{"id":35024,"date":"2013-11-27T07:27:02","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T12:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=35024"},"modified":"2014-02-08T08:38:47","modified_gmt":"2014-02-08T13:38:47","slug":"keldian-outbound-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/keldian-outbound-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Keldian | Outbound<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller<\/span>
\n– Managing Editor —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"KeldianThe Science-Fiction melodic metal fanatics from Norway, Keldian, are back with their third studio effort, Outbound<\/em>. Albeit they took half a decade off between their second and third releases, distance does really make the heart grow fonder because after even one listen, you\u2019ll be both aggravated it took so long and celebrating the fact that they are back, and somehow, better than before. <\/p>\n

\u201cBurn the Sky\u201d is a surprisingly menacing track, although these are the guys who wrote \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid \u2026 only death divides us,\u201d but still \u201cBurn the Sky\u201d is one bad ass story. While the riffs shred, it\u2019s the haunting vocals of Christer Andresen singing lines like \u201cEnd the space race and burn the sky, and you will never make it out of here alive\u201d or the rhythmic chanting of \u201cI have, you have not\u201d that is just like a kick to the teeth. <\/p>\n

\u201cNever Existed\u201d is an existential mental breakdown of a track, a jerking, pounding anthem that oozes unease at each turn. Starting out with the wail of \u201cI don\u2019t want to be a hero anymore!\u201d it keeps going off the rails, with lyrics like \u201cCan\u2019t breathe, can\u2019t do it, just let me fall. We\u2019re all lost, fighting enemies that don\u2019t exist \u2026 and they turned us into this!\u201d Halfway through the song there\u2019s an airy reprieve, with soft keys, yet it builds up to a roaring, precise and emphatic solo. If you are having a bad day, chuck in \u201cNever Existed\u201d and it might let you know that no matter what condition you are in, it could be worse; you could be in the mental state of the dude in \u201cNever Existed.\u201d <\/p>\n

It seems that Keldian is pissed off at the universe, in some ways. Listening to \u201cMorning Light Mountain,\u201d and hearing lines like \u201cI don\u2019t need morality; there is no peace for you and me!\u201d it\u2019s obvious that whatever is going on with mankind in this universe, Keldian doesn\u2019t think it bodes all that well for us. It doesn\u2019t stay on this path throughout, though \u2026 <\/p>\n

The first real hint of hope steps in halfway through Outbound<\/em>, on the anthemic \u201cKepler and 100,000 stars.\u201d This is one of the heaviest, fastest compositions on the release, although it\u2019s written with smart tempo changes that temper the edge at times. Sounding like Kansas one moment, Dragonforce the next, the track mesmerizes. And yes, it\u2019s about the search for a habitable planet outside of Earth. <\/p>\n

Keldian, meet Pink Floyd. Oh, you\u2019ve met? Yes, otherwise \u201cThe Silfen Paths\u201d would not exist. It\u2019s impossible to hear the opening lines, \u201cA single thought, slowly taking hold, until all you know is the calling from afar,\u201d and not tie this to Pink Floyd. It\u2019s definitely not specific, a mimic of another song, but the aura of this track surely lends itself to Pink Floyd. All that aside, it may be the strongest composition on Outbound. It certainly owns the most engaging chorus, one that you can\u2019t help but remember immediately. At nearly 12 minutes, it\u2019s epic in all ways. <\/p>\n

And now out of left field, the album closes with an A-Ha cover. No, it\u2019s not \u201cTake On Me\u201d but instead, \u201cScoundrel Days.\u201d Somehow, someway, the gents in Keldian make this sound like a Keldian track. Sure, the original was haunting, gloomy and just weird, but Keldian metalizes it while enhancing the otherworldliness of the lyrics, especially on lines like \u201cI\u2019ve got blood in my hair \u2026 their hands touch my body from everywhere.\u201d While seemingly an odd fit for what came before, it\u2019s actually a perfect cover. <\/p>\n

What can you say about Keldian other than \u201cPlease don\u2019t go another five years before giving us new music\u201d? Outbound is going to land on a lot of Top 10 lists for the year, that is, if enough people give it a chance. It\u2019s better than the majority of music released this year, and the fact that these cosmic themes come from such unassuming Norwegian dudes is poetically relevant. In other words, you don\u2019t have to be a \u201cknow-it-all\u201d to know it all. Let the music speak for itself, just as Keldian accomplished on Outbound<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Genre: Melodic Sci-Fi Metal<\/p>\n

Band:
\nChrister Andresen – lead vocals, guitars, bass
\nArild Aardalen – synthesizers, vocals <\/p>\n

Featuring:
\nJ\u00f8rn Holen – drums
\nThommie Myhrvold – vocals (7,9)
\nHelene Hande Midje – vocals (2,4,5,6)
\nKjell Vidar Merkesdal – vocals (4)<\/p>\n

Track listing:
\n1. Burn The Sky
\n2. Earthblood
\n3. Never Existed
\n4. Morning Light Mountain
\n5. Kepler And 100,000 Stars
\n6. The Silfen Paths
\n7. Run For Your Life
\n8. A Place Above The Air
\n9. F.T.L.
\n10. Scoundrel Days (bonus track)<\/p>\n

Online: www.keldian.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.6\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Derric Miller – Managing Editor — The Science-Fiction melodic metal fanatics from Norway, Keldian, are back with their third studio effort, Outbound. Albeit they took half a decade off between their second and third […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":35025,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8704],"tags":[2317],"class_list":{"0":"post-35024","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2013","8":"tag-cd-review"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35024"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35024\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}