European power metal has become one of my favorite genres lately. Actually, power metal in general, which likely hearkens back to my childhood growing up with bands like Rainbow. At this point in the year, any power metal I review will be judged against Rise of the Hero by Iron Savior, which is one of the best I’ve heard in a long time, so there is a high standard to meet. Kalidia also have some high expectations to meet based on other bands from Italy, like Mourn in Silence and Sleeping Romance, with Sleeping Romance even being somewhat similar in style.
By now, it should be obvious that Kalidia hail from Italy and more specifically the city of Lucca which is toward the western coast and a little bit north of Pisa. The band began in 2010 with Nocoletta (vocals), Federico (guitar), Alessandro (drums) and Nicola (keyboards) and the current lineup was completed in 2012 when Roberta joined to fill the bass guitar role. Late in 2012 the band released the ep “Dance of the Four Winds” to good reviews. Lies Device, which is the debut album by Kalidia was recorded in the last four months of 2013, and not long after the beginning of 2014, Alessandro left the band and Gabriele joined to take up the role of drummer.
The first thing one will notice about the sound from Kalidia is the dominating keyboards, which comes at you from the opening of the first track “The Lost Mariner” and continues to be a theme throughout the album. My personal taste would have the guitars dominate the sound more, but that is not the case with Lies Device. The second thing one can’t help but notice are the clean female vocals from Nicoletta Rossellini, which are very smooth, and at times hauntingly beautiful throughout the album. It does, however, seem that Nicoletta is still trying to fully find her place within the songs as there is a softer tone throughout, almost a lack of power that does come through.
For a debut album, Lies Device is very well done. Musicianship is excellent throughout but there seems to be a noticeable lack of guitars compared to what I would expect in power metal. There are some guitar solos here and there but for most of the album, they keyboards dominate. One of the best tracks for guitar work is “In Black and White” which actually features a guest guitar player, Alessandro Lucatti (Etherna). Even in this song though, the keyboards tend to dominate at times, but the guitar work is more in line with what I would expect in the genre. The other most interesting track on Lies Device would have to be Harbinger of Serenity, which like “In Black and White” features a guest performer, this time vocals from Andrea Rocco (also from Etherna). The interplay between Nicoletta’s clean and Andrea’s gritty, snarling vocals adds a unique touch to the song.
Overall, Lies Device is a very strong debut album for Kalidia. There are moments of brilliance on Lies Device that show the potential of the band, but in general, it seems as if the band chose to take a generally safe approach to song writing and as a result, most of the tracks tend to blend together. That being said, those moments of brilliance do shine and show the potential of the band as they develop their sound. Lies Device is a strong debut album and leaves one with the impression that Kalidia is one of those bands you want to stick around for a while because it will be fun to see how their sound evolves.
Rating: 6.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist:
1. The Lost Mariner
2. Hiding From The Sun
3. Dollhouse (Labyrinth Of Thoughts)
4. Reign Of Kalidia
5. Harbinger Of Serenity
6. Black Magic
7. Shadow Will Be Gone
8. Lies’ Device
9. Winged Lords
10. In Black And White
Band Members:
Nicoletta Rosellini – Vocals
Federico Paolini – Guitar
Nicola Azzola – Keyboards
Roberto Donati – Bass
Gabriele Basile – Drums
Albums:
“Dance of the Four Winds” [2012]
“Lies Device” [2014]
Record Label: Independent, June, 2014
Video below ‘The Lost Mariner’ (demo version}
Lyric video ‘Black Magic’