To avoid arguments, it was agreed that as I reviewed the E.P. way back in…ohh…last month, that I would tackle the album as well. So with ‘My Destiny’ still fresh in my mind, a couple of these tracks already sounded familiar and perhaps sped up the usual process of allowing a new album to grow on me. With Alex Krull providing only backing growls here and there, I would consider Leaves’ Eyes a female fronted band; and in the overpopulated ocean of femme metal these are one of the few that really rise above the surface and offer something that is hard to replicate. There is a certain uniqueness to this band, and while Liv Kristine’s voice may not be the most powerful out there, her natural, beguiling tones are one in a million.
Njord is the band’s third full length album now, and it’s fair to say it’s been a steady voyage for them on the whole. Vinland Saga was one of my top albums of 2005 and this album certainly matches up to those high standards. Title track ‘Njord’ gets off to a strong start, with flowing melodies layered upon a storming metal backdrop that manages both to lure you into a trance and make you want to bang your head simultaneously. Leaves’ Eyes really do have a distinct sound and that is apparent yet again on this album. The music ebbs and flows, taking the listener through rough waters where the waves crash up against the longboat, and back through calm spells which allow one to lay back and soak in the beauty.
‘Take The Devil In Me’ is a sure fired hit; it’s catchy as hell and has some crunchy guitars that will keep the headbangers happy. I’m quite sure it will appear on numerous metal compilations over the next couple of years. ‘Northbound’ is one of the tracks that will sound instantly familiar if you bought/heard the recent E.P. and this is another catchy one that has me singing along contently while the low, Gothic bassline and powerful drums rumble through into a big chorus complete with bombastic choirs and orchestrated metal.
While ‘My Destiny’ initially sounded a bit twee for my liking when I heard the E.P. I must throw up my hands and confess that in the context of the album it has really grown on me. There are some really beautiful songs here, and while there are some great upbeat numbers these are intercepted by more dreamlike moments such as the delightfully laid back ‘Irish Rain.’ There is an air of romance on this number and I love the subdued vibe projected and the Nebelhexe-esque wailing on the chorus. While on the subject; ‘Irish Rain?’ ‘Emerald Island?’ Is there an Irish theme at work here? I digress. ‘Morgenland’ is a sweet interlude that is filled with wonder and that vibe continues into the following track ‘The Holy Bond’ which has quite an underlying feeling of sorrow in the doom-stricken guitar lines.
There’s a dramatic war march to ‘Ragnarok’ as it fires up, which leads over the apocalyptic choir into the main track which is interspersed by Krull’s death growls and encompasses some sweet, twinkly keyboards. His vocals are also quite prevalent on ‘Emerald Island’ while this combined with the storming drums leads into a rather soporific state. Of course, with Liv’s vocals you know what you’re going to get and as I mentioned earlier, they may not be the most powerful but perhaps the subtlety of her voice makes far more of an impact than some of the heavyweight divas of the genre (no names mentioned). In short, great album. Leaves’ Eyes deserve far more recognition than they get and if you’ve not heard them before I urge you to check them out on the MySpace address below, or on Spotify.
http://www.leaveseyes.de/
http://www.myspace.com/leaveseyespage
