Vera: One year and a half ago we had our first encounter with the Finnish band Kivimetsän Druidi. Their debut ‘Shadowheart’ was not bad at all, but it still had a couple of growing pains. The operatic chants of Leeni-Maria were not that flawless and their fantasy metal happened to be a bit chaotic from time to time. The band fishes in the same pond as Angeli Di Pietra and Alkonost, since they combine pagan metal with female operatic chants. The six-piece really matured on the sophomore album ‘Betrayal, Justice, Revenge’. Leeni-Maria took vocal lesson and her contribution in the lyrics is bigger. They still deal with fantasy stories, but they do not come from the long fantasy story guitarist Joni is writing. The latter one is the main composer, together with keyboarder Antti, but drummer Atte is responsible for orchestral arrangements, adding grandness to three songs. The input of the entire band results in a strong album.
I am already amazed by the beautiful piano notes in ‘Lament For The Fallen’, they pass into a sensitive, glissando guitar solo. This song fluently passes into ‘Aesis Lilim’. They cut loose in heavy, spanking riffing, while keyboards add an atmospheric tinge in the background. Leeni-Maria’s soprano vocals are high-pitched and sturdy male choirs and raucous screams of Joni add a rougher edge. ‘Seawitch And The Sorcerer’ is one of the songs with orchestral arrangements. I also notice some slightly progressive guitar runs. This is a heavy song with few soothing female vocals. The final part is a bit chaotic, but very black-ish. ‘The Visitor’ is a catchy song. The varied vocal lines are very fetching. ‘Manalan Vartija’ starts with dripping keyboards. It is dramatic and menacing, but it also includes a very nice guitar solo. With the unpronounceable title ‘Tuoppelin’nostelulaulu’ we end up in the bar. This drinking song is very folkloristic and cheerful and it is mainly based on rough bard vocals. But it is obvious that Kivimetsän Druidi does not only focus on pagan/folk metal only anymore. Many songs will also appeal to a gothic metal audience and the symphonic rock in ‘Chant Of The Winged One’ reminds me a bit of Turisas. The heaviest track is ‘Of Betrayal’, with only black metal vocals of Joni, this mid-paced song turned into one of my favourite ones. Fast hacking with blastbeats! The final track ‘Desolation: White Wolf’ is also a stunner. The piano sounds romantic, the arrangements are highfaluting and it includes a magnificent guitar solo. All this in between heavy parts and fragments when the band slackens down pace. There is loads of variegation and thus we can conclude that massive touring in Europe and even in the US has taught the band a lot.
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