Leaves Eyes – Sign Of The Dragonhead
10th January 2018 0 By Gavin GriffithsAt the turn of the Millennium, alternative music was undergoing changes and, as we stepped away from the era of nu metal there was a big shift in tastes, and one of the prominent developments was the growing popularity of epic, symphonic metal. While itâs primarily a Scandinavian trait, we have, in ways EVANESCENCE to thank a great deal due to their mainstream success and Amy Leeâs powerful, occasionally operatic vocals, and it led the way for many female singers to blossom in the world of metal. Female-fronted may be looked upon as a derogatory term by some, but the influx of metal bands led by a range of incredibly vocally talented women was undeniableâŠfrom the bombastic opera inspired tones of NIGHTWISH, through to the darker, Gothic-inspired theatrical influence of WITHIN TEMPTATION…it was the season of the soprano and other bands quickly tried to capitalise. Cue LEAVESâ EYESâŠthe Norwegian outfit formed in 2003 and made their breakthrough with the track âElegyâ but never rose to the heights of the aforementionedâŠnowâŠin 2018, they release album number seven, the first with new vocalist Elina SiiralaâŠletâs see how theyâve kept up with âSign Of The DragonheadââŠ
We open up with the title track and instantly weâre met with all of the trademark characteristics expected of this genreâŠthe subtle Nordic tones; the skin drums, the hornsâŠcoupled with the metal riffs, keyboard elements and of courseâŠthose vocals. This is very Tarja era Nightwish quite frankly and ticks all the appropriate boxesâŠsome might say textbook. Elinaâs voice is strong but it has a softness to itâŠgiving production quality a smooth edgeâŠat least it would if Alexander Krull wasnât growling all over the shopâŠthe self-described âBeauty And The Beastâ vocal style really adds nothing of any value, but itâs a decent opener. Follow up âAcross The Seaâ and, likewise with tracks such as âVölvaâ with its up-beat intro and traditional instrumentation provide pleasant listensâŠwhile âShadows In The Nightâ takes it up a notch with more hard rock qualities and intensity.
A large portion of the album falls a little flat though sadlyâŠâFires In The Northâ for example, youâd expect to be burning with a passion, a rage, a Norse battle cryâŠand while it does have its Viking elements, its sadly lackluster and fails to ignite any real excitementâŠit would benefit from a great deal more momentum and aggressionâŠitâs far from litâŠâLike A Mountainâ ironically never peaks as it plods along with a sense of lethargyâŠwhile âWaves Of Euphoriaâ is everything but euphoric over the course of its eight minute run time, though it does have some nicely layered piano. Itâs not a complete failure mind youâŠthe ballad approach of âFairer Than The Sunâ really benefits Elinaâs voice and itâs genuinely beautiful, and âRulers Of Wind And Waveâ is a nicely placed instrumental, providing a break from both vocals. Fans of Tarja will appreciate this, but Krullâs growls really confuse this albumâŠthe styles donât gel well at all and he doesnât compliment Elina in the slightest. Her first album with the band, it has its moments but not everything clicked for this one.
Score: 6/10
Leaves Eyes Sign Of The Dragonhead Album Info
Track List
- 1] “Sign Of The Dragonhead”
- 2] “Across The Sea”
- 3] “Like A Mountain”
- 4] “Jomsborg”
- 5] “Völva”
- 6] “Riders On The Wind”
- 7] “Fairer Than The Sun”
- 8] “Shadows In The Night”
- 9] “Rulers Of Wind And Wave”
- 10] “Fires In The North”
- 11] “Waves Of Euphoria”
Record Label: AFM Records
Release Date: January 12th
Leaves Eyes Online:Â http://www.leaveseyes.com/
About the author
Gavin Griffiths AKA GavTheGothicChav 31 Based In South Wales Favourite Bands: HIM, The 69 Eyes, Paradise Lost, CKY, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Type-O-Negative, Turbonegro, Depeche Mode... Enjoys: Pizza, Jack Daniel's, Comedy Roasts, WWE, Horror Movies, Sloths, Panda's, Eurovision Dislikes: The Concept Of Being "Offended", Hype, Instrumental Tracks, Interludes, Overly Long Tracks