7 Heavy Metal Songs About Space Travel

While much of Arjen Lucassen’s repertoire could have a place here, Set Your Controls was chosen despite being among the less suitable candidates. The introduction to Lucassen’s first foray into capitulating his favorite science fiction movies and television shows generally questions “are you ready for what follows?”

It’s seemingly less about space itself and more of a chance for Lucassen to introduce himself to the audience through his interests (“...let me draw you deep inside the dark caves of my twisted mind.”). However, make no mistake that this was intended to mimic a flight into space as the “crew” is invited to “turn the dials and watch the years go by. Light years away, far beyond our sun.”

The second half of the song makes more allusions to being on board a spaceship (“turn the dials, into the void we fly”), fitting the motif of the album as an exploration of various pre-existing space sagas.