Leaves Eyes’ Njord
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Njord is the third album from German gothic metal band Leaves’ Eyes. The increasingly successful band was formed from the union (as in marriage) of former Theatre of Tragedy singer Liv Kristine and Atrocity vocalist Alexander Krull. Leaving behind the death, black, and doom metal elements of their previous bands, Leaves’ Eyes takes a lighter, symphonic approach to gothic metal with a fixation for Norse legends.
Commence rant:
At some point, we’re all going to have to stop calling Leaves’ Eyes a metal band. Yes, there are heavy electric guitars, and yes the band members all have impeccable metal pedigrees, but when your sound is dominated by symphonic keyboards and lullaby vocals, it’s hard to think of the band as “metal.” Liv Kristine’s voice is absolutely beautiful, and is a real asset to the band, but come on; if your lineup includes damn near all of Atrocity, you owe it to yourselves to rock out a bit. Sadly, there’s precious little rocking out on the average Leaves’ Eyes disc.
End rant.
On to Njord. This is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from Leaves’ Eyes after Lovelorn and Vinland Saga. Liv Kristine’s vocals are front and center, and they’re every bit as beautiful and evocative as ever. The only problem is that they are so prominent that literally every other aspect of these songs – with the exception of the sweeping symphonic elements – is pushed to the background. The guitars, bass, and drums all become little more than background noise. Only the occasional male growled vocal lines ever challenge Kristine’s performance, and it’s those tracks where Alexander Krull lets loose (see “Emerald Isle” and “Ragnarok”) that really stand out.
The band’s cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Scarborough Fair” is also worth hearing, even if it pales in comparison to Queensryche’s version. The only other song that stands out from the Disney soundtrack metal pack is “My Destiny,” and that’s only because it sounds like something Lacuna Coil might have rejected as too nu-metal during the Karmacode sessions.
Of course, if you’re already a fan of Leaves’ Eyes, none of this is likely to bother you. If you like what you heard on the last two albums, you’ll like Njord as well. Just don’t expect anything new, and don’t expect anything heavy.
Edition Notes: There is also a limited edition version of Njord that comes in a digipack and features two bonus tracks – “Landscape of the Dead” and “Les Champs de Lavande.”
Label: Napalm Records
Track Listing:
1. Njord
2. My Destiny
3. Emerald Island
4. Take the Devil in Me
5. Scarborough Fair
6. Through Our Veins
7. Irish Rain
8. Northbound
9. Ragnarok
10. Morgenland
11. The Holy Bond
12. Froya’s Theme
Lineup:
Liv Kristine – Vocals
Chris Antonopoulos – Drums
Alexander Krull – Vocals
Matthias Roderer – Guitar
Thorsten Bauer – Guitar
Alla Fedynitch – Bass
Online: www.leaveseyes.de
Hardrock Haven Rating: 6/10