| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Sputnikmusic | [2] |
Somewhere Out in Space is an album by German power metal band, Gamma Ray. It was released on August 25, 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, 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 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 Kiskes 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", 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 played on strings.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Kai Hansen, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Beyond the Black Hole" | Hansen/Dirk Schlächter/Dan Zimmermann | 6:00 |
| 2. | "Men, Martians and Machines" | Hansen | 3:52 |
| 3. | "No Stranger (Another Day in Life)" | Hansen | 3:35 |
| 4. | "Somewhere Out in Space" | Hansen | 5:27 |
| 5. | "The Guardians of Mankind" (Henjo Richter) | Richter | 5:01 |
| 6. | "The Landing" | Schlächter | 1:16 |
| 7. | "Valley of the Kings" | Hansen | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Pray" | Schlächter | 4:45 |
| 9. | "The Winged Horse" (Richter) | Richter | 7:02 |
| 10. | "Cosmic Chaos" (instrumental) | Zimmermann | 0:48 |
| 11. | "Lost in the Future" | Schlächter | 3:40 |
| 12. | "Watcher in the Sky" (featuring Piet Sielck; lyrics by Hansen/Sielck) | Hansen/Sielck | 5:19 |
| 13. | "Rising Star" (instrumental) | Schlächter | 0:51 |
| 14. | "Shine On" | Schlächter | 6:52 |
Japanese version bonus track
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Return to Fantasy" (Uriah Heep cover) | David Byron/Ken Hensley | Byron/Hensley | 5:16 |
2003 bonus tracks
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15. | "Return to Fantasy" (Uriah Heep cover) | Byron/Hensley | Byron/Hensley | 5:16 |
| 16. | "Miracle" | Hansen | Hansen | 7:17 |
| 17. | "Victim of Changes" (Judas Priest cover) | Al Atkins/K.K. Downing/Rob Halford/Glenn Tipton | Atkins/Downing/Halford/Tipton | 7:23 |
- "Miracle" also appears on the Silent Miracles EP.
- "Victim of Changes" also appears on the Valley Of The Kings EP.
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.
- "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.
Credits
- Kai Hansen - Vocals, guitars
- Dirk Schlächter - 4 and 5-string electric bass
- Dan Zimmermann - Drums
- Henjo Richter - Guitars, keyboards
Guest musicians
- Piet Sielck - Vocals, guitars (12)
- Thomen Stauch - Drums (12)
References
- ^ Somewhere Out in Space at AllMusic
- ^ Somewhere Out in Space review on Sputnikmusic