LEAVES’ EYES “Legend Land” /MCD/

The third EP by legendary Norwegian/German Symphonic/Gothic/Folk Metal band.
The EP released just a month before the third studio album, “Njord”. So, it should come as no surprise that news of a new album from the sextet draws some pretty strong reactions. Until then, which is mid to late September, Leaves’ Eyes offers a taste of things to come in the album in an EP titled "My Destiny".
The results, as you would expect, would depend on which side of the fence you’re on when it comes to the band. Leaves’ Eyes is one of those bands that you will either really love or hate with a vengeance. No matter where you stand on Leaves' Eyes, "My Destiny" EP will reinforce your opinion of Leaves' Eyes one way or the other.
The music catches up with the vocals more often than in the past. Liv Kristine was made for this kind of music. Her voice is at the forefront of the music. The EP provides a good idea of what to expect when the band releases its new full length and offers a few surprises of its own!
Napalm Records Handels GmbH, 2009 (NPR 303). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. My Destiny 04:13
2. The Battle Of Maldon (Non Album Track) 04:23
3. Scarborough Fair (Acoustic Version - Non Album Track) 03:24
4. Northbound 04:22
5. Nine Wave Maidens (Non Album Track) 03:24
6. My Destiny (Remix - Non Album Track) 04:12
Total playing time: 24:01 min.

The debut full-length studio album by legendary Norwegian/German Symphonic/Gothic/Folk Metal band.
The band was formed by Liv Kristine (ex- Theatre of Tragedy) and the entire line-up of Atrocity. Almost all vocals on the album are by Liv Kristine, but there are also some death growls by Alexander Krull (Liv’s husband at that time) of Atrocity. Alex Krull also produced the album.
"Lovelorn" is undeniably a Metal record, but it seems to be split between two main moods: Gothic/Symphonic Operatics, and a warmer Folksier slant, complete with acoustic instrumentation and Atmospheric world music focus.
Liv Kristine finally gets the chance to unfurl a bit and show off her singing chops. She still has that iconic breathiness that she eventually learned to not do so much. She handles her own vocal melodies and lyrics with much more confidence and gusto than anything else she's done before, and the instrumentation meets her power quite well. The band essentially adds rhythm and girth, but the real draw to this record is the melodies. Lead vocals, harmonies, and various layers of keyboard and piano frills, etc. This is where most of the appeal and drama lives in this album.
The material on "Lovelorn" is generally strong. The atmosphere is rich, and the melodies are strong and catchy, and the inclusion of the Alexander's beast to Liv's beauty on some of these songs adds harshness to balance out the ephemeral tone of the album. Every song does include the twanging of the Folk acoustics, but it doesn't infringe upon the darker soundscape that they've made, it just adds texture.
"Lovelorn" is a strong and pleasant record; it doesn't do anything radically new or different, but it was a successful launch of Liv Kristine as the face of a new band, in which she took more of an active role in the music she was singing. It was also a successful launch of this band as a whole.
Enhanced CD includes media section with video clip “Into Your Light”.
Napalm Records, 2004 (NPR 145). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Norwegian Lovesong / Chapter I 3:43
2. Tale Of The Sea Maid / Chapter II 3:48
3. Ocean´s Way / Chapter III 3:32
4. Lovelorn / Chapter IV 4:11
5. The Dream / Chapter V 4:59
6. Secret / Chapter VI 4:31
7. For Amelie / Chapter VII 3:38
8. Temptation / Chapter VIII 3:44
9. Into Your Light / Chapter IX 5:33
10. Return To Life / Chapter X 4:09
Total playing time: 41:48 min.

11. Into Your Light (Video) 4:29

The second full-length studio album by legendary Norwegian/German Symphonic/Gothic/Folk Metal band.
A concept album that tells the story of the voyage of the Norse explorer Leif Erikson and his discovery of Vinland.
The main vocals are by the Norwegian singer Liv Kristine, but some harsh vocals performed by her former husband and producer Alexander Krull can be heard on the songs "Solemn Sea", "The Thorn", and "New Found Land".
In the vast sea of female-fronted Symphonic Metal outfits, "Vinland Saga" made quite a splash. It is a lush, gorgeous, ideally structured, haunting concept album that perfectly captures the Scandinavian spirit with its blend of folk-tinged songs, choral pieces and heavyweight beauty-and-the-beast numbers. It is right up there with the very best of the genre, like Within Temptation's "Mother Earth" and Nightwish's "Dark Passion Play".
Enhanced CD includes media section with video clip “Elegy”.
Napalm Records, 2005 (NPR 164). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Vinland Saga 3:12
2. Farewell Proud Men 4:04
3. Elegy 5:07
4. Solemn Sea 3:44
5. Leaves' Eyes 3:59
6. The Thorn 4:05
7. Misseri (Turn Green Meadows Into Grey) 3:50
8. Amhrán (Song Of The Winds) 2:48
9. New Found Land 3:28
10. Mourning Tree 4:03
11. Twilight Sun 3:22
12. Ankomst 6:27
Total playing time: 48:09 min.

13. Elegy (Video Clip)

The third full-length studio album by legendary Norwegian/German Symphonic/Gothic/Folk Metal band.
With "Njord", Leaves' Eyes embarks on yet another enthralling journey through the myths and sagas of the North. "Njörðr" comes from Norse mythology and is a name associated to the Vanir god of the sea and the wind. In this album, the band used for the first time a full orchestra and choir and wrote for them suitable arrangements.
The strong and sonorous compositions familiar to the band's fan base have been further developed. The adventure begins with the title track's powerful and sombre choruses and orchestra. Fans will find the continuation of the Leave's Eyes hit "Elegy" in the rocking single "My Destiny", which is only one of the many catchy and soon-to-be hits delivered by Liv and her colleagues. Devilishly enticing are the refrains found on "Take the Devil in Me", "Northbound", and "Through Our Veins", the last of which reminisces in the driving beats of the eighties' rock rhythms. Leaves' Eyes' passion for both heavy and opulent sounds harmonizes perfectly with memorable melodies, as in the epic track "Ragnarok", while "Emerald Island" surprises with heavy double bass passages that are counterattacked by Liv Kristine's haunting vocals. Alongside the lavish hits, Leaves' Eyes always finds room for the more subdued Folk moments, such as in the interpretation of the English traditional song "Scarborough Fair" or the fragile acoustic ballad "Irish Rain". The opus "Froyas Theme" rounds off the Nordic journey, uniting the choral arrangements of the magnificent Lingua Mortis Orchestra with the emotional strength inherent in the new Leaves' Eyes compositions.
"Njord" impressively defends the sextet's claim as the leading force in Symphonic Gothic Rock and Metal!
Napalm Records, 2009 (NPR 304). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Njord 6:14
2. My Destiny 4:13
3. Emerald Island 5:24
4. Take The Devil In Me 3:50
5. Scarborough Fair 4:04
6. Through Our Vains 3:40
7. Irish Rain 4:01
8. Northbound 4:22
9. Ragnarok 5:11
10. Morgenland 2:53
11. The Holy Bond 3:41
12. Froeya´s Theme 8:21
Total playing time: 55:54 min.

The fourth full-length studio album by legendary Norwegian/German Symphonic/Gothic/Folk Metal band.
The album title is inspired by the Old English compound noun meredēað, literally "sea-death". On her website, Liv Kristine saying that "Meredead" could be translated as "dead by the sea".
Produced by Alexander Krull, the album blends the Folk elements from earlier works to shape "Meredead"'s atmospheric tone.
The opening track, "Spirits' Masquerade," incorporates Folk instrumentation, enriching the album’s diverse sound. Tracks like "Étaín" and "Sigrlinn" lyrically evoke the mysticism of ancient cultures, featuring Irish píobaí uilleann pipes to enhance their thematic depth. The album also includes more traditional songs, such as "Nystev" and "Kråkevisa"; the latter employs the Scandinavian nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle. A cover of "To France" reinterprets the tragedy and emotion of Mike Oldfield's classic. 
Supporting vocals and instrumentation on the album are provided by Maite Itoiz and John Kelly (Elfenthal), Carmen Espenæs, the Norwegian Anette Guldbrandsen, and Victor Smolski's Lingua Mortis Orchestra.
Leaves' Eyes has always offered more than just a musical broadening of the horizon. Liv Kristine's use of Old English and Norwegian lyrics narrates fascinating sagas, bringing the listener even closer to a long-forgotten era. Whether a gentle ballad or an opulent opus, the tracks are direct and to the point. With the band's strength and courage, as well as an unorthodox variety, Leaves' Eyes has unequivocally reinvented itself. Refusing to be categorized, Leaves' Eyes dictates its own direction, and with "Meredead" ultimately achieves Symphonic Metal perfection!
Napalm Records, 2011 (NPR 375). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Spirits Masquerade 6:31
2. Etain 3:58
3. Velvet Heart 3:42
4. Krakevisa 4:34
5. To France (Mike Oldfield cover) 4:37
6. Meredead 5:19
7. Sigrlinn 8:47
8. Mine Taror Er Ei Grimme 2:54
9. Empty Horizon 4:58
10. Veritas 0:48
11. Nystev 4:39
12. Tell - Tale Eyes 3:57
Total playing time: 54:44 min.

The fifth full-length studio album by legendary Norwegian/German Symphonic/Folk Metal band.
Heavier and more Epic than previous albums, "Symphonies Of The Night" brings the listener into a world of legends. Majestic and sweeping songs, beautiful melodies that will you breathless and a massive amount of catchiness. Clad with a perfect sound, featuring a real orchestra, choir, Uilean pipes, Irish whistle, fiddle, and dulcimer, Leaves’ Eyes present a musical firework of the highest level. 
Hit songs like the title track, "Fading Earth", "Maid of Loraine" or the Folk tinged "Galswintha" will take the hearts of their fans by storm. The heart of the album is the bombastic "Hymn to the Lone Sands" that combines all Leaves’ Eyes' trademarks and brings the journey of the Northmen to the orient to a new life. The band’s strength is to create atmospheric moments and majestic melodies, which can be heard in songs "Ophelia", "Angel and the Ghost" or "Nightshade".
The record was produced by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio, Germany, and features album artwork by Stefan Heilemann. Like previous albums, "Symphonies Of The Night" features songs sung in different languages, including English, Shakespearean English, Norwegian, French, and Irish. The album title was said to be inspired by "Symphony of the Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky.
Big-time stuff "Symphonies Of The Night" is, specifically if drama-filled Metal is your game, and the sensuous vocals of Kristine get you moving…or excited. This could be the band’s finest hour, an album that seemed predictable at its onset, but shifts from the expected, thus opening new doors for a band who has hung around for nearly a decade without a real stumble.
Napalm Records, 2013 (NPR 513 CD). Made in Austria. Pressed in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Hell To The Heavens 4:32
2. Fading Earth 4:33
3. Maid Of Lorraine 5:13
4. Galswintha 4:14
5. Symphony Of The Night 4:58
6. Saint Cecelia 4:12
7. Hymn To The Lone Sands 5:22
8. Angel And The Ghost 3:36
9. Eleonore De Provence 6:24
10. Nightshade 6:41
11. Ophelia 4:24
Total playing time: 54:09 min.