Century Media
Release : october 20th 2008

Tracklist “Shadowheart” :
Northwind – Prelude
Blacksmith
Jäässä Varttunut
Halls of Shadowheart
Pedon Loitsu
Burden
The Tyrant
Tiarnách - Verinummi
Verivala
Korpin Laulu
Mustan Valtikan Aika

Kivimetsän Druidi is coming from Finland and releases its first album « Shadowheart ». The style of the group is a mix of symphonic metal, celtic folk and extreme metal, black metal to be more precise. The tracks are relatively epic with a melancholic side. If the keyboards are well present it is mostly to give background melodies but also the atmospheres and the ambiences of the songs. The guitars are also very preset with heavy and powerful riffs, at the same times aggressive and melodic. The vocals are shared between Joni’s growls, also one of the guitar players, founder member of the group with his brother Antti, and keyboards player of the group, and Leeni-Maria who has a lyric, soprano voice. I like the vocals mix but I admit that Leeni-Maria is too much linear, too little varied vocally speaking and her vocals does irritate me on some songs along the listening, but all the question of taste… the symphonic passages are succeeding to typically folk or black metal passages and all is well at place and coherent. The tracks are of relatively complex conception, with frequent changings in rhythms and in atmospheres, but also passages with keyboards, piano, acoustic guitars. The rhythmic section is efficient and powerful, especially on the drums level, rather vigourous. The tracks have the benefit of good instrumental and orchestral arrangements, and we also have well done soli whatever they are done with guitars or keyboards.
At the end Kivimetsän Druidi gives us an efficient and well done album which is nice to listen.

Line up :
Leeni-maria (chant)
Joni (growl/guitare)
Rinksa (guitare)
Antti (claviers/backing vocals)
Simo (basse/backing vocals)
Atte (batterie/backing vocals)

Contacts :
www.kivimetsandruidi.com
www.myspace.com/kivimetsandruidi