Keldian
Heaven's Gate

Sometimes, a genre like power can still manage to surprise. While in recent years, the more melodic vein of metal has struggled to produce noteworthy albums, this "Heaven's Gate" by the Norwegian band Keldian astonishes with its freshness and musical offering. We are not merely facing a purely power work but rather a fusion of Scandinavian hard rock, new wave, and even space rock.

Keldian is actually a duo formed by Christer Andresen and Arild Aardalen who, with this album, have managed to make a name for themselves in the European scene. Musically, the band approaches Finnish masters of the genre: think of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica. But as mentioned before, through "new" and unexpected solutions, they manage to create captivating yet delicate tracks.

This venture into various musical genres deserves attention as they are unique in doing so in their field. The pairing of "Heart Of The Sun" and "Requiem For The Light" demonstrates the group's good technical abilities. Besides this, their "exploration of space," which also reflects in the atmosphere of the tracks, proves to be quite apt. In this sense, the keyboards play a crucial role, doing their job without disrupting the rhythms thanks to an understated and subtle use.

And if "Redshift" represents a dreamy and atmospheric track enriched by a female voice, "Salvation" and "Beyond The Stars" are the only episodes that sound like something already heard. Nevertheless, Keldian manages to create original songs without embellishments or complicated musical solutions. The emblematic and stunning "Plains Of Forever" is evocative, refined, and symphonic. The atmosphere and pathos seem to echo the latest works of Ulver. A song that reveals the band's more progressive and space soul.

"Heaven's Gate" is a great album that certainly deserves the attention of enthusiasts. The Norwegians have managed to revive some interest in a genre increasingly disparaged. This platter therefore stands as a small jewel in the realm of a power music market increasingly clogged by the mediocrity of "clone bands".

1. "Crusader" (3:34)
2. "Heart of the sun" (3:55)
3. "Requiem for the light" (3:54)
4. "Heaven's gate" (4:20)
5. "Redshift" (5:58)
6. "Salvation" (4:53)
7. "Sundancer" (4:31)
8. "Prophecy" (4:17)
9. "Beyond the stars" (3:39)
10. "Plains of forever" (8:41)