{"id":34991,"date":"2013-11-25T07:23:11","date_gmt":"2013-11-25T12:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=34991"},"modified":"2014-02-08T08:38:47","modified_gmt":"2014-02-08T13:38:47","slug":"leaves-eyes-symphonies-of-the-night-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2013\/leaves-eyes-symphonies-of-the-night-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaves\u2019 Eyes | Symphonies of the Night<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Leaves\u2019Symphonies of the Night<\/em> marks the triumphant return of Leaves\u2019 Eyes to the symphonic metal arena. Take everything about Leaves\u2019 Eyes and magnify it \u2013 this means bigger vocals, tighter performances, heavier riffs, and of course, more power. This thirteen track epic release is the band\u2019s follow up to the critically acclaimed CD, Meredead<\/em>, and it doesn\u2019t follow in the footsteps but rather blazes new paths.<\/p>\n

Alexander Krull\u2019s production work is nothing short of epic, and there is a richness to the band\u2019s sound that is emphasized by their continued use of non-traditional rock instruments (Uilleann pipes, tin whistles, dulcimers, etc.) and multiple languages to maintain an authentic, medieval sound. Lyrically different from its predecessors, Symphonies of the Night<\/em> pulls its inspiration from a number of strong female historical and fictional characters rather than the Scandinavian mythology used in the past. <\/p>\n

\u201cHell to the Heavens\u201d opens the album in a very big way and sets the tone for the remainder of the album. Not only does it feature Liv Kristine\u2019s amazing lead vocals, but it showcases a more vigorous vocal contribution from fellow singer Alexander Krull, as the two continue to push the boundaries of their \u201cbeauty and the beast\u201d style. Liv covers the gamut from soft to operatic, and Alexander\u2019s deep growls are a wonderful stylistic counterpoint. Of course, the song is ably backed by guitarists Thorsten Bauer (who also plays bass) and Sander van der Meer, along with drummer Felix Born. Delicate keys open \u201cFading Earth\u201d before the song picks up a good deal of old metal feel. Liv\u2019s voice floats nicely over the massive rhythm line, and the guitar work is masterful. \u201cMaid of Lorraine\u201d (based on the story of Joan of Arc) slows the tempo a bit at first, but does not dull the intensity as Krull\u2019s massive growls play a major role in this folk-tinged track. \u201cGalswintha\u201d has a strong folk feel at the start thanks to a solid acoustic, drum driven passage, and provides a peek into a very old and violent era of European history.<\/p>\n

Solid bass starts the epic and booming vampire tale \u201cSymphony of the Night,\u201d based on J. Sheridan Le Fanu\u2019s \u201cCarmilla.\u201d Liv stays operatic thoughout, and the band emphasizes the symphonic sides of their abilities. The powerful and moving ballad \u201cSaint Cecelia\u201d recounts the tale of the martyred Cecelia of Rome, the patron saint of musicians \u2013 and provides a break from the power and bombast of the preceding tracks. \u201cHymn to the Lone Sands\u201d is a track of contrasts, with Liv\u2019s soft and then operatic vocals blending into an almost manic rhythm line, contrasting with Alexander\u2019s growls and double bass drums. This track also highlights the very solid guitar teamwork of Bauer and van der Meer. \u201cAngel and the Ghost\u201d is a bit melodramatic (maybe even approaching \u201cover-the-top\u201d), but it highlights the band\u2019s unity and teamwork no matter the style. The gritty \u201c\u00c9l\u00e9onore de Provence\u201d is also a bit on the melodramatic side, but is good fun throughout as the music moves from soft to \u201cin your face\u201d and back.
\nThe ballad-like \u201cNightshade\u201d is Liv\u2019s vocal high point, and leads nicely into the Shakespearean \u201cOphelia\u201d (yes, Hamlet\u2019s Ophelia) \u2013 a very progressive \/ symphonic closing song that wraps the official portion of the album in style.<\/p>\n

Bonus tracks consist of \u201cEileen\u2019s Ardency\u201d (which features voclas by Liv\u2019s sister, Carmen Elise Espen\u00e6s \u2013 lead singer of Midnattsol and Savn), and a cover of Depeche Mode\u2019s \u201cOne Caress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Symphonies of the Night<\/em> is Leaves\u2019 Eyes\u2019 most \u201cmetal\u201d album yet, but they have not forsaken the symphonic, melodic, and folk elements that have made them a standout band and a pioneer in the genre. While some may miss the softer, more folk aspects of the band\u2019s music, the vast majority of fans of the band will be well pleased as the music of Leaves\u2019 Eyes continues to feed the heart and imagination as well as the ears.<\/p>\n

Genre: Symphonic Metal<\/p>\n

Band:
\nLiv Kristine Espen\u00e6s Krull (vocals)
\nAlexander Krull (vocals)
\nThorsten Bauer (guitars, bass)
\nSander van der Meer (guitars)
\nFelix Born (drums)
\nGuest performer: Carmen Elise Espen\u00e6s (Midnattsol, Savn) \u2013 vocals on track 12<\/p>\n

Track Listing:
\n1.\tHell to the Heavens
\n2.\tFading Earth
\n3.\tMaid of Lorraine
\n4.\tGalswintha
\n5.\tSymphony of the Night
\n6.\tSaint Cecelia
\n7.\tHymn to the Lone Sands
\n8.\tAngel and the Ghost
\n9.\t\u00c9l\u00e9onore de Provence
\n10.\tNightshade
\n11.\tOphelia
\n12.\tEileen\u2019s Ardency (Bonus Track)
\n13.\tOne Caress (Bonus Track)<\/p>\n

Label: Napalm Records<\/p>\n

Website: http:\/\/www.leaveseyes.de\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 9\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — Symphonies of the Night marks the triumphant return of Leaves\u2019 Eyes to the symphonic metal arena. Take everything about Leaves\u2019 Eyes and magnify it \u2013 this means bigger […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":34992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8704],"tags":[2317,2269,2543,891,1100],"class_list":{"0":"post-34991","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arcrvws2013","8":"tag-cd-review","9":"tag-leaves-eyes","10":"tag-liv-kristine","11":"tag-napalm-records","12":"tag-symphonic-metal"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34991\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34992"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}