Somewhere Out in Space
Somewhere Out in Space is an album by German power metal band, Gamma Ray. 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", 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 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", 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.