''Somewhere Out in Space'' is an album by

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band,

Gamma Ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic wav ...

. It was released on 25 August 1997 and is the band's fifth studio album. Continuing in the tradition of the previous four albums, it contained yet another different lineup, but would also be the first album to feature the band's longest standing lineup. The album featured Dirk Schlächter on bass for the first time since his guest appearance on ''

Heading for Tomorrow ''Heading for Tomorrow'' is the first studio album released by German metal band Gamma Ray on 26 February 1990 by Noise Records. In 2002 it was re-released with a different cover as part of the Ultimate Collection box-set. This re-released vers ...

'', Henjo Richter on guitar and Dan Zimmermann on drums. The track "Watcher in the Sky" was recorded by Iron Savior and appears on their self-titled 1997 album. It features

Piet Sielck Piet Sielck (born 14 November 1964) is a German power metal guitarist, vocalist and producer. He is member of the power/speed metal band Iron Savior as well as owner of the studio Powerhouse in Hamburg. Early years Born in Hamburg, Germany, ...

on guitar and additional vocals, and Thomen Stauch on drums. The track "No Stranger (Another Day in Life)" was originally written as a contribution to Michael Kiske's solo album, but since Kiske rejected it as "too heavy" Hansen instead decided to record it with Gamma Ray. "Miracle" is effectively a stylized version of "Man on a Mission" from ''

Land of the Free Land of the Free may refer to: Music Anthems * "Land of the Free" (anthem), the national anthem of Belize by Selwyn Walford Young * A phrase in "The Star-Spangled Banner", national anthem of the United States ** A nickname for the United States ...

'', Gamma Ray's previous album. It has very similar lyrics, an identical chorus, and similar chord progressions, but at a slower tempo. The song "Men, Martians and Machines" begins with the "five tones" from the 1977 film ''

Close Encounters of the Third Kind ''Close Encounters of the Third Kind'' is a 1977 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, Bob Balaban, Cary Guffey, and François Truffaut. It tells the story ...

'' played on strings.

Lyrical concepts

* "Beyond the Black Hole" is about travelling the unknown space to discover black holes. * "Somewhere Out in Space" is about the science fiction franchise ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

''. * "The Landing" and "Valley of the Kings" is about the arrival of aliens on Earth millions of years ago. * "Pray" is about the end of hope for the human race to be saved from extinction. * "Shine On" is about the theory that extraterrestrial life visited Earth long before and planted the seeds of mankind.

Track listing

*"Miracle" also appears on the ''Silent Miracles'' EP. *"Victim of Changes" also appears on the ''

Valley of the Kings The Valley of the Kings ( ar, وادي الملوك ; Late Coptic: ), also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings ( ar, وادي أبوا الملوك ), is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th ...

'' EP.

Credits

;Gamma Ray * Kai Hansen – vocals, guitars, producer, engineer, mixing on tracks 4, 7, 9 * Henjo Richter – guitars, keyboards * Dirk Schlächter – bass, guitar, producer, engineer, mixing on tracks 4, 7, 9 * Dan Zimmermann – drums ;Guest musicians *

– vocals and guitars on track 12 * Thomen Stauch – drums on track 12 ;Production *

Charlie Bauerfeind Karl Rudolf "Charlie" Bauerfeind (born 30 May 1963) is a German sound engineer and producer who has worked mostly with power metal bands such as Angra, Blind Guardian, Helloween, Primal Fear, Rage, HammerFall and Saxon. Works Production ...

– mixing *Ralf Lindner – mastering

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somewhere Out In Space 1997 albums Gamma Ray (band) albums Noise Records albums Alien invasions in music Albums produced by Kai Hansen