Kalidia - Lies' Device
Kalidia - CD Review
Lies' Device
CD Info
2014
Self Released
10 Tracks
English Lyrics
Kalidia is a relatively new, young band on the scene, coalescing in 2010 in guess what country? That's right - Italy! That country is definitely giving countries like Germany and Finland a run for their money as metal Mecca, because it just continues to pump out great band after great band. In fact, I should nickname the Italy the Mediterranean Metal Mecca, because that's pretty much what it is these days. Kalidia is just the latest band I've been introduced to that hails from there, but if you are a regular reader of my reviews, you'll know that I think the world of Italian metal and that the bands who are from Italy are typically the shizz.
As I said, Kalidia is a young band, and they have one previous release, an EP entitled Dance of the Four Winds, which I have not heard as of yet. Their first full-length release is called Lies' Device, and it came out in the fall of 2014.
Touting themselves as "melodic power metal", which is a bit redundant because all power metal is melodic, and calling Lucca, in north central Italy home, Kalidia has come out with a pretty good debut that impressed me with its more modern approach to power metal. What I mean by that is that the band can pull off power metal without the typical song structures and predictable tempo changes I usually immediately identify with the genre. While still fast, of course, Kalidia mixes their structures up by throwing in the odd surprising slower section where you might not expect it, or having the drums drive the faster sections with aggression and intensity.
There are a couple of other elements key to Kalidia's approach. For one thing, their vocalist, the lovely Nicoletta Rosellini, has a much lower range to her voice than one might be used to if you've been around this genre a lot. But being low, it certainly does not lack power, and it has a lovely resonance. Also, many of the vocal lines in all of the songs contain two or three part harmonies, which is something I really like because it makes the vocals that much richer and prettier to listen to. The harmonies are intuitively placed and are not overdone or overused, elevating Nicoletta's voice, rather than competing with it.
The other element I want to point out here is the keys. Performed by Nicola Azzola, the keyboard parts do not involve the typical synthesizer sounds we might be accustomed to, but rather utilize various different sounds, like the organ, and more mellow tones that are quite sonorous.
"The Lost Mariner" is the first track, and it starts off with a great organ-like intro before the gallopping tempo of the song kicks in. This is great power metal! The first song on an album is always the most important one, in my opinion, and Kalidia chose well in using this one. It gives us all the elements to expect for the duration of the CD.
"Hiding the Sun" is another great song, and there are many standouts on this release, including the title track, "Lies' Device", which is also the first single, and which has an accompanying video you can see here. The ballad, "Shadow Will Be Gone", shows off the softer side of the band. There are also a couple of tracks featuring guest musicians. The first one is "Harbinger of Serenity" which features Andrea Racco, who sings for Etherna, performing a duet with Nicoletta, and the second guest is on the final track, "In Black and White," which features Alessandro Lucatti on guitar, who is the guitarist for Etherna. I have never heard of Etherna, but I might have to check them out.
I really enjoyed Kalidia's effort here in Lies' Device. The songs are all well-written and have really good hooks, and the musicianship is solid. For a young band, this is a mature debut that holds a lot of promise for the future. With a decent social media presence, Kalidia, I believe, has all the elements in place for success. They are featured in the most recent ProgPower USA compilation CD, which is a pretty big deal, and are getting some attention from European metal publications that will definitely up their profile.
It's really nice to see new female-fronted power metal bands popping up here and there, as it is pretty a male-dominated sub-genre and Kalidia is one band to watch out for.
8/10
