One of the album's singles, Forged by Fire, kicks things off and the band's core sound immediately fills the speakers. There is no scene-setting intro track, but Forged by Fire does open relatively slowly - with the orchestrations setting the tone early on, before the crunchy guitars kick in and Nijenhuis lays down a double bass drum groove. The piece initially speeds up, exhibiting the band's more extreme metal influences briefly, but once Siirala starts to sing a more mid-paced chug is settled on. The guitars are pretty heavy, though, and the dense orchestrations are quite far removed from the dancing melodies often associated with symphonic metal. There is a lushness to the production, though, and Siirala sounds as good as ever - although Krull actually handles half of the verses, his bark cutting through the mix before Siirala takes back over for the ethereal chorus. The chorus is backed by fast drumming, though, and the gothic overtones are unmistakable - especially thanks to some choral vocal additions. The song is perhaps not as anthemic as Leaves' Eyes have often been in more recent years and it feels like a bit more of a throwback to the band's early days. Siirala certainly sounds more operatic than she sometimes does - and the plentiful harsh vocals hark back to that big era of gothic metal which hit big around the time Leaves' Eyes first started out. Those wanting something a bit more anthemic, though, should find plenty of enjoy in Realm of Dark Waves - another single. The band's folk influences are on display here, particularly early on thanks to some folk instruments making an appearance during the song's intro, but once Siirala starts to sing things take on a more typical mid-paced feel. The guitars are less crunchy here, with the bass taking on more of a role during the verses, whilst Siirala sings in a less classically-inspired manner - whilst some choral vocals add hooky harmonies. The song does build towards its chorus, though, which feels much bigger overall - with a strong orchestral backing, drum groove, and vocal melodies which are easy on the ear. The band's gothic overtones are still present, though, and the melodies are not too sugary - but the track is certainly more accessible than the opening number. Krull's harsh vocals are entirely absent here and there is also a lengthy guitar solo towards the end - which is extremely melodic. Who Wants to Live Forever opens with some gentle piano melodies, which really recall the booming symphonic metal scene of the 2000s - and the song feels brighter than is typical for Leaves' Eyes, with the odd hint of early Nightwish and the less technical side of Epica on display thanks to a more bombastic overall sound. Siirala always feels more operatic than Kristine ever did, so Leaves' Eyes have occasionally flirted with such a sound since she came on board. The piano accents during the verses and the pumping bass certainly hark back to early Nightwish - but the guitars, when they crash in, feel heavier to root the song in the band's more extreme influences. The chorus is hooky, though, and it is one of a number of very singable earworm moments on the album. This is boosted by the busier orchestral arrangements and there is a fair amount going on here despite the focus on hooks.
Hammer of the Gods returns to a darker sound, opening with some dense orchestrations before a juddering drum pattern kicks in - alongside a death metal-esque riff which later forms the basis of the song's chorus. Krull's growls open things up, but the verse proper slows things down somewhat - leaning on that gothic sound again with Siirala initially singing against a sparse atmospheric backing. The song develops as it moves along, though, with Krull and Siirala duetting as things get heavier. There are plenty of harsh vocals here following two songs without them - with the chorus being something of a shout-along moment thanks to Krull's simple growled hooks, which are doubled nicely by Siirala. A later bridge section returns to the simplicity of the early verses, with ethereal vocals, whilst a screaming guitar solo later injects some additional interest. In Eternity treads something of a different path to what has come before - both on this album and previously in the band's catalogue. It is a rather low key piece, with prominent bass playing and a ballad-esque tone - but the main difference is how Siirala sings the song. She sounds more typical during the chorus, which is a bit more rocked up with heavy guitars, but the rest of the song is sung in a much lower register than is typical for her - giving the song a strange, folky vibe. At first I thought that maybe the band had used a guest vocalist for parts of the song, but that does not seem to be the case - with Siirala pushing herself vocally instead. I did not really like the song that much at first, but it has grown on me somewhat over repeated listens. The wordless vocal hooks which resurface often throughout are memorable and it is nice hearing the band trying something new on an album which is otherwise pretty tried and tested sound-wise. Fear the Serpent is certainly much more typical, then, but it is not a return to a more bombastic sound - with a gothic approach again featured. There are shades of the album's opening cut here, albeit with less of a toughness, and the folk instruments of Realm of Dark Waves are also used throughout to add depth. There are a few other deeper vocal moments from Siirala here, too, but in general she sounds more her usual self - particularly during the chorus which is packed with a mid-paced groove and choral vocals. It is perhaps not the album's most interesting piece musically, but there is a pretty enjoyable guitar riff which takes over to kick off a more diverse bridge section which features harsh vocals and a guitar solo. Goddess of the Night is one of my favourite cuts here and it was one of the songs which really stood out to me when I first listened to the album. It opens with some folky melodies and a more floaty atmosphere - before acoustic guitars take over and Siirala sings in a gentle manner against them whilst the folky tone continues. The fiddle adds aching melodies as Siirala's vocal lines sit somewhere between emotional and playful - with an early rendition of the chorus having a smouldering power, before the drums come in and the song starts to slowly build. Later chorus renditions are heavier thanks to the rest of the band joining in and I really like how Siirala sounds here - with her operatic tones really bring the chorus to life. This is a song which again reminds me of the band's early albums. They have not done too many songs like this since Siirala came on board - and it is great to hear a folky, yet heavy, ballad from the band again. The closing chorus, with its guitar solo backing, is one of the album's best moments in my opinion.
Those missing the heavier side of the band and Krull's presence will certainly enjoy Sons of Triglav - an anthemic, mid-paced track which is very typical of the band's more recent albums. There are a lot of harsh vocals here and it is the song here which features Krull the most prominently I would say. Siirala still contributes, with a pre-chorus and half of the chorus belonging to her - but Krull dominates elsewhere, from the death metal-infused verses to the chant-along main chorus hook. The guitar playing is also a bit more involved here. The riffing is not just there to provide a crunch, with a few knotty guitar moments and burning leads adding plenty of depth. Given how fun songs of this ilk often are, I am surprised that Leaves' Eyes have not done more of them. Krull and Siirala work well together, as the chorus here shows, and the band have always done this sort of fist-pumping anthem well as a contrast to their more gothic core sound. Elder Spirit reins in the heaviness and crunchiness of the previous song, with a slow-burning vocal-led intro which soon gives way to a mid-paced folky instrumental section and a sparse verse with percussive drumming and some interesting clean guitar melodies. There are still plenty of metal guitars here but the song just feels a lot less in-your-face than the previous one - even if later verses actually feature Krull's vocals. His harsh vocals here feel less gruff than usual, though, and he has adapted his delivery to suit the song's overall vibe. The main chorus is memorable, though, even if the pace during it does feel a bit on the slow side. A little more urgency may have helped, but I like the song's vocal approach which is a bit different for the band and there is another good guitar solo included, too. Einherjar ups the pace and, following a relatively jaunty folk-based intro, is a pretty guitar-driven piece which actually injects a bit of a power metal feel into the band's sound in my opinion. The change of tack is not huge, but Siirala's vocals during the verses feel a bit more hard-driving than usual - whilst the punch from Krull's harsh vocals, some folky melodies, and guitar leads mix well with the band's usual crunch. The arrangement feels pretty snappy, then, and I really like how the song progresses. Siirala sounds great throughout and I like how Krull has been utilised in a manner which is different to usual - as he is not just adding a heaviness but instead he really gives the song a kick with his barks. There is quite a bit going on guitar-wise, too, with some great melodies and subtle riffs adding to that more up-tempo feel. A later bridge feels more typically heavy, but the following guitar solo is full of flair. The album then comes to a close with Sail with the Dead, which opens with some Epica-esque choirs - but once the guitars kick in the overall tone is very much Leaves' Eyes' core sound, with Krull unleashing a big growl early on. The bass-led verses feel appropriately dark and they get heavier as the song moves along - with faster riffing kicking in just as Krull takes over. The latter parts of the verse are sung as a duet, which keeps the darkness suitably upfront, but the chorus is more overly symphonic metal with a busier orchestral arrangement and some more operatic vocals from Siirala. It is not the hookiest of choruses here but it does feed into the song's overall atmosphere nicely. Whilst a more bombastic song might have worked better as an album closer, it is perhaps fitting that the band went for something darker here. Leaves' Eyes have generally been characterised by a more atmospheric sound than many of their peers and this song certainly taps into that core approach. It ends the album nicely, then, without too much bombast. Despite this album sticking closer to the band's core template than perhaps The Last Viking did, there is still some variety here - and the songwriting throughout generally feels tight and memorable. I did think that the band might struggle without Bauer, but Richter seems to have fully embraced the Leaves' Eyes sound in his songwriting and Siirala does more with her voice here than she has done previously. The album is another strong effort in my opinion and there is a lot to like for fans of all things gothic.
The album was released on 22nd March 2024 via AFM Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Forged by Fire.
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