Speaking of judging a book by its cover, check out THEM apples. I mean… wow…. right? Feel free to make any judgments you want about Kivimetsan Druidi; they’re probably all correct.

Still with me?

Ok, then. Our sisters from another mistress over at Reign in Blonde posted the above cover this morning with a one word album review: “SRSLY.” Fair enough… I’m pretty sure Kivimetsan Druidi are dead fucking serious. Swept up by Century Media in The Great Pagan/Folk Metal Signing Fad of 2008 — and subsequently passed over by metal fans in The Great Whoops-This-Trend-Isn’t-As-Popular-As-Labels-Thought purge of 2009 — Kivimetsan’s twist on Pagan/Folk is that they’re a bit thrashier at times than many of their peers and they have a female singer. ‘Cause ya know, every Pagan/Folk outfit’s gotta have some twist. Not that these guys aren’t decent; they’re perfectly aight, but the metal world needs this band about as much as Lacuna Coil needs their male vocalist.

Anyhoo, Kivimetsan Druidi have a new album coming out on April 23rd, the genre-fitting title of which is Betrayal, Justice, Revenge. Check that out if the above cover intrigues you.

-VN

Heathenfest America, the not-Paganfest-monikered tour which is otherwise basically Paganfest for all intents and purposes, gets underway next week! Break out those viking hats and beer steins and get on out there to catch Eluveite, Belphegor, Alestorm (the superior pirate metal band), Vreid and Kivimetsan Druidi at what’s sure to be the best / dorkiest / drunkest show of the Fall. Full list of dates for the MetalSucks-sponsored trek after the jump.

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The headline says it all; isn’t that lineup awesome? It’s kind of like Paganfest except slightly less dorky / more evil (nothing against Paganfest — we love that tour too). We were bummed Eluveitie canceled this year’s Paganfest II appearance so we’re excited to see them again, and we’re all for a tour that includes blackened death metallers Belphegor and the better-of-the-two pirate metal bands, Alestorm. Kivimetsan Druidi and Vreid are mostly new to me but they seem like they’ll fit right in on this tour.

Honestly, this year’s Paganfest was a bit underwhelming so perhaps this is a chance for redemption. Korpiklaani shouldn’t have been headliners, and while the lineup was solid it wasn’t strong enough to bring out all the crazy pagan-metal partiers: I was the only douchebag in the entire place wearing a viking helmet, for realz. Seeing as Heathenfest kicks off in the dark, dim early days of November, maybe it’ll provide a good excuse for sun-deprived metalheads to go and get rowdy with some frosty brews and pagan metal. Psyched!

-VN