Leaves' Eyes is a symphonic metal band from Germany and Norway.[2] Formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine, formerly the lead singer of Theatre of Tragedy, along with the entire line-up of Atrocity, the band has since released eight studio albums, a single, six EPs, one live album, and a DVD.
Most of Leaves' Eyes' lyrics, written by Liv Kristine until her departure in 2016, focus on Norse mythology and the Viking Age. The melodic vocals of Liv Kristine and her successor, Elina Siirala, are occasionally complemented by death growl vocals from Krull, a vocal style Kristine refers to as "beauty and the beast".
History
Lovelorn (2003–2005)
Leaves' Eyes have frequently incorporated naturalistic themes in their music since the release of their 2004 debut album, Lovelorn. Many of the lyrics on this album were inspired not only by nature but also by sagas and legends rooted in Norse mythology. The band was well received during their stage premiere at Wave Gotik Treffen 2004.
Each member of the band had significant professional experience in other musical projects prior to joining Leaves' Eyes, effectively making it a supergroup. FrontwomanLiv Kristine performed with the band Theatre of Tragedy from its formation in 1993 until her departure in 2003. This Norwegian band was among the first to feature a female voice in the metal scene, and their club hit Tanz der Schatten became emblematic of a distinctive musical genre.[3] Additionally, Liv Kristine was active in the pop music scene, performing songs for TV hits such as Tatort and Schimanski. The other members of Leaves' Eyes come from the death metal band Atrocity.
Vinland Saga (2005–2009)
Liv Kristine and Alexander Krull, the band's founders
One year after Lovelorn, Leaves' Eyes released their follow-up album, Vinland Saga, in 2005, inspired by Viking explorer Leif Eriksson. The album's first single, Elegy, charted in Germany for four consecutive weeks. The television station ProSieben featured Elegy as the official song for the TV series NUMB3RS.
In addition to their studio work, Leaves' Eyes tours extensively. Over four years, the band performed across four continents and 34 countries, playing a total of 222 concerts. Their live DVD, We Came with the Northern Winds: En Saga i Belgia, reached number 11 on the German DVD charts in 2009. This exclusive package documents the band's history and includes footage of their 2007 concert at the Metal Female Voices Festival. This headline show featured elaborate staging, including a Viking longship on stage.
Njord (2009–2011)
Njord was released in 2009, continuing the band's chart success. The album's first single, My Destiny, quickly became an anthem, following in the footsteps of Elegy. Njord received critical acclaim[4][5][6] as "an epic masterpiece." The album showcased a more modern style compared to previous releases and included symphonic metal tracks of heightened complexity, featuring the Lingua Mortis Orchestra conducted by Victor Smolski. Several lyrics were inspired by the English folk ballad "Scarborough Fair". The band's live performances were equally successful across Europe and North America. For the Special Fan Edition of Njord, Leaves' Eyes recorded the At Heaven's End EP in 2010.
Meredead (2011–2013)
One year later, Leaves' Eyes released their fourth studio album, Meredead. Produced by Alexander Krull, the album blends folk elements from earlier works to shape Meredead's atmospheric tone. The opening track, "Spirits' Masquerade," incorporates folk instrumentation, enriching the album’s diverse sound. Tracks like Étaín and Sigrlinn lyrically evoke the mysticism of ancient cultures, featuring uilleann pipes to enhance their thematic depth. The album also includes more traditional songs, such as Nystev and Kråkevisa; the latter employs the Scandinavian nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle. A cover of To France reinterprets the tragedy and emotion of Mike Oldfield's classic. Supporting vocals and instrumentation on the album are provided by Maite Itoiz and John Kelly (Elfenthal), Carmen Elise Espenæs (Midnattsol), the Norwegian Anette Guldbrandsen, and Victor Smolski's Lingua Mortis Orchestra.
The 2011 EP Melusine was a special release in collaboration with the German magazine Sonic Seducer.
Symphonies of the Night (2013–2015)
In an interview with Valkyrian Music, Leaves' Eyes announced they had begun writing material for their fifth studio album, which they aimed to release in spring 2013.[7] On January 7, 2013, the band announced on their official Facebook page that the title of their fifth studio album would be Symphonies of the Night.
On March 23, 2013, Leaves' Eyes further announced on Facebook that vocal recording had begun, accompanied by a statement:[8]
At the moment Liv Kristine is tracking vocals for the upcoming Leaves' Eyes album:
"The recording sessions at Mastersound studios are so much fun, as well as being highly intense.
Today I recorded an amazing and classically influenced new song. We are all very excited about the songs for the new album."
Leaves' Eyes in Israel, 2016, one of the last performances with Liv Kristine
On May 9, 2013, the band announced that the vocal recordings were complete and that Alexander Krull had begun mixing the album:[citation needed]
Good news from Mastersound Studio: The vocal recordings for all songs on our upcoming release "Symphonies of the Night" have just been completed. Furthermore, Alex is already busy mixing the album. We have taken a significant inspirational step since the production of "Meredead," both in terms of sound and vocals. It has been such a pleasure evolving in my singing techniques and knowledge, and I thank my band members for "giving me an inspirational kick" when I needed to gain momentum behind the microphone. "Symphonies of the Night" is hauntingly dreamlike and heavy to the core!
The band premiered the first new song from the album, titled "Hell to the Heavens," at the Summer Breeze Festival.[9]
The artwork for the new album was released on August 26, 2013. A few days later, the band released a video announcing that they would be performing at Metal Female Voices Fest 2013. A teaser of the studio version of "Hell to the Heavens" was also included in the video.
King of Kings and departure of Liv Kristine (2015–2016)
Leaves' Eyes stated in 2015 that they would release a new album titled King of Kings, which would feature the London Voices choir and guest vocals by Simone Simons of Epica.[10] This album would also be their first release on AFM Records after parting ways with their longtime label, Napalm Records.[11]King of Kings is a concept album centered around the sagas of Norway's first king, Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre).
In an interview with Sonic Cathedral webzine, Liv Kristine discussed her inspiration for the album:
The nicest thing for me is that it is said in the sagas that Harald became the first king of Norway after he won a battle that took place in one of the Norwegian fjords called Hafrsfjord. You know, that is a very important place—not only for the history of Norway—but also for me, because I was born there. So, this album is a concept album, but it's also a very personal album.[12]
The first official video from King of Kings is for the track "The Waking Eye," which was filmed in Norway (for the background scenes) and in Germany (for the action scenes).[13][14] The Viking reenactment group Værjaborg supplied over 40 members for the battle and action sequences.[14] Leaves' Eyes considers "The Waking Eye" to be their most ambitious video to date.[12]
On April 15, 2016, the band announced they had parted ways with lead vocalist and co-founder Liv Kristine.[15] Since then, both parties have provided different accounts of how the split occurred, with the band stating that the decision regarding Kristine's departure was made in January.[16] While the band initially stated that it had been a mutual decision, Kristine disputed this claim, indicating she was dismissed and that it was not her decision. Legal proceedings have since been initiated.[17]
Arrival of Elina Siirala and Sign of the Dragonhead (2016–2019)
On April 15, 2016, the band announced Finnish singer Elina Siirala as their new lead vocalist.[18] Siirala made her debut with the band on April 18, 2016, at the Hammersonic Festival in Jakarta. A tour edition of the album King of Kings was released on June 3, 2016.[19]
On October 7, 2016, the band released the EP "Fires in the North," which featured a brand new song as well as three re-recorded tracks from King of Kings with Siirala on vocals.[20] Following the release of the EP, the band embarked on a North American tour in support of Sabaton.[21] On November 27, 2017, the band announced their new album, Sign of the Dragonhead.[22] The same day the album was announced, the title track was released as the lead single.[23] The song "Across the Sea" was released as the album's second single on December 31, 2017, with an accompanying music video.[24] The band released "Jomsborg" as the album's third single on January 11, 2018.[25]
Sign of the Dragonhead was released on January 12, 2018. The band toured throughout Europe in support of the album, and on August 30, 2018, they released the song "Riders on the Wind" as the album's fourth and final single. The music video for the song featured footage from the Sign of the Dragonhead tour.[26] On September 7, 2018, a tour edition of Sign of the Dragonhead was released, which included the "Riders on the Wind" physical single.[26]
The Last Viking, departure of Thorsten Bauer and Myths of Fate (2020–present)
The Last Viking was released on October 23, 2020. The album continued the trend toward folk metal and historical lyrics. On May 23, 2021, the band announced the addition of bassist Andre Nasso.[27] On December 29, 2021, it was announced that Thorsten Bauer would leave the band by the end of 2021.[28]
On December 9, 2023, the band revealed the title of their ninth studio album, Myths of Fate, which was released on March 22, 2024.[29]
