Leaves' Eyes - Myths of Fate Review

One more band with a huge presence on social media. Maybe, to some extent, Leaves’ Eyes are the band with the biggest presence because I remember so clearly to see them almost everyday on my social media. By the way, I ran into the band via Facebook. Well, I had the honor to review two albums 2020’s “The Last Viking” and its 2021’s midsummer edition “The Last Viking.” Ok, so little for a band that has been around since 2003, but we never get everything we want.

To some extent, Leaves’ Eyes are a monument of Symphonic Metal and Folk Metal. Among all the bands that march on they do stand out. It’s not so difficult to know why. This forthcoming release “Myths of Fate” shows a mature band that really knows what they are made of. The songs are gluey, but not tiring as other gluey songs. Even tough the melodic verve takes the lead, guitars are hard and strong making a striking presence. Here the band exercises its anthemic facete with tracks as grand finale “Sail with the Dead,” and “Einherjar” where vocalist Elina Siirala shines with her velvet voice. On the other side of coin, there is the gutural voice of Alexander Krull, one of the founding members of the band, giving the contrast many Metal bands rely on these days.

“Myths of Fate” commences with an epic intro of “Forged by Fire” that made me travel back in time when I heard this kind of sound for the first times. I remember to have loved this mix of Classical music with Metal. I guess all Symphonic Metal bands owe a lot to Manowar. They were the guys who brought grandness into Metal music. Notwithstanding, and not surprisingly, there is a lot of this mix here. Have I said about the melodic verve of Leaves’ Eyes? I guess I have, but it’s never too late to mention it again. A good sample of it is “Realm of Dark Waves” and the lead guitar burst to its solo. Gosh, how I love this effect. Ok, sometimes the band is a little too sugared as in “Who Wants to Live Forever,” but the guitars are worth it. But I liked very much the Iron Maiden spirit of “Hammer of the Gods” with a female vocalist. In mind it reminds a little all the grandness of “Powerslave” era. On the other hand, “In Eternity” has that remarkable ‘ooooooh’ chorus that make any fan singalong.

Maybe “Myths of Fate” won’t make you, my child of the night, sigh, but it sure is a great album. What it lacks in originally, it floods in energy.

Leaves’ Eyes “Myths of Fate” will be released on March 22nd via AFM Records.

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