Kiuas - Reformation (2006)

I respected Kiuas' debut SPIRIT OF UKKO more than I really liked it, and I was wondering whether to continue with the band, but based on the good reviews they've received, and reasonable popularity (and the fact that I've already bought all their four albums they've done thus far), I thought I'd keep going, and that was a pleasing decision.
Again, this has them showing attractive variety in style, with shifting time signatures to keep one guessing, and also more catchy songs than can be found on its predecessor.  Such song sas "The New Chapter" and "Of Ancient Wounds" are highlights, while "Black Winged Goddess" has black metal leanings, in music and vocals, that I actually like (although I, seriously, will never become a black metal fan), and "Bleeding Strings", with its pumping chorus, is a classic.  Then there's the last song, "Reformation (Wrath Of The Old Gods)" which has them touching on the world of epic fantasy.
I still find Kiuas a bit hard to get into, but they seem ready to expand themselves so much, with results that can be very impressive, that they're certainly unlikely to ever get stuck in a rut, keeping them interesting and alive.

***1/2