Keldian
, from the Old Norse Kelda, meaning a well or spring, are a Norwegian Power Metal band known for songs based on Science Fiction. The two permanent members are Christer Andresen and Arild Aardalen.
They have released four albums so far:
- Heaven's Gate (2007)
- Journey of Souls (2008)
- Outbound (2013)
- Darkness and Light (2017)
- The Bloodwater Rebellion (2022)
Keldian's music contains examples of:
- Badass Boast: Not as many as typical for Power Metal, but still present. "Life and Death Under Strange New Suns", for example, has three, directed toward the geth, the Collectors, and the Reapers.You brought war to our galaxy, now war comes for you!
- Bold Explorer: A common theme in their songs. "Vinland" is directly based on The Vinland Sagas.
- Bread and Circuses: Part of the song "Blood Red Dawn":So you'll keep on craving the circus
Until all your knowledge is lost
Disabled by poisonous comforts
A slave to the grind at any cost - Concept Album: In stark contrast to previous albums, The Bloodwater Rebellion follows a common thread with it being based on an unpublished novel co-authored by Christer Andresen set in a not-so-distant future where fresh water has become the rarest resource.
- Darker and Edgier: The Bloodwater Rebellion stands out as perhaps one of the bands bleakest albums released in stark contrast to their usually more heroic style.
- Despair Event Horizon: Never Existed seems to be about a man who suffered a horrific realization about a possible enemy he had been fighting having never existed and understanding what they had turned into as a result, losing the will to carry on as a result.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: "Reaper" is about a, well, Grim Reaper comforting someone who recently passed away.
- Downer Ending: "Heaven's Gate" ends with "Plains of Forever", about someone lost in deep space.
- Epic Rocking: "Memento Mori" clocks in at 9:18, and "Plains of Forever" at 8:40. "The Silfen Paths" clocks in at a formidable 11:56, with their current record of 12:41 going to "I'm the Last of Us". Less extreme examples of up to the vicinity of seven minutes are also common.
- Faster-Than-Light Travel: "FTL", natch.
- Heavy Mithril: Most of their songs are based on science fiction.
- Heroic BSoD: "Never Existed" is about someone afflicted with some serious trauma regarding some of the actions they did while fighting an unknown enemy."I don't wanna be a hero anymore...!"
- Icarus Allusion: "The Ghost of Icarus".
- Ominous Multiple Screens: "Change the World".Shadows in code on every screen.
- Shout-Out: Many.
- Commonwealth Saga: "Morning Light Mountain", "The Silfen Paths".
- Hyperion Cantos: "Hyperion".
- Freelancer: "Sundancer"'s intro features a communique from Freeport 7, a major location in the game's story, and is about a freelancer in the Sirius sector talking about some of the morally questionable things they've done in their career. It also references the game's prequel, Starlancer.
- Mass Effect: "Life and Death Under Strange New Suns" is a love letter to the original trilogy, with each of its verses referencing events from the games. The first verse revolves around the geth attacking Eden Prime, the second verse is about the Collectors' attacks on human colonies in the Terminus Systems, and the final verse is about the Reapers beginning their attack on the galaxy en masse.
- Sprawl Trilogy: "Change the World". The book «Burning Chrome» is even mentioned in the lyrics.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation: The song itself may not be, but it's hard to imagine the glorious Metal Scream of "ENGAAAAAAAGE" in "FTL" not being one.
- Slave Liberation: "Run for your Life".
- Sleeper Starship: Mentioned almost verbatim in "Requiem for the Light", and the focus thereof.
- The Stars Are Going Out: The natural version shows up a couple of times on Heaven's Gate, but is only dealt with directly in "Requiem for the Light".
- Truck Driver's Gear Change: No less than four times in the final chorus of "Blood Red Dawn".
- Surprisingly Gentle Song: "Redshift" off of Heaven's Gate. A slow, sad Power Ballad in the middle of a bunch of energetic Power Metal.
- Take That!:
- "Burn the Sky", to the Strategic Defense Initiative and neoconservatism.
- "Blood Red Dawn" is an assault against corrupt politicians that are in the pockets of the wealthy and the upper class, referring to them as "snakes of the earth", and its video features a zoom in on the Trump Tower in Las Vegas during the final chorus (specifically during the line, "Your kind will never slither Earth again!").
- World War I: "Memento Mori".
