helloween - the former band of Kai Hansen. Some of their songs, written by Kai, are often performed by Gamma Ray live, such as "Ride the Sky," "I Want Out," "Save Us," "Victim of Fate" or "Future World."
• The song "Heavy Metal Mania" by the band Holocaust was covered one time in studio and many times live.
• Gamma Ray have covered Judas Priest's "Victim of Changes" with Kai on vocals and "Exciter" with Ralf. It has been stated in various interviews, that Judas Priest is one of Kai Hansen's favourite bands. They are also a favourite of Scheepers, as he left Gamma Ray during the tryouts for the new Judas Priest vocalist. He ultimately lost to Tim "Ripper" Owens. Additionally, Gamma Ray's song "Wings of Destiny" (where it is being sang "..on sad wings of destiny..") could be linked to Judas Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny, the album from which "Victim of Changes" originates.
• They also covered two Uriah Heep songs: "Look at Yourself" on the Heading for Tomorrow CD with Scheepers on vocals, and "Return to Fantasy," sung by Hansen, featured on 2003 release of Somewhere Out in Space.
• Gamma Ray covered the Pet Shop Boys song "It's a Sin" on their 1999 album Power Plant.
• Rainbow's Long Live Rock 'N' Roll, recorded by Gamma Ray was featured on the 2003 release of the Power Plant album.
• Gamma Ray covered the Thin Lizzy song "Angel of Death" on their 2001 single Heaven or Hell, which was released in Japan only.
• Gamma Ray have covered "Gamma ray," off the album Hoodoo Man, by Birth Control.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gamma Ray (band) (category)

• Official website
• Gamma Ray discography at MusicBrainz
• Gamma Ray discography at Discogs

Illustration of an emission of a gamma ray (γ) from an atomic nucleus

Gamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency and therefore energy. Gamma rays are ionizing radiation and are thus biologically hazardous. Gamma rays are classically produced by the decay from high energy states of atomic nuclei (gamma decay), but also in many other ways. Natural sources of gamma rays on Earth include gamma decay from naturally-occurring radioisotopes such as potassium-40, and also as a secondary radiation from various atmospheric interactions with cosmic ray particles. Some rare terrestrial natural sources that produce gamma rays that are not of a nuclear origin, are lightning strikes and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, which produce high energy emissions from natural high-energy voltages. Gamma rays are produced by a number of astronomical processes in which very high-energy electrons are produced. Such electrons produce secondary gamma rays by the mechanisms of bremsstrahlung, inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron radiation. A large fraction of such astronomical gamma rays are screened by Earth's atmosphere and must be detected by spacecraft. Notable artificial sources of gamma rays include fission such as occurs in nuclear reactors, and high energy physics experiments, such as neutral pion decay and nuclear fusion.

The first gamma ray source to be discovered historically was the radioactive decay process called gamma decay. In this type of decay, an excited nucleus emits a gamma ray almost immediately upon formation. Isomeric transition, however, can produce inhibited gamma decay with a measurable and much longer half-life. Paul Villard, a French chemist and physicist, discovered gamma radiation in 1900, while studying radiation emitted from radium.^[1][2] Villard's radiation was named "gamma rays" by Ernest Rutherford in 1903.^[3] Gamma rays were named in order of their penetrating power: alpha rays least, followed by beta rays, followed by gamma rays as the most penetrating.

Gamma rays typically have frequencies above 10 exahertz (or >10¹⁹ Hz), and therefore have energies above 100 keV and wavelengths less than 10 picometers (less than the diameter of an atom).^[4] However, this is not a hard and fast definition but rather only a rule-of-thumb description for natural processes. Gamma rays from radioactive decay commonly have energies of a few hundred keV, and almost always less than 10 MeV. On the other side of the decay energy range, there is effectively no lower limit to gamma energy derived from radioactive decay. By contrast, the energies of gamma rays from astronomical sources can be much higher, ranging over 10 TeV, at a level far too large to result from radioactive decay.^[5]

The distinction between X-rays and gamma rays has changed in recent decades. Originally, the electromagnetic radiation emitted by X-ray tubes almost invariably had a longer wavelength than the radiation (gamma rays) emitted by radioactive nuclei.^[6] Older literature distinguished between X- and gamma radiation on the basis of wavelength, with radiation shorter than some arbitrary wavelength, such as 10⁻¹¹ m, defined as gamma rays.^[7] However, with artificial sources now able to duplicate any electromagnetic radiation that originates in the nucleus, as well as far higher energies, the wavelengths characteristic of radioactive gamma ray sources vs. other types, now completely overlaps. Thus, gamma rays are now usually distinguished by their origin: X-rays are emitted by definition by electrons outside the nucleus, while gamma rays are emitted by the nucleus.^{[6][8][9][10]} Exceptions to this convention occur in astronomy, where gamma decay is seen in the afterglow of certain supernovas, but other high energy processes known to involve other than radioactive decay are still classed as sources of gamma radiation. A notable example is extremely powerful bursts of high-energy radiation normally referred to as long duration gamma-ray bursts, which produce gamma rays by a mechanism not compatible with radioactive decay. These bursts of gamma rays, thought to be due to the collapse of stars called hypernovas, are the most powerful events so far discovered in the cosmos.

Naming conventions and overlap in terminology[link]

In the past, the distinction between X-rays and gamma rays was based on energy, with gamma rays being considered a higher-energy version of electromagnetic radiation. However, modern high-energy X-rays produced by linear accelerators for megavoltage treatment in cancer often have higher energy (4 to 25 MeV) than do most classical gamma rays produced by nuclear gamma decay. One of the most common gamma ray emitting isotopes used in diagnostic nuclear medicine, technetium-99m, produces gamma radiation of the same energy (140 keV) as that produced by diagnostic X-ray machines, but of significantly lower energy than therapeutic photons from linear particle accelerators. In the medical community today, the convention that radiation produced by nuclear decay is the only type referred to as "gamma" radiation is still respected.

Because of this broad overlap in energy ranges, in physics the two types of electromagnetic radiation are now often defined by their origin: X-rays are emitted by electrons (either in orbitals outside of the nucleus, or while being accelerated to produce Bremsstrahlung-type radiation),^[12] while gamma rays are emitted by the nucleus or by means of other particle decays or annihilation events. There is no lower limit to the energy of photons produced by nuclear reactions, and thus ultraviolet or lower energy photons produced by these processes would also be defined as "gamma rays".^[13] The only naming-convention that is still universally respected is the rule that electromagnetic radiation that is known to be of atomic nuclear origin is always referred to as "gamma rays," and never as X-rays. However, in physics and astronomy, the reverse convention that all gamma rays are considered to be of nuclear origin is frequently violated.

In astronomy, higher energy gamma and X-rays are defined by energy, since the processes which produce them may be uncertain and photon energy, not origin, determines the required astronomical detectors needed.^[14] High energy photons occur in nature which are known to be produced by processes other than nuclear decay but are still referred to as gamma radiation. An example is "gamma rays" from lightning discharges at 10 to 20 MeV, and known to be produced by the Bremsstrahlung mechanism.

Another example is gamma ray bursts, now known to be produced from processes too powerful to involve simple collections of atoms undergoing radioactive decay. This has led to the realization that many gamma rays produced in astronomical processes result not from radioactive decay or particle annihilation, but rather in much the same manner as the production of X-rays. Although gamma rays in astronomy are discussed below as non-radioactive events, in fact a few gamma rays are known in astronomy to originate explicitly from gamma decay of nucleus (by their spectra and half-life). A classic example is that of supernova SN 1987A, which emits an "afterglow" of gamma-ray photons from the decay of newly-made radioactive cobalt-56. Most gamma rays in astronomy, however, arise by other mechanisms. Note that, astronomical literature tends to write "gamma-ray" with a hyphen, by analogy to X-rays, rather than in a way analogous to alpha rays and beta rays. This notation tends to subtly stress the non-nuclear source of most astronomical gamma rays.

Units of measure and exposure[link]

The measure of gamma rays' ionizing ability is called the exposure:

• The coulomb per kilogram (C/kg) is the SI unit of ionizing radiation exposure, and is the amount of radiation required to create 1 coulomb of charge of each polarity in 1 kilogram of matter.
• The röntgen (R) is an obsolete traditional unit of exposure, which represented the amount of radiation required to create 1 esu of charge of each polarity in 1 cubic centimeter of dry air. 1 röntgen = 2.58×10⁻⁴ C/kg

However, the effect of gamma and other ionizing radiation on living tissue is more closely related to the amount of energy deposited rather than the charge. This is called the absorbed dose:

• The gray (Gy), which has units of (J/kg), is the SI unit of absorbed dose, and is the amount of radiation required to deposit 1 joule of energy in 1 kilogram of any kind of matter.
• The rad is the (obsolete) corresponding traditional unit, equal to 0.01 J deposited per kg. 100 rad = 1 Gy.

The equivalent dose is the measure of the biological effect of radiation on human tissue. For gamma rays it is equal to the absorbed dose.

• The sievert (Sv) is the SI unit of equivalent dose, which for gamma rays is numerically equal to the gray (Gy).
• The rem is the traditional unit of equivalent dose. For gamma rays it is equal to the rad or 0.01 J of energy deposited per kg. 1 Sv = 100 rem.

Properties[link]

Shielding[link]

Shielding from gamma rays requires large amounts of mass, in contrast to alpha particles which can be blocked by paper or skin, and beta particles which can be shielded by foil. Gamma rays are better absorbed by materials with high atomic numbers and high density, although neither effect is important compared to the total mass per area in the path of the gamma ray. For this reason, a lead shield is only modestly better (20–30% better) as a gamma shield, than an equal mass of another shielding material such as aluminium, concrete, water or soil; lead's major advantage is not in lower weight, but rather its compactness due to its higher density. Protective clothing, goggles and respirators can protect from internal contact with or ingestion of alpha or beta particles, but provide no protection from gamma radiation from external sources.

The higher the energy of the gamma rays, the thicker the shielding required. Materials for shielding gamma rays are typically measured by the thickness required to reduce the intensity of the gamma rays by one half (the half value layer or HVL). For example gamma rays that require 1 cm (0.4″) of lead to reduce their intensity by 50% will also have their intensity reduced in half by 4.1 cm of granite rock, 6 cm (2½″) of concrete, or 9 cm (3½″) of packed soil. However, the mass of this much concrete or soil is only 20–30% greater than that of lead with the same absorption capability. Depleted uranium is used for shielding in portable gamma ray sources, but again the savings in weight over lead is modest, and the main effect is to reduce shielding bulk. In a nuclear power plant, shielding can be provided by steel and concrete in the pressure and particle containment vessel, while water provides a radiation shielding of fuel rods during storage or transport into the reactor core. The loss of water or removal of a "hot" fuel assembly into the air would result in much higher radiation levels than when kept under water.

Matter interaction[link]

The total absorption coefficient of aluminium (atomic number 13) for gamma rays, plotted versus gamma energy, and the contributions by the three effects. As is usual, the photoelectric effect is largest at low energies, Compton scattering dominates at intermediate energies, and pair production dominates at high energies.

The total absorption coefficient of lead (atomic number 82) for gamma rays, plotted versus gamma energy, and the contributions by the three effects. Here, the photoelectric effect dominates at low energy. Above 5 MeV, pair production starts to dominate.

When a gamma ray passes through matter, the probability for absorption is proportional to the thickness of the layer, the density of the material, and the absorption cross section of the material. The total absorption shows an exponential decrease of intensity with distance from the incident surface:

Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): I(x) = I_0 \cdot e ^{-\mu x}

where x is the distance from the incident surface, μ = nσ is the absorption coefficient, measured in cm⁻¹, n the number of atoms per cm³ of the material (atomic density), σ the absorption cross section in cm² and x the distance from the incident surface of the gamma rays in cm.

As it passes through matter, gamma radiation ionizes via three processes: the photoelectric effect, Compton scattering, and pair production.

• Photoelectric effect: This describes the case in which a gamma photon interacts with and transfers its energy to an atomic electron, causing the ejection of that electron from the atom. The kinetic energy of the resulting photoelectron is equal to the energy of the incident gamma photon minus the energy that originally bound the electron to the atom (binding energy). The photoelectric effect is the dominant energy transfer mechanism for X-ray and gamma ray photons with energies below 50 keV (thousand electron volts), but it is much less important at higher energies.
• Compton scattering: This is an interaction in which an incident gamma photon loses enough energy to an atomic electron to cause its ejection, with the remainder of the original photon's energy emitted as a new, lower energy gamma photon whose emission direction is different from that of the incident gamma photon, hence the term "scattering". The probability of Compton scattering decreases with increasing photon energy. Compton scattering is thought to be the principal absorption mechanism for gamma rays in the intermediate energy range 100 keV to 10 MeV. Compton scattering is relatively independent of the atomic number of the absorbing material, which is why very dense materials like lead are only modestly better shields, on a per weight basis, than are less dense materials.
• Pair production: This becomes possible with gamma energies exceeding 1.02 MeV, and becomes important as an absorption mechanism at energies over 5 MeV (see illustration at right, for lead). By interaction with the electric field of a nucleus, the energy of the incident photon is converted into the mass of an electron-positron pair. Any gamma energy in excess of the equivalent rest mass of the two particles (totaling at least 1.02 MeV) appears as the kinetic energy of the pair and in the recoil of the emitting nucleus. At the end of the positron's range, it combines with a free electron, and the two annihilate, and the entire mass of these two is then converted into two gamma photons of at least 0.51 MeV energy each (or higher according to the kinetic energy of the annihilated particles).

The secondary electrons (and/or positrons) produced in any of these three processes frequently have enough energy to produce much ionization themselves.

Light interaction[link]

High-energy (from 80 to 500 GeV) gamma rays arriving from far-distant quasars are used to estimate the extragalactic background light in the universe: The highest-energy rays interact more readily with the background light photons and thus the density of the background light may be estimated by analyzing the incoming gamma ray spectrums.^[15]

Gamma ray production[link]

Gamma rays can be produced by a wide range of phenomena.

Radioactive decay (gamma decay)[link]

Gamma rays from radioactive gamma decay are produced alongside other forms of radiation such as alpha or beta, and are produced after the other types of decay occur. The mechanism is that when a nucleus emits an α or β particle, the daughter nucleus is usually left in an excited state. It can then move to a lower energy state by emitting a gamma ray, in much the same way that an atomic electron can jump to a lower energy state by emitting a photon. Emission of a gamma ray from an excited nuclear state typically requires only 10⁻¹² seconds, and is thus nearly instantaneous. Gamma decay from excited states may also follow nuclear reactions such as neutron capture, nuclear fission, or nuclear fusion.

In certain cases, the excited nuclear state following the emission of a beta particle may be more stable than average, and is termed a metastable excited state, if its decay is 100 to 1000 times longer than the average 10⁻¹² seconds. Such nuclei have half-lives that are easily measurable, and are termed nuclear isomers. Some nuclear isomers are able to stay in their excited state for minutes, hours, days, or occasionally far longer, before emitting a gamma ray. Isomeric transition is the name given to a gamma decay from such a state. The process of isomeric transition is therefore similar to any gamma emission, but differs in that it involves the intermediate metastable excited states of the nuclei.

An emitted gamma ray from any type of excited state may transfer its energy directly to one of the most tightly bound electrons causing it to be ejected from the atom, a process termed the photoelectric effect (it should not be confused with the internal conversion process, in which no real gamma ray photon is produced as an intermediate particle).

Decay scheme of 60
Co

Gamma rays, X-rays, visible light, and radio waves are all forms of electromagnetic radiation. The only difference is the frequency and hence the energy of those photons. Gamma rays are generally the most energetic of these, although broad overlap with X-ray energies occurs. An example of gamma ray production follows:

First 60
Co decays to excited 60
Ni by beta decay by emission of a electron of 0.31 MeV. Then the excited 60
Ni drops down to the ground state (see nuclear shell model) by emitting two gamma rays in succession (1.17 MeV then 1.33 MeV). This path is followed 99.88% of the time:

60 27Co	→	60 28Ni*	+	e−	+	ν e	+	γ	+	1.17 MeV
60 28Ni*	→	60 28Ni					+	γ	+	1.33 MeV

Another example is the alpha decay of 241
Am to form 237
Np; this alpha decay is accompanied by gamma emission. In some cases, the gamma emission spectrum for a nucleus (daughter nucleus) is quite simple, (e.g. 60
Co/60
Ni) while in other cases, such as with (241
Am/237
Np and 192
Ir/192
Pt), the gamma emission spectrum is complex, revealing that a series of nuclear energy levels can exist. The fact that an alpha spectrum can have a series of different peaks with different energies reinforces the idea that several nuclear energy levels are possible.

Because a beta decay is accompanied by the emission of a neutrino which also carries energy away, the beta spectrum does not have sharp lines, but instead has a broad peak. Hence from beta decay alone it is not possible to probe the different energy levels found in the nucleus.

In optical spectroscopy, it is well known that an entity which emits light can also absorb light at the same wavelength (photon energy). For instance, a sodium flame can emit yellow light as well as absorb the yellow light from another sodium vapor lamp. In the case of gamma rays, this can be seen in Mössbauer spectroscopy. Here, a correction for the Doppler shift due to recoil of the nucleus usually is not required, since the emitting and absorbing atoms are locked into a crystal, which absorbs their momentum (see Mössbauer effect). In this way, the exact conditions for gamma ray absorption through resonance can be attained.

This is similar to the Franck Condon effects seen in optical spectroscopy.

Gamma rays from sources other than radioactive decay[link]

A few gamma rays in astronomy are known to arise from gamma decay (see discussion of SN1987A) but most do not.

Gamma radiation, like X-radiation, can be produced by a variety of phenomena. When high-energy gamma rays, electrons, or protons bombard materials, the excited atoms within emit characteristic "secondary" gamma rays, which are products of the temporary creation of excited nuclear states in the bombarded atoms (such transitions form a topic in nuclear spectroscopy). Such gamma rays are produced by the nucleus, but not as a result of nuclear excitement from radioactive decay.

Energy in the gamma radiation range, often explicitly called gamma-radiation when it comes from astrophysical sources, is also produced by sub-atomic particle and particle-photon interactions. These include electron-positron annihilation, neutral pion decay, bremsstrahlung, inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron radiation. In a terrestrial gamma-ray flash a brief pulse of gamma radiation can occur high in the Earth's atmosphere, above thunderstorms. These gamma rays are thought to be produced by high intensity static electric fields accelerating electrons, which then produce gamma rays by bremsstrahlung as they collide with and slowed by atoms in the atmosphere.

High energy gamma rays in astronomy include the gamma ray background produced when cosmic rays (either high speed electrons or protons) interact with ordinary matter, producing pair-production gamma rays at 511 keV. Alternatively bremsstrahlung at energies of tens of MeV or more are produced when cosmic ray electrons interact with nuclei of sufficiently high atomic number (see gamma ray image of the Moon at the beginning of this article, for illustration).

Image of entire sky in 100 MeV or greater gamma rays as seen by the EGRET instrument aboard the CGRO spacecraft. Bright spots within the galactic plane are pulsars while those above and below the plane are thought to be quasars.

• Pulsars and magnetars. The gamma ray sky (see illustration at right) is dominated by the more common and longer-term production of gamma rays in beams that emanate from pulsars within the Milky Way. Sources from the rest of the sky are mostly quasars. Pulsars are thought to be neutron stars with magnetic fields that produce focused beams of radiation, and are far less energetic, more common, and much nearer (typically seen only in our own galaxy) than are quasars or the rarer sources of gamma ray bursts. In a pulsar, which produces gamma rays for much longer than a burst, the relatively long-lived magnetic field of the pulsar produces focused beams of relativistic speed charged particles, which produce gamma rays (bremsstrahlung) when these charged particles strike gas or dust in the nearby medium, and are decelerated. This is a similar mechanism to the production of high energy photons in megavoltage radiation therapy machines (see bremsstrahlung). The "inverse Compton effect," in which charged particles (usually electrons) scatter from low-energy photons to convert them to higher energy photons is another possible mechanism of gamma ray production from relativistic charged particle beams. Neutron stars with a very high magnetic field (magnetars) are thought to produce astronomical soft gamma repeaters, which are another relatively long-lived star-powered source of gamma radiation.

• Quasars and active galaxies. More powerful gamma rays from more distant quasars and active nearby galaxies probably have a roughly similar linear particle accelerator-like method of gamma ray production. High energy electrons produced by the quasar, followed again by inverse Compton scattering, synchrotron radiation, or bremsstrahlung, likely produce the gamma rays. As the black hole at the center of such galaxies intermittantly destroys stars and focuses charged particles derived from them into beams, these beams interact with gas, dust, and lower energy photons to produce X-ray and gamma ray radiation. These sources are known to fluctuate with durations of a few weeks, indicating their relatively small size (less than a few light-weeks across). The particle beams emerge from the rotatational poles of the supermassive black hole at a galactic center, which is thought to form the power source of the quasar. Such sources of gamma and X-rays are the most commonly-visible high intensity sources outside our own galaxy, since they shine not as bursts (see illustration), but instead relatively continuously when viewed with gamma ray telescopes. The power of a typical quasar is about 10⁴⁰ watts, of which only a small fraction is emitted as gamma radiation, and much of the rest is emitted as electromagnetic waves at all frequencies, including radio waves.

A hypernova. Artist's illustration showing the life of a massive star as nuclear fusion converts lighter elements into heavier ones. When fusion no longer generates enough pressure to counteract gravity, the star rapidly collapses to form a black hole. Theoretically, energy may be released during the collapse along the axis of rotation to form a long duration gamma-ray burst.

• Gamma-ray bursts. The most intense sources of gamma rays known, are also the most intense sources of any type of electromagnetic radiation presently known. They are rare compared with the sources discussed above. These intense sources are the "long duration burst" sources of gamma rays in astronomy ("long" in this context, meaning a few tens of seconds). By contrast, "short" gamma ray bursts, which are not associated with supernovae, are thought to produce gamma rays during the collision of pairs of neutron stars, or a neutron star and black hole after they spiral toward each other by emission of gravitational waves; such bursts last two seconds or less, and are of far lower energy than the "long" bursts (they are often seen only in our own galaxy for this reason).^[16]

The so-called long duration gamma ray bursts produce events in which energies of ~ 10⁴⁴ joules (as much energy as our Sun will produce in its entire life-time) but over a period of only 20 to 40 seconds, accompanied by high-efficiency conversion to gamma rays (on the order of 50% total energy conversion). The leading hypotheses for the mechanism of production of these highest-known intensity beams of radiation, are inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron radiation production of gamma rays from high-energy charged particles. These processes occur as relativistic charged particles leaving the region near the event horizon of the newly-formed black hole during the supernova explosion, and focused for a few tens of seconds into a relativistic beam by the magnetic field of the exploding hypernova. The fusion explosion of the hypernova drives the energetics of the process. If the narrowly directed beam happens to be pointed toward the Earth, it shines with high gamma ray power even at distances of up to 10 billion light years—close to the edge of the visible universe.

Health effects[link]

All ionizing radiation causes similar damage at a cellular level, but because rays of alpha particles and beta particles are relatively non-penetrating, external exposure to them causes only localized damage, e.g. radiation burns to the skin. Gamma rays and neutrons are more penetrating, causing diffuse damage throughout the body (e.g. radiation sickness, cell's DNA damage, cell death due to damaged DNA, increasing incidence of cancer) rather than burns. External radiation exposure should also be distinguished from internal exposure, due to ingested or inhaled radioactive substances, which, depending on the substance's chemical nature, can produce both diffuse and localized internal damage. The most biological damaging forms of gamma radiation occur in the gamma ray window, between 3 and 10 MeV. See cobalt-60.

Uses[link]

Gamma-ray image of a truck with two stowaways taken with a VACIS (vehicle and container imaging system)

Gamma rays travel to Earth across vast distances of the universe, only to be absorbed by Earth's atmosphere. Different wavelengths of light penetrate Earth's atmosphere to different depths. Instruments aboard high-altitude balloons and such satellites as the Compton Observatory provide our only view of the gamma spectrum sky.

Gamma-induced molecular changes can also be used to alter the properties of semi-precious stones, and is often used to change white topaz into blue topaz.

Non-contact industrial sensors used in the Refining, Mining, Chemical, Food, Soaps and Detergents, and Pulp and Paper industries, in applications measuring levels, density, and thicknesses commonly use sources of gamma. Typically these use Co-60 or Cs-137 isotopes as the radiation source.

In the US, gamma ray detectors are beginning to be used as part of the Container Security Initiative (CSI). These US$5 million machines are advertised to scan 30 containers per hour. The objective of this technique is to screen merchant ship containers before they enter US ports.

Gamma radiation is often used to kill living organisms, in a process called irradiation. Applications of this include sterilizing medical equipment (as an alternative to autoclaves or chemical means), removing decay-causing bacteria from many foods or preventing fruit and vegetables from sprouting to maintain freshness and flavor.

Despite their cancer-causing properties, gamma rays are also used to treat some types of cancer, since the rays kill cancer cells also. In the procedure called gamma-knife surgery, multiple concentrated beams of gamma rays are directed on the growth in order to kill the cancerous cells. The beams are aimed from different angles to concentrate the radiation on the growth while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues.

Gamma rays are also used for diagnostic purposes in nuclear medicine in imaging techniques. A number of different gamma-emitting radioisotopes are used. For example, in a PET scan a radiolabled sugar called fludeoxyglucose emits positrons that are converted to pairs of gamma rays that localize cancer (which often takes up more sugar than other surrounding tissues). The most common gamma emitter used in medical applications is the nuclear isomer technetium-99m which emits gamma rays in the same energy range as diagnostic X-rays. When this radionuclide tracer is administered to a patient, a gamma camera can be used to form an image of the radioisotope's distribution by detecting the gamma radiation emitted (see also SPECT). Depending on what molecule has been labeled with the tracer, such techniques can be employed to diagnose a wide range of conditions (for example, the spread of cancer to the bones in a bone scan).

Body response[link]

When gamma radiation breaks DNA molecules, a cell may be able to repair the damaged genetic material, within limits. However, a study of Rothkamm and Lobrich has shown that this repair process works well after high-dose exposure but is much slower in the case of a low-dose exposure.^[17]

Risk assessment[link]

The natural outdoor exposure in Great Britain ranges from 2 to 4 nSv/h (nanosieverts per hour).^[18] Natural exposure to gamma rays is about 1 to 2 mSv per year, and the average total amount of radiation received in one year per inhabitant in the USA is 3.6 mSv.^[19] There is a small increase in the dose, due to naturally occurring gamma radiation, around small particles of high atomic number materials in the human body caused by the photoelectric effect.^[20]

By comparison, the radiation dose from chest radiography (about 0.06 mSv) is a fraction of the annual naturally occurring background radiation dose,.^[21] A chest CT delivers 5 to 8 mSv. A whole-body PET/CT scan can deliver 14 to 32 mSv depending on the protocol.^[22] The dose from fluoroscopy of the stomach is much higher, approximately 50 mSv (14 times the annual yearly background).

An acute full-body equivalent single exposure dose of 1 Sv (1000 mSv) causes slight blood changes, but 2.0–3.5 Sv (2.0–3.5 Gy) causes very severe syndrome of nausea, hair loss, and hemorrhaging, and will cause death in a sizable number of cases—-about 10% to 35% without medical treatment. A dose of 5 Sv^[23] (5 Gy) is considered approximately the LD₅₀ (lethal dose for 50% of exposed population) for an acute exposure to radiation even with standard medical treatment. A dose higher than 5 Sv (5 Gy) brings an increasing chance of death above 50%. Above 7.5–10 Sv (7.5–10 Gy) to the entire body, even extraordinary treatment, such as bone-marrow transplants, will not prevent the death of the individual exposed (see Radiation poisoning).^{[citation needed]}. (Doses much larger than this may, however, be delivered to selected parts of the body in the course of radiation therapy.)

For low dose exposure, for example among nuclear workers, who receive an average yearly radiation dose of 19 mSv,^{[clarification needed]} the risk of dying from cancer (excluding leukemia) increases by 2 percent. For a dose of 100 mSv, that risk increase is at 10 percent. By comparison, risk of dying from cancer was increased by 32 percent for the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.^[24]

See also[link]

• Alpha particle
• Beta particle
• Annihilation
• Gamma camera
• Gamma-ray astronomy
• Gamma-ray burst
• Gamma spectroscopy
• Mössbauer effect
• Nuclear fission and fusion
• Radioactive decay

References[link]

External links[link]

• Basic reference on several types of radiation
• Radiation Q & A
• GCSE information
• Radiation information
• Gamma ray bursts
• The Lund/LBNL Nuclear Data Search – Contains information on gamma-ray energies from isotopes.
• Mapping soils with airborne detectors
• The LIVEChart of Nuclides – IAEA with filter on gamma-ray energy
• Health Physics Society Public Education Website

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2008)

Michael Kiske
Live with Avantasia in 2010
Background information
Born	(1968-01-24) January 24, 1968 (age 44) Hamburg, Germany
Genres	Heavy metal, speed metal, power metal, symphonic metal, hard rock, rock, pop rock, AOR, acoustic
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1986–present
Associated acts	Helloween, Unisonic, Place Vendome, Avantasia, Kiske/Somerville, SupaRed, Revolution Renaissance
Website	www.michael-kiske.de

Michael Kiske (born January 24, 1968 in Hamburg, Germany) is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist. In late 2009, he formed the rock band Unisonic and began touring again after 17 years.^[1]

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Prior to joining Helloween, Kiske sang with the German band Ill Prophecy at the age of 17. The band recorded a demo, but it was never released commercially.

Helloween[link]

At the age of eighteen, Kiske was asked to join the German power metal band Helloween, which was fronted by singer/guitarist Kai Hansen. Hansen had some difficulties being both the lead guitarist and lead vocalist, and it was decided that a new vocalist would be needed. Kiske rejected Helloween's first offer, due to his dislike of the sound of the band's Walls Of Jericho album, but accepted the second and joined Helloween in late 1986. Michael's first album with the band was 1987's Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1, widely considered to be one of Helloween's best albums and a milestone in the creation of the power metal genre. The band went on to release Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II in 1988, whose worldwide success enabled them to embark on a world tour and perform at famous festivals such as Monsters Of Rock.^[2][3] The Keeper of the Seven Keys albums proved to be highly influential and aided in the formation of a new wave of European power metal bands, such as Blind Guardian,^[4] Stratovarius,^[5] HammerFall^[6] and Edguy.^[7]

After the completion of the band's 1988 headlining tour, the album Live in the UK was released, while Kai Hansen left the band and was replaced by guitarist Roland Grapow. Legal disputes with their record company, prevented Helloween from releasing new material until 1991's Pink Bubbles Go Ape, which was followed by 1993's Chameleon. These two albums saw the band moving away from their power metal roots and experimenting with different sounds. Both Pink Bubbles Go Ape and Chameleon were commercial failures and resulted in Kiske leaving Helloween. Michael was fired from the band in 1993, reportedly for personal reasons and musical differences. He was replaced by Andi Deris, who has remained with Helloween ever since.

Kiske was rumored to be Bruce Dickinson's replacement, after he departed from Iron Maiden in 1993, but that position was filled by Blaze Bayley.^[8]

Solo work[link]

On August 16, 1996, three years after leaving Helloween, Kiske released his first solo album, Instant Clarity.^[9] The album featured guest appearances by Kai Hansen, Ciriaco Taraxes and Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden. A music video for the ballad Always, dedicated to deceased Helloween drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, was produced and filmed in New York City. Instant Clarity contained songs in a wide variety of styles. During the same year he also wrote a book, 'Kunst Und Materialismus', which is only available in German.^[2]

His second solo album, Readiness to Sacrifice, was released in Korea and Japan in 1999, and in Europe in 2001. The music on the album featured Michael moving away from his heavy metal roots and even contained two symphonic songs.^[2]

In 2006, Michael Kiske released his third full-length solo album under the name of Kiske.^[10][11] The album contained songs in a mellow, acoustic pop-rock style and was a step away from the sound of his previous solo albums. According to Michael "It's a healthy-careless and musically free album. I am very proud of this record because it is a true statement from myself".^[11]

In 2008, Kiske released his fourth solo work, entitled Past in Different Ways.^[12] The album contained acoustic re-arrangements of his old Helloween material and one new song.^[13][14] According to Kiske the album "on one hand shows that I don't reject my past just because I'm a different person today, and on the other hand it can maybe give people who were part of that past a different view at those songs".^[15]

Collaborations[link]

During 1995, Kiske participated as a guest on Gamma Ray's (Kai Hansen's band, formed after his departure from Helloween in late 1988) Land of the Free album, singing lead vocals on the song "Time To Break Free" and additional vocals on the title track.^[2][16]

Live with Avantasia in 2010

In 2000, Kiske was asked to participate on the Avantasia project The Metal Opera in the role of Lugaid Vandroiy,^[17] which he agreed to do, but only under the nickname of Ernie. The nickname was printed on the back of the first CD, but not on the second, where he was featured under his real name.^[17][18] Michael said in interviews that, at that time, he did not want people to link him to heavy metal anymore. He had a main role in the concept of the Metal Opera albums and sang on a total of 7 songs.^[19]

During 2002, Kiske sang the song "Key to the Universe", which was featured on Timo Tolkki's (guitarist of the band Stratovarius) solo album Hymn to Life.^[2] In the same year, Michael also sang the duet "Heroes" (together with Jorn Lande), featured on Masterplan's self titled debut album.^[2]

In 2003, Michael took part in the metal opera Days of Rising Doom by Aina, in the role of the Narrator, singing on the songs "Revelations", "Silver Maiden", "Serendipity" and "Restoration".^[2][20]

In 2004, Michael sang the duet "The Encounter", together with the female vocalist of the band Thalion on their debut album Another Sun.^[2]

During 2005, Michael was a guest on the heavy metal album Execution by the band Tribuzy, singing on the duet "Absolution".^[21] Following this participation Kiske sang another duet, entitled "Judas At The Opera", together with Tobias Sammet (vocalist of the band Edguy and founder of the Avantasia project) on Edguy's Superheroes EP.^[2]

In 2007, Michael sang on the song "Breathe In Water", together with the female vocalist of the band Indigo Dying on their self titled debut album.^[2][22] During the same year, he recorded guest vocals for two Avantasia tracks; "Promised Land", which appeared on the Lost in Space Part II EP and "Lost In Space [Extended Version]", which appeared on the Lost in Space Part I & II compilation album.^[2]

Avantasia live in 2010. Left to right - Michael Kiske, Tobias Sammet, Kai Hansen

During 2008, Kiske took part on the Avantasia album The Scarecrow, singing lead on the track "Shelter From The Rain" and backing on the title track and on "What Kind Of Love".^[2]

In 2009, Michael was a guest on Trick or Treat's album Tin Soldiers, singing all vocals for the song "Hello Moon" and additional lead vocals on the duet "Tears Against Your Smile".^[23][24]

During 2010, Kiske performed on the Avantasia albums The Wicked Symphony and Angel of Babylon, singing on the tracks "Wastelands", "Runaway Train" and "Stargazers".^[25][26] Following this participation he recorded guest vocals for the song "All You Need To Know", featured on Gamma Ray's To The Metal album.^[27] From November 30 until December 19, Kiske took part in the Avantasia tour "The Metal Opera Comes To Town", sharing the stage with Tobias Sammet, Jorn Lande, Kai Hansen, Bob Catley, Amanda Somerville, Sascha Paeth, and Oliver Hartmann among others.^[28]

Projects[link]

• SupaRed

In 2003, out of desire to make rock music again, Kiske formed a band, named SupaRed. They released a self-titled album in January 2003. This album had a modern rock sound and a song structure, distinct from both his solo albums and the heavy metal sound of Helloween. The project was under promoted and unsuccessful and he dissolved the band.^[2]

• Place Vendome

In 2005, Kiske was a part of the Place Vendome project, on Italian record label Frontiers Records.^[29] Place Vendome was composed of members from the German band Pink Cream 69, the keyboard player from the band Vanden Plas and Kiske on vocals. The band's music was a blend of melodic hard rock and AOR, comparable to the sound of bands such as Foreigner or Journey.^[30]

In 2009, Place Vendome released the second album of the project, entitled Streets of Fire.^[31][32] A video was filmed for the song My Guardian Angel, marking Michael's visual return since 1996. The songwriting for the second album was provided by musicians Magnus Karlsson, Torsti Spoof, Ronny Milianowicz and Robert Sall^[33]

• Revolution Renaissance

During 2008, Timo Tolkki departed from Stratovarius and formed the band Revolution Renaissance. The band's debut album, New Era, was recorded by session musicians and Kiske on the role of the main singer, performing all the vocals for the tracks "I Did It My Way", "Angel", "Keep The Flame Alive", "Last Night On Earth" and "Revolution Renaissance".^[34][35]

• Kiske/Somerville

In early 2010, Kiske collaborated with female vocalist Amanda Somerville in a duet project, put together by Frontiers Records. The project marked the contribution of musicians Mat Sinner, Magnus Karlsson, Sander Gommans, Martin Schmidt and Jimmy Kresic.^[36] Two videos were filmed for the songs Silence and If I Had A Wish, enabling most of the participants to actually meet in person. The album was released on September 24, 2010, under the name Kiske / Somerville.^[37]

Unisonic[link]

On November 10, 2009, Michael formed the band Unisonic together with Dennis Ward, Mandy Meyer and Kosta Zafiriou.^[38] Unisonic began their first tour in June 2010, playing some warm-up shows in Germany and performing at Sweden Rock Festival and Masters Of Rock Festival in the Czech Republic as well. In March 2011, Kai Hansen joined the band.^[39][40] In January 2012, Unisonic released their debut video for the song Unisonic and their first EP named Ignition, through EarMusic (a subsidiary of Edel AG).^[41][42] The band's debut album Unisonic was released on 30 March 2012^[43][44] and entered several international music charts, scoring the highest points on the Finnish albums chart, Japanese albums chart, German albums chart and Swedish albums chart^[45].

Singing style[link]

In comparison to Kai Hansen, Kiske had a more vibrant and clean voice. Some fans and critics have likened his singing style and range to that of Geoff Tate or a young Samson-era Bruce Dickinson, with shades of Rob Halford. He sings in a tenor manner^[46][47] and possesses an almost 4 octave vocal range, as he is capable of reaching extremely high notes (A6) and low baritone notes (E♭2) as well.^[48][49] Kiske's time in Helloween has proved to be highly influential,^[50][51] and many singers cite him as a major influence.^{[17][25][52][53][54][55]}

Recognition and honors[link]

Named favorite vocalist Rank:5 In burrn! (Japanese magazine) Readers poll (April 2012)^[56]

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• Instant Clarity (1996)
  • Always (EP) (1996)
  • The Calling (EP) (1996)
• Readiness to Sacrifice (1999)
• Kiske (2006)
• Past In Different Ways (2008)

As a participant[link]

Helloween[link]

• Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1 (1987)
• Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2 (1988)
• Live in the UK (1989)
• Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991)
• Chameleon (1993)

Avantasia[link]

• Avantasia (Single) (2001)
• The Metal Opera (2001)
• The Metal Opera Part II (2002)
• Lost in Space Part II (EP) (2007)
• Lost in Space Part I & II (2008)
• The Scarecrow (2008)
• The Wicked Symphony & Angel of Babylon (2010)

SupaRed[link]

• SupaRed (2003)

Place Vendome[link]

• Place Vendome (2005)
• Streets Of Fire (2009)

Kiske/Somerville[link]

• Kiske/Somerville (2010)

Unisonic[link]

• Ignition (2012, EP)
• Unisonic (2012)

Guest appearances[link]

• Gamma Ray - Land of the Free (1995)
• Timo Tolkki - Hymn to Life (2002)
• Masterplan - Masterplan (2003)
• Aina - Days of Rising Doom (2004)
• Thalion - Another Sun (2004)
• Tribuzy - Execution (2005)
• Edguy - Superheroes (2005)
• Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy (2005)(sampled)
• Indigo Dying - Indigo Dying (2007)
• Revolution Renaissance - New Era (2008)
• Trick or Treat - Tin Soldiers (2009)
• Gamma Ray - To The Metal (2010)

References[link]