Leaves’ Eyes

Vinland Saga

Napalm Records

Liv Kristine (of Theatre Of Tragedy fame) fronts this intriguing Gothic band which revolves around Viking lore. More symphonic than a lot of other Gothic bands, Leaves’ Eyes manages to create rich and epic-feeling songs, all the while squeezing in the journey of the legendary Vikings. They do a very epic take on the Gothic genre, and it works well. At times, they even remind me of Nightwish, a band that doesn’t really fit into the whole Gothic category at all.

In my opinion, the only thing keeping Leaves’ Eyes anchored in Gothic is the male growler. He is absent for the first three tracks, then
all of a sudden he bursts onto the scene with a whole-hearted Death growl. His overall presence is limited, thankfully, because I really don’t think he fits the music that they’re making. Unlike most Gothic bands that use the tried and true combination of beautiful female singer versus harsh male growler/screecher, it just doesn’t work in this case. I hesitate to call this Pop Goth, but tracks like “Elegy” and “Leaves’ Eyes” verge on the border between what’s Gothic and what’s light Rock. This is not a criticism by any means; it’s simply a realization. The softer ballad feel of these two tracks suits the band well. The intermittent growls do not. Tristania could pull it off, as could Liv’s first band, but it just feels so awkward in this context. A clean male singer would have been so much more effective.

However, the growls are really the only thing negative about this group. Their hooks are catchy, they can be heavy and driving when they want to be, as well as being soft and delicate, and they refrain from becoming too cheesy. That’s quite a feat, because doing a concept album about Vikings is tricky business. The danger of slipping into cheese is always present, but they work their way through it with skilled song writing and clever musical ideas. The orchestration deserves special mention for feeling so natural and beautiful. The choruses sweep you away, and the tracks are just the right length. If you are a fan of Gothic Metal, you are strongly advised to pick this up, because it’s something a little bit different for your collection. And who knows? Maybe it’s just me who dislikes the growler.

Stu Paterson.