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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Join Leaves Eyes On The Vinland Saga, August 11, 2005
The Atmospheric/Gothic Metal band Leaves Eyes has followed 2004's "Lovelorn" with "The Vinland Saga" and as soon as it began I felt it would be something special. Right off the bat you are brought into the tale of Nordic Sailors leaving their home Country in search of New Land. The first two tracks line up the story and do it very well. I also noticed that this time around the release would be a little bit heavier than the last. While I enjoyed "Lovelorn" I felt that it let me down as far as the heavy factor went, and "Vinland Saga" clearly makes up for it. Singer Liv Kristine Krull has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard in a Metal sense and while she does not scream, her melodies cut through the music like a knife. Liv also brings a little ethnic flair to the table by singing in her native language during a couple of the tracks. In addition to this, we have the mixture of some of the Black vocals courtesy of her husband and guitarist Alexander. The rest of the lineup remains the same as on the previous record. The mix of Black/Melodic vocals are best experienced in tracks like "Solemn Sea" and "The Thorn", both should be played very loud for maximum enjoyment.
For a sophomore effort the band has beaten the normally encountered curse. In fact "The Vinland Saga" is perhaps a better choice as a first time purchase when looking into this group. Song like "Elegy" and "Leaves Eyes" are worthy of regular rotation on Metal and Gothic radio stations if you ask me. It is my hope that existing mediums of this pick up on this band in particular and give them the level of exposure they deserve. There are some other interesting facets to some of the music on release. The song "Amhran" can almost come off as an Enya tune while a song like Twilight Sun has a very Nightwish quality to it. The listener can decide for themselves if I am on point with this, but it was what crossed my mind as I reviewed it.
Overall this is a very good piece and I found little that I did not enjoy. Lucky for US Listeners the people at Napalm Records have enabled us to purchase this domestically and not face a large price due to it being an import. I wanted to make note that there is also an EP of "Elegy" available and this includes a number of non-album tracks. They are both something to look into so take that as a high recommendation.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epic history - epic music, July 19, 2005
"Vinland Saga", as its title suggests, is a pretty ambitious attempt to reflect the legendary voyages of Viking discovery. Its great to see a band with the capabilities of Leaves Eyes take on such a concept album; in a lot of ways this is a logical step to take after "Lovelorn". The result is a largely successful, sometimes brilliant, piece of music. Anyone who has heard Leaves Eyes before won't find any real surprises here; "Vinland Saga" is pretty much in the same vein as "Lovelorn". Its full of heavenly vocals, memorable beauty, lots of space and atmosphere, and of course the power of metal.
Though "Vinland Saga" isn't really evolutionary; there are some differences compared to "Lovelorn". If you can believe it, the vocal performance is even better on "Vinland Saga" than that on "Lovelorn". There may not be as many catchy hooks, but Liv Kristine sounds stronger and more confident She is better in technical execution and really provides the drive for the entire CD; basically she's the backbone of the whole thing rather just the band's (albeit excellent) singer. Based on "Lovelorn", and now "Vinland Saga", I would have to say that, outside of the incomparable Tarja Turunen, Liv Kristine may have elevated herself to the top of the pack as the best female metal vocalist out there.
Lyrics continue to be excellent; the inclusion of some Norwegian (or could it actually be Old Norse?) is a great authentic touch. Speaking of vocals, there is good news on the death growl front. They aren't gone completely, but they are pretty tolerable this time around. They don't really ruin any songs, as was the case on "Lovelorn" ("Ocean's Way"). In fact, I'd have to say that they actually sound pretty good on "New Found Land" - now that's not something I say very often. Instrumentation is largely unchanged, maybe a few more guitar solos (although still a minor component of the overall sound) and some nice sound choices to enhance the mood - the timpani and battle horn sendoff on "Farewell Proud Men" is a great example - still, its largely the same mix of beauty, atmosphere, and raw power heard on "Lovelorn". The artwork and photography really add to the overall package as well; they mesh perfectly with the music.
For the most part, I don't feel that the songs jump out and grab you in the same way the best songs on "Lovelorn" do, but I do think there is more overall consistency. This gives the CD excellent flow; its a great choice for extended listening, I've listened to the entire thing straight through a couple of times, back to back, and found myself growing more attached to it each time. I don't think "Vinland Saga" has as much crossover potential as "Lovelorn" - it seems most suited to the enthusiast and the dedicated fan. Besides, let's face it, lyrics about Vikings aren't as commercially appealing as love, dreams, oceans - the kind of themes covered in "Lovelorn".
There is one major snafu though, with "Vinland Saga", relating to audio production. Some may not find it all that important, but the more you care about audio quality and the better the caliber of system you hear this CD on, the more likely it is that this will bother you. "Vinland Saga" was over normalized and over compressed during mastering. The effect is that anytime the band kicks in with full power, as in a chorus, the entire mix sounds smaller and low frequencies lose power. This is the exact opposite of what's intended compositionally; its pretty discombobulating when the full on chorus segues into a verse that's louder and more powerful on the bottom. Same thing in reverse, when the song's verse segues into the chorus, instead of the increase in dynamics (and emotional intensity) you expect you get a drop in the power of the drums and bass and a smaller scrunched stereo image. "Lovelorn" did not have this problem; listen to something like "Norwegian Lovesong" or "The Dream" and compare that to a similar song on "Vinland Saga" to hear the difference. "Lovelorn" was just about reference quality audio; its a shame that "Vinland Saga" didn't achieve the same result, the music really deserves it.
Still, `Vinland Saga", is an excellent piece overall. Its greatest achievement is that it really captures the spirit of the subject material, and ultimately that's what great art is about. "We sail the sea...yeah...We fight the storm...yeah....One hundred men caught by endless passion..." I'd swear I can taste the salt spray and feel the waves pounding the longboat every time I hear that. If you enjoyed "Lovelorn" or like pretty much any of the new "chick metal" bands out there, "Vinland Saga" should be high on your wish list.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Stuff., February 3, 2006
What I dig most about Liv is she can write every bit as good as she can sing, and well duh... If she was any more easier on the eyes you would have to be gazing upon divinity.
Concept album of lovers, the male being a viking who set off with others on an expedition, to explore the earth, eventually finding Vinland, "The Land of Wine."
Cd starts with the departure, "Farewell Proud Men," the music capturing the power and drama of departure, the lyrics capturing the faith the women have in their men, and of course the fear of them not returning.
"Elegy" on the other hand seems to take place before, the lyrics detailing farewells on a more personal and intimate level... Then the cd proceeds to "Solemn Sea," the ship apparently being captured in a storm, the whole song a seeming prayer for the seas to calm.
Then there's Leaves' Eyes, the seasons change to fall... Winter approaches, she misses him, remembers him... Remains true... Then we go to "The Thorn..." a song about the seemingly deep connection between the lovers, as it seems he was wounded in battle and she could feel that something wrong has happened...
And now Misseri, winter sets in, her first winter alone without him apparently and she longs for his return...
...
You get the idea.
PS: The most emotive, heart felt song that captures my idea of true love is the Mourning Tree...
See for yourself, it moved me very much... You just don't seem to find love like that very often anymore.
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