Heaven's Gate is the first album by Norwegian symphonic power metal band Keldian

Keldian

Keldian is a Norwegian symphonic power metal band that made their debut in 2007 with the album Heaven's Gate. Their music is a blend of classic 80s era melodic rock and more modern power and symphonic metal influences...

. It was released worldwide in February 2007 by American label Perris Records, and was produced, engineered and mixed by Arild Aardalen.

The album presents a sound that combines the melodic hard rock and AOR

Album-oriented rock

Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...

 of the 1980s with a more modern power

Power metal

Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...

 and symphonic metal

Symphonic metal

Symphonic metal is a term used to describe heavy metal music that has symphonic elements; that is, elements that are either borrowed from classical music or, as with progressive rock music, create a style reminiscent of it, e.g...

 influence, and has been hailed as being an original take on the genres.

The lyrics deal with the concept of space travel and the future of mankind as a space travelling species, and represent the science-fiction influences that have become a Keldian trademark. Some reviewers have commented on how this sees the band escaping the Dungeons & Dragons straight-jacket that seems to trap many artists in this genre of music. The band have cited the authors Peter F. Hamilton

Peter F. Hamilton

Peter F. Hamilton is a British author. He is best known for writing space opera. As of the publication of his tenth novel in 2004, his works had sold over two million copies worldwide.- Biography :...

 and Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....

as being among their prime influences. It is also possible to detect spiritual, and maybe even religious, undertones to Keldian's lyrics, although this is also a regular feature in the science-fiction literature they seem to draw on.

Heaven's Gate was also released as a Japanese version, featuring a slightly remixed version of the song "Plains of Forever" as well as the bonus track "Hope".

Tracklisting

• "Crusader" - 3:33
• "Heart of the Sun" - 3:54
• "Requiem for the Light" - 3:54
• "Heaven's Gate" - 4:20
• "Redshift" - 5:57
• "Salvation (Release Me)" - 4:53
• "Sundancer" - 4:31
• "Prophecy" - 4:17
• "Beyond the Stars" - 3:39
• "Plains of Forever" - 8:41
• "Hope" (Japanese version only)

All songs by Andresen/Aardalen

Featured musicians

• Jørn Holen - drums
• Maja Svisdahl - vocals
• Gunhild Mathea Olaussen - violin
• Mats Rybø - vocals
• H-man - spoken words