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Kalidia: Lies' Device

Melodic/Heavy/Power Metal

3.0/5.0

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Unsigned / Self-released
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 25.06.2014

On the strength of an EP and sharing the stage with some European heavyweights, like Vision Divine, DGM, Timo Tolkki, and Fabio Lione, Kalidia brings their debut full-length album, Lies' Device. Here's the summation at the start: this is average European female-fronted melodic power metal.

Kalidia: in the darkness.

More specifically then, by average, I don't mean bad, by any means. It's only that you've likely heard this before, yet done with more ingenuity. Like many of their Italian power metal band cousins, Kalidia is not grossly bombastic in riffage and orchestral synths. There seems more a balance of instruments, with the guitar solos being some of the best features of the album. But this single element is not enough to carry what are generally merely adequate arrangements of melodic power metal.

You would think with a female lead vocalist, this would be another pillar of strength to carry the album. Unfortunately, it's not. Vocalist Nicoletta Rosellini has a pleasing voice. But whether by self-imposed restraint or poor mixing and mastering, her role is subdued and weak in this recording. If the fault is from the latter, which I'm guessing it is, then Kalidia should kick Alessio Lucatti's ass, get their money back, and re-record the album with better talent.

Nevertheless, while overcoming some of these drawbacks is a challenge. Lies' Device will grow on you. Black Magic, The Lost Mariner, In Black and White, and the title track are some of the better pieces here, with those last two having an almost prog metal feel. They're also songs, along with Shadow Will Be Gone, where Ms Rosellini's voice stands out better. It even seems stronger in the second half of the album. But I think that's only because, by the midpoint, my ears were trained to pick up her voice. One of low points of the album is Harbinger of Serenity where the band has some dummy attempting death vocals; that was a mistake. Overall, as said before, Kalidia's Lies' Device is adequate female-fronted melodic power metal.

Kalidia - Lies' Device

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Kalidia's Lies' Device is adequate female-fronted melodic power metal, from a band who has some talent and promise.

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