While the American markets in the late 1990’s found their way transcending into what became industrial and alternative metal, with downtuned guitars and gruff vocals becoming the norm, across Europe the opposite was happening. The songs were becoming faster, the melodic guitars more plentiful, and the soaring vocals something to behold. The growth of power metal in the European market was being accessed by a plethora of new bands coming to the fore and creating the dominant wave.

The leaders of this uprising included Gamma Ray, who had created the perfect prototype with their previous album, 1994’s “Land of the Free”. 25 years ago they released their follow up, the space and science fiction flavoured “Somewhere Out in Space”, and for those of you who have not partaken of its brilliance, you can discover it all here on today’s episode, of the podcast that has come from so far away, from the sunlight of my home, Music from a Lifetime.