This EP opens with the heavy, bombastic single "My Destiny," the first taste of Leaves' Eyes' upcoming third studio album, Njord. This song is the highlight of the EP, bringing together lead singer Liv Kristine with supporting grunter/growler Alexander Krull in the beautifully melodic and amazingly atmospheric symphonic metal sound of Leaves' Eyes.
The EP quickly moves into more gorgeous, haunting symphonic metal steeped in Norwegian viking traditions and myth. "Northbound" is another highlight of the EP, it has a stronger sound than many of the other songs and is also from the album.
Aside from the songs taken directly from Njord, however, the other tracks just aren't as strong or feel like they are leftovers from previous Leaves' Eyes releases. "The Battle of Maldon" sounds much like "Farewell Proud Men" from Vinland Saga and any other song that had any kind of backing undertones about Viking battles, but doesn't quite have the same punch. "Nine Waves Maidens" is a gorgeous, new age-like song that pulls on a collection of traditional instruments, which gives the song a more mystical feel, yet still reminds me of "Lovelorn," "Lyset" and other, previous Leaves' Eyes songs. While these songs fit perfectly with the established band mythology and the other songs on the EP, they can sometimes feel a little recycled.
The only song that doesn't seem to fit here is "Scarborough Fair" (Acoustic Version). Not only is it the only song on the EP that doesn't have any depth, Liv's voice just doesn't quite do the ballad justice. Perhaps I feel this way because there are so many other covers of this ballad out there (my personal favorite is the Sarah Brightman version), but the vocals and the music here feel a little disconnected at points and Liv even sounds like she's straining with some of the notes, as opposed to the rest of the band's musical, where she sounds flawless.
While the song features a very original take on the English ballad, it just doesn't quite work for me.
Also, much like previous Leaves' Eyes releases, the mixing feels a little off, primarily becomes Liv's high-pitched, gorgeous soprano voice sometimes gets lost amid all of the wild, loud metal that dominates much of these songs. However, I was somewhat surprised at the lack of Alexander's grunts/growls. He only makes appearances in the title track and in "The Battle of Maldon." In "My Destiny" his role is fairly small and he even has a few lines where he actually sings (be it, in a deep, gravelly voice) instead of growls. I personally enjoyed this change of pace for him. Alexander has an fascinating singing voice, and I hope to see it utilized more on the upcoming album.
While all of the music on My Destiny is everything fans have come to expect from Leaves' Eyes -atmospheric, melodic metal laced with Liv's beautiful voice, sweeping choirs, epic symphonies and Alexander's signature growls and grunts -it seems to lack innovation or musical growth on the part of the band. While Leaves' Eyes doesn't need this growth (I mean, they have a pretty developed sound already), it would have been nice to hear something a little new here. The songs sound just like the band's other music -which isn't exactly a bad thing.
Despite these issues, I can't dislike these songs. They're powerful, great to listen to -and exactly what I expect from Leaves' Eyes.
Big Rock Collection
