Hansen - Born with a Hammer (2026)

This album by Kai Hansen essentially showcases Gamma Ray across various eras, while also making room for dashes of unexpected genres like reggae and disco. Ultimately, it represents exactly what Hansen wants to create, without the need to clear it with anyone else. "Feeding the Beast" is a superb power metal anthem, almost on par with "Empress." The disco rhythm in "Don't Care" is great fun—and bringing the fun is one of the missions of the man who pioneered "happy power metal." "I.D.G.A.F." is a tried-and-true rock anthem. The album offers plenty of variety, avoiding the trap of blending into a monolithic block of power metal. "Triple Trouble" delights with both its title and its excellent guitar work. It is Hansen’s most interesting album since his Gamma Ray days—excluding, of course, his return to Helloween.