Leaves' Eyes
Lovelorn

In the oversaturated scene of metal with female vocals emerges a new band: Leaves' Eyes.

In reality, the band is not at all composed of typical newcomers but of members from Atrocity (a German band devoted to a sort of symphonic death). Not to mention the voice: at the microphones is the legendary (former) vocalist of Theatre Of Tragedy: Liv Espanes Kristine. Here, contrary to expectations, we do not find old-school gothic metal, nor the electro-pop of the latest works of the Theatre Of Tragedy: simply symphonic and atmospheric metal, so cool in recent years.

Many have dared to speak of gothic in this work, a totally incorrect definition, as the songs express feelings far from darkness, such as sweetness and tranquility. To understand the soul of the CD just look at the cover: it is crafted in every detail and prominently features the charming singer. The music is rich in arrangements and certainly nothing is left to chance, but in many passages it is so commercial and insubstantial it's frightening. Not to mention Liv: if with Theatre Of Tragedy her unique singing expressed desolation and sadness, here it expresses nothing, indeed, at times it turns out to be even annoying. Furthermore, in some tracks, she sings with her growl Alex Krull (Liv's husband). A certainly useless and wrong choice, since Leaves' Eyes' dreamy metal does not amalgamate well with growling.

The CD opens with the romantic "Norwegian Lovesong", a very romantic and epic piece based entirely on synths (just like all the songs on the platter). "Tale To The Sea Maid" is endowed with an unnecessary chorus and is a truly unsuccessful piece, with Liv's exasperating little voice taking center stage. In "Ocean's Way" Liv is accompanied by her husband's vocals, in my opinion, decidedly academic. It's a piece that wants to wink at old gothic metal. "Lovelorn" is the classic ethereal-folk-naturalistic ballad that with its little keyboards directly induces sleep. The lyrics tackle the classic theme of love. "The Dream" is certainly the most successful piece, with its choruses and its no small measure of epic vein. "Secret", in my opinion, is the least successful piece of the work, with its pseudo-melancholic atmospheres and with a truly excruciating chorus, not for the emotions it gives, but precisely because it is impossible to listen to it.

The sugary notes of a piano introduce us to the seventh track: "For Amelie", which, despite the gratuitous sugar, turns out to be pleasant. "Temptation" wants to be the old-school gothic piece, with growls, organ notes, and double bass, partially succeeding in its intent. "Into Your Light" is the first track taken from the album and features an excellent chorus: it's true, it's a easy-listening, immediate piece, but it is pleasant and never cloying to listen to. The CD closes with "Return To Live", which combines H.I.M.-style guitars with orchestrations.

A brilliantly produced CD, perfect in its intent but definitely not recommended for lovers of old Theatre Of Tragedy (and classic gothic). The real score is 2 ½ because compared to, for example, Xandria, the pieces are played impeccably and you can count on more than 2 decent pieces. However, the final score is rounded down because the band is certainly not made up of beginners and much more could have been expected. Originality, depth, where are you?