Gamma Ray - Somewhere Out In Space (1997)+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kai Hansen - Lead Vocals, Guitars Henjo Richter - Guitars, Keyboards Dirk Schlachter - Electric 4 and 5-string Bass Dan Zimmermann - Drums Piet Sielck - Additional Vocals and Guitars (left side) on "Watcher In The Sky". Thomen Stauch - Drums on "Watcher In The Sky". Produced by Kai Hansen and Dirk Schlachter. Recorded and Mixed at Hansen Studio, Hamburg from March to June 1997. Mixed by Charlie Bauerfeind except "Somewhere Out In Space", "Valley Of The Kings" and "The Winged Horse" by Kai Hansen and Dirk Schlachter. Cover by Kristian Huitula. Artwork by Kirsti Lo:ding, Marren Kumpe. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Track Listing 1) Beyond The Black Hole (Hansen, Zimmermann, Schlachter / Hansen) 6:00 2) Men, Martians And Machines (Hansen) 3:51 3) No Stranger (Another Day In Life) (Hansen) 3:33 4) Somewhere Out In Space (Hansen) 5:26 5) The Guardians Of Mankind (Richter) 5:01 6) The Landing (Schlachter / Hansen) 1:17 7) Valley Of The Kings (Hansen) 3:49 8) Pray (Schlachter / Hansen) 4:43 9) The Winged Horse (Richter) 7:02 10) Cosmic Chaos (Zimmermann) 0:48 11) Lost In The Future (Schlachter / Hansen) 3:38 12) Watcher In The Sky (Sielck, Hansen) 5:18 13) Rising Star (Schlachter) 0:52 14) Shine On (Schlachter / Hansen) 6:48 15) Return To Fantasy (Ken Hensley, David Byron) 5:13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Beyond The Black Hole (Hansen, Zimmermann, Schlachter / Hansen) 6:00 Melo: Kai I ... have come from so far away From the sunlight of my home And I ... have seen it's the only way Now my sun is dead and gone Chorus 1: I raise my head in silent anger Seems there is no place for me The only way out is to go where no one's gone before Chorus 2: Fly - Beyond the gates of space and time Another universe is mine And I can't wait until tomorrow Ride - There is a call from deep within No, I won't return again Cause I will dive into the black hole Chorus 3: Don't wait for me, 'cause I won't come back Ooh don't wait for me, no I won't come back (2) Ooh oh oh... Thunder and lightning and fire Are guiding the trip of my life Insatiable burning desire As into the unknown I dive Chorus 1 & 2 Chorus 4: Don't wait for me, 'cause I won't come back Ooh don't wait for me, no I won't come back (2) Ooh oh oh, don't wait No There was a trigger, for my decision, it's right behind my eyes Into the darkness of my vision I let my spirit rise I wanna see the black hole - into the dark I wanna dive into the black hole - down into the dark Into the black hole - into the dark Into the spiral - into the dark The dark, the dark - the dark Solo: Kai / Harmony: Henjo / Melo: Kai (Spoken): If there's a possible chance for something that can be called future behind the spiral The only way to find out is to leave the final frontier to eternity... And fly I will fly - Beyond the gates of space and time I leave the universe behind And I can't wait until tomorrow Fly - Beyond the gates of space and time I know that universe is mine 'Cause I will dive into the black hole Ride - There is a call from deep within No, I won't return again 'Cause I will dive into the black hole Chorus 3 & 4 Pure science fiction. Imagine the adventure of diving into one of those black holes, must be pretty exciting. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) Men, Martians And Machines (Hansen) 3:51 From out of space we came on to the Earth From far away on solar beams A dying race to find survival here For our kind to plant out seeds Our analysis of the atmosphere Was good and so we touched the ground A rising simple structured life from here Seemed to be perfect what we've found We think in anger of our fallen dream Our home is now a fading light The cracks appeared and they were pointing at the end And so we came to save our lives Men - Martians and Machines (2) You were too young to understand our plans To see the things up in the sky We were the gods and we have taught you well And so we found eternal life We gained control upon our destiny Our ships were flying everywhere The cracks appeared our plan was bound to fail again And no the circle's closing in Men, Martians and Machines Solo: both / Kai Oh no We can't control our human sacrifice Again we fear for our lives The cracks appeared, our brains start to distort again Now we gonna say goodbye Men, Martians and Machines (2) Men, Martians and Machines - we're coming to get ya, we're coming to get ya (2) So. If martians' had been coming to Earth in mighty machines, because their planet was wasted, maybe we will be the next marsians, one day conquering another planet. It might be a turning circle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) No Stranger (Another Day In Life) (Hansen) 3:33 I see a hole in the sky But don't ask me why I'm so down and lonely No one will understand why There's a voice in my head and I know it's the only I see the children pray, with fire in their eyes And when the day begins ... another day in life I'm standing tall, 'cause I won't fall 'Cause I'm no stranger to myself I see horizons in my sky 'Cause I'm no stranger to myself Days full of joy Are drivin' down the pain Into the sun, a mother sun is just about to fly I see the morning come, with fire in my eyes And when the day begins ... another day in life Chorus: I'm standing tall, 'cause I won't fall I'm no stranger to myself I see horizons in the sky 'Cause I'm no stranger to myself Solo: Kai / both I see the morning come, with fire in the sky And when the day begins ... another day in life Chorus No, I'm no stranger... Whoah (2) ...to myself About the strength you can get when you know yourself, and the try to put your power into the good things every day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4) Somewhere Out In Space (Hansen) 5:26 I'm trapped in a castle of illusions out in space - no more illusions Out on a journey, on a mission for a human face Terrified, I had to realize that I've been talkin' to the gods of fire I got nowhere to stand, 'cause I'm a running man to get away Chorus: All that I see in the years - somewhere out in space And it's time for deliverance Now Tomorrow, I'll see it, another day's rise - right before my eyes Been sinking in sorrow - but now I'm gonna rise - no more reasons why I'm a watcher in the dark - I'm so cold inside my heart I'm a temple in the storm, and I'm bound to be reborn Take me down to the underground, let me see the gods of fire 'Cause I know where they live and I know where they stand Another reason there to leave Take me down, take me down, take me to the underground I wanna meet the gods of fire And all of their intention is the centre of it all Chorus Now that I know I've got to get away - somewhere out in space I wanna know how to get away Time for deliverance is now! And as the sun appeared, up in the sky I saw another day, that's ... drifting by I saw my people cry ... a million tears Into eternity ... they disappeared Solo: Kai / both / both (left and right) / Kai / both Now it's time to say goodbye - or we will sink in sorrow No, we don't know the reason why - another day, tomorrow Ooh oh oh oh, I thank you for giving me hope Ooh oh oh oh, follow me into a new life All that I see is the years Now all that I see is the tears Chorus Now all that I see is the fear - somewhere out in space And it's time for deliverance I wanna know how to get away - time for deliverance (2) Come set me free, just set me free - time for deliverance Just let me go Get away (2) I wanna get away, get away (2) Somewhere out in space, in space... Inspired by Startrek, the old series, about something freaking out of his intergalactical mission. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5) The Guardians Of Mankind (Richter) 5:01 For no one to see, for no one to hear They fight for our souls without any fear When injustice done they open their gates To maintain balance between good and bad Chorus 1: And as the winds of freedom blow they vanish into haze The mighty shadow turns away and wisdom conquers gate Chorus 2: The guardians of mankind are losin' their faith 'Cause malice and falseness spread over the human race If guardians of mankind won't shelter our souls Then rulers of darkness will soon gain control Don't try to deceive them, don't try to play false 'Cause losing their favour will be the end of all Chorus 1 & 2 Solo: Henjo / both / Henjo / both Chorus 1 The guardians of mankind are losin' their faith 'Cause malice and falseness spread over the human race Guardians of mankind are losin' their faith 'Cause malice and falseness spread over the human race If guardians of mankind won't shelter our souls Then rulers of darkness will soon gain control Gain control The story is about the conscience of mankind represented as celestial guardians preserving the balance between good and bad. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6) The Landing (Schlachter / Hansen) 1:17 High in the machines - above the earth We observe your lifeform We've come for you Chorus: Riding on machines We'll take your souls Riding on machines We've come to rule (Spoken): About 400.000 years ago when evolution was still on the make an extraterrestrial race appeared in our part of day galaxy heading straight to Earth Riding on machines We'll take your souls Riding on machines We've come for you (Spoken): When they finally landed they found a planet with perfect survival conditions A lower lifeform called humans considered them as gods from somewhere out in space A war of the worlds like acoustic picture of an alien fleet above the earth. No guitars on this one, only basses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7) Valley Of The Kings (Hansen) 3:49 Father can you hear me, did you talk to mother earth What did they say, what did they see Now is it time for your rebirth? Chorus 1: Open up the silent center of your mind I now wanna know the future of your kind In the valley of the kings Where the storm breaks louse again Then the gods return to fight - for the future of their life In the valley of the kings (4) Oh mother do you hear me, did you talk to father moon I don't want to leave my brothers in this temple of their doom Chorus 1 In the valley of the kings Where the storm breaks louse again Then the gods will spread their wings In the valley of the kings (4) Ra vite, deus sanktus, ra vite Ra vite revetale, ra vite Solo: Kai / both / Kai / Henjo Oh mother earth do you believe, where is a place for is to go Come set us free again and let us fig away and give us hope There'll be a time for us fly To our thrones up in the sky In the valley of the kings Where the storm breaks louse again Then the gods will spread their wings In the valley of the kings Valley of the kings Where the storm breaks louse again Then the gods will spread their wings In the valley of the kings (3) Ooh oh oh About the thought, that the ancient gods were visitors from somewhere in the galaxy, putting their children into some kind of deep freeze sleep, after implanting the basis of our human intelligence into our early ancestors. One of them awakening in these days, being used to be seen as a god, trying to get information from his parents about what is going on and what will come up next, expressing the will to return to the old status. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8) Pray (Schlachter / Hansen) 4:43 So ... here we stand again Like dust ... on mother earth And we hide our faces in our dreams Only emptiness where angels flew - high on golden wings And the voice of God has vanished now - lost inside our dreams But the only way to go is Heaven All we can do is pray In the darkness we stand with the world in our hands and we pray For a better tomorrow We wait Far beyond the horizon there's a sound in the sky The voice of glory ... I hear a silent cry When the heroes of yesterday are gone All we can do is pray In the darkness we hide and we wait for the light and we pray Ooh we pray Let us pray Solo: Kai I've seen the dark side of the moon in my dreams Now I know it ain't a place to live ... for us all All our God's creation is dead and gone Now we stand ... like children all alone forever All we can do is pray Forever and forever and forever more For a better tomorrow We wait Pray There's a light in the dark and it's shining so bright on our way Still there is hope ... on our way And we pray Ooh oh oh, pray Sometimes, hope is only in the unseen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9) The Winged Horse (Richter) 7:02 In a land, far beyond the sun Rules the darkness, faceless magician Black towers which raise into the sky Castle of stones, shadows passing by Blood is covering the mighty walls Of those who lost their skin and bones No one ever saw the light Ooh whoah, slaves of the night Yeah There's a young man, he's chained on the stake Lifeless body, he has no strength to break His shirt is bloody, his head is hanging down He's decided to die, the ruler took his crown The wind howls through the emptiness A different sound as in the past Screaming echoes in the wind Ooh whoah, victims of the pain Chorus 1: The clouds passing by, a hole breaks the sky Light refract the dark and fills the place White winged horse, powerful force Gallop through the sky to break the chains The winged horse that lands by the one It shorts and stamps, the escape has just begun The chains are broken, the silence fills the place He backs the horse with his last ounce of strength Chorus 2: The white horse roars and spreads its wings To reach the sky and search for the kings The one will lead to win at last Ooh whoah, rules of the past The clouds passing by, a hole breaks the sky Light refract the dark and fills the place White winged horse, powerful force Gallop through the sky to free the land Chorus 2 Yeah yeah Solo: Henjo / Kai / Henjo / both / Henjo The kings return, they're armed with mighty swords To retake the land and banish evil thoughts They fight against the shadows, captured souls of the dark might Dethrone the evil ruler to bring sun into the night The battle takes a heavy toll But they achieve what they're fighting for Now the land is free again Ooh whoah, no more blood and pain Chorus 1 But still at night when darkness rules again Whispering creeping through the lanes Evil creatures of the expelled magician Ooh whoah, it's a fight you'll never win You'll never win A tale in the circle of oppression and resistance that cannot be broken if you force freedom. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10) Cosmic Chaos (Zimmermann) 0:48 Instrumental Drums from outer space. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11) Lost In The Future (Schlachter / Hansen) 3:38 Oh Hahaha! Oh yeah Atomic fallout scans the sky, another place where people die And with a massive final punch we left a world of pain And now pollution's everywhere, another death is in the air A million people left alone down in their desperate, blackened homes Tomorrow there'll be no sun hanging high up in the sky Tomorrow all dead and gone and I fish that I could fly We are lost - in the future We are lost In a dream we can't control No way So tell me now computer god, is there a way to leave the quad On this merciless ride when someone faces he will die We plug our lives into machines and as they're guiding our dreams We're individually lost as we are nailed to our cross Tomorrow there'll be no sun hanging high up in the sky Tomorrow all dead and gone, oh I fish that I could fly We are lost in the future We are lost It's a nightmare - we are lost In the future - we are lost In a dream we'll never see Solo: both / Henjo / Kai / both Our hearts live forever In dreams are alive Forever and ever We're riding the sky Solo: Henjo All hope is lost, but nothing gained We're crying again Is this the end? Lost - in the future We are lost It's a nightmare - we are lost In the future - we are lost In a dream we can't control No way We're lost, so lost (2) We're lost (4) We all are lost! Does our highspeed, hightech development really make things better or easier or are we just forced to run and struggle even more? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12) Watcher In The Sky (Piet Sielck, Hansen) 5:18 (see Iron Savior (1997)) ...Part of the Iron Savior story to be heard on the album Iron Savior, about a robot defense machine with a human brain built in Atlantis 350,000 years ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13) Rising Star (Schlachter) 0:52 Instrumental The Earth in the youngest days, and the name of a huge spaceship built by a race from a very distant planet where survival became impossible due to the non-conscious mistreatment of the environment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 14) Shine On (Schlachter / Hansen) 6:48 Wow! All right! We drive, we drive, we're riding on through the universe We've come to reach our destination - planet Earth We come, we run, you cannot see us Flying in our spaceships, shooting across the sky We explore and we all know what this is about - for us all So many light years we have traveled far from home Someday we'll be there I know Shine on - Rising star We traveled such a long way but - still you seem so far Shine on - Rising star For our believe in unity at heart Rising star Come on and shine Living was torture and dying release, a declining world No future, no hope, we were passing the point - of no return So many light years, still we travel on and on And someday we will call you home Chorus: Shine on - Rising star Diamond in the distance - still you seem so far Shine on - Rising star Forever light the darkness in our hearts Rising star ... Rising star Wow Here we come Salvation, damnation We crawl across the sky with pain forever We will fly Solo: both Out in the darkness There's a never ending light Still we're far away But we'll be there one day Someday we will call you home Shine on - Rising star We traveled such a long way but - still you seem so far Shine on - Rising star Forever light the darkness in our hearts Rising star, Rising star Shadows in the darkness, so far away from home Standing all alone, no one there beside me Shadows all around, so far away from home I know I'm not alone, it seems we're lost in space and time Shine on Shine on now and warm the tears we've shed through years It's our prison, final reason for the freedom and the glory that we feel Are you for real? Chorus Shine on, Rising star - Come on and shine for us Shine on, shine forever more Shine on, our survival - Rising star the last chance for us all The only hope for future and a home For us all (2) Come on and shine, Rising star All hopes of the survival of the race are put into a voyage to a distant planet they called Earth, that has just been born. The voyage will last for many generations, so when finally they will arrive, Earth will provide perfect conditions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 15) Return To Fantasy (Ken Hensley, David Byron) 5:13 (from Uriah Heep "Return To Fantasy" (1975)) Searching every day, looking every way, trying to make a connection To find a piece of the action Like a hungry poet, who doesn't know he is close to perfection Choice is the question Chorus: Moonlight night after moonlight night Side by side they will see us ride But if they cared to look, then they would see It's our return to fantasy, fantasy, fantasy Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy Oh yeah Can you understand, that in every man there's a need to unwind That's never been defined Somewhere deep within, there's another being, you're somehow abusing By the person you're using Chorus Travelling faster than lightning Closer than ever before We can go on for you, and take you nearer to the legend of history From the beginning of time (Dreaming) Time (Dreaming) We can return to the land of the good and the kind Time - Dreaming (2) Why don't you come to our party and open your mind In another place, there's a newer face like an unfinished painting Your creator is waiting The brush and pen describe, what is inside that will set your mind thinking While the others are sinking Moonlight night after moonlight night Side by side they will see us ride But if they cared to look, then they would see It's our return to fantasy, fantasy, oh yeah Fantasy, fantasy, oh yeah Fantasy, fantasy (2) Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy (2), yeah (2) Fantasy, fantasy, fantasy One of the best Heep songs covered by Gamma Ray. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Gamma Ray use Hughes & Kettner, Engl, Marshall, Sovtek and Reussenzehn Amps. Kai and Henjo use: ESP Guitars Dirk uses Boewe, Hoyer, Fender, Squier, Rickenbacker, Yamaha and Steinberger Basses. Daniel uses Tamburo Drums, Meinl Cymbals. Kai Hansen (Hamburg, June 25th, 10:30 PM in the studio): So here we are, just about to finish another Gamma Ray album. It's been a long production and we won't be able to listen to the whole album in a row 'cause we are going to Brazil and Argentina on July 2nd and still there are 7 tracks to be mixed and on two there are bits and pieces to be recorded. We've got no chance than leaving the finalization (mix, artwork, layout of the booklet, mastering etc.) to people we put our trust. In to make it a good album, concerning the music, I have the feeling that we have done a good job. I like the album and I hope you also will. Cheers My Love and Thanx to: My wife Gabi, my mom,..., Dirk, Daniel, Henjo (geiles album, jungs),..., Michi, Ralf, Jan, Thomas, Piet & family, AC & Jorg (all access),..., all at Modern Music, all at JVC, all claners and fans worldwide (you give me strength!) And, of course, everybody who feels he should be on this list, sorry if I forgot. Dirk Thanx: ..., Sascha Paeth,..., Ulli Kusch, Jan, Thomas,... . All my love to my son Milan, mom and dad, my brother Frank, grandmas and-pa. All the best to my wife Maike - maybe we'll get it right in our next life (whenever that starts) A very special Thank to Anne for painting this page and everything else - you're in my heart. Daniel Mage Thanks to: ..., Kai, Dirk and Henjo for good vibrations and friendship,... . Hi to: Lanzer, F.U.C.K., Moondoc, Ingo, Frank,..., Markus, Ulli, Jorg, Jens,... . Henjo Thanx: ..., Markus Grosskopf (& Eva),..., Ulli Kusch,..., Jens Becker, ..., AC,..., "stecherface" to Thomas Nack (what's up?),..., big thanx to Kai (& Gabi), Dirk & Daniel,..., Richie Blackmore, Randy Rhoads, Johnny Winter, Ken Hensley for great playing and songwriting,..., you for reading this, everyone I forgot, one for the road and no thanks to Baal. The band says "cheers" to: Blind Guardian, Helloween, Stratovarius, Virgin Steele, Angra, Grave Digger, Rage Let's keep our music strong! .. and Thanx to all Gamma Ray fans in the world for their trust and support. ------------------------------------------------------------------------