Following their successful UK tour, symphonic Viking metal band Leaves’ Eyes release a new single, ‘Hammer Of The Gods‘ – Available digitally you can check out the video to it here at RAMzine.
Four years after taking The Last Viking to Valhalla with their previous opus, Leaves’ Eyes‘ ninth studio album, Myths Of Fate, came out in March via AFM Records, and in doing so they celebrated 20 years as a band. The new album again merges traditional metal genres fused with elements of folk, gothic, and classical music.
With Myths Of Fate, the band once again set sails for new winds that definitely blow from the harsh shallows of the symphonic metal genre. The fantastic world of legends from Norse and Eastern European mythology is the setting for monumental entertainment. “The early Middle Ages were a fascinating time of change. Some of these innovations have left their mark around the globe and continue to impact our modern world,”, remarked band mastermind and singer Alex Krull.
The US soundtrack-multi-talent Jonah Weingarten contributes the impressive orchestral score that was created hand in hand with the metal arrangements. “A very inspirational process, where we both influenced us creatively and finally metallised Jonah’s orchestral compositions”, Alex raves. Moreover, Lea-Sophie Fischer (Eluveitie) on the fiddle and Thomas Roth’s play of the mediaeval Nyckelharpa add on mystical sounds to Myths Of Fate.”
In order to increase their followers’ enjoyment of the stories, the band produced a total of five music videos with Mastersound Entertainment. Filmed on impressive locations in Iceland, Germany and Poland, bringing the myths to screen. Magic creatures, great battles and enchanting warrior queens come to live. Once again, Leaves’ Eyes have created a universe of their own imagination that showcases their talent as storytellers and music perfectionists. No doubt, the band will leave an everlasting footprint in their own genre with this album. “Myths Of Fate” provides a dynamic soundtrack for a vivid escape into a magical world of mythology.
The full list of songs on the new album is ‘Forged By Fire’, ‘Realm Of Dark Waves’, ‘Who Wants To Live Forever’, ‘Hammer Of The Gods’, ‘In Eternity’, ‘Fear The Serpent’, Goddess Of The Night’, ‘Sons Of Triglav’, ‘Elder Spirit’, ‘Einherjar’ and ‘Sail With The Dead’.
With the first, previously-released single and album opening track ‘Forged By Fire’, they raised the magic sword of Tyrfing. In a bombastic double bass blaze, they relate how a deadly weapon crafted and cursed by dwarves is to bring misery over its bearers. “These legends always reflected the real-life horrors of those who told them, making them even relatable to modern events of wars and fights”, said Krull.
“We played ‘Forged By Fire’, on stage at Wacken as a world premiere and the song was enthusiastically celebrated by the fans!
Then, with second single, the mediaeval hymn, ‘Realm Of Dark Waves‘, listeners are pulled down into the ocean’s desolate depths of Rán, the goddess of the sea. This neck-breaker about the sea maiden wife of Ægir is lyrically linked to other Leaves’ Eyes hit classics about maritime gods, such as ‘Njord’ and ‘Nine Wave Maidens’. Available digitally here you can check out the video here at RAMzine. They then released the singles ‘Who Wants Live Forever’ and ‘In Eternity’ – Available digitally, you can check out the videos here at RAMzine.
“In Eternity is one of the most personal songs in Leaves’ Eyes history, dedicated to Alex’s late mother Heidi Krull.,” reflected lead singer Lead vocalist Elina Siirala. “It’s a tribute to our ancestors, a primal anthem to their lives and spirits. The song embodies the rawness of emotion which the video’s striking visuals accompany. The vast landscapes of Iceland and a pagan ceremony filmed in Wolin, Poland bring the story of the song alive in a captivating way.”
The international group has toured the continents, playing concerts in more than 50 countries, frequently reach top positions in the album charts and with every output they deliver a multimedia masterpiece when it comes to video clips and artwork. Their live shows are events with impressive stage scenery, including a Viking ship or even the Swords In Rock monument from Norway.
