| CD REVIEW Kivimetsän Druidi |
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Band : Kivimetsän Druidi Kivimetsän Druidi (Finnish for “druid of the stone forest”), hailing from Kouvola, Finland was founded in 2002 as a 2-man project of brothers Joni (male vocals & guitar) and Antti (keyboards) Koskinen. Their lyrics are based on the novel (The land Of The Crystal Mountain And Stone Forest) which the first is writing, justifying a classification into the Fantasy Metal category. His biggest musical influence is Moonsorrow, yet the first demos earned the band a categorisation into the Folk Metal category. In 2004 the duo enlists several people to make KmD a full-fletched band able to perform: female singer Annika Laaksonen, lead guitarist Antti Rinkinen (named “Rinksa” for comfort), synth player Lukas Pearsal, and bassist Jouni Riihelä. But it wouldn’t be until 2005 before drummer Ville Ryöti completes the line-up. Evidently, the joining memberrs each have their own musical influences, which they bring into the band’s music. Still, as always with a beginning band, sometimes differing musical points of view make for people leaving. In 2006 a first line-up change occurs when Laaksonen is exchanged for one Jenni Onishko, and the year after sees even bigger changes in the line-up. Besides the replacement of the rhythm section by bassist Simo Lehtonen and drummer Atte Marttinen, Pearson leaves…not to be replaced! Eventually the last membership replacement occurs in early 2008, when Leeni-Maria Hovila takes her position as the band’s female singer. Over the years the band produced several demos and EPs (including 2003’s Kristallivuoren Maa, 2004’s Taival, 2006’s Mustan Valtikan Aika, 2007’s The New Chapter, and 2008’s Taottu), and as time went on the band’s very own style was distilled from the members’ different influences. Therefore other classifications for the music, such as “Folk Metal”, “Symphonic Metal”, and “Extreme Metal” also became justified! In essence, what you get is a very nice Extreme, Thrash-flavoured Heavy Metal with mixed vocals (Joni bringing the Black/ Death screams and growls, while Leeni-Maria brings in a somewhat soprano-styled female touch, and both Antti K., Simo, and Atte occasionally providing vocal backings). On top, the synths bring (for the most part) a symphonic layer, which the band occasionally exchanges for a more Folk-geared one, depending on the song. The band itself prferes to see their music called “Extreme Fantasy Metal” and, well…that’s not a bad way to put what we hear on the band’s albums! The stability in the band, both in its line-up and musical direction, apparently didn’t go unnoticed in the music business, and in 2008 the band was signed to Century Media, leading to the release of the band’s official debut album Shadowheart, later that same year (review by former collegue Guido Claes - one of his last for the website – was posted 06/10/2008). The promotional machine that is that label made sure the band’s 2 European tours (including several 2009 festivals) in support of the album became an absolute success, as well as the recent North American tour in November 2009 (dubbed Heathenfest America, the billing of the shows included fellow European bands Eluveitie, Belphegor, Alestorm, and Vreid). The tour actually came in between recording sessions for the new album (started September and ended in December, but I guess that includes the mixing by Aki Väkivä in collaboration with the band). Mastering, by the way, was done by Mika Jusila at the renowned Finnvox studios, in early 2010. This time around the album was more of a band effort, because even if the Roskinen wrote most of the material, the other bandmembers’ contributions were not ignorable. Obviously, with the material of the debut album goin’ back into the band’s history up to 4 years, there hadn’t been much room for input from the other bandmembers, something which obviously changed with the more comfortable line-up the band has these days. Leeni-Maria, for instance, wrote most of the lyrics, and that’s probably why she felt more comfortable with ‘em and gave a better performance, something which both the label and other reviewers have been enchanted about…and I’m certain the band’s fans will love as well. Of course, I have no way of comparing, since I never heard the debut album, but what she does on thís album is certainly very, véry nice!!! Now, as for the material itself…for the most part the 9 tracks have Symphonic overtones of Epic proportions, but there’s some nice differenciating details. Opening track “Lament For The Fallen” for instance, is an instrumental which opens with a serene bit of piano, before an etheric guitar is added. The track actually serves as an intro to the ensuing “Aesis Lilim”, into which it seemlessly slides thanks to an increased intensity at the end of the instrumental. There’s a bit of a Folk intrusion halfway and towards the end of 4th track “The Visitor” (just short bits where the lead guitar somewhat resembles a bagpipe). The ensuing “Manalan Vartija” surprises with the inclusion of Finnish (ehr…I guess) lyrics, something which comes back (mixed with English) in the ensuing “Tuoppein’nostelulaulu”. And now thàt is the first song on the album which actually deserves the “Folk” tag put on it (what with the hand clapping, the fiddle keyboards, and male vocal backings, you won’t be able to mistake it for anything else). The track has a weird bonus, as after it’s done, there’s a short silence, and on the same track then begins a serenely calm intro (again, seemlessly fitted) into the ensuing “Chant Of The Winged One”. The band returns to the Folk side of their music only once again on the album, and that’s with closing track “Desolation: White Wolf” (which knows an instrumental intro again, and has someone backing Leeni-Maria with female vocals – or would that be keyboard-generated, perhaps?). But before that they again deviate from their “normal” mode by having Joni sing solo during “Of Betrayal”, culminating in a far darker side of the band. To say that this sextet has grown into a well-oiled machinery that puts out the most delicious kind of music, is somewhat of a matter-of-fact (understate)statement, and I strongly advice fans of Symphonic and Folk Metal to check out the band’s music at myspace.com/kivimetsandruidi (only 2 songs off the new album posted when I last checked, but there’s also 4 off the debut). In the blogs you’ll also find liner notes for every track on the album. Weirdly enough, although you would expect a label like Century Media to secure places on festivals and organize tours for their bands in advance of the release of a new album, when I checked last the band’s announced live activities were rather thin. Keep checking for a change. 93/100 Tony. |