Leaves' Eyes is a symphonic metal band from Germany and Norway. They were formed in 2003 by Liv Kristine, formerly the lead singer of Theatre of Tragedy, and the entire line-up of Atrocity. To date, the band has released eight studio albums, a single, six EPs, one live album and a DVD.
Liv Kristine Espenæs is a Norwegian singer who has performed and composed songs mostly for various subgenres of heavy metal music. She started her career in the music industry as a vocalist for the gothic metal band Theatre of Tragedy, and is the former lead vocalist for the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. She is known for her work in close association with her then-husband and leader of the German band Atrocity, Alexander Krull. Currently she is a singer of a German band Midnattsol alongside her younger sister Carmen Elise Espenæs. She also released a number of solo albums in various genres.
Simone Johanna Maria Simons is a Dutch singer. She is best known for being the lead singer of Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, which she joined at the age of seventeen, releasing eight studio albums and touring the world. In her singing career, she has also collaborated with bands such as Kamelot, Leaves' Eyes, Primal Fear, Ayreon, and Angra. She also has a side pursuit as a lifestyle blogger, via her website SmoonStyle.
Vinland Saga is the second full-length album by the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, released in 2005. It is a concept album that tells the story of the voyage of the Norse explorer Leif Erikson and his discovery of Vinland. The main vocals are by the Norwegian singer Liv Kristine, but some harsh vocals performed by her husband and producer Alexander Krull can be heard on the songs "Solemn Sea", "The Thorn", and "New Found Land".
Lovelorn is the debut studio album by the Norwegian/German symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, released in 2004. Almost all vocals on the album are by Liv Kristine, but there are also some death growls by Alexander Krull.
Legend Land is an EP by the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, released on June 2, 2006 as a follow-up to the album Vinland Saga. Almost all vocals are by Liv Kristine, but there are also some death growls in the tracks "Legend Land", "Viking's Word", and "The Crossing" provided by Alexander Krull.
Elegy is a maxi-single/EP by symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, released on 2 May 2005. Almost all vocals are by the Norwegian singer Liv Kristine, with some backing "growls" by her husband Alexander Krull. The song "Elegy" is taken from the then upcoming album Vinland Saga, and a further track from that album, "Solemn Sea" is also included in demo form. The rest of the tracks are exclusive to this release, but unlike the following EP Legend Land, they do not share the Vinland theme.
The Divine Conspiracy is the third studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica as well as their first concept album. It was released through Nuclear Blast in Japan on 22 August 2007, in the US on 28 August, in Europe on 7 September, and in the UK on 10 September. The concept that guides the songs is that God created many different religions for humanity to figure out and overcome them so as to discover that, in nature and essence, they were all in fact the same one. Aside from the concept of such a conspiracy, The Divine Conspiracy finalizes The Embrace That Smothers, which began in After Forever's Prison of Desire and continued in Epica's The Phantom Agony. In short, The Embrace That Smothers is a collection of 10 songs, which talks about the dangers of organized religion.
My Destiny is a Maxi single/EP by the symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, released on 24 July 2009. The songs "My Destiny" and "Northbound" are extracts from the then upcoming album Njord. The rest of the tracks are exclusive to this release.
Njord is the third studio album by the German/Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes, released on 28 August 2009 on Napalm Records. Njörðr comes from Norse mythology and is a name associated to the Vanir god of the sea and the wind.
Meredead is the fourth studio album by the German/Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. It was released on 22 April 2011 on Napalm Records. The Deluxe Edition of the album contains a bonus DVD with five songs from a live performance recorded at the Metal Female Voices Fest, in Wieze, Belgium, on 24 October 2010.
Symphonies of the Night is the fifth studio album by the German/Norwegian symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. It was released in Europe on 15 November 2013, and in the US on 26 November 2013, through Napalm Records. The record was produced by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio, Germany and features album artwork by Stefan Heilemann. Like previous albums, Symphonies of the Night features songs sung in different languages, including English, Shakespearean English, Norwegian, French and Irish. The album title was said to be inspired by Symphony of the Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky.
The Quantum Enigma is the sixth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. It was released by Nuclear Blast in Europe on 2 May 2014, in the UK on 5 May, and in the US on 6 May. It is their first studio album with new bassist Rob van der Loo, who replaced Yves Huts in 2012.
Runaljod – Ragnarok is the third album by the Norwegian Nordic folk band Wardruna, released on 21 October 2016 by Indie Recordings/By Norse Music. It is the final chapter of the trilogy Runaljod, inspired by the 24 ancient runes of the Elder Futhark.
The Holographic Principle is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, released on 30 September 2016. The album was produced by Joost van den Broek and mixed by Jacob Hansen. The release date along with the album's title and cover was revealed on Epica's website on 3 June 2016, the tracklisting was revealed on 17 June 2016.
Sign of the Dragonhead is the seventh studio album of the German symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. It is their first full-length release with Elina Siirala as lead vocalist, following Liv Kristine's departure in 2016.
Omega is the eighth studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica. It was released on 26 February 2021 via Nuclear Blast.
The Last Viking is the eighth studio album by German symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes. It was released on October 23, 2020, by AFM Records. It is the last album to feature longtime member Thorsten Bauer.
Kvitravn is the fifth studio album by the Norwegian Nordic folk band Wardruna, released on 22 January 2021.
Lindy-Fay Hella is a Norwegian singer, musician and composer, known as a member of Wardruna and Lindy-Fay Hella & Dei Farne. She played electronic music before becoming a founding member of Wardruna, which plays eclectic music influenced by runes. Her singing features prominently in Wardruna's Runaljod album trilogy. Hella released a electronic pop solo album in 2019. She released her second solo album in 2021 under the name Lindy-Fay Hella & Dei Farne.
