LEAVES´ EYES „Vinland Saga”

May 30, 2005

Music: epic gothic metal
Website: www.leaveseyes.com
www.napalmrecords.com
Country: Germany/Norway/Austria
Good songs: Farewell proud men, Elegy, Leaves´ Eyes, For Amelie…
Duration: 14 Songs – 53:17 Min

Contact:
info@napalmrecords.com

Discographie:
Lovelorn – 2004
Vinland Saga – 2005

Only one year after the release of the debut album „Lovelorn“ LEAVES´ EYES send their follower: „Vinland Saga“. Totally different than “Lovelorn”, the second album includes different subjects: This second concept album deals with the discovery of America by Leiv Eiriksson. Furthermore the story is about a crew member and his wife who has to stay at home. The topic is difficult and so we can hope for a big thing.

Soulful orchestrations harmonize in the title song and opener „Vinland Saga“ and abducts you to a romantic, but cruel world. Not only that song is sung with angel-like tongues of the Norwegian singer Liv.

Already „Farewell proud men“ is a powerful song and has got mighty choirs. „Elegy“ (there´s also a wonderful videoclip of that song on the CD) lives from the facets of Liv´s voice as well.

Gentle ballads like „Leaves´ Eyes“, that Liv dedicates to her live audience and her son at shows or the dulcet, fragile „Mourning tree“, take turns with opera-like vocals („Solemn sea“) and tender voices („Elegy“).

Dark growls are accounted for by Liv´s husband and ATROCITY frontshouter Alexander Krull again. Those give heaviness to a few songs songs („Solemn sea“ and „The thorn“). Here Alex´ voice never drowns Liv out or operates destructively. No, he works supportingly.

„Twilight sun“ and „Heal“ belong to the metal genre, whereas „Ankomst“ and „For Amelie“ depends to be the folkloristical direction.

Altogether I cannot see a development of the songwriting or the voice of the sympathic singer, but anyway, in that case stagnancy is no regression! Because “Vinland Saga” comes to life because of the expression and not because of the (sometimes inexistent) brutality of the songs.

The whole CD finally is a stream; everything fits together. A little weak point is “Amhran“ that is a very folkloristic impression and that doesn´t give much to me.

To no point in time, you can say that the song constructions are kitschy or too romantic. Wonderful melodies harmonize with sentimental melancholy and passion.

In former times you could compare „Lovelorn“ with WITHIN TEMPTATION. Now this cannot be done anymore with that album. The band shows a true autonomy with „Vinland Saga“.

The whole CD disposes of an orchestral soundtrack character. This is why „Vinland Saga“ makes a difference to the debut „Lovelorn“. Totally seen, album No. 2 is much more softer and more silent than the debut album and maybe therefore a little weaker than „Lovelorn“.

Get it!

note: 9/10

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 – 4:06
7. Misseri – 3:51
8. Amhran (Song of the winds) – 2:48
9. New found land – 3:28
10. Mourning tree – 4:04
11. Twilight sun – 3:23
12. Ankomst – 3:55
13. Heal (Bonus track) – 3:59
14. For Amelie (New Version – Bonus track) – 3:37
15. Elegy (Videoclip)
16. Interview (Video)
17. Making of a saga (Video)

Line-up

Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull – Vocals
Thorsten Bauer – Guitars
Mathias Röderer – Guitars
Christian Lukhaup – Bass
Martin Schmidt – Drums
Alexander Krull – Vocals/Programming.