Keldian
Journey of Souls Perris Records

by Derric Miller
Staff Writer

Comments: Easily Perris Records’ most unique band by light years, Keldian is back with their sophomore effort titled Journey of Souls. Taking their name from the Old Norse word “keld” — which means a wellspring or some kind of source — Keldian is a band enthralled with time travel, space travel, and what consequently happens to Mankind’s mind as he experiences both. Their music is a blend of polished AOR with progressive elements, and is the brainchild of two musicians, Christer Andresen (vocals, guitar, bass) and Arild Aardalen (keyboards, vocals).

The CD blasts off with “The Last Frontier,” a high-speed, keyboard heavy pomp into the vast unknown. With all of Keldian’s music, you have to pay attention to the lyrics as well as the music, or you’ll miss half of the equation. This song is about the destruction of a planet by “relentless raiders strike out from afar” and the escape of the survivors into space to find a new planet to repopulate. Yes, all of that in just a 3:25 song. And it keeps getting deeper …

“Lords of Polaris” is up next, giving you some insight into the grandeur behind their compositions. “We master the elements, our breath is the winter wind, we harness the seven seas … we're keepers of the mariner's dreams.” Andresen’s vocal style is smooth, and his accent is 99 percent hidden, which allows you to let the spacey music and Sci-Fi lyrics tell the tale. On the musical side, they rarely flow into raging guitar solos; it’s more like the musical passages and expert keys from Aardalen carry you along for the ride.

If you need a “best” song, it’s the poppy and brilliant “Reaper.” In an interview with Hardrock Haven, Andresen said the impetus for the song was simply him studying an old Iron Maiden single cover, with a beautiful women looking into a mirror and seeing a ghostly Eddie behind her. The problem is, Eddie isn’t all that happy that he’s now dead and she’s still alive. While the song sounds like a Top 10 radio hit, the lyrics are bracing and haunting, with the refrain “Don’t be afraid, only death divides us … don’t be afraid, only death unites us,” countering the pop vibe of the track.

One of the reasons Keldian is described at times as Progressive is because of their song lengths. On “Memento Mori,” you near 10 minutes before the track finds completion. Like bands such as Dream Theater, you don’t feel the song length, though. The tempo changes are severe yet flawless, everything connects, and the huge chorus will have you guzzling Kvasir’s blood and becoming wise beyond the eons. Or perhaps that was just Keldian’s goal when they wrote this incredible song.

On their first CD, the also laudable Heaven’s Gate, there was more uniformity to the compositions. Keldian takes many more chances on Journey of Souls, and they all succeed. Take the song “The Devil in Me.” It begins like a ballad, with menacing lyrics, and builds into an A-Ha or even a chorus akin to The Hooters, albeit more metal than both bands. It’s their amazing vocal harmonies and overall melodies that draw you in every time.

This journey ends with “Dreamcatcher.” Instead of fading out softly, “Dreamcatcher” has some of the most unique and intricate guitar leads on the CD, and it’s heavy, the pacing extreme while still enveloped in the melodies you’ve come to expect. The acoustic guitar solo shows how innovative the gents can be, followed by a thumping breakdown with echoing lyrics. This is also where the title of the CD comes, as the song ends with them singing, “A journey of souls to the end.”

Keldian’s music doesn’t just span the universe and time eternal, it also spans numerous genres, taking the best of them all and combining them into one sound. “Innovative” is merely one word to define them. Journey of Souls will make you a fan, in this life or the next.

www.keldian.com

Track Listing:
1. The Last Frontier
2. Lords Of Polaris
3. Reaper
4. The Ghost Of Icarus
5. Memento Mori
6. Vinland
7. The Devil In Me
8. Hyperion
9. God Of War
10. Starchildren
11. Dreamcatcher

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10