Review | Leaves’ Eyes – Myths of Fate

AFM Records

German – Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves’ Eyes has been a constant factor in the metal scene. They were one of the frontrunners in the genre binding folk and mythology elements in their music and lyrics, soon shooting root wider. With the addition of Elina Siirala the band around band leader Alexander Krull maintained its quest and widened their musical horizon, as `Myths of Fate’ displays on numerous accounts.

MELODIC MAYHEM

Setting sail with their Viking vessel in the colorful opening of ,,Forged in Fire”, Leaves’ Eyes reveal this widened scope while not straying from their origins. The song packs great momentum and Elina displays her vocal prowess pitching out high towards her grunting counterpart Krull. The agonizing roars from his gut inject the right swagger to make the epic song tower with emotion, pitching perfectly towards the wondrous ,,Realm of Dark Waves”. Densely layered symphonic elements fused onto folk themes, the band pulls forward with jagged short riffs and wonderful hooks laden atop the melodic mayhem unleashed. 

Rounding up the triplet of YouTube releases, ,,Who wants to Live forever” drones in with low bass and steady drums that transcend into the bridge with thunderous rolls. Guitars are powerful and fade out with long stretches underneath Elina’s angelic vocals. She sings clean and pitches high, with tons of emotion. The lyrical content close to their Norse heritage, the music comes across genuine and honest, injecting the right dose of pride. Melodic it packs the right tone and meanders with nesting melodies.

,,Hammer of the Gods” is heavier and more powerful, like Thor swinging his hammer down onto earth. Krull’s grunts are agonizing, Elina’s vocals vivid and gracefully dancing around the heavy pounding drum and bass. Still high on its melodic unload the song delves deeper in the heavy realms of their past. 

BATTLE CRY

Even heavier, ,,Sons of Triglav” fires the heaviest war drums ever delivered by Leaves’ Eyes. The epic folk woven into the hard pounding drums and riffs, the song rouses with battle cry and Krull’s heavy snarling rasp rolls forward the gut-wrenching bliss of the song’s war call. The song hails the Vikings to embark onto Slavic grounds to battle the three-headed Pomeranian warlord.  Elemental is the Norse folk theme scatting through, making the song meaty, yet beautiful on its epic output. 

,,Einherjar” is another deeply mythologic rooted song about the fallen warriors chosen by Valkyrie to reside in Walhalla for eternity. The danceable beat and epic melodies are emphasizing the celebration until Gotterdammerung in Ragnarok. Sterling guitar theme weaves into the instrumental section before the heavy grunt of Krull takes the helm unleashing its sheer power into a great close harmony guitar duel and Elina pressing on the heavy melodics with a powerful vocal execution before the epic folk theme returns to the fold. 

,,Sail with the Death” combines all these elements of their benchmark epic sound with heavy metal grandiosity. Hard buzzing riffs and pumping agonizing key strokes amidst the ponderous beats. Heavy scatted chants rouse the atmosphere with Elina pitching soprano vocals. Moaning and wailing in the refrains, she brings a great vocal delivery forward for Krull to feed off. The interaction is on par, well aligned with the heavy ponder of the song’s war call.

LEAVES’ EYES – THE CONCLUSION

Within these extremely well-crafted epic songs the scenic impact of tracks like the lush meandering ,,In Eternity” and following strutting ,,Fear the Serpent” are wonderful centerpieces. Blending towering melodies with harmonized guitar and keys, these tracks instantly nest. Outdoing this melodic mastery Leaves’ Eyes brings the colorful ,,Goddess of the Night” forward. Almost celestial it delves deep in the folk of the north with colorful instrumentation. Rolling (hand) drums, piano, ethereal strings and flute bring a wonderful scenery forward, with Elina laying down a gutted and beautiful vocal delivery. High in her echo, she whispers her vocals onto us with angelic timid appeal. The guitar solo in line, the song briefly builds for a, yet short, grandiose heavier end.

Another one of these magnificent enchanting melodic tracks is ,,Elder Spirit” with its great AOR-ish vocal execution and Elina singing in clean tone, towering higher towards Krull’s snarls. The song easily is one of their most memorable melodic tracks to date.

Leaves’ Eyes brings a wider range of styles to the front, keenly woven into the rich tapestry of their symphonic metal. It aligns perfectly with the lyrical content of their mythologic songs and the musical outline makes the songs gain intensity and wonderful momentum. `Myths of Fate’ is full of wonderful moments and displays the band’s insane capabilities as creators, well brought forward by their wonderful videos preceding this release. Check it out! 

Release date: 22 March 2024