Leaves' Eyes Legend Land Video Posted Online

I do like these annual updates on Leaves Eyes, Kate Bush, Blackmore's Night and other "eccentric" non-mainstream singers/bands.

I had to go to Leaves Eyes main homepage due to bad a URL link in the above article. But I did download the "Legend Land" video.

I must say video quality could definitely be better but at least the sound level is good enough to catch my attention.

It's refreshing to see that the band stablized the volume difference between Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull, who was in the past trounced by Alexander and the band instrumentals.

But the same problem still persists and is holding them partly back, as far as them becoming a big worldwide phenom and that problem is, what the hell are they saying!

From my experience is that the problem with music in the realm of shock, industrial, death and heavy metal is that it flares like a supernova in popularity in the business and then goes away or simmers to a captured lukewarm retained crowd, is that if the loudness of the music doesn't give you a headache then your brain, during the sonic assault, is trying desperately to figure out the lyrics!

This more so, as one ages and their ears lose their ability to focus on sound detail and their brains become less tolerable to music that sounds more of having a conniption fit than it is trying to be artistic.

I can just imagine what the band members will go through as they going into old age and their hearing problems will be great!

Leaves Eyes is in serious danger of being in a state of "the operation was a success but the patient died on the operating table" situation.

Which has been a comment best described to the UK sci-fi TV series analogy of Gerry Anderson's UFO. A promising series I LOVE, but they relyed on too many similar story lines, limited props, vision and vehicles, and story plots that they wrote themselves into a corner and jumped the shark all at the same time.

But back to Leaves Eyes. Unless the band is content with staying where they are and not breaking out into the mainstream then they will have to be content with gaining a slow and limited audience, and this is where likely they will stay.

A problem, for different reasons which plagues Blackmore's Night, a band I highly admire and definately can understand but they prefer to stay in the shadows of popularity instead of getting themselves on programs like Conan O'Brien, etc....

For Blackmore's Night, they are more than ready to spring into mainstream music and to create a new genre of music called 'Renaissance Rock', but they are taking their sweet time doing it! :-(

But Leaves Eyes needs to work on cutting down Alexander's grilling scream and boost the audibility of Liv's voice, the sound levels, not volume, are fine but the sound clarity is extremely blurry.

They need to refine the clarity of their lyrics not to mention 3/4 of their songs seems to be similar to the other (See above for my reasoning).

They need to badly reach out and diversify the band's range and width of music styles and not ALWAYS play hard metal screaming but ballads and softer non gutteral music styles.

The overall problem with Leaves Eyes is they look pretty in clothing and visuals but as a sound and influence they are more like they are trying to impress like a shark as opposed to beguile like a peacock!

I loved her track on the last Filth album. I wish more groups like this could gain some support. You have to realize though that her roots are in norwegian black metal, and her years with Theatre of Tragedy have surely shaped her style... Metal still thrives in Europe. Kovenant, an industrial/metal band won a Norwegian grammy a few years ago, so what wouldn't be allowed within 200 miles of a top 40 playlist in the west might achieve greatness elsewhere. I don't necessarily think it's an artist's duty to make a concsious effort to broaden the audience by watering down thier vision. You obtain the audience your art beckons. Once you start compromising your artistic identity you become a whore.
Some music can't be properly appreciated or digested during the first listen through. Bands who write thematically driven albums can often use a similar style in each song, and at first it all blends together, most people don't like metal or industrial because they haven't given it a chance.
The first time I heard Cradle of Filth or Skinny Puppy I hated them vehemently. It all sounded the same, but as time went on they became two of my favourite bands. Android Lust, KMFDM, Velvet Acid Christ, Mindless Self Indulgence, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Lacuna Coil, My Ruin, these are all bands that don't have the attention given to MTV friendly fare but they keep on creating music that blows away 90% of the recycled garbage people listen to. Sure if they all became derrivative Korn and Good Charlotte clones they could probably get some airtime on cable networks, and rake in a few more bucks but there are too few bands doing what they do. I don't want to hear another lame rehashed ballad about how hard it is to lose your girlfriend. The suburban boyband pseudopunk set has that covered. Don't change the band, they're doing just fine.