Kivimetsän Druidi - Betrayal, Justice, Revenge

Lament for the Fallen
Aesis Lilim
Seawitch and the Sorcerer
The Visitor
Manalan vartija
Tuoppein nostelulaulu
Chant of the Winged One
Of Betrayal
Desolation: White Wolf

Finland seems to be successful for the three F’s in metal - female vocals, fantasy and folk. So when Kivimetsän Druidi emerge with an album that contains all of the above ingredients and then mix it with some epic power metal and thrashy riffs, it appears to be the near perfect formula. ‘Betrayal, Justice, Revenge’ manages to jump from one genre to another so effortlessly it’s inevitable this album will please an array of communities within the alternative scene. The beauty and the beast style between Leeni-Maria Hovila’s Tarja tendencies and Joni Koskinen’s harsh black metal rasp manages to blend nicely but is better when separated on alternating songs, such as ‘Of Betrayal’ which contains no operatic vocals.

Despite Kivimetsän Druidi stirring up so many styles, they do so without the usual cheese that accompanies a lot of power and folk metal; symphonic instruments are kept subtle and despite fantasy themes in their lyrics, no gimmicks are added. For fans who dabble toward the more extreme end of the metal spectrum, stand out songs include ‘Of Betrayal’ and ‘Seawitch and the Sorcerer’, while ‘Aesis Lilim’ follows a more Nightwish-esque musical template.

This latest instalment from the Finns is a similar sound to their debut ‘Shadowheart’ but the music is still full of dark atmospheric turns in a magical land that almost creates a cinematic soundtrack for anyone listening all the way through. Overall the production and mature musicianship are of a high standard and the nine songs could easily be mistaken for a Moonsorrow and Nightwish mash-up, which is what makes this album so accessible to many.

Review By Lily Randall
‘Betrayal, Justice, Revenge’ is out 26th April on Century Media