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Leaves' Eyes: Symphonies of the Night

Melodic/Symphonic/Power Metal

3.5/5.0

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Napalm Records
by Craig Hartranft
10.30.2013

With their fifth album, Symphonies of the Night, Leaves' Eyes basically picks up where they left off with 2011's Meredead. This is largely another platter of their symphonic power metal, sprinkled with folk elements, led by Liv Kristine's operatic vocals and powered by the boys from Atrocity, the Norwegian death, ebm, industrial band having moved to Germany.

Leaves' Eyes: who's the cute one?

While the promo one-sheet was a little short on details, there is a theme here: it appears that all 11 songs are about an historical or fictional female heroine. By example, there's Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet, basically typical Leaves' Eyes blend of symphonic metal with heavy and power metal.

Or the title track about a lesbian vampire (too much information, unless Liv likes girls; then it's, well, you can imagine ...) from a novel by Irish writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Probably one of the best songs here, it has a more epic feel, backing off on the power metal, and adding some slight folk nuances.

It's also one of the songs that doesn't have Alexander Krull's seemingly omnipresent gruff, sort-of-death, vocals. Frankly, I don't recall his presence being this dramatic on Meredead. (But, then again, listening to 75 to 100 albums a month doesn't help with clear recollection.)

With the aforementioned Ophelia, he's just annoying, or grating perhaps, on Hell to the Heavens and Maid of Lorraine, and that's only mentioning three songs. Where Leaves Eyes succeeds is when drop they creepy male vocals and bump up the folk and gothic metal angle as with Galswintha, Nightshade, or Saint Cecilia.

Nevertheless, Leaves' Eyes still writes good symphonic power metal tunes and, as always, Liv Kristine is in excellent form. Recommended if you like the genre (and gruff male pseudo-death vocals).

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Symphonies of the Night, is largely of the same from Leaves' Eyes: symphonic power metal, sprinkled with folk elements, led by Liv Kristine's operatic vocals and powered by the boys from Atrocity.

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Three years have passed since Sweden's Cruzh dropped their second long-player, Tropical Thunder, also introducing their new singer, Alex Waghorn. Now the band returns with The Jungle Revolution ... [ Read More ]